LS #64: The LinkedIn Audience Audit: Are You Talking to People Who Can’t Buy?
I had 5,000 LinkedIn followers and couldn’t book a single demo. Here's how I fixed it.
Hi there,
I break down top LinkedIn posts to help you craft content that resonates.
In this issue, you’ll find:
The 3 high-performing LinkedIn posts this week
The LinkedIn Audience Audit: Are You Talking to People Who Can’t Buy?
The 3 high-performing posts this week
1. I’m a startup founder who raised $30M+
Why this post?
This post went viral, receiving 1.7k likes in a week. It received 10-23 times more engagement and views than Alexander’s posts this week.
WHY THIS POST WENT VIRAL
This post destroyed a pervasive myth that raising money equals instant wealth and success. The casual selfie in a t-shirt working from a basic setup was perfect - it didn’t match what people imagine a “$30M raised” founder looks like.
BREAKDOWN
Impressive credential hook: “I’m a startup founder who raised $30M+” - establishes authority and success
Unglamorous photo: Casual selfie in t-shirt at basic desk - contrasts with polished founder photos
Specific lifestyle details: Lists exact modest circumstances (junior dev salary, rent apartment, public insurance)
Common misconception named: “A lot of people assume that when a founder raises millions, they become a millionaire”
Hard truth delivered: “Raising money doesn’t make you rich - it just means you’ve taken on a huge responsibility”
Reframe the milestone: “Funding isn’t an achievement - it’s fuel. The real journey starts after the raise”
POST IDEAS YOU COULD TRY:
“I make $500K/year as a consultant - but here’s what that actually means”
“I grew my newsletter to 100K subscribers - here’s the reality nobody talks about”
“I sold my company for $10M - but I’m not rich (here’s why)”
“I have 1M followers - but here’s what my bank account looks like”
“I run a 7-figure agency - but I pay myself less than my employees”
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2. LinkedIn makes it VERY hard to grow your email list. Meanwhile, this new platform is doing the opposite:
Why this post?
Another post that went viral this week—it got 360 likes in a week and performed 4-10 times better than Daniel’s other posts this week.
BREAKDOWN:
Problem identification: “LinkedIn makes it VERY hard to grow your email list” - calls out platform frustration
Contrasting solution: “Meanwhile, this new platform is doing the opposite:” - promises better alternative
Credibility signals: “$100M in funding“ and big names (Justin Welsh, Dan Koe, Gary Vee) validate the platform
Key differentiator: Native subscribe button on every post - explains the unique advantage clearly
Social proof screenshot: Analytics showing 895 subscribers (9.34%) from Substack with red highlight box
Personal results: “In the past 90 days, I’ve gotten 895 newsletter subscribers from Substack”
Simple strategy reveal: “All I’m doing is this: Repurposing my best LinkedIn posts as Substack Notes”
Lead magnet offer: “Substack Arbitrage Playbook” with specific deliverables listed
3. Sell me your startup… in just 5 words.
Why this post?
This post got 3-300 times more comments than Mark’s other posts this week.
WHY THIS POST WENT VIRAL
This post turned pitching into a public game where founders could showcase creativity while getting real feedback.
BREAKDOWN:
Challenge hook: “Sell me your startup... in just 5 words” - creates immediate challenge
Competitive framing: “Let’s see who’s got the sharpest pitch and who’s getting ghosted 👀” - makes it a game
Leonardo DiCaprio meme: Shows him listening intently - perfect for “I’m listening to pitches” vibe
Clear instructions: “Drop your 5 words below. Make them powerful. Make them irresistible.”
Helpful examples: “AI automates human hiring forever” / “Banking without banks or bullshit” - shows the standard
Simple call to action: “Ready? Sell me your dream.” - direct and exciting
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN POST:
“Pitch your SaaS in 3 words - best one gets free consulting call”
“Describe your business in 1 sentence”
“Give me your cold email subject line”
“Headline for your landing page - 10 words max”
“Your LinkedIn headline - make me want to click your profile”
LinkedIn Guide
The LinkedIn audience audit: are you talking to people who can’t buy?
I had 5,000 LinkedIn followers and couldn’t book a single demo.
My posts got hundreds of likes. My engagement rate was 8%.
Then I did an audience audit and discovered the problem: 97% of my followers couldn’t buy from me even if they wanted to.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: You’re probably building an audience of the wrong people.
The Audience Problem
What most founders celebrate:
Growing follower count
High engagement rates
Viral posts and profile views
Being called an “influencer”
What actually matters:
Percentage of followers who fit your ICP
Engagement from decision-makers
DMs from qualified prospects
Revenue from LinkedIn connections
The reality:
10,000 followers who can’t buy = 0 customers.
100 followers who can buy = potential goldmine.
