By Jodie Cook Senior Contributor
The 80/20 of LinkedIn: Grow your profile in a fraction of the time
LinkedIn influencers spend hours each day growing their accounts. Their business relies on it. Even those selling LinkedIn growth expertise aren’t letting on that they’re actually glued to the platform. But what if you’re not a LinkedIn influencer? You want the network, the acclaim, and all the business benefits, but you can’t justify spending half your workweek gaining followers.
You need the 80/20: the fewest actions that generate outsized returns. Most LinkedIn advice assumes unlimited time and patience. But entrepreneurs need strategies that work between client calls and product launches. I’ve grown my LinkedIn to 40,000 followers while running a business, and these five moves create 80% of my results with 20% of the effort.
Master the minimum effective dose of LinkedIn
Send 20 targeted connection requests daily
This takes just a few minutes but steadily builds a valuable network. I don’t mean generic requests. Spend a few seconds personalizing each one (check the limits for free versus premium accounts). Do this consistently and you’re stacking new, relevant connections every day. Choose your goal: building relationships with other founders, investors, or collaborators who move your business forward.
Pick one specific characteristic of your ideal connection. Maybe they’re SaaS founders in London or marketing directors at scale-ups. Use LinkedIn’s advanced search filters. Send those 20 requests at the same time every day, maybe while you’re waiting for something else. Reference something specific from their profile: their recent post, company news, or shared connection. Twenty requests daily equals 600 potential connections each month with people who matter to your business.
Write amazing comments
You don’t need to spend an hour a day commenting. Just find three posts with early traction that relate to your expertise. Add sentences that contribute to the discussion. They are the ones that stand out. This is your chance to gain new superfans. Most LinkedIn comments are terrible: “Great post!” or “Well done!” Be different by adding substance.
MORE FOR YOU
When you spot a post gaining momentum in your field, add the perspective only you can provide. Share a contrarian view backed by experience. Offer a framework that builds on their point. Ask the question everyone’s thinking but not saying. Quality comments on high-performing posts put you in front of thousands of targeted viewers. Three thoughtful comments beat thirty lazy ones every time.
Refresh your profile
Do you look like a winner on LinkedIn? Do people want to be on your team? First impressions matter when decisions to follow or connect are made in seconds. Your LinkedIn profile is working 24/7 to attract or repel opportunities. Most profiles bore visitors into clicking away.
Rewrite your headline to capture attention and clearly show who you deliver value to. Someone has to know that you can help them. Mine says “Building AI coaches that scale expertise” not “CEO at Various Companies.” Then check your headshot. Professional photos increase profile views significantly. Your banner image, about section, and featured content all dictate whether someone sees you as worth knowing. Spend time making your profile magnetic, then let it work for months.
Batch-create content
Use ChatGPT to turn your ideas into unique LinkedIn posts. Publish 3–5 times per week, but create everything in a one-hour session using AI. Avoid the daily drag. The LinkedIn algorithm rewards consistency, but consistency doesn’t mean slavery to the platform.
Book an ideation session into your calendar once per week, then prepare ChatGPT with your writing style loaded. Within an hour, you could have a week’s worth of posts ready to schedule. Edit them to add personality (and make sure they contain only words you would actually say,) but let AI handle the heavy lifting. Batch creation means you hit your production benchmarks without LinkedIn taking over your life.
Be yourself
This takes no extra time. Just courage. Stop sitting on the fence. Share bold opinions. Take a stand. The LinkedIn feed is full of safe, vanilla content because everyone’s scared to offend. But memorable brands come from memorable positions.
Dare to be different, and you’ll see a new level of growth. When I started sharing my thoughts about hustle culture, AI replacing jobs, and why most business advice is terrible, my engagement increased. Sure, some people disagreed. Good. They weren’t my people anyway. Your authentic voice attracts your authentic audience. The algorithm can’t penalize personality.
Start your 80/20 LinkedIn strategy for outsized results
Five small actions compound into extraordinary results. Twenty daily connections could become 6,000 annual relationships. Three daily comments put you in front of millions of viewers yearly. Your optimized LinkedIn profile converts visitors while you sleep. Batch-created content keeps you visible without consuming your days. Your real voice builds a tribe of believers who buy from you, hire you, and refer you.
LinkedIn becomes an asset generating opportunities instead of a time sink when you work the 80/20 instead of endlessly scrolling like those with nothing better to do.
Follow my LinkedIn profile checklist for landing coaching clients.
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