You don’t need a better funnel.
You need to leverage what’s already working — your network.

Here’s the brutal truth: most high-performing leaders have a goldmine of opportunity sitting quietly in their inbox, their LinkedIn connections, or the “we should catch up” list they’ve ignored for months.

If you’re serious about landing flagship clients, high-stakes contracts, or stepping into the next tier of visibility — then it’s time to stop focusing on strangers and start activating the people who already know you’re brilliant.

1. Your Network Isn’t Cold. You’ve Just Gone Quiet.

It's time to leverage your network for business growth.

You’ve done the work. You’ve delivered the results. You’ve built relationships over years — and then let them gather dust while chasing new leads. (Guilty as charged?)

Here’s what I see again and again:
Someone tells me their pipeline’s flat, and when we dig in? They haven’t posted in three months. Haven’t reached out to a past client in six. Haven’t actually said what they’re looking for. Sometimes LinkedIn or Networking isn't about finding the actual clients, it's about finding the person who can connect you.

I asked Andy, a turn around expert, "Who did you love working with?" When he told me, I said "And who connected you to that contract? When did you last speak to them?" 

By reaching out to old contacts who loved what he achieved for organisations that they worked with, he signed new contracts with so much more ease than attending 4 networking meetings that were doing absolutely nothing for his monthly sales.

This isn’t about selling. It’s about reminding people you exist — and making it crystal clear what you do now.

2. If You’re Not Top of Mind, You’re Not in the Room

What is your business visibility strategy and is it converting clients?

You know how many great businesses get passed over because their competitor was visible?

And I get it. You’re running a business. You’ve got a team, a pipeline, a million priorities. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Your next-level opportunities — the seven-figure contracts, the strategic partnerships, the keynote invites — don’t land because you’re excellent.
They land because the right people know you’re excellent.

Visibility isn’t about performance. Or posting b-roll videos with trending audio!
It means aligning your voice with the level of work you’re already doing.

So:

• Stop posting for “engagement.” Post with intent.

• Say what you actually do. Make it obvious.

• Speak to your client's objections and demonstrate why your business is the best.

Your Relationship Capital Is More Valuable Than Your Content Calendar

Are you getting your relationship marketing strategy right?

You don’t need to “go viral.”
You need your name in the room when budgets get signed off.

And that doesn’t happen because you posted a trending audio or showed up in someone’s Reels.
It happens because someone in your network remembers your name, your clarity, your credibility — and thinks, “She’s perfect for this.”

So:
Show up consistently (otherwise you'll be forgotten)
Say something of value.
Reconnect with intention.

I reached out to contacts from my advertising days, just saying hi, asking how people that I had worked with were doing. It lead to a contract as a digital content consultant, the work that I did for that organisation lead to being engaged by Social Entrepreneur's Ireland and then that work followed on to another contract with Sprout & Co. 

Don't underestimate your network, even if you have completely pivoted. They are still your champions. 

Don’t Let Silence Cost You Growth

Don't underestimate your network when it comes to strategic business growth.

Your next level isn’t waiting for you in an ad funnel or a cold DM campaign.
It’s sitting quietly in your network — ready to open doors if you start knocking.

So if you’re serious about big clients, bigger impact, and doing it all as yourself — not as some corporate robot — get strategic.

Reignite your relationships.
Speak like the expert you are.
And position yourself where the real decisions are made.

If you’re ready to be seen, heard, and hired at the level you’re already delivering — let’s talk.

🟡 This is a discovery call — not a sales pitch.
🟡 We’ll uncover where your messaging and visibility are out of sync.
🟡 And map how to re-engage the network that already trusts you.

👉 Book Your Discovery Call
Let’s make sure the right people actually know what you do — and why you’re the one to hire.

Photo Credit: Elaine Walsh McGrath

Let’s face it: nothing feels more uncomfortable than reaching out to someone you just connected with on LinkedIn and having no idea what to say.

