How to Write on LinkedIn (That Actually Gets Engagement)
I brutally edited a founder’s LinkedIn post using one writing tip, and it exposed what was killing their engagement:
The part that caught me off guard?
The idea wasn’t the problem.
Which makes this a little uncomfortable.
Because if your posts aren’t landing… it might not be your ideas either.
So then what is it?
Why your LinkedIn posts aren’t getting engagement
When I was reading her post, I kept waiting for it to click.
Like… okay, where’s the part that pulls me in?
It never came.
Not because the idea wasn’t there.
It was.
But it felt like it got watered down somewhere along the way.
The hook didn’t really say anything.
The point was buried in the middle.
And the way it was written felt… cleaned up.
Too clean.
So I’m reading it thinking:
I should care about this.
But I don’t.
And that’s the problem.
Because when you’re the one writing it, it all makes sense.
You know what you meant.
But the person reading it?
They’re just deciding, line by line:
Do I keep going… or not?
But once you change the way you approach writing content, it becomes a habit.
Because the fix wasn’t complicated. It's simply about taking the time to become a good editor.
Be your own toughest critique when evaluating what you have written.
Let me show you exactly how to do so.
LinkedIn writing example: before vs after breakdown
If you only look at one thing in this post, look at this.
Take a screenshot of this before your next post.
POST BEFORE EDITS
I renamed my brain dump something dumb. That one switch made me use it 10x more. Here’s what happened.
I saw a post the other day about keeping a place for everything in your head to spill out.
Not organized.
Not polished.
Just raw.
No sentences. No cleanup. Just whatever shows up.
I realized I’ve always had this… I just called it “Untitled.” (yeah i know basic)
Which is basically where ideas go to die.
Half thoughts. Fragments. Zero structure.
(more like a junk drawer than a place I’d come back to)
Then I renamed it.
And weirdly, that flipped something.
It stopped feeling like a dump and started feeling like a stash.
Like there was actually something worth going back for.
About a month ago, after seeing that post, I finally gave it a real name.
I think they called theirs a brain dump or something like that.
I went with “The Idea Jar.”
Same mess inside.
But now it felt like I was collecting things, not throwing them away.
Stuff I actually wanted to come back and dig through.
Then a random Tuesday, for no real reason (maybe I was hungry), I changed it again.
Now it’s: “The Cookie Jar.”
Makes no sense. Still funny to me.
But it works even better.
It’s still just a chaotic pile of thoughts, but now it feels like I can reach in and grab something whenever I want. Like there’s always something good in there waiting.
Last month I’ve opened it almost every day.
Either dropping in quick scraps or pulling something out to turn into a post.
Only rule:
raw only.
quick crumbs.
timestamp it.
no editing.
no full sentences.
The name tricks my brain. It feels like a treat, not a task.
That’s the whole shift.
Gave the tool a personality.
Gave myself one simple rule.
Now I actually show up to it.
Anywho… anyone else have any fun names for their “brain dump” document or notes file??
POST AFTER EDITS
Every idea sitting in “Untitled” is a post that could’ve made you money, but didn’t.
Realizing this, I renamed my brain dump something easy, so I never miss out on money-making opportunity ever again…
I saw a post the other day about keeping a place for everything in your head to spill out.
And I mean RAWW WORD VOMIT,
-Half thoughts.
-Fragments.
-Zero structure.
It’s ugly, confusing and my favorite part about it,
I don’t have to clean it up….
At least for now
(more like a junk drawer than a place I’d come back to)
So when I renamed it,
And weirdly,
It stopped feeling like a dump and started feeling like a stash.
Like a stash that could make me money. Aka “worth going back for”
About a month ago, after seeing that post, I finally gave it a real name.
I think they called theirs “a brain dump” or something like that.
I went with “The Idea Jar.”
Same mess inside.
But now it felt like I was collecting things, not throwing them away.
But then I changed my mind,
on a random Tuesday, for no real reason (maybe I was hungry), I changed it again.
Now it’s: “The Cookie Jar.”
