I Have 22K Followers on LinkedIn — Here's How You Can Grow Your Following, Too

Let me just put it out there: There has never been a better time to become a LinkedIn creator, even if you’re starting completely from scratch.

LinkedIn has over a billion users, but only a small portion of those are actively creating. That means less competition for attention on the LinkedIn feed — and as a result, plenty of opportunity to increase your followers on LinkedIn.

I can personally attest to the power of focusing your creative efforts on LinkedIn. I've been posting consistently on LinkedIn for about six years now, and it's helped me grow to over 22K followers — which has opened up some incredible opportunities. Increasing my LinkedIn following has helped me build credibility and get opportunities to work with some incredible companies and people.

So, if you have always dreamed of being a creator or influencer, or you’re looking to build a LinkedIn presence in the hope of fast-tracking your career, you're in the right place.

In this article, I'll share what I've learned about growing a LinkedIn following and making it work harder for your social strategy.

Optimize your LinkedIn profile

Before you start posting, you'll want to optimize your profile — it's how you show up on LinkedIn and helps the right people find you. According to LinkedIn, profiles with complete information get 30% more weekly views.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of your LinkedIn profile:

1. Craft a compelling headline

Your LinkedIn headline is your digital business card and prime real estate. Try not to make it just a generic job title. Instead:

• Share your value: Don't just list a job title; explain the problem you solve.
• Use keywords: Include terms your target audience searches for.

2. Write a helpful and detailed profile summary

Your profile summary is where you can share more about your experiences, expertise, and interests. It's also a space to share your personal or business vision. Use it to tell the story of your career journey and why someone should follow you or engage with your content. You can also add a call-to-action here.

3. Make it easy to follow you

You want a Follow button on your profile and in your posts, so switch your primary profile action to Follow. Even though LinkedIn removed the old creator mode toggle, you can still change your profile's primary button from Connect to Follow.

4. Use LinkedIn's Featured section

LinkedIn's Featured section is a space to showcase your most popular and engaging content. This could include articles, videos, presentations, or any other content that highlights your expertise and value. It's the first thing people see after your headline, so make it count.

⚡Pro tip: Your LinkedIn profile isn't a set-it-and-forget-it thing. Regularly update your profile with new experiences, skills, and achievements, and engage with relevant content and connections to continue building your network.

Create content that resonates with your audience

Creating engaging content on LinkedIn is a powerful – and pretty much the only – way to establish your authority and grow your network and follower count.

The reason your LinkedIn feed keeps you engaged is that it only recommends the people you’re likely to engage with, thanks to the ever-present algorithm. 

Here are some strategies to help you create follower-friendly content on LinkedIn:

1. Know your audience

Getting to know your audience is where everything starts — what are they interested in? What challenges are they facing? What are their interests, concerns, and goals? Which of these things can you speak to on LinkedIn? This information will guide you in creating content that resonates with them.

2. Choose a handful of topics or themes you can talk about with authority

The LinkedIn algorithm tends to show your content to people who engage with similar topics and creators, which is why being clear about your niche helps the right people find you. If you’re stuck, a helpful thought exercise could be to imagine you are being invited on a podcast. What have you been invited to talk about?

3. Come up with engaging content hooks

The hook is the first thing your audience sees, so make it count. Your hooks need to grab attention — make people want to click 'see more' and, ideally, hit that Follow button while they're at it.

4. Post consistently

Showing up regularly on LinkedIn makes a real difference. Our in-depth analysis found that posting two to five times weekly on LinkedIn is the sweet spot for improving reach and engagement without overwhelming your schedule.

We analyzed over one million posts and found that between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays is the sweet spot for posting.

If you need a little help staying on track, Buffer really is a game-changer. Not only will it help you write and schedule your content, but there's also a handy streak tracker — I find it genuinely motivating! You can use all these features completely for free, too. Get started here.

5. Use various content types

LinkedIn supports various content types, each with its own benefits. These include text-only posts, single-image posts, multi-image posts, native videos, PDF carousels, articles, and newsletters.

Experiment with these different formats to see whWe've done the number crunching for you. Learn more about how to optimize the timing of your LinkedIn posts. at resonates most with your audience. The type of content you post matters – our research found that carousel posts perform marginally better than any other format.

6. Share content with real-world value

Your content should provide value to your audience. This could be educational content, industry insights, professional milestones, or thought leadership pieces. Your audience shouldn’t have to leave LinkedIn to get the full story either – incorporate zero-click content into your strategy.

7. Promote your profile off-platform

Share your LinkedIn URL in your email signature, add a Follow button to your website, and mention your profile on other social channels. Those gentle nudges can funnel new, highly-interested followers straight to your feed.

8. Keep an eye on your analytics

Your analytics are essentially market research, telling you exactly what your audience wants. Analytics informed much of my experiment publishing AI content on LinkedIn for a week.

At least once a week, check your analytics for these metrics:

• Which posts got the most engagement? What topics were you talking about? What formats were the posts?
• Which posts got the most impressions? What was the hook?
• Who did your posts reach? Which content reached the kind of people you actually want to connect with?
• Which post netted you a notable bump in followers?

