LinkedIn Social Selling: 3 Pillars to Win Clients

Struggling to attract clients on LinkedIn? In 2023 and beyond, winning clients through social selling on LinkedIn is more achievable than ever, but it requires a strategic, action-first approach tailored to the evolving business landscape. Whether you are a seasoned sales director, a service professional, or brand new to LinkedIn lead generation, the principles of social selling form the modern foundation for consistent business growth.

Based on the original video:

Three Pillars to Land Clients on LinkedIn: A Proven Structure

LinkedIn’s environment has grown increasingly dynamic, with top sellers focusing on delivering value through personalization, credibility, and community engagement. The best results come from structuring your LinkedIn strategy around three core pillars: inbound, outbound, and scale. These pillars create a framework that supports everything from your positioning to replicable business growth at scale.

• Inbound: Build your authority and attract potential clients to you through profile optimization and strategic content.
• Outbound: Proactively prospect, engage, and convert your ideal clients using tailored tools and tactics.
• Scale: Systemize and multiply what works, using technology and delegation for sustainable results.

Before you dive into outreach or automation, focus on a people-first approach—know your audience, speak directly to their needs, and consistently deliver value.

Building Your LinkedIn Inbound Engine

Defining Your Avatar: The Foundation of Positioning

Effective social selling starts with clarity. Define your ideal client avatar before taking any other step. This means figuring out exactly who you help: industry, location, company size, language, function, and typical challenges. This deep understanding not only shapes your profile and messaging but ensures your entire activity is relevant and magnetic.

Key questions to uncover your avatar include:

• Which industry do they belong to?
• Where are they located?
• What’s the company headcount?
• What language do they speak?
• What is their seniority level (owner, founder, director, associate)?
• Which department are they in?
• What are their main challenges and what have they tried before?
• What is the #1 outcome they are aiming to achieve?

Going beyond surface-level demographics to understand pain points and aspirations boosts your E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) in every interaction.

Crafting an Irresistible LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile isn’t a digital CV—it’s your landing page, sales letter, and trust-building tool rolled into one. Focus on articulating not just what you do but who you help and what results you deliver. Study the best profiles in your niche, take inspiration from their structure, keyword usage, and branding—but always write yours in your own authentic voice.

Strategic Content Pillars: Publish With Purpose

Organize your content into three key topics you want to be known for. Niche down and be consistent so that your audience immediately associates those themes with you and your expertise.

• Example for LinkedIn consultants: LinkedIn lead generation, Sales Navigator tips, social selling mastery
• Example for sales leaders: Sales best practices, building client relationships, team leadership and motivation

Use a simple content planner: whether it’s Notion, Google Sheets, or Excel, map out your posting schedule and store your post materials. Planning ahead reduces posting anxiety and increases consistency.

Content Best Practices: Consistency, Engagement, and Measurement

• Post at least twice per week. Quality and consistency outshine sporadic bursts of activity.
• Lean into video content—it drives the most engagement. Practice makes perfect, and you can always review and refine before posting.
• Focus on comments over likes or reach. The LinkedIn algorithm favors posts that keep users engaged, especially those that spark conversations and profile visits.
• Ask questions and encourage discussion—emotional, opinion-based, or celebratory posts drive replies.
• Run polls or share stories to further boost thoughtful engagement.

For a step-by-step guide on the technical requirements for video content on LinkedIn, check out The Ultimate Guide to LinkedIn Video Specs. This resource breaks down everything you need to know to stand out visually on LinkedIn.

Action Steps for Inbound Success

• Complete the avatar questionnaire outlined above to sharpen your targeting.
• Study five competitor or influencer profiles for inspiration and layout ideas (never copy, always adapt).
• List your three core content pillars.
• Set up a simple content tracking sheet—start basic, then evolve your system over time.

Want proven tactics fast? Download available guides on social selling for practical, expert-backed techniques. Guides often include profile optimization, relationship building, and advanced Sales Navigator hacks.

Outbound: Proactive Prospecting & Network Hacking

Dialing In Your Ideal Audience with Sales Navigator

Outbound strategy is about taking active steps to connect with your highest-fit prospects. If you are ready to go beyond organic reach, it’s time to leverage advanced LinkedIn tools:

• Sales Navigator: Use powerful filters (industry, company size, function, location, language, seniority) to generate precise, actionable lead lists. The steps:
• Refine search filters to reduce results to the most promising prospects.
• Save profiles and searches for ongoing relationship tracking.
• Use the tool as a basic CRM (or integrate with platforms like Salesforce for larger teams).
• Basic Pipeline Tracking: For solo operators without advanced integrations, a simple spreadsheet can track connections, message statuses, meetings booked, and deals closed.