You don’t want to come across as pushy. You don’t want to pitch out of the blue. You definitely don’t want to send a message that sounds like a bad AI-generated script.

I’ve been there. And I promise you, there’s a better way.

In Build Connections on LinkedIn with Confidence, I show you exactly how to start and nurture conversations that are genuine, easy, and lead to the kind of clients you want to work with.

The truth about messaging on LinkedIn

So many coaches and service providers hesitate to reach out on LinkedIn because they don’t want to be "that person."

You know the one:

• Cold DMs right after accepting a connection

• Copy-pasted sales pitches

• Overly formal language that doesn’t sound like a real human

But here's the thing: you can reach out in a way that feels natural. In fact, when you know what to say and how to say it, messaging becomes one of your most powerful tools for building trust.

Here's what I do instead

When I connect with someone new, I treat it like I would a real-life networking event.

I start light. I take a genuine interest. I comment on something in their profile or content. I make it about connection first.

Inside the course, I give you:

• DM swipe files that sound like you (not a sales robot)

• Message templates that create opportunities for real conversations

• A Market Research Post template that helps you learn directly from your audience

This isn’t about manipulating a connection into a call. It’s about starting a real conversation—and letting the next step come naturally.

Want to see it in action?

Here’s an example of how I might start a conversation:

“Hi Sarah, I came across your profile after reading your post about burnout in leadership roles. It really resonated—especially your point about boundaries. Would love to stay connected and keep learning from your content.”

Notice what’s missing? A pitch. This kind of message opens a door, not pushes through one.

Market Research That Starts Conversations

One of my favourite ways to connect with potential clients is to share a market research post that asks a question relevant to the service I offer. It’s a post written not to sell—but to listen.

When someone engages with it, it opens the door to a thoughtful follow-up message, like:

“Thanks for commenting on my post about [topic]. You gave me a new perspective—would love to hear more about how you're handling that in your work.”

This approach has sparked genuine conversations, built my network, and led to aligned client work.

3 Steps to Start a Great Conversation on LinkedIn

1. Check their profile. Find something you genuinely connect with.

2. Lead with curiosity. Ask a question or comment on their content.

3. Follow up naturally. If they engage, keep the conversation going—don’t force the pitch.

People buy from people they trust

We know this. We say this. But on LinkedIn, it’s easy to forget it.

Everything about Build Connections on LinkedIn with Confidence is designed to help you:

• Show up as yourself

• Communicate clearly

• Build trust through every step

And that trust? It’s what turns a simple DM into a discovery call. A call into a client. A client into a referrer.

It gets easier with practice (and a plan)

If you’re nervous about messaging now, that’s OK. It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you haven’t found a strategy that works for you yet.

Once you do? The dread goes away. You’ll know who to connect with, what to say, and how to follow up without it feeling weird.

That’s what we cover in the course. And it’s what makes it possible for you to start building a business you love on LinkedIn—one real conversation at a time.

Final Thought:

If reaching out on LinkedIn gives you a pit in your stomach, you’re not alone. But there is a way to make messaging feel good—and actually get results.

You can start those conversations with confidence. I’ll show you how.

www.elainewalshmcgrath.com/Build-Connections-LinkedIn-with-Confidence

Elaine Walsh McGrath is a LinkedIn specialist with 25+ years of experience in marketing and advertising. She worked with major brands like Colgate and Kenco before pivoting to help small businesses and service providers shine on LinkedIn. As a special needs mom to a daughter with Down syndrome, she understands the importance of strategies that work efficiently without wasting precious time.

Photo credit: Elaine Walsh-McGrath.

Are you tearing your hair out when it comes to creating content for LinkedIn?  Not sure where to start?... this blog is perfect for you whether you're a newbie, dabbler or seasoned user. There has never been a better time to learn how to communicate and network with confidence on LinkedIn.  

As we face uncertain times it's the people who remain visible who will reap rewards.  Buyers love confidence and people buy people.  It's the role of content which will set you apart and create that sense of know, like and trust which will prove invaluable as we enter 2023.

