LinkedIn Is the Most Underrated Growth Engine for Your Business—Here’s How to Use It in 2025

December 18, 2024•3 min read

While no one was looking, LinkedIn transformed into the most powerful tool for solopreneurs, thought leaders, and professionals trying to grow their businesses and brands.

And today, LinkedIn is where deals are made, partnerships are formed, and opportunities are created.

I used to treat LinkedIn like a chore. Post a professional update? Check. Share an article? Check. Log out. It felt like a necessary box to tick rather than a meaningful place to grow my business.

But everything changed when I saw someone’s 2-minute video on LinkedIn explaining how to deal with difficult clients. The advice was so practical and well-delivered that I clicked their profile, checked out their services, and within a week, they had me as a paying client.

That was my lightbulb moment: LinkedIn wasn’t just a place for content; it was a place to connect deeply with the right people. And once I started showing up strategically, things started shifting in my own business.

Here’s what I learned:

QUICK BACKSTORY:

LinkedIn started as a digital résumé—a place to list your work history and hope recruiters noticed.

But over the years, it evolved into a platform for thought leadership and business growth. Today, it has over 990 million active users and countless decision-makers waiting for solutions to their problems. If you show up right, you can become the go-to expert in your field.

THE ODDS:

Most people still use LinkedIn like it’s 2015. They either:

Post sporadically with no strategy.
Treat it like Facebook and share personal updates that feel out of place.
Stick to overly polished, corporate content that fails to connect.

The truth? The odds of success on LinkedIn aren’t great unless you evolve and adapt.

THE GOAL:

My goal was simple: Use LinkedIn to grow my influence, attract clients, and build a brand that felt real.

To do that, I had to focus on:

Creating dynamic content, like videos and carousels.
Building a personal brand that is truly authentic.
Speaking directly to my audience’s needs and goals.

THE OBSTACLE:

Here’s where I, and most people, struggled:

Overthinking the content: I worried too much about being polished and corporate, which led to bland posts that didn’t resonate.
Ignoring engagement: I would post and leave, missing the chance to connect in the comments.
Fear of video: I thought video was “too much work” until I tried it and saw how quickly it connected me with my audience.

And for months, I stayed stuck.

THE BREAKTHROUGH:

The shift came when I stopped treating LinkedIn like a chore and started treating it like a conversation.

I posted a controversial topic—using AI to automate comments on social media. It was simple, actionable, and specific to my audience.

To my surprise, it outperformed everything I had ever posted. Why?

It spoke directly to something everyone notices, but doesn’t speak up about.
It was engaging and easy to digest.
I replied to every comment, turning it into a real conversation.

That post brought in got me more new followers than any previous post.

REAL-WORLD WINS:

These shifts work across industries.

A leadership coach I know started sharing weekly 2-minute videos addressing workplace challenges. In just three months, she grew her audience by 40% and landed two consulting contracts.
A financial planner shifted her content to focus on young professionals struggling with student debt. In two months, she gained 1,500 followers and started booking weekly consultations.
One of my own posts, where I shared a personal story about a business challenge, led to an unexpected conversation because someone resonated with my honesty.

THE ACHIEVEMENT:

When you approach LinkedIn with the right strategy, you can: