How to Start Posting on LinkedIn: The 7-Post Starter Pack
The hardest part of posting on LinkedIn isn't writing. It's knowing where to start.
Most advice says "just post" - which is useless. Or it gives you a single post idea, which doesn't help you build momentum. What actually works is having a specific sequence: seven post types that establish your presence, signal what you're about, and give you real data on what resonates.
This is that sequence.
Key Takeaways
- Start with what you already know, not with what you think people want to hear.
- Your first seven posts aren't about going viral - they're about finding your angle and establishing a baseline.
- Consistency builds more than any single post. But you need the right starting sequence to build from.
Short Answer
What should you post first on LinkedIn? Start with an introduction post that explains what you do and who you help. Then follow the 7-post sequence below - each type builds on the last and gives you real feedback before you commit to a full content strategy.
LinkedIn's creator data shows that personal, experience-based posts consistently outperform company or promotional content. When you're just starting, lean into what you know from direct experience - not what you think sounds impressive. Source: LinkedIn Help - Best practices for sharing content on LinkedIn
Before you write anything: three decisions to make
Starting without these three things settled leads to inconsistent posts that don't build a following.
Decision 1: Who are you writing for?
Pick one type of person. Not "professionals" - that's everyone. Something like: "early-stage founders who are figuring out B2B sales" or "mid-career marketers moving into leadership roles." The more specific, the easier every post becomes.
Decision 2: What do you want them to do after reading?
Follow you? DM you? Apply to work with you? Trust you on a specific topic? You don't have to turn every post into a sales pitch - but knowing the outcome shapes the content.
Decision 3: What do you actually know that they don't?
Not credentials. Knowledge. What have you learned from direct experience that someone at the start of your path would find genuinely useful? That's your content territory.
Write your answers to these three decisions down before post 1. You'll refer back to them when you're stuck.
The 7-post starter pack
Post 1: The introduction post
Purpose: Establish who you are, who you help, and what you stand for. Not a CV summary - a positioning statement.
What to include:
- What you do (specific, not generic)
- Who you do it for
- One specific thing you believe about your field
- Why you're starting to post
Template:
Quick intro for anyone new to my profile:
I'm [name]. I [specific thing you do] for [specific type of person/company].
I've spent [timeframe] doing [specific work], which means I've seen [specific pattern] more times than I can count.
Here's the one thing I wish more people in [your field] talked about: [specific belief or observation].
I'll be sharing more of that here. If you're [specific type of person this is for], follow along - I'll try to make it worth your time.
What not to do: Don't list your entire career history. Don't open with "Excited to announce I'm starting to post on LinkedIn." Don't use a career milestone as the hook - the reader doesn't know you yet.
Post 2: The "what I actually do" post
Purpose: Go deeper on your day-to-day work. Most people's profiles describe their title - this post shows what the work actually looks like.
What to include:
- A specific, concrete description of your work
- One decision you make regularly that most people wouldn't think about
- One constraint or trade-off built into your work
Template:
What I actually do at work (not the LinkedIn version):
[Title/role] sounds like [what people assume]. It's actually more like [what it actually involves].
Most weeks, the hardest part is [specific challenge]. Not because [wrong assumption], but because [real reason].
The decision I make more than any other: [specific recurring decision]. Here's how I approach it:
1. [Step/consideration]
2. [Step/consideration]
3. [Step/consideration]
If that matches what you're dealing with, we probably have more to talk about.
Post 3: The "what I've learned" post
Purpose: Share one real insight from your direct experience. This is the first authority-building post - it shows you have earned knowledge, not just opinions.
What to include:
- A specific situation from your work
- What you expected vs. what actually happened
- The insight you took from it (with a constraint: when does it apply, when doesn't it?)
Template:
The most useful thing I've learned about [topic] after [timeframe] of [work]:
[Specific insight - one sentence.]
Here's what led to that:
[Brief, specific story - 3–5 sentences max. Real situation, real details.]
The constraint: this works when [condition]. It breaks down when [condition].
Took me [timeframe] to really understand why.
Post 4: The question post
Purpose: Start a real conversation. This gives you direct data on what your audience cares about - and it costs you nothing to write.
What to include:
- A specific question relevant to your target audience
- Enough context that people know why you're asking
- Your own answer first (this anchors the conversation and makes you more than a questioner)
Template:
Question for [specific audience]:
[Specific question - one sentence.]
My own answer: [Your honest answer - 2–4 sentences. Be specific enough that it invites a genuine response, not just agreement.]
Curious if others have had a different experience.
Avoid open-ended questions that are too broad ("What do you think about X?"). The more specific the question, the more useful the answers - and the more you'll learn about your audience.
Post 5: The "unpopular opinion" post
Purpose: Establish a distinct point of view. This is the post that starts turning followers into genuine fans - people who follow you because of how you think, not just what you know.
