How To Master The 6 Post Types To Stand Out On LinkedIn
By Thomas Pearce
TLDR
Virality is not a personal brand. Engagement without strategy is a vanity metric, and small accounts routinely out-earn far bigger ones.
Lock three foundations before you post anything: your north star, your three to five content pillars, and your positioning.
Master six post types, each with its own job and its own metric: high-impression, value-led educational, positioning, save-worthy, conversion-focused, and DM conversation starters.
Weekend homework: write one idea for each of the six. The types you struggle with reveal the gaps in your foundation.
Hi folks! 👋 Tom here again, Co-Founder of LeverBrands.
Today, I thought we could bust one of the biggest misconceptions in this space: that virality = a successful personal brand.
Let me show you what I mean.
Build Leverage By Learning:
Why engagement without strategy is just vanity metrics
The 6 types of LinkedIn posts you need (and when to use each)
How to build a content mix that actually moves your business forward
Why “going viral” doesn’t mean what you think it does
On LinkedIn, it’s very easy for someone to “seem successful” if their posts get a lot of likes, but be wary: this does NOT mean they’ve actually built a proper personal brand. Getting engagement is not the same as getting business results.
I’ve seen accounts with HUGE followings struggle to book a single sales call. And I’ve also seen accounts with just a few thousand followers generate six or even seven figures in revenue. You might think the difference is simply luck. Fortunately… it’s not. It all comes down to strategy.
Before you post anything, you need three things locked in:
Your north star → The ultimate goal you're working toward.
Your pillars → The 3-5 core topics you want to be known for.
Your positioning → What makes you different from everyone else in your space.
Without these foundations, you’re just throwing content at the wall and hoping something sticks.
Different types of content serve completely different goals and are measured by completely different metrics.
So to build a successful strategy on LinkedIn, you need to master all six types and know exactly when to use each.
6 Types of LinkedIn Posts You Need for Your Personal Brand
1️⃣ High-Impression Posts
Posts optimised purely for reach using pre-validated formats, trending topics and relatable observations.
Use When: You need visibility and want to reach new audiences outside your existing network.
Key Metric: Impressions (aim for 3-5x your typical post).
Posting Frequency: 1-2x per week.
Example:
This post by Alvin Huang is a great example of an illustration based high-impression post. The topic (failure) is universally relatable, so it works regardless of niche. The visual flow structure keeps you scrolling, the lines are short and punchy, and there's zero jargon. This style of visual has also been popular on the platform for a while, so leveraging that is key too.
What to include when you’re creating an impression post:
✅ Proven format that’s already performing
✅ Hook that stops the scroll in the first line
✅ No jargon or insider language
✅ Scannable copy
✅ Touches on a common, universal pain point
✅ Digestible value within the copy
2️⃣ Value-Led Educational Content
High-value, actionable content. The kind of post that makes someone want to follow you immediately. Think frameworks, step-by-step guides, templates.
Use When: You want to grow followers with qualified people genuinely interested in your expertise.
Key Metric: Followers gained from the post.
Posting Frequency: 2-3x per week. This should be your content backbone.
Example:
This is a textbook example of value-led content. Richard takes a concept (servant leadership), grounds it in his own experience scaling HomeServe to £4.1bn, then breaks it down into something you can actually use. The traditional vs servant leader comparison makes the idea stick, and the six actionable steps at the end mean you leave with something to implement.
What really makes this work is the credibility woven throughout. He's not just explaining a theory, but actually showing you what he did and why it worked.
What to include when you’re creating an educational/value-led post:
✅ Solves a specific problem your audience has
✅ Immediately actionable (they can implement today)
✅ Clearly structured (numbered steps, clear sections)
✅ Enough detail to be useful without overwhelming
✅ Ends with a takeaway that reinforces why it matters
3️⃣ Personal Brand Positioning
Content showcasing your unique perspective. Whether that’s your methodology, contrarian takes, or personal stories that reveal who you are and what you stand for.
Use When: You need to establish what makes you different from your competitors or why you’re an authority in your space.
Key Metric: Quality of engagement (thoughtful comments, shares from peers) over quantity.
Posting Frequency: Whenever relevant (e.g. a new product launch, new collaboration, featuring in the press, and so on).
Example:
A couple of weeks ago, our very own Chris Donnelly was featured in Forbes talking about the future of LinkedIn, and I thought this was a perfect way to showcase personal brand positioning!
He uses the feature as a springboard to share his actual take on where LinkedIn’s headed following the 360Brew algorithm update. He also pushes back on the "death of old tactics" narrative, shares specific principles he stands behind, and positions himself as someone who's adapted through every algorithm change. See the full post here.
What to include when you’re creating a positioning post:
✅ Shares a genuine opinion (not simply copying what’s popular)
✅ Backed by experience or evidence
✅ Written conversationally, with more human language
✅ Less stylised formatting, but still easily skimmable
✅ Positions you as the category leader in your industry
4️⃣ Save-Worthy Posts
Reference-quality content people bookmark and return to. Things like templates, resource lists, or comprehensive guides are a great example of this.
Use When: You want extended reach over time and to be seen as a go-to resource provider or expert.
Key Metric: Save rate (fun fact: LinkedIn’s new algorithm prioritises the number of saves a post gets over likes. Do with that what you will!)
Posting Frequency: 1-2x per week.
Example:
This post by Rohan Sheth is the kind of thing people bookmark immediately (for reference, this post got 1.6k saves).
