Takeaways from our Q&A session: using LinkedIn to promote yourself as a freelancer
LinkedIn remains one of the most effective platforms for building professional visibility, generating opportunities, and strengthening business relationships. During our recent Q&A session, several practical questions were raised around maximising the platform's potential.
What type of content should I create for LinkedIn?
A useful framework discussed during the session was the SLAY method, a simple approach to creating engaging LinkedIn content that balances expertise with authenticity.
SLAY stands for Story, Lesson, Action and You.
Start by sharing a relevant story or experience that your audience can relate to. Follow this with the key lesson or insight gained from that experience. Then provide a clear action, tip or takeaway that readers can apply themselves.
Ensure you make it personal by including your own perspective, opinion or reflection. This structure helps transform everyday business experiences into valuable content that educates, engages and builds credibility.
Key takeaway: By focusing on real-world examples rather than purely promotional or ‘selling’ messages makes content more relatable and encourages meaningful interaction from your network.
2. Is LinkedIn Premium worth having?
The consensus was that the paid features offered by LinkedIn Premium can be valuable, but only if you actively use its additional features. Premium benefits such as expanded search capabilities, profile insights, InMail messaging, and access to learning resources can be useful for business development, recruitment or job seeking. However, for many users, consistent activity and a strong profile can deliver excellent results without the need for a paid subscription. You can however, try the feature and switch it off after 30 days using the pay monthly option so you can see if it’s worth the investment.
Key takeaway: Start by maximising the free version and consider Premium if its specific tools support your business goals. NOTE: you can also use LinkedIn alerts for job types or specific search terms
3.How does the LinkedIn algorithm work?
LinkedIn's algorithm rewards active users in the same way as other social media platforms.
The discussion highlighted that LinkedIn does favour engagement and relevant content. Users who regularly contribute meaningful posts, comment on others' content, and participate in conversations are more likely to increase their visibility across the platform. LinkedIn will put your content through an AI filter though so make sure you are not relying on AI to create your content. It will also assess your content’s initial impact in the first hour or so after you post (the ‘Golden Hour’). Content that gets good engagement and traction in this initial period will then be served to a wider audience beyond your first degree connections.
Key takeaway: Consistent engagement helps keep you visible and can increase the reach of your content.
4. Does posting frequency matter?
Building on the algorithm discussion, participants asked whether posting more frequently improves performance.
While frequency can help maintain visibility, quality remains more important than quantity. Regular posting creates more opportunities to appear in people's feeds, but content should always provide value, insight, or relevance to your audience.
Key takeaway: Aim for a sustainable posting schedule rather than posting simply for the sake of activity.
5. Measuring your LinkedIn activity and its impact on business growth
One attendee asked how to determine whether new business opportunities are directly linked to LinkedIn activity.
The discussion acknowledged that attribution can be challenging. While directly asking prospects is one of the most reliable methods, other indicators can help, including:
Tracking profile views and engagement trends
Monitoring inbound enquiries
Reviewing website traffic from LinkedIn
Using CRM systems to record lead sources
Noting when prospects mention seeing content before making contact
Key takeaway: Combining platform analytics with lead tracking processes can help demonstrate LinkedIn's contribution to business development.
Future Q&A sessions
Look out for our future Q&A sessions - all 12.30pm (UK) start unless otherwise specified:
3 September: The mindset behind promoting your personal brand
15 October: Finance healthcheck (guest speaker tba) - reviewing Making Tax Digital obligations and the importance of knowing your numbers
19 November: Making your 2027 plan. Goal setting for the year ahead
Live Q&A sessions are open to members and non-members, all sessions are recorded and will be available to members who cannot attend live.
