LS #58: The Lead Generation Mistake That's Killing Your LinkedIn Results
I watched a founder spend a year on LinkedIn and generate exactly zero qualified leads. Here's the mistake 90% of founders make...
Hi there,
I study top LinkedIn posts to show you how to create content that connects.
In this issue, you'll find:
The 3 high-performing LinkedIn posts this week
The Lead Generation Mistake That's Killing Your LinkedIn Results
The 3 high-performing posts this week
1. Nano Banana + Veo 3 + n8n is insane 🤯
Why this post?
This post went viral, receiving almost 1.1k likes in 3 days. It received 34-115 more engagement and views than Mike's posts this week.
BREAKDOWN
Tech stack hook: "Nano Banana + Veo 3 + n8n is insane" - names specific tools that sound impressive
Clear value proposition: "creates UGC videos at scale" - immediately explains what it does
Professional demo: Shows actual AI-generated video that looks like real advertising
Target audience: "Perfect for e-comm operators & creative agencies" - knows exactly who wants this
Problem/solution setup: Manual creation vs automated system - classic before/after structure
Step-by-step breakdown: Shows exactly how the automation works with arrows
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN POST:
Name your tech stack: List specific tools that sound cutting-edge and technical
Use real examples: Show actual results, not mockups or theoretical descriptions
Identify your audience: Be specific about who this helps and why they need it
Contrast old vs new: Show the painful manual way vs the automated solution
Break down the process: Use arrows and steps to show the automation flow
POST IDEAS FOLLOWING THIS TEMPLATE:
"ChatGPT + Zapier + Airtable = automated customer research"
"Midjourney + Figma + Framer = website design in 10 minutes"
"Claude + Make + Google Sheets = automated content calendar"
"Perplexity + Notion + Slack = automated competitor research"
"Stable Diffusion + Photoshop + Etsy = print-on-demand goldmine"
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2. I’m very critical of the education system.
Why this post?
Another post that went viral this week—it got 1.3 likes in 4 days and performed 2.5-15 times better than Simon’s other posts this week.
BREAKDOWN:
Controversial hook: "I'm very critical of the education system" - gets attention with bold stance
Important clarification: "But I need to make this ABSOLUTELY clear" - signals a plot twist coming
Emotional visual: Hospital photo of dying teacher grading papers - instantly heartbreaking
Hero narrative: Teacher chose to grade papers in his final hours instead of resting
Clear distinction: "The education system may be BROKEN... But teachers are AMAZING"
Specific story: Names the teacher (Alejandro Navarro) and gives exact details. Shows dedication that's both inspiring and tragic.
Purpose-driven message: "Educators often give EVERYTHING, even when their own lives are on the line." Explains why teachers sacrifice so much for their students.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN POST:
Start with controversy: Take a strong position that people will either love or hate
Signal a plot twist: Use phrases like "BUT" or "HOWEVER" to change direction
Tell specific stories: Give names, dates, and concrete details to make it real
Show moral complexity: Reveal situations that are both inspiring and concerning
Include universal truths: Connect your specific story to bigger patterns everyone recognizes
3. Please. Stop worrying so much about your life following a straight line.
Why this post?
This post performed 3 times better than Marc’s other posts in the last few weeks.
BREAKDOWN:
Urgent hook: "Please. Stop worrying so much" - sounds like he's begging people to change
Challenge common belief: Attacks the idea that life should follow a straight path
Counterintuitive wisdom: "followed a passion, not because they have a plan" - goes against popular advice
Universal truth: "The best journeys rarely proceed linearly" - applies to everyone's experience
Simple action steps: "find something that strikes your interest. Follow it, whatever it is"
Short and punchy: Each sentence is easy to read and remember
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN POST:
Start with urgency: Use "Please" or "Stop" to make it feel like an important intervention
Challenge accepted wisdom: Pick a belief most people have and argue against it
Share counterintuitive insights: Say the opposite of what success gurus usually teach
Make it universal: Show how this applies to everyone, not just entrepreneurs
Give simple next steps: Don't just philosophize - tell people what to actually do
LinkedIn Guide
The Lead Generation Mistake That's Killing Your LinkedIn Results
I watched a founder spend a year on LinkedIn and generate exactly zero qualified leads.
He posted daily. Sent 100+ connection requests per week. Had amazing content that got decent engagement.
But his calendar stayed empty.
The problem? He was fishing in a swimming pool instead of the ocean.
Here's the mistake 90% of founders make: They optimize for activity instead of outcomes.
The Lead Generation Delusion
What most founders think lead generation means:
Post content and wait for people to reach out
Send connection requests to anyone in your industry
Comment on popular posts hoping for visibility
What actually generates leads:
Targeting people actively looking for solutions
Creating content that attracts buyers, not browsers
Engaging with prospects showing buying intent
Measuring conversations that turn into revenue
The harsh reality: 95% of your LinkedIn audience will never buy from you. Ever.
