This one took me embarrassingly long to figure out.
My posts were getting comments. Real ones. Thoughtful ones. People sharing their own experiences, adding to the conversation.
But every time I looked at who was actually engaging, it was people who did exactly what I do.
other coaches. Other consultants. Other freelancers in the same space.
I'd built a very enthusiastic audience of people who would never hire me.
And the worst part is I kept doubling down without realising. The more I posted for that crowd, the more of them showed up. LinkedIn's algorithm just kept feeding the same loop.
The moment things shifted was when I stopped asking "what do I want to say" and started asking "what is my actual client losing sleep over right now."
That question changed everything I wrote.
- Stopped posting about my process and methodology.
- Started writing about specific situations my ideal clients were stuck in. The exact pains. The exact moments of frustration. Written in their language, not industry jargon.
Then I took it further.
- Spent 20 minutes a day finding where those actual decision-makers were posting.
- Turned on notifications for some of them.
- Left real comments on their content-not cheerleading, actual perspective. Something like: "This is exactly what we kept hitting too. The thing that finally moved the needle for us was [specific thing]. what have you tried so far?"
That kind of comment. On their turf. In their world.
Two things happened. They started recognising my name. And their audience-people just like them-started showing up on my profile.
Within a few weeks, inbound conversations started coming from people who were actually potential clients. Not a single DM sent. Just consistent presence in the right places.
The echo chamber is comfortable. It feels like momentum. But it's a trap if the people cheering you on will never pay you.
Has anyone else had to completely rebuild who they were actually writing for?