Makes no sense. But I’m laughing as I type this.
But it works even better.
Last month I’ve opened it almost every day.
Either dropping in quick scraps or pulling something out to turn into a post.
Only rule:
raw only.
quick crumbs.
no editing.
no full sentences.
The name makes it feels like a treat, not a task.
That’s the whole shift.
Gave the tool a personality.
Anywho… anyone else have any fun names for their “brain dump” document or notes file??
(hit plus button to expand)
SWIPE THROUGH TO SEE CHANGES
Now step back and look at what just changed.
Same idea.
Completely different outcome.
The hook created tension.
The body sounded like a person.
The CTA gave people something easy to respond to.
None of that required a better idea.
Just better editing.
There’s a reason the hook works.
We’re wired to avoid loss more than we’re motivated by upside.
And there’s a reason the rewrite feels better to read.
88% of people say authenticity matters when deciding who they trust.
Most content doesn’t feel like that.
This is the gap.
If you want to understand how this compounds over time, not just on one post, read this: how a simple LinkedIn strategy compounds over time
The difference between content that gets skimmed…
And content that actually gets engagement.
If you want to see how this turns into pipeline, not just likes, I broke that down here:
FAQs
Key Things to Know
Because the writing doesn’t hold attention.
Most posts don’t fail at the idea level.
They fail in the first few lines.
If the hook doesn’t create tension, people never get to the part that matters.
Say it how you’d actually say it out loud.
If it feels too clean, it probably is.
If it sounds like something you wouldn’t say in a conversation, cut it.
People trust writing that feels real, not polished.
A strong hook makes the reader feel called out.
Not in a broad way.
In a specific, “this is about me” way.
If someone reads your first line and pauses, you’ve done your job.
No. Edit it.
Most of the time, the idea is fine.
It just needs to be moved, tightened, or said differently.
Rewriting usually adds more noise.
Editing removes it.
Because you’re over-structuring it.
Balanced lists. Clean phrasing. Perfect rhythm.
That reads well, but it doesn’t feel like a person.
Loosen it up. Let it sound a little rough.
A specific one.
“Thoughts?” is easy to ignore.
A narrow, simple question is easy to answer.
The best CTAs don’t ask for effort.
They give people something obvious to respond to.
How to write LinkedIn hooks that stop the scroll
If the first line doesn’t hit, nothing else matters.
This:
Here are 3 tips to improve your writing
This:
If your posts sound like ChatGPT, this is why no one’s engaging.
A strong hook makes someone pause and think:
“Wait… is this me?”
People bury the point.
They make you wait.
Say the thing first.
Why writing to everyone kills engagement
If you write to everyone, no one feels it.
If you’re a founder sitting on 20 ideas you haven’t posted…
How to sound human on LinkedIn
When writing seems too polished, too clean, or too perfect... you can smell the AI from a mile away.
Instead, say it how you’d actually say it.
Write authentically, write how you speak, how you talk to a friend. That is the stuff that people will continue to read
LinkedIn writing checklist
- Would I actually stop scrolling for this? Be honest. If this showed up in your feed, would you pause or keep moving?
- Did I say the point in the first 2–3 lines? If someone only reads the hook, do they still get value?
- Who is this actually for? One person. One type of founder. If it’s for everyone, it’s for no one.
- Does this sound like something I’d say in a conversation? If it feels stiff or over-written, it’s probably losing people.
- What do I want them to do after reading this? Comment, reflect, follow, click. If you don’t know, they won’t either.
Run this edit before you post anything
Open one of your drafts.
Don’t rewrite it.
Edit it.
Find the buried idea. (I used to think that the best idea needed to be saved for last, but actually it's the opposite.)
Move it up.
Cut the fluff.
Fix the ending.
Same idea.
Better writing.
You probably already have strong ideas.
All you have to do is clean it up.
Let’s Build Your Social Media Strategy
If you’re tired of winging it, or you know your content could be sharper, smoother, and more strategic, we can help.
Let’s create a system that actually works.
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