You may be surprised to learn that of the 850+ million members on LinkedIn, only about 1-2% are actively creating content and about 9% are engaging with comments.  About 90% of all users are looking on from the sidelines. 

Are you lurking, networking or actively leveraging your network as an influencer?

No-brainer reasons to share content on LinkedIn:

- The organic reach is fantastic and won't be there forever folks!
- Keeps you top of mind - ‘mere exposure effect’
- Increases brand awareness
- Builds credibility
- Builds your network and generates opportunities
- Allows you to control the conversation

Ask yourself is your existing content brand centric or customer centric?
Before I dive in and explore this more I want to share these wise words by Dale Carnegie with you.

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."

So many people make the mistake of only sharing brand centric content - it's all 'me me me' and then they wonder why it falls flat on the feed.  

As a rule of thumb you should follow the 80/20 rule which means that 4 days out of 5 you should educate, inspire, motivate, entertain and give value - 1 day out of 5 you self-promote.  In short you need to 'earn the right' to toot your horn on LinkedIn. 

To build trust with your content you need to:

- Address the fears, worries & concerns of your customer
- Answer customer questions 
- Answer objections
- Be truthful, honest and fully transparent

Being clear trumps being clever any day of the week.  A confused mind will always say no!

“With content, a relationship of trust can be built with the Salesperson (and Company) long before the first sales meeting.  
Great content means more trust, more trust means shorter sales cycles.”  Marcus Sheridan, Author ‘They Ask You Answer’ 

14 Main Types of Content Posts on LinkedIn (you don't need to use all of them!)

1. Text Only (3,000 characters)
2. Post with image (single image or several)
3. Upload video (ideally with captions)
4. Document post (PDF report / white paper / visual)
5. Give kudos (shout-out to a team member, network)
6. LinkedIn Article / Newsletter 
7. LinkedIn Live (ideally 30 minutes in length)
8. LinkedIn Poll 
9. LinkedIn Event
10. Share you are hiring
11. Audio Events
12. Occasion or Milestone (new job, anniversary etc)
13. Template posts in beta on mobile
14. Carousels are being rolled out

The LinkedIn Algorithm rewards ‘social behaviour’ and in the first 1-2 hours of pressing publish / submit, LinkedIn will determine if your post is:

- Spam
- Low-Quality
- Clear

Some things to consider so that you show up as 'clear':

- Commenting (engage with your networks posts before and after you post to invoke the law of reciprocity)
- Hashtags (use between 3 to 5 maximum - LinkedIn is not Instagram and you don't need 30 hashtags, in fact it looks really spammy)
- Timing (mix things up and determine what time your audience is online, there is no 'magic' time for all - do your research and check your analytics)
- SSI Score (the higher your social selling index score - the more reach your content has - check your score here: https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi)
- External Links (try putting these in your image / graphic - this feature is only available on mobile currently).

LinkedIn content should be:

- Inspirational – stories, morals, quotes
- Educational – tips, lessons
- Deal with objections – what they think / believe
- Engaging – opinion pieces, polls, their opinion
- Entertaining – humour works everywhere!
- Promotion – invite audience to a call, event, masterclass, lead magnet etc.  
- 80/20 Rule

It can take up to 16 touch points in the digital space before people decide to reach out to you.  

Always ensure your content has a clear call to action and you are telling people what they need to do next.  
Be clear versus clever and dig deep as to what you're trying to achieve on LinkedIn.

Ultimately like with any form of networking - 'be a giver'...be social, be consistent and cultivate a community mindset!
Wishing you all continued LinkedIn success ladies. 

Jen x

P.S. If you want to explore how I can help you going forward book in for a free 20-minute LinkedIn game plan call here: https://mysuperconnector.co.uk/contact/

Or watch LinkedIn Content That Converts here https://youtu.be/hevzTDZCXbs