It’s a curated list of resources with direct links, a clear theme (communication skills, which links to his usual content pillars), and enough context on each one that you know exactly what you're getting. You can't watch seven TED Talks in one sitting, so you save it for later.
What to include when you’re creating a save-worthy post:
✅ Includes nugget of personal authority/credibility
✅ Easy to scan and find specific information
✅ Offers specific examples, resources, or templates
✅ Uses well-sourced statistics (if relevant)
✅ Genuinely useful as a reference (would YOU want to save something like this?)
5️⃣ Conversion-Focused Content
Posts built to de-platform your audience and own them (as social media algorithms can literally change overnight).
Use When: You have something valuable off-platform that serves your business goals (e.g. a newsletter, lead magnet, product landing page).
Key Metric: Link clicks and click conversion rate.
Posting Frequency: Whenever you have an incredibly valuable resource to share (depends on your capacity; for example Chris has a team who creates these resources for him),
Example:
Going back to Chris again for this LinkedIn GPT Operating System post as an example of a lead magnet-based conversion post.
The main thing to note here, is the "comment GPTOS" mechanic. It's low friction (one word), and it turns engagement into lead/email capture. Every comment also boosts the post's reach, so you’re essentially killing two birds with one stone.
Once people download the lead magnet, they also get auto-invited to Chris’s upcoming live webinar, all as part of the larger funnel to promote his upcoming Creator Accelerator cohort.
What to include when you’re creating a conversion post:
✅ Lead with value before the ask
✅ Benefit of clicking is crystal clear
✅ Friction is reduced (it’s easy to do the next step)
✅ “Comment [X]” CTA to gather emails
✅ Lead magnet delivers on the promise
6️⃣ DM / Sales Conversation Starters
Posts designed to naturally make your ideal client want to reach out. This could be social proof, or professional stories with clear outcomes.
Use When: You’re actively looking for clients, partnerships, or sales conversations.
Key Metric: Number of qualified DMs from people matching your ideal client profile.
Posting Frequency: Dependent on if you’re in a sales phase or growth phase.
Example:
One of the best ways to get a conversation going in DMs is through a testimonial, just as Dale Gibbons has done here.
He leads with a client story, which builds credibility and shows exactly who he helps. He also offers two paths: a quiz (low friction) or a DM to book a call (higher intent). This lets people self-select and warms them up before any sales conversation happens.
What to include when you’re creating a conversation starter post:
✅ Leads with a result or outcome
✅ Specific and credible (numbers, timeframes, details)
✅ Enough context to understand how you did it
✅ Soft invitation to continue the conversation
✅ Easy for the right people to self-identify and reach out (+ for the wrong audience to exclude themselves)
✅ A transformation people can follow and see themselves in
Putting it all together…
The main thing I want you to take away today is that personal brands have to be built intentionally. You can’t just post randomly without knowing what each post is supposed to accomplish.
So, a bit of homework for you this weekend:
Come up with 6 content ideas this week, 1 for each type of post. See which ones come to you easily, and which one’s don’t; it might tell you what’s missing in your foundation (think back to what we mentioned about your north star, content pillars and positioning).
You now have the playbook. Start testing and refine based on what works for your audience.
Happy Sunday all,
Tom. ☄️
P.S. If figuring out all 6 post types sounds like a lot and you'd rather have someone do it for you, reply and let us know. We'll send over how we can help!
(Or just reply and say hi - we read every response, and it helps email providers know we're actual humans talking).
What this means for you
If you are a founder, the trap Tom is describing is the one that quietly wastes the most time: building an audience that applauds you but never buys from you. The fix is not to post more, it is to post on purpose. Each of the six types maps to a different business outcome, so a feed that only ever reaches for impressions is leaving the conversion, save and DM layers on the table.
The practical move is to treat the six types as a weekly mix rather than a menu you pick from at random. Value-led content is your backbone, high-impression and save-worthy posts widen the top of the funnel, and positioning, conversion and DM-starter posts turn that attention into pipeline. Run Tom's homework against your own pillars: the post type you find hardest to write is usually the part of your brand foundation that is not yet clear, and that is the most valuable thing you can fix this week.
Frequently asked questions
What are the six LinkedIn post types every personal brand needs?
High-impression posts for reach, value-led educational content to grow qualified followers, positioning posts to show what makes you different, save-worthy posts that get bookmarked and resurfaced, conversion-focused posts that move people off-platform, and DM or sales conversation starters that prompt the right people to reach out. Each one has a distinct job and is measured by a distinct metric.
Does going viral build a personal brand?
No. Engagement and revenue are different outcomes. Accounts with huge followings often cannot book a sales call, while accounts with a few thousand of the right followers generate six and seven figures. Virality without strategy is a vanity metric; a brand is built by matching each post to a business goal.
How often should I post each type?
As a starting mix: value-led educational content two to three times a week as your backbone, high-impression and save-worthy posts one to two times a week each, and positioning, conversion and DM-starter posts as relevant to what you are launching or selling. The exact split should follow your north star and what your audience responds to.
What should I lock in before posting on LinkedIn?
Three foundations: your north star (the goal the content is working toward), your three to five content pillars (the topics you want to be known for), and your positioning (what makes you different). Without these, even well-made posts pull in the wrong direction.
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About the author
Thomas Pearce is co-founder and Head of Delivery at LeverBrands, where he builds content systems that turn founder attention into business results. He works with founders and executives to design the post mix, positioning and infrastructure behind a personal brand that actually generates pipeline. More at leverbrands.com/about and on LinkedIn.