The 3 Types of LinkedIn Audiences
Type 1: The Engagers (High Activity, Zero Revenue)
Who they are:
Other founders scrolling for inspiration
Marketing professionals collecting content ideas
Aspiring entrepreneurs and students
Content creators looking for engagement
What they do:
Like and comment on everything
Never buy anything
How you attracted them:
Generic business advice
Motivational content
Productivity tips
Broad-appeal posts
Business value: Zero
Type 2: The Observers (Low Activity, Some Revenue)
Who they are:
Industry professionals in adjacent roles
People interested in your space
Potential partners or collaborators
Future buyers (maybe)
What they do:
Occasionally like relevant posts
Read but don’t engage much
Reach out for partnerships
Sometimes become customers
How you attracted them:
Industry insights
Thought leadership
Company updates
General expertise content
Business value: Low to Medium
Type 3: The Buyers (Low Activity, High Revenue)
Who they are:
Decision-makers with budget
People actively experiencing the problem you solve
Your exact ICP
Qualified prospects
What they do:
Rarely like or comment publicly
Read everything you post
Send private DMs with questions
Book demos and become customers
How you attract them:
Hyper-specific problem content
Case studies with metrics
Technical deep-dives
Industry-specific insights
Business value: Extremely High
The LinkedIn Audience Audit Process
Step 1: Analyze Your Last 100 Followers
Questions to ask:
How many work at companies in your target market?
How many have job titles that match your ICP?
How many have budget/decision-making authority?
How many are experiencing the problem you solve?
My audit results:
Total followers: 5,000
Last 100 followers analyzed
Fit my ICP: 3 (3%)
Decision-makers: 3 (3%)
Target companies: 8 (8%)
Diagnosis: I was attracting the wrong audience.
Step 2: Audit Your Engagement
Review your last 20 posts and track:
Who’s liking your content (job titles)
Who’s commenting (and what they’re asking)
Who’s DMing you (and about what)
Who’s converting to customers
My engagement audit:
90% of likes: Other founders, marketers, entrepreneurs
8% of likes: Adjacent professionals
2% of likes: Actual decision-makers in my ICP
Diagnosis: High engagement, wrong people.
Step 3: Revenue Attribution Analysis
Track the last 10 customers:
How many came from LinkedIn?
What content attracted them?
What was their engagement pattern?
How long from first engagement to customer?
Diagnosis: My best customers barely engaged publicly.
How to Fix Your Audience Problem
Fix #1: The Audience Reset Strategy
Stop creating content for your current audience. Start creating content for your ideal customer.
The 90-day reset plan:
Month 1: Stop the Bleed
Pause all generic business advice
Stop motivational posts
No more productivity tips
Cut broad-appeal content
Month 2: Get Hyper-Specific
Post only about problems your ICP faces
Use industry-specific terminology
Share metrics your buyers track
Reference tools/systems they use
Month 3: Double Down
Analyze which posts attracted right people
Create more of that specific content
Engage only with ICP-matching profiles
Ignore engagement from wrong audience
Fix #2: The Content Specificity Framework
Make your content so specific that only your ICP cares.
The Specificity Ladder:
Level 1 (Generic - Wrong Audience): “How to improve customer retention”
Level 2 (Industry - Better): “How SaaS companies can reduce churn”
Level 3 (Segment - Even Better): “How B2B SaaS companies with annual contracts reduce churn”
Level 4 (Specific Problem - Perfect): “Why B2B SaaS companies see churn spike in months 2-3 of annual contracts (and how to fix it)”
Fix #3: The Engagement Prioritization System
Stop engaging with everyone. Start engaging strategically.
The ICP Engagement Rules:
Engage with (80% of your time):
Decision-makers at target companies
People posting about problems you solve
Industry leaders your ICP follows
Potential customers showing intent
Ignore (20% of your time):
Other founders asking for advice
Content creators wanting collaboration
People outside your ICP
Engagement farmers
Practical implementation:
Before liking/commenting, check: “Is this person in my ICP?”
If no, skip and move to next post
If yes, leave thoughtful, valuable comment
Fix #4: The Connection Request Filter
Stop accepting every connection request. Start qualifying.
My connection acceptance criteria:
Works at company in my target market
Has job title indicating budget authority
Posts about relevant industry topics
Could potentially buy within 12 months
If they don’t meet at least 2 criteria, I decline.
Result: Slower follower growth, but 10x better audience quality.
Fix #5: The Content Audit & Prune
Review your last 50 posts:
Which attracted engagement from ICPs?
Which attracted the wrong audience?
What topics drive qualified DMs?
What content gets likes but zero business?
Then:
Create more of what attracts ICPs
Stop creating what attracts wrong people
Even if it means lower engagement numbers
The Audience Quality Scorecard
Calculate your Audience Quality Score:
Step 1: Analyze last 100 followers
Count how many fit your ICP
Calculate percentage
Step 2: Review last 20 posts
Count engagement from ICPs vs non-ICPs
Calculate ICP engagement percentage
Step 3: Track last 10 customers
Count how many came from LinkedIn
Calculate LinkedIn attribution percentage
Your Audience Quality Score: (ICP Follower % + ICP Engagement % + LinkedIn Attribution %) ÷ 3
My scores:
Before audit: 18% (terrible)
After 90-day reset: 64% (much better)
Current: 71% (still improving)
The Audience Quality Formula
Hyper-Specific Content (only ICP cares) + Strategic Engagement (ICP profiles only) + Connection Filtering (qualify before accepting) + Content Pruning (stop what attracts wrong people) = Audience that actually buys
Stop optimizing for follower count. Start optimizing for customer count.
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