Let your audience tell you what they want, then give them more of it.

Engage and network with your connections

If you want to build real relationships and get noticed on LinkedIn, you need to engage and network — it's how you build trust and credibility in your space.

Here are some strategies to boost your engagement and networking efforts on the platform:

1. Start conversations with your audience

Engagement works both ways. When you make your LinkedIn posts, set aside time to respond to comments and messages. This shows that you value your audience's input and encourages further engagement, which can increase the visibility of your posts. Our research found that replying to comments on LinkedIn boosts engagement by 30%.

2. Connect with industry influencers

Identify and connect with influencers in your field. Engage with their content thoughtfully and frequently to increase their awareness of you and potentially lead to collaborations or endorsements down the line.

Then, consider sending connection requests with personalized messages to build a rapport. That personal touch makes a difference — people are way more likely to accept (and actually engage with you) when your message feels genuine.

3. Collaborate with other creators

Collaboration can be a powerful tool for growth. Partner with other creators on content projects, webinars, or live discussions.

4. Follow with intention

Curate your feed by following people and companies in your niche. A focused feed helps the algorithm surface relevant conversations, making it easier for you to chime in and get noticed by the right audience.

Use LinkedIn features to boost your growth

LinkedIn has some built-in features that can really help you grow your following and boost engagement.

Here's how you can make the most of these tools:

1. LinkedIn Live and events

Take advantage of LinkedIn Live and events to engage with your audience in real time. Live videos often see higher engagement rates than pre-recorded ones. Hosting events can also position you as a thought leader and help you connect with followers through more interactive and personal experiences. For example, creator Jayde I Powell hosts live "Creator Tea Talks" like this one, where she invited her audience to ask her anything.

2. Newsletters

LinkedIn's newsletter feature lets you publish regular content that your followers can subscribe to. This is an excellent way to stay top of mind with your audience and provide consistent value through in-depth articles and updates. It can also help with discoverability by improving your SEO – search engines frequently pick up long-form LinkedIn articles.

3. LinkedIn Polls

Create polls to engage with your audience and gather insights. Polls can be a great way to start conversations and learn more about your followers' preferences and opinions.

Increase your LinkedIn followers, starting today

Like any social platform, what works on LinkedIn is different for everyone. These strategies are a great starting point, but you'll want to experiment and see what clicks with your audience.

As you post content and continue to grow your LinkedIn presence, remember that every connection you make and every conversation you engage in brings you one step closer to your goals.

And here's an insider secret: You don't need millions of followers to make this worth it. You don't need to be the world's foremost expert. You just need to show up, share what you're learning, and build genuine connections. Using a social media management tool like Buffer can help you do exactly that. Try it for free.

FAQ on how to increase LinkedIn followers

How can I increase my LinkedIn followers organically?

The most effective organic way to increase LinkedIn followers is to optimize your profile first, then post consistently about a clear set of topics your audience actually cares about.

How often should I post on LinkedIn to gain followers?

Posting two to five times per week is the sweet spot. It’s enough to stay visible in the feed without burning out.

Does optimizing my LinkedIn profile help you get more followers?

Yes. LinkedIn profiles with complete information receive about 30% more weekly views. A strong headline, helpful summary, and a clear Follow button make it easier for the right people to find and follow you.

What type of content increases LinkedIn followers fastest?

Content that educates, shares experience, or offers a fresh perspective tends to perform best. Posts with strong hooks, practical takeaways, and relatable lessons are more likely to earn engagement and new followers.

Is it better to post about one niche or many topics on LinkedIn?

Focusing on a clear niche helps LinkedIn show your content to the right audience. When your topics are consistent, you’re more likely to attract followers who stick around and engage with your posts.

Does replying to comments help you gain LinkedIn followers?

Yes. Responding to comments can boost engagement by around 30%, which increases post visibility. More visibility means more profile visits and more chances for people to follow you.

Do LinkedIn newsletters help grow your followers?

They do. Newsletters make it easier to publish long-form content consistently and give people a reason to subscribe. They can also improve discoverability, as LinkedIn articles often appear in search results.

Should I use different content formats on LinkedIn?

Yes. Mixing text posts, carousels, videos, and polls keeps your content fresh and helps you learn what resonates most. Carousel posts perform slightly better on average, but variety is key.

Is LinkedIn still good for growing followers in 2026?

Absolutely. While LinkedIn has over a billion users, only a small percentage actively create content. That means less competition and more opportunity for new creators to grow.

Do you need a large following for LinkedIn to be worth it?

No. You don’t need millions of followers or a big job title. Showing up consistently, sharing what you’re learning, and building genuine connections can create real opportunities — especially when supported by tools like Buffer that help you stay consistent and learn from your analytics.

More LinkedIn resources

• LinkedIn Marketing in 2026: The Complete Guide for Businesses and Creators
• Replying to Your Comments on LinkedIn Boosts Engagement by 30%
• I Started Over on LinkedIn After Deleting 7,000 Followers — and Grew Faster Than Before
• How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Stand Out: 30+ Tips
• I Reached 20,000 Followers on LinkedIn and I Feel Weird About It

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