How to Build a $1,000,000 Content Strategy for LinkedIn

Everyone tells you to "plan your content" and "create pillars," but nobody tells you what that actually means—until now.

If you’re creating LinkedIn content without a proper strategy, you’re making it 100 times harder to succeed than necessary. Seriously.

And while everyone tells you to “plan out your content” on LinkedIn, nobody ever tells you how to actually do it.

If they do, they’re giving basic advice that’s (most likely) not technically wrong, but not actionable enough to be valuable in any meaningful sense.

And that’s a gap I’m very excited to fill today: I’m sharing my strategy for maximum impact on LinkedIn—in any vertical, niche, or positioning.

This doesn’t just result from my 2.5+ years of constant posting to build 230,000+ followers—it results from building content strategies for 40+ B2B leaders, including venture-backed CEOs, agency owners, influencers with millions of followers, and more.

So, let’s dive in—step-by-step:

1. Laying Out The Facts

Before deciding what content to create, you need to consider the foundational facts of your business, which will define your content strategy as a whole.

High level, we’re talking about things like:

• The details of your business/offer

• Your professional persona and voice

• Your goals/most desired outcomes on LinkedIn

Without clarity on those elements, your content will inevitably lack focus and fail to resonate with the right people. At best, you’ll accidentally hook in someone here and there, but never with any real consistency.

Those facts are your content compass—they'll guide every piece you create.

Open up a blank document and make subheadings for the following sections:

• Offer description

• Ideal customer profile (ICP)

• Key competitive differentiators

• Key target market pain points

I’ll teach you what exactly to define for each next:

Offer Description

Write a clear, concise description of what you sell and how it helps your target market.

You need to include:

• Your core product/service

• Primary benefits and outcomes

• Pricing structure

• Delivery method

• Time commitment required

• Any unique aspects of your offer

This isn't just for your reference—it's crucial because every piece of content you create should relate to your offer in some way, directly or indirectly.

Here’s an example I created for a cold email agency focused on B2B SaaS:

Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

Define exactly who you're trying to reach with your content. This should cover:

• Job titles/roles they hold

• Company size and type

• Industry verticals

• Annual revenue range

• Key challenges they face

• Decision-making authority

• Professional goals and aspirations

• Budget for solutions like yours

This sort of information shapes your content's tone, topics, and examples—that’s why the more specific you are, the better off you’ll be.

When you know precisely who you're speaking to, your content naturally becomes more relevant and engaging to your target audience.

Your ICP details will also help you:

• Filter out unqualified leads early

• Speak directly to decision-makers' needs

• Create content that resonates emotionally

• Focus on problems you're best equipped to solve

• Identify which case studies to highlight

• Target specific industries effectively

…all cool stuff you don’t want to miss out on.

Let’s go back to our B2B SaaS cold email agency:

Key Competitive Differentiators

What makes your solution unique in the market? Or, to put it bluntly, “Why should I, your target customer, choose you over everyone else?”

Remember that you’re competing on LinkedIn—not just with your industry competitors (though that will certainly be the case), but with everyone posting on the platform for impressions in general.

It’s a zero-sum game; ~10% of the creators on LinkedIn will get 90% of the leads.

Why? Because they offer a unique appeal to their target audience that they haven’t found anywhere else—on LinkedIn or elsewhere.

PS: note that I say “90% of the leads,” not "90% of the impressions.” Viral-bait posters listing out the Top 10 TED Talks and a motivational quotes they found on Google may get more likes and comments than you, but it’s all ephemeral—they’re not building long-term credibility with a valuable audience like you are.

So, to find your “unique appeal,” outline:

• Your unique methodology or approach

• Proprietary technology or processes

• Special expertise or credentials

• Results and success metrics

• Customer service philosophy

• Speed of delivery or implementation

• Industry-specific knowledge

• Team composition and expertise

• Pricing model advantages

• Quality assurance standards

• Unique partnerships or affiliations

• Geographic advantages or reach

• Specialized tools or resources

• Client support systems

…these differentiators should be woven into your content naturally—not as direct promotional points (at least most of the time), but as underlying themes that demonstrate your expertise and unique value proposition.

