AI Summary
5 min readGreg Isenberg grew a LinkedIn audience from zero to 145,000 followers in 14 months with about 15 hours of work, and that audience has since generated millions of dollars in revenue for his businesses. In this episode of The Startup Ideas Podcast, he breaks down the specific tactics that made it work, the psychology behind them, and how to convert attention into money without getting crushed by the algorithm.
Why LinkedIn right now is a "fishing with dynamite" opportunity
Isenberg argues that LinkedIn in 2024 is the equivalent of Twitter in 2020—a platform where early movers can grow extremely fast because the algorithm is hungry for content, especially video. He calls it "fishing with dynamite" because the competition is still low relative to the potential reach. His core thesis is that you should build an audience first, then convert that audience into a community, and only then build a product for them. He calls this the ACP funnel (Audience, Community, Product). His company, BoringMarketing.com, started as a Twitter account called @BoringMarketer, then became a free community, and finally an AI-assisted SEO tool that will do an estimated $7–8 million in ARR next year.
Three specific content mechanics that work on LinkedIn
Isenberg gives three distinct strategies for creating posts that the algorithm will push:
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Zero to 145k Followers in 14 Months** - Greg introduces his LinkedIn growth journey and the massive revenue it generated
- 2 (01:37) **Greg's Background & The ACP Funnel** - Greg explains his core business thesis: Audience → Community → Product
- 3 (04:53) **Why LinkedIn in 2024 is "Fishing with Dynamite"** - Greg compares LinkedIn's current opportunity to Twitter's 2020 gold rush
- 4 (06:09) **Tactic 1: The LinkedIn Video Tab** - Post video content to the newly added video tab for massive reach
- 5 (08:12) **Tactic 2: Storytelling with Photos** - Use vulnerable stories paired with personal photos for 10x more engagement
- 6 (09:47) **Tactic 3: Repost Viral Infographics** - Find infographics that have already gone viral and repost them with credit
- 7 (10:36) **Monetization: The Link Hack** - How to add links to LinkedIn posts without being suppressed by the algorithm
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
I share my experience growing from zero to 145,000 LinkedIn followers in 14 months, generating millions in revenue. I detail specific strategies for LinkedIn growth, including leveraging the new video tab, creating engaging story posts, and utilizing infographics. The presentation explains how to properly monetize a LinkedIn following through strategic content posting and lead magnet implementation.
This talk was given at Andrew Wilkinsons IP2 conference
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Episode Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
02:05 - The ACP Funnel Explained
02:50 - Case Study: BoringMarketing.com
04:42 - Tactical Tips for Going Viral on LinkedIn
06:10 - Leveraging Video Content on LinkedIn
08:10 - Crafting Compelling Stories for Engagement
09:46 - Using Infographics to Boost Engagement
10:31 - Monetizing Your LinkedIn Audience
12:16 - Creating Effective Lead Magnets
Key Points:
• LinkedIn in 2024 is comparable to Twitter in 2020 for viral growth potential
• Three main strategies for LinkedIn growth: video content, storytelling posts, and viral infographics
• Monetization through strategic lead magnets and post-editing techniques
• Building the ACP (Audience-Community-Product) funnel for business growth
1) The ACP Framework:
• Audience first
• Convert to Community
• Build Product for them
Example: Boring Marketer → Free community → $8M ARR SEO tool business
2) Why LinkedIn in 2025?
"LinkedIn right now is 2020 Twitter - it's fishing with dynamite"
Greg grew 125K followers in 14 months with just 15 hours of work
3) LINKEDIN HACK #1: Video Content
LinkedIn just added a video tab. Nobody knows this yet.
Two options:
• Faceless content with AI voiceover (use @elevenlabs)
• Record yourself
Pro tip: Videos are getting INSANE reach right now
4) LINKEDIN HACK #2: Stories that Convert
• Get someone to interview you
• Extract 15 career stories
• Focus on vulnerable moments
• MUST pair with photo of yourself
• Use storytelling frameworks
5) LINKEDIN HACK #3: Viral Infographics
• Find previously viral infographics
• Repost with credit
• Add universally agreeable caption
• Example: "This year's gonna be great" → 151K likes
6) THE MONETIZATION STRATEGY
Don't put links in original posts!
Secret sauce:
• Post content
• Wait 4 hours
• If more than150 likes, EDIT post to add link
• LinkedIn won't suppress it
7) LEAD MAGNET MASTERY:
Don't sell directly. Create valuable free content.
Example:
• Made startup ideas database
• 5,000 downloads in 30 days
• Segment in ConvertKit
• Nurture → Monetize later
8) KEY TAKEAWAY:
2025 will be HUGE for LinkedIn.
Start now while organic reach is
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