What to include:
- A clear, specific position (not vague disagreement)
- One piece of evidence or experience behind it
- The trade-off: acknowledge when the common view is right, too
Template:
Unpopular opinion in [your field]: [clear, specific position.]
Why I think this: [one specific reason - evidence, observation, or experience].
Where the common view isn't wrong: [honest acknowledgment of when the mainstream take holds].
Where I think it breaks down: [specific conditions where it fails].
[Invite genuine pushback - one line.]
What this post does: People who agree will follow you. People who disagree will comment. Both outcomes grow your visibility.
Post 6: The practical post
Purpose: Give people something they can use immediately. This is the post that gets saved, shared, and referred back to - which builds a longer-term following than any individual viral moment.
What to include:
- A specific, actionable process or checklist
- Real constraints on when it applies
- One "gotcha" - something that trips people up when they try it
Template:
The [process/checklist] I use for [specific task]:
1. [Step - specific, not generic]
2. [Step]
3. [Step]
4. [Step]
5. [Step]
The gotcha: most people get [step] wrong because [real reason]. The fix: [specific thing to do instead].
Works best when [condition]. Doesn't apply if [condition].
Save this if you deal with [topic] regularly.
Post 7: The "where I'm going" post
Purpose: Signal your content direction. This sets expectations for people who found you through the first six posts - and gives them a reason to follow rather than just engage once.
What to include:
- What you'll be posting about going forward
- Why (what gap you're trying to fill in the conversation)
- What you want from your audience (feedback, questions, pushback)
Template:
Now that I've been posting for [short time], here's what I'm planning to share more of:
[Topic 1]: [Why it matters and what angle you'll take]
[Topic 2]: [Why it matters and what angle you'll take]
[Topic 3]: [Why it matters and what angle you'll take]
What I won't be doing: [vague inspiration, generic advice, etc.]
If you're [specific type of person], the posts I write should be useful to you.
What would be most useful to you? I'm genuinely figuring out what to prioritise.
After the 7-post starter pack
By the end of these seven posts, you'll know:
- Which type of content gets the most response from your target audience
- What angle your audience responds to (tactical vs. strategic? personal stories vs. frameworks?)
- Which topics generate real conversations vs. just likes
Use that data to build your content pillars - the 3–5 topics you'll consistently cover.
| What the data shows | What to do next |
|---|---|
| Question post performed best | Lean into community content; ask more specific questions |
| Practical post got the most saves | Build more how-to and checklist content |
| Opinion post got the most comments | Develop a clearer point of view; post more contrarian takes |
| Introduction got the most follows | Strong positioning - keep your audience specific |
| Nothing performed above baseline | Test a different audience or topic angle; you may be too broad |
Common mistakes when starting to post on LinkedIn
Waiting until you have something "worth posting." You'll wait forever. The 7-post sequence above works specifically because it starts with what you already know.
Posting about your industry broadly instead of your specific experience. Industry news doesn't build a following. Your experience - with real constraints and honest trade-offs - does.
Giving up after two weeks. Most accounts don't find their angle in the first two weeks. The 7-post starter pack is designed to give you enough real data to find yours. Commit to the sequence before you evaluate.
Optimising for likes instead of the right followers. A post that gets 500 likes from random people is worth less than a post that gets 20 comments from your ideal client. Track who's engaging, not just how many.
Your first week: a simple schedule
You don't need to post daily to build momentum. Three posts in the first week is enough to establish a pattern.
- Day 1: Post 1 (introduction)
- Day 3: Post 2 (what you actually do)
- Day 5: Post 3 (what you've learned)
Then continue at whatever cadence you can sustain. See how often to post on LinkedIn for guidance on cadence by role and goal.
For help generating posts that sound like you (not like a generic AI), see Features. For your full content strategy beyond the starter pack, visit the LinkedIn Strategy hub. And if you're ready to plan your content calendar, see Pricing for what that looks like with Contentio.
FAQ
What should your first LinkedIn post be? An introduction post - but not a CV summary. Describe who you are, who you help, and one specific thing you believe about your field. Keep it under 200 words and close with why you're starting to post.
How long should LinkedIn posts be when starting out? 150–300 words is a good target when you're starting. Long enough to say something useful, short enough that you'll actually write it. Don't pad posts to make them seem substantial.
Is it normal to get low engagement when starting? Yes. New accounts with no posting history get less organic reach by default. Engagement builds as your audience grows - but the quality of your first posts determines whether the right people follow you. Focus on the right audience, not total numbers.
How often should I post on LinkedIn as a beginner? Three times per week is a sustainable starting point. More often and quality drops. Less often and momentum is hard to build. Once you've done the 7-post starter pack, you'll have a better sense of what cadence you can sustain.
What should I post about on LinkedIn if I don't have clients or results yet? Post about what you're learning, decisions you're making, patterns you're observing, and questions you genuinely have. You don't need a track record to start - you need specificity and honesty. Both are available to you right now.