Going back to our example:

Undeniable advantages like these are worth repeatedly emphasizing in your content.

But at the same time, the goal isn't to explicitly state these differences in every post, but to let them inform your content's perspective and insights holistically.

For example, if one of your key differentiators is your deep expertise in a specific industry vertical, your content should naturally demonstrate that expertise through industry-specific examples, relevant terminology (avoiding too much jargon), and nuanced insights that only someone with your background could know.

That sort of authenticity is way more powerful than simply claiming expertise.

It shows rather than tells, building credibility organically through your content rather than through explicit statements about your qualifications.

PS: Some telling is okay—you should be repeatedly emphasizing the results your work creates for the sake of crediblity, but all things in balance. Sometimes it should be implicit, sometimes it should be explicit.

Key Target Market Pain Points

Understanding your market's challenges—as specifically as possible—is non-negotiable for creating content that converts with any sort of meaningful consistency.

List out your target market's primary pain points, like:

• Lack of clarity on ROI measurement

• Difficulty scaling operations efficiently

• Limited access to reliable market data

• High customer acquisition costs

• Inefficient internal processes

• Challenges with team coordination

• Resource allocation issues

• Technology integration problems

• Compliance and regulatory concerns

• Time management struggles

These pain points should form the core themes of your content strategy since they represent the key problems your audience is actively seeking solutions for.

Again, going back to our B2B SaaS cold email agency example:

If you can effectively address pain points like these in your content, you'll naturally attract the right audience and position yourself as a solution provider.

Because, ideally, each piece of content should either:

• Directly address one of these challenges

• Offer practical solutions or frameworks

• Share relevant case studies

• Provide actionable insight/knowledge, or

• Demonstrate your understanding of the problem

And while there will be some exceptions (personal posts, for example), the key is to ensure that most of your content directly addresses these fundamental pain points.

Through maintaining this focus, you'll build a content library that consistently resonates with your target audience and demonstrates an increasingly-deep understanding of their challenges.

That gives you infinitely more leverage in your industry—not just through the benefits of LinkedIn directly (though there will be plenty of that), but through being a recognized thought leader in general.

Your prospects will Google you, and having them land on your high-value LinkedIn profile consistently sharing genuinely actionable information is one of the best credibility-builders you can possibly have.

For example…

2. Defining Your Persona

It’s extremely crucial to be intentional with how you present yourself to your audience.

While many might just say, “Be yourself,” that's not always the best approach for business content.

Your professional persona should be carefully crafted to resonate with your target audience while remaining authentic to who you are.

The balance is key—you want to be relatable and genuine while maintaining the level of expertise and professionalism your audience expects. Think of your persona as the bridge between your authentic self and your professional brand.

You don’t need to be overly specific with rules, but you should have clear guidelines for how you'll present yourself.

Think about things like:

• Your communication style (formal vs. casual)

• The type of language you'll use

• How much personal information you'll share

• Your stance on controversial topics

• The balance between educational and entertaining content

• Your visual branding elements

• Formatting rules (e.g. no emojis, line breaks every 2-3 sentences, etc)

For example, if you were a wealth manager at Merrill Lynch, your persona might be more formal and conservative. You would focus on professionalism and expertise, avoid controversial topics, and keep personal sharing minimal.

While Dave isn’t overly stiff, he tends to keep it somewhat formal due to his close relationships with high-level enterprises who rely on his high level of competence in the digital space.

In contrast, if you're a tech startup founder, you might adopt a more casual, transparent approach. You might share behind-the-scenes glimpses and personal experiences while maintaining professional credibility.

Bobby is an example of the latter, more or less. He still delivers tons of value but in more of a casual cadence—a fit for both his personality and the SaaS space as a whole.

The key is consistency—whatever persona you choose should feel natural and be sustainable long-term. At the fulcrum of that, of course, is authenticity.

Your persona must be genuine enough that you can maintain it consistently across all your content without feeling forced or artificial.

This means choosing characteristics and communication styles that align naturally with your personality while still serving your professional goals.

3. Defining Your Goals for LinkedIn

Clear goals are essential for any content strategy, and LinkedIn is no exception.

Each post you publish should explicitly exist to accomplish one (or more) of the objectives that got you on LinkedIn in the first place.

Some of the most common LinkedIn content goals might include:

• Building thought leadership in your industry

• Attracting potential clients or partners

• Growing your professional network

• Establishing credibility in your field

• Driving traffic to your website

• Generating leads for your business

• Increasing brand awareness

• Recruiting talent for your organization

• Sharing company culture and values

• Engaging with industry peers

Your goals probably fall within one of those, more or less. And even if they’re a bit more nuanced, the core principles remain the same.

For instance, if lead generation is your primary goal, your content strategy might emphasize demonstrating expertise and providing value-added insights that naturally lead to business conversations.

Of course, you’ll also want to be sharing lots of case studies and client results—not just as a vehicle for booking calls (though that will certainly be effective for compelling case studies) but also for demonstrating your track record of success and building credibility with your audience (which could be a secondary goal).

Micah isn’t sharing his agency’s results to brag—or even just to book calls—but to build authority, both for him and UN/COMMON.

So, outline 3-5 of your main goals in your content strategy document and prioritize them in order of importance. This will help guide your content creation process and ensure that every post serves a strategic purpose.

Here are some example goals from our hypothetical SaaS agency:

Remember that your goals may evolve over time as your business grows and market conditions change—it’s perfectly fine to come back and tweak this (encouraged, actually)

For each goal, establish specific metrics to track progress. These could include:

• Engagements from your target market

• Inbound connection requests from industry peers

• Profile views from decision-makers

• Direct messages from potential clients

• Website traffic from LinkedIn

• Conversion rates on calls-to-action

• Growth in follower count (controlled for targeted content)

Each of these metrics should be monitored regularly and analyzed against your goals. This data-driven approach will help you refine your content strategy over time, allowing you to focus more on what works and less on what doesn't.

If you don’t have clear metrics to track, you'll struggle to optimize your content strategy effectively. Make sure to set up a simple tracking system—even a basic spreadsheet will do—to monitor your key performance indicators (KPIs) monthly.

Data is by far one of LinkedIn’s most valuable assets for publishers on the platform. It offers a level of granularity wholly unrivaled by any other platform—enabling you to measure your goals with remarkable precision.

You can track engagement metrics and audience demographics, including industry, seniority level, and company size.

Test specific topics, see who they resonate with (demographic data) and by how much (engagement data), and double down on what seems to be working.

For example, here’s the engagement and demographic data of a post that did exceptionally well in creating visibility from my target market:

This data tells me I’ve found an angle I need to double down on and continue to optimize.

That’s a perfect example of how this sort of in-depth information helps you understand exactly who's engaging with your content and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Not using that means giving up one of your biggest competitive advantages.

PS: If you want to get ultra-granular in tracking your data (which I recommend you do), I recommend using either Shield or Aware, which are leading LinkedIn analytics tools that honor LinkedIn’s ToS (unlike many other LI tools out there).

4. Outlining Your Content Pillars

Content pillars are the core themes or topics that form the foundation of your LinkedIn content strategy.

Without them, your content can (and will) feel scattered and unfocused. Most successful LinkedIn creators stick to 3-to-5 main content pillars that align with both their expertise and their audience's interests.

Your pillars might include:

• Industry insights and trends

• Professional development tips for your industry

• Behind-the-scenes looks at your work (building in public)

• Case studies and client success stories

Those are broader examples, however—you should narrow down your pillars to be more specific to your niche.