The Fatal Mistake: Spray and Pray Lead Generation
Mistake #1: Targeting Everyone in Your Industry
What founders do: Connect with every SaaS CEO, marketing director, or startup founder they can find.
Why it fails:
Most aren't actively looking for your solution
No buying intent signals
Generic outreach gets ignored
Wastes time on unqualified prospects
Example of bad targeting: "I'll connect with every SaaS founder with 10-50 employees"
Better targeting: "I'll connect with SaaS founders who posted about churn problems in the last 30 days"
Mistake #2: Creating Content for Creators, Not Buyers
What founders do: Post generic business advice that gets likes from other founders and marketers.
Why it fails:
Your ideal customers aren't scrolling LinkedIn all day
Business advice doesn't show buying intent
You're building an audience of non-buyers
Example of creator-focused content: "10 productivity tips for entrepreneurs" (Gets 100 likes from other entrepreneurs who will never buy)
Buyer-focused content: "How we reduced customer churn from 15% to 3% in 90 days" (Attracts CEOs actively dealing with churn issues)
Mistake #3: Measuring Vanity Metrics Instead of Business Outcomes
What founders track:
Post likes and comments
Profile views
Follower count
Connection acceptance rate
What actually matters:
Qualified conversations started
Demos booked from LinkedIn
Pipeline generated
Revenue attributed to LinkedIn activity
The Intent-Based Lead Generation System
Step 1: Identify Buying Intent Signals
High-intent signals to look for:
Posted about the specific problem you solve
Shared job openings for roles related to your solution
Engaged with competitor content
Attended industry events about your problem space
Recently got funding (timing for new solutions)
New in role (looking to make an impact)
Tools to track intent:
LinkedIn Sales Navigator alerts
Google Alerts for company names + your keywords
Social media monitoring for problem-related posts
Industry publication subscriber lists
Step 2: Create High-Intent Content
The Problem-Solution-Results Framework:
Instead of generic advice, focus on:
Specific problems your buyers face
How you solved them
Measurable results achieved
High-intent content example: "Why our customer support tickets dropped 70% after one simple change in onboarding…"
Why this generates qualified leads:
CEOs with onboarding problems recognize themselves
Specific metrics show you understand the pain
Clear results demonstrate capability
Comments reveal who has similar challenges
Step 3: The Qualified Prospect Engagement Strategy
Instead of mass connection requests:
The 3-Touch Warm-Up Sequence:
Touch 1: Like and comment on their problem-related post
Touch 2: Share relevant resource based on their specific challenge
Touch 3: Send connection request referencing the conversation
Example engagement: Their post: "Struggling with customer onboarding at our SaaS company"
Your comment: "We faced the exact same challenge at [Company]. What worked for us was [solution]."
Follow-up DM: "Hi [Name], saw your post about onboarding challenges. Sent you that audit framework I mentioned. No strings attached - just thought it might help given what you're facing."
Step 4: The Qualification Framework
Before investing time in any prospect, qualify using BANT:
Budget: Can they afford your solution?
Authority: Can they make or influence the decision?
Need: Do they have the acute problem you solve?
Timing: Are they actively looking for solutions?
Qualification questions disguised as helpful conversation:
"What's driving the urgency to solve this now?"
"How are you currently handling [problem]?"
"Who else is involved in solving this challenge?"
"What's the cost of not fixing this?"
High-Converting Lead Generation Examples
Example 1: The Problem Post
"Our SaaS churn rate hit 18% last quarter.
Here's what we learned digging into the data:
[Insights and lessons]"
Why it works: Attracts founders with churn problems
Example 2: The Solution Framework
"The 3-step customer health score that predicted 89% of our churn:
[Framework]"
Why it works: Shows specific methodology that others want
Example 3: The Results Story
"How one email sequence saved us $50K in churn:
[Case study]"
Why it works: Specific tactics others can implement
Lead Generation Metrics That Actually Matter
Quality metrics to track:
Qualified conversations per month
Demos booked from LinkedIn
Pipeline value from LinkedIn leads
Conversion rate from LinkedIn to customer
Time investment:
1 hour per week creating intent-based content (tools like PostHero can help you produce high-quality LinkedIn posts)
30 minutes per day engaging with high-intent prospects
2 hours per week following up on qualified conversations
The Lead Generation Success Formula
Intent-Based Targeting (find people actively looking) + Problem-Focused Content (attract buyers not browsers) + Qualification Process (invest time in right prospects) + Outcome Tracking (measure revenue not vanity) = Consistent qualified leads
Stop fishing in swimming pools. Start hunting in the ocean.
Fin.
P.S. Your LinkedIn can (and should) bring leads daily. DM me if you’re ready to make it happen.
That's a wrap for today.
See you next week! If you want more LinkedIn tips, be sure to follow me on LinkedIn (link).
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Your compadre,
Anton "LinkedIn growth strategies" Cherkasov