You're building the wrong LinkedIn audience (here's why)

Hey Reader,

"How do I grow my network?"

A question I hear constantly.

What I've learned in my career as a sales professional who always crushed quota using LinkedIn, and after working with hundreds of leaders to build their LinkedIn strategy:

There are actually two distinct audiences you need to be thinking about.

Sure, there are lots of different types of people to connect with - prospects, colleagues, community members, industry leaders, etc.

But when it comes to your LinkedIn strategy, they all fall into two categories that serve completely different purposes.

And most people don't realize this.

Remember:

1 billion LinkedIn users.
Only 1% post original content.

That means 99% of people are just... consuming.

Reading your posts.
Watching your videos.
Learning from your insights.

But never posting themselves.

And the reality: Your ideal clients are probably in that 99%.

Think about it:
→ How many CEOs do you see posting daily?
→ How many decision-makers are creating LinkedIn content?
→ How many small business owners are creating LinkedIn content?

Very few.

They're lurking. Learning. Watching.

This is why everyone needs two audiences.

Audience #1: The Creators (Your Amplifiers)

These are your visibility builders:

Fellow Creators
​ → People posting 3+ times per week
→ Getting genuine engagement on their content
→ Serving similar audiences

Industry Leaders
​ → Recognized experts in your space
→ People with engaged followings
→ Thought leaders worth learning from

Active Community Members
​ → People from your masterminds who post regularly
→ Professional association members who share content
→ Colleagues from events who are LinkedIn-active

Why you need them: They give your content social proof and algorithm love. Their engagement signals that your content is valuable, pushing it to more feeds. Keep in mind, LinkedIn now tracks and shows impressions on comments!

But they're not the ones signing contracts.

That's the other audience....

Audience #2: The Consumers (Your Revenue)

These are your actual business builders:

Future Clients
​ → Prospects who fit your ideal client profile but rarely post
→ Decision-makers who consume content but don't create it
→ Warm prospects from networking who lurk more than post

Current & Past Clients
​ → People you've worked with who may not post regularly
→ Success stories who prefer staying behind the scenes
→ Happy clients who engage occasionally but don't create content

Strategic Partners & Referral Sources
​ → People who serve your ideal clients with complementary services
→ Industry colleagues who could refer business your way
→ Partners from networking events and professional relationships
→ Community members who stay quiet online but are active offline

Why you need them: This is where your actual revenue comes from. They're building trust silently, and when they're ready to buy or refer, you're top of mind.

How It Actually Works

The magic happens when these two audiences work together:

Step 1: You create content that speaks to your lurkers (your ideal clients)

Step 2: Your creator connections amplify it through engagement

Step 3: Their engagement gives you credibility and wider reach

Step 4: Consumers in their networks discover you through social proof

Step 5: Trust builds over time as consumers consume your content

Step 6: When they're ready, consumers become clients

I see this play out constantly.

Just last month, I signed a client who was a 2nd degree connection - we only had 3 mutual connections and weren't even connected on LinkedIn.

She never liked my posts. Never commented. Never engaged at all.

But she'd been seeing my content because someone in her network was commenting on my posts.

When she was ready to invest in LinkedIn strategy, she booked a call directly.

I had no way to know she even existed, but she'd been building trust in my expertise for months through borrowed visibility.

That's the Creator/Consumer system in action.

The Strategy Shift

Most LinkedIn advice focuses on either content creation OR networking.

But LinkedIn's reality requires both.

For the Creators: Focus on genuine relationship-building. Engage thoughtfully. Support their content. Build your amplification network.

For the Consumers: Create content that serves them directly. Connect with ideal prospects even if they don't post. Show up consistently so you're top of mind when they're ready.

The creators amplify your message.
The consumers become your clients.

Both are essential.

This Week's Challenge

Look at your recent connections and categorize them:

→ How many are active creators vs. quiet consumers?
→ Are you over-indexing on one audience?
→ Who in your network fits your ideal client profile but never posts?

Those consumers? They might be your biggest opportunities.

Don't ignore them just because they're not liking and commenting.

They're watching. They're learning. They're deciding.

Build for both audiences intentionally.

The creators give you visibility.
The consumers give you revenue.

Toodles!
Natasha

P.S. If you're wondering how to identify and connect with your "consumer" audience, that's exactly what we work on in my program, The REALationship Growth Method. I’m launching at the end of September, and want YOU part of it. The founding cohort will be just 5 students and you’ll have more access to me than you’ll know what to do with. Founding members get a special rate. Apply here!​

P.P.S. Next time you see someone engaging consistently on your posts, thank them. They're not just being nice - they're actively helping you reach your ideal clients. Those relationships matter more than you think.

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