If You Want to Learn How to Write a Bad LinkedIn Post, Start Here!

If LinkedIn were a classroom, too many creators are standing at the front, giving lectures no one asked for. They write like they're the hero. The expert. The story. But here's the truth: your reader doesn't care about you—they care about what you can do for them.

The difference between a high-performing post and a forgettable one? One makes the audience feel something. The other makes the author feel important.

Let’s break this down.

The Wrong Way: Self-Focused Storytelling

Take this post (shared anonymously for critique):

This is a résumé written in prose.

What’s wrong with it?

❌ The hero is the writer. The entire post is about their accomplishments.
❌ No value for the reader. There’s no clear takeaway, strategy, or lesson to apply.
❌ Prose-heavy format. The writing is thick, poetic, and intimidating. It’s more like a memoir than a LinkedIn post.
❌ No clarity of intent. Is this meant to inspire? Educate? Entertain? It doesn’t commit to any.

Why It Fails the Reader

LinkedIn readers scroll fast. They're looking for one of three things:

1. Education → “Teach me something I can use.”

2. Inspiration → “Show me someone like me overcoming something hard.”

3. Entertainment → “Make me feel something—laugh, reflect, react.”

This post does none of the above. Instead, it reads like a victory lap. And unless you're already famous, no one stops scrolling for a personal highlight reel.

The Right Way: Make the Reader the Hero

Let’s reframe the post:

Why this works:

✅ It speaks to the reader using second-person language (“you,” “your”).
✅ It educates and inspires. There’s a clear leadership lesson.
✅ It avoids prose. Short, punchy lines encourage scrolling.
✅ It makes the audience feel seen. That’s what builds trust—and following.

Best Practices for High-Impact LinkedIn Posts

1. Write for the reader, not your résumé.
   ↳ Ask: “What’s in this for them?”

2. Stick to one purpose: Educate, Inspire, or Entertain.
   ↳ If your post doesn’t do one, don’t post it.

3. Avoid writing in prose.
   ↳ Dense paragraphs scare off mobile readers. Break up lines. Breathe.

4. Make your reader the hero.
   ↳ Flip “Here’s what I did” → “Here’s what you can do.”

5. Use second-person voice.
   ↳ “You” builds connection. “I” builds distance.

6. Don’t bury your best insight.
   ↳ Lead with a bold or surprising line. Make the hook work hard.

7. Keep your formatting clean.
   ↳ Short paragraphs. Line breaks. No walls of text.

Final Thought:
When in doubt, remember this rule: if your reader doesn’t feel smarter, inspired, or emotionally moved after reading your post, it wasn’t worth writing.

Write with empathy. Structure for clarity. Publish for connection.

Sample LinkedIn post that makes the reader the focus of the post:

Most people never see the real power in the room… until it’s too late.
Because it’s not the loudest voice or the biggest title. It’s the one who delivers when it counts.

If you’ve ever led a high-stakes initiative without fanfare…
If you’ve ever turned resistance into results…
If you’ve ever created order where others saw chaos…

Then you already know what real leadership looks like.

And here’s what sets you apart when no one’s paying attention:

1/ You create clarity under pressure
↳ While others get lost in uncertainty, you draw the map. Fast, focused, and fearless.

2/ You move strategy into systems
↳ Big ideas don’t matter unless they’re operational. You make them real—on time, on target.

3/ You build trust that outlasts metrics
↳ People follow credibility, not titles. You earn belief before you measure success.

4/ You lead before permission is given
↳ You don’t wait for validation. You step in, step up, and shape the outcome.

5/ You think long while delivering short
↳ Immediate results are critical—but so is the vision behind them. You hold both.

Truth is, some won’t see it until the dust settles.
But once they do, they’ll never forget who built it.

So here’s the question:
What are you quietly building that will be impossible to ignore?

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