Take your LinkedIn game from 101 to 301

Hey!

Listen. I know it’s a shorter week. I know your kids are back in school. I know you’re full of dark thoughts, like, “I still need to post this week.”

Well, don’t worry boo. I gotchu.

This week, we’re going to UPGRADE our game a little bit.

You’re going to learn some exciting stuff you’ll be rushing to try out.

Remember our mission here: To learn how to write like LinkedIn’s Top Voices, one post at a time.

So far, we’ve been learning to write pretty basic posts. But this week’s entry is a little more advanced, with things like emotional language, storytelling, and vulnerability.

This is a 101-level newsletter, but I also want to jump to 301 occasionally. This is to give you a little more confidence and show you that even the more advanced stuff is not that hard.

You can do it too, if we just break it down in a way that makes sense.

Is that enough table-setting to whet the ‘ol appetite? I think so.

Let’s do our housekeeping for new subs:

I’m Dusten, and I co-run a brand and content strategy agency called Zenpost.

This is Cool Story, where I summon my decade+ of content expertise to teach you how to write like LinkedIn’s top voices.

Each week, I tear down a post from one of LinkedIn’s most powerful personal brands, show you how it’s done, and give you a content template you can stick in your swipe file.

Let’s get to it!

This week’s post

Alex Colhoun is a business coach and fellow traveler in the world of content and personal branding. He’s an up-and-comer on the Top Voices list with 26,000 followers (and counting).

I like him because you can tell he’s still working to make an impression with his content. And today’s post (inspired by Justin Welsh) is a great example:

Did you see what just happened?

Here’s why it works:

There are two insanely popular post types on LinkedIn:

• The “I’m a baller, here’s my daily routine” post

• The “I look like a baller, but I also fail a lot” post

This post is both f**king posts.

There are a lot of reasons to post. Share your expertise with your audience, peacock for your peers, sell stuff, etc.

But a big meta reason to post is to curry three little things you’ve probably heard of called “know, like, and trust.”

People like the “I’m a baller, here’s my daily routine” post, because we like seeing the habits of successful people. It helps us get to know them.

People like the “I look like a baller, but I also fail a lot” post, because it shows vulnerability.

We feel vulnerable too. So when someone we perceive as more successful than us shows vulnerability, it makes us feel like we have something in common with them.

And then, it makes us like them. More importantly, it makes us trust them.

This post does all three! And, it’s the easiest post you’ll write all week.

Let me show you.

Steal the template:

We’re going to adapt this into more of a “work habits” template, but, you could follow Alex’s example or pick a different theme, whatever you like!

Here’s the perfect routine I follow to [include social proof, i.e., “run a successful $1m newsletter”].

First, I [reveal habit — the more counter-intuitive or surprising, the better]. This is critical. But that’s not all…

[“see more” line]

[Explain habit 1]
[Explain habit 2]
[Explain habit 3]
[repeat 5-6 times]

—-

Now this is a perfect routine.

If only I could do this every day.

The truth is, I...

[Relatable struggle 1]
[Relatable struggle 2]
[Relatable struggle 3]

So next time you see a post about someone’s productivity hacks or perfect routine, remember:

[practical advice 1]
[practical advice 2]
[practical advice 3]

[Final piece of encouragement about doing your best every day]

Here are some tips for using this template:

• Keep the post short. Alex’s post is 162 words. And yet it makes a HUGE impression. Avoid the temptation to over-write this one.

• Add more storytelling. The only note I’d give Alex is in the hook. That’s a great place to add more storytelling. To set a scene, and a mood. Imagine a hook like, “I wake up at 5am. The floor is cold, the sky is dark blue, my kids are still in bed. This is how I start work every day.” — This sets a more reflective tone, and pulls readers in with visceral details. Experiment, but don’t overdo it. This is 501-level sh**.

• This time, you can use a selfie. I’m normally against the practice, finding it lazy more often than it is illuminating. But this time…

Yeah, that works.

Now go make one and tag me on LinkedIn so I can judge you!

Cool Story is FREE, but I do have a BIG ask…

I’m trying to grow the newsletter this year, so if you think others in your networks would benefit from Cool Story, please share it with them.

TWO more QUICK things:

• Let’s make sure we’re connected on LinkedIn, where I share tips for creating better, more authentic content every day. Hit the bell to never miss a post.

• If you’re a coach, consultant, or entrepreneur and you’re interested in investing in your personal brand on LinkedIn, Zenpost can help. When you’re ready, let’s find a time to chat.