Network Hacking: Leveraging Other People’s Audiences for Massive Exposure

This approach is a favorite among modern social sellers. “Networking hacking” lets you reach thousands—even if your own following is small. Here’s how it works:

• Research keywords and identify influential thought leaders in your space.
• Bookmark and track their profiles—focus on those who post consistently and get great engagement.
• Connect authentically by complimenting their content and asking when they typically post (increases chance you’ll be among the first to engage).
• When posts go live, comment strategically:
• Acknowledge: Reference something specific from the post.
• Compliment: Share why you found it valuable.
• Reflect: Add a parallel from your own experience.
• Question: Encourage them to respond or expand further.
• Being early and thoughtful ensures your comments are highlighted—often pinned or bumped up by the post’s author, multiplying profile views and inbound requests.

Track your outreach with a spreadsheet or CRM. The more systematic you are, the greater your compounding results.

Mixing Channels: The Power of Multi-Platform Outreach

Multi-channel marketing maximizes your reach and efficiency. Repurposing content lets you reach different audiences without doubling your workload:

• Post long-form video to YouTube, then slice segments for LinkedIn, Instagram Reels, or TikTok.
• Transcribe videos to create written posts or micro-content for Twitter and LinkedIn articles.
• Recycle top-performing topics across platforms, adjusting format and language for each audience.
• Schedule posts in advance to maintain a consistent presence everywhere.

This approach amplifies ROI from every asset you create and ensures you’re discoverable by buyers wherever they roam.

Outbound Essentials and Key Takeaways

• Refine your prospecting with laser-sharp Sales Navigator search criteria.
• Engage with high-value comments on influencer posts to hack network effects.
• Document and track outreach systematically.
• Use multi-channel strategies for content leverage and greater audience penetration.
• Always aim for value, authenticity, and relationship-building over short-term extraction.

For a blueprint designed to help you master prospecting, personalized engagement, and relationship-building, see this actionable guide on client acquisition through social selling.

Pillar Three: Scaling Your LinkedIn Client Acquisition

Implementing Technology with CRM

When activity scales up, memory and basic spreadsheets are no longer enough. Dedicated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems—such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Notion, or Zoho—are essential for larger teams, heavy outreach, or growing businesses. A CRM lets you:

• Track and segment leads efficiently.
• Automate follow-ups and reminders.
• Analyze pipeline velocity and optimize your processes.

Start simple if you must, but be prepared to upgrade as volume increases. CRM adoption is often a fundamental inflection point for turning outreach into a repeatable, scalable system.

Delegation: Virtual Assistants as Growth Multipliers

Top performers don’t do it alone. When your personal workflow gets overwhelmed, a virtual assistant (VA) can help:

• Manage CRM data entry and updates.
• Coordinate your content distribution.
• Handle preliminary LinkedIn outreach or schedule posts, staying on top of your planner.
• Monitor key posts from influencers for timely commenting and engagement.

You may still want to personally manage high-touch interactions, but organizational tasks are perfectly suited for a VA—freeing you for strategic selling and relationship management.

Accountability: The Secret Weapon of Consistency

Finally, success comes down to execution. The strategies outlined above are actionable and field-proven, but results depend on consistent implementation. Don’t fall into the trap of endless consumption—take each action step, document your process, and adapt over time.

Maximizing Your Social Selling and LinkedIn ROI

Combining the inbound, outbound, and scale pillars transforms LinkedIn into a high-performing client acquisition engine. Here are the most powerful takeaways:

• Clarify your audience and what they care about before outreach.
• Optimize your profile for authority, clarity, and trust.
• Design your content around three key pillars—post consistently and lean into video formats for maximum engagement.
• Use prospecting tools and network hacking to build strategic relationships and drive warm inbound leads.
• Embrace multi-channel approaches and implement CRM/VA support as needed for sustainable scalability.

Above all, action trumps information. Implement these steps, and you’ll outperform most LinkedIn users—whether you’re new to social selling or seeking to 10x your efficiency. Each of these strategies is rooted in firsthand experience, trusted frameworks, and the latest data on what moves the needle in client acquisition.

FAQ

How can I identify my ideal LinkedIn prospect?

Define your ideal client by analyzing industry, location, company size, language, seniority, department, challenges, past attempts, desired outcomes, and content themes. Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator’s filters for effective targeting.

What kind of content should I post to get clients on LinkedIn?

Focus on three key pillars relevant to your niche, prioritize video for high engagement, and structure posts to encourage comments and conversations. Measuring success through comments (not just likes or reach) is critical for LinkedIn’s algorithm.

Is it necessary to use Sales Navigator or a CRM?

Sales Navigator offers advanced prospecting capabilities, while a CRM or even a basic spreadsheet helps you track responses and organize follow-ups. As your outreach scales, a CRM becomes essential for managing complexity.

What is network hacking and how does it help on LinkedIn?

Network hacking means engaging with top influencers in your field by strategically commenting on their posts, aiming to get noticed by both the author and their audience. This amplifies your exposure and can bring in high-quality inbound connections.

How do I stay consistent with social selling when I have limited time?

Use a content planner for batching and scheduling posts, repurpose content across multiple platforms, and consider delegating administrative or repetitive tasks to a virtual assistant to maintain quality and consistency.