For instance, if you work in SEO, your pillars might include technical SEO strategies, content optimization techniques, link-building methods, and Google algorithm updates.

Whatever your industry, each pillar should represent an area of deep expertise in which you can provide valuable insights based specifically on your direct experience (that’s where credibility comes from).

So, in your content strategy doc, outline your 3-5 main content pillars. Under each pillar, list 5-10 specific topics you can write about. This creates a content bank you can draw from when planning your posts.

To show you what I mean, I created pillars for our B2B SaaS agency example referenced above:

But no matter your niche, remember that your pillars should:

• Reflect your expertise

• Address audience pain points

• Be distinct from each other

• Allow for regular content creation

• Support your broader goals

Overall, they should feel natural and sustainable. This will allow you to consistently create valuable content without running out of ideas or deviating from your core message.

Furthermore, when developing your pillars, also think about how they intersect and complement each other. You wouldn’t want them to be completely isolated topics.

The most engaging content often emerges from the overlap between different pillars, creating unique perspectives nobody else has combined before.

For example, if you were following someone in the venture capital space, you wouldn’t want them to suddenly switch to posting recipes or travel tips.

Instead, their pillars might include startup analysis, investment strategies, market trends, and founder stories—all interconnected topics that serve their audience's interests and expertise.

When your pillars align naturally, you can create content that flows seamlessly between topics while maintaining relevance and authority.

This intentional, strategic coherence builds a strong personal brand and keeps a high-quality audience engaged over time—the opposite of someone going from topic to topic based on whatever they feel will get the most engagement.

Implementing Your Strategy & Following the Data

Once you've established your content strategy, the key is consistent implementation while remaining flexible enough to adjust based on performance data.

Start by creating a content calendar that maps out your posts for at least two to three weeks in advance.

I use Trello to plan mine, but do whatever works best for you.

Any longer could defeat the purpose of being flexible—you don’t want to plan out two months’ worth of content only to realize in week two that you’re going in the wrong direction (once you’re good an idea of what hits, sure, but not starting out).

Your content calendar should include a mix of post types across your defined pillars, with specific topics, posting times, and formats planned out.

Monitor engagement metrics closely during these first few weeks to identify patterns in what resonates with your audience.

Pay attention to:

• Which topics drive the most meaningful engagement

• Which content formats perform best

• Which posts generate quality comments and discussions

• Which posts create the most leads

Use this data to refine your approach, doubling down on what works while phasing out underperforming content types (performance defined by ICP visibility).

The goal is and will never be to accumulate vanity metrics but to build genuine connections and drive real business results.

Stay consistent, track your results, and adjust as needed.

Closing Notes

My entire approach to content strategy centers around my undying belief that success on LinkedIn isn't about creating “viral” posts. Instead, it’s about building a sustainable, long-term presence that establishes you as a trusted voice in your industry.

Focus on delivering consistent value through well-crafted content that speaks directly to your target audience's needs and interests. We’re running a marathon, not a sprint.

As you analyze your metrics and refine your strategy, you'll develop a deeper understanding of what resonates with your actual target market.

This will lead to more meaningful engagement, yes, but it’ll also lead to a deeper understanding of what sort of messaging resonates with your target market as a whole.

That kind of insight is, obviously, incredibly valuable. If you knew exactly which positioning creates the most interest from your target market, you’d promote it through every channel you could for maximum impact.

This is a key aspect of my pitch to B2B leaders when discussing creating LinkedIn content on their behalf—you won’t only get results from LinkedIn itself, but the data you gather will also enable you to perform better on every other channel.

So, if you’re a business owner who’d like to leverage my experience growing my own profile past 230,000 engaged followers and creating results for 40+ B2B leaders, book a call with me here, and let’s chat about how I can help you.

With that said, if you’re not a business owner and still want my help, book a coaching call with me here—I’d love to do whatever I can to level up your LinkedIn content strategy.

And no matter what, make sure you’re subscribed to LinkedUp for more insight like this in your inbox:

See you next time.