Productivity tips to manage LinkedIn in 10 minutes a day or less | Actionable insights to harness your expertise for the recognition you seek | LinkedIn trainer & COO of Narify

Most of the marketing advice you're seeing is complete nonsense.

❌Spend budget on advertising
While your colleagues have 5x more reach.

❌Spend budget on converting leads 
While the network of your sales reps already established a relationship with them.

❌ Spend budget on recruitment 
While your employees have your next talent in their network.

We think the solution is MORE. 
More content, more ads, more tactics.

This approach gets you nowhere.

You can't do everything and expect to excel at anything.

Since 2011, I have helped professionals like you leverage B2B Thought Leadership, Social Selling, and Employee Advocacy primarily through LinkedIn™️. 

Together with Richard van der Blom, I run a  consultancy and training agency called Just Connecting. We have supported over 100.000 professionals and thousands of organizations globally. 

If those topics aren't your thing, I'm also up for long gravelbike trips or teaching my Australian Labradoodle some new tricks—although, I must admit, she only seems to do them when there are cookies involved!

Anyway, my approach to my clients?

✅ Figure out what they’re actually aiming for.

✅ Support, develop and execute the systems that bring them closer to these goals

✅ Unlock the potential of employee-ship so employees want to become brand ambassadors. 
(Instead of being forced...)

I work with:
🔹Mid sized to corporate organizations 

🔹Marketing departments that want to leverage Thought Leadership and Employee Advocacy

🔹Sales teams that build authority and attract leads and costumers via Social Selling strategies via Linkedin™️ and Sales Navigator

Although I do take on other client profiles from time to time when I am 100% sure I can help you.

Follow me for insights on these topics. 

Connect or contact me to find out more about our programs and systems. 

Talk soon
📬 martijnholtes@justconnecting.nl

Martijn Holtes

Some partnerships work. 
Richard van der Blom and I have been proving this for 15 years. 
Now we're making it official.

For 15 years, we've collaborated without formalising anything. 
It worked because our skills fit together naturally. 

Just like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger 
Different strengths, shared vision.

Richard has the market presence and expertise that people know. 
I focus on the strategic frameworks and implementation. 
Different roles, one direction.

Last year showed us that our clients' needs have evolved. 

They're no longer looking for training vendors. 
They need partners who can identify and solve the real issues.
The ones hiding behind the surface request.

We realised that to solve those deeper problems, we need to rely on each other's expertise even more. 

So we're formalising what's always been true.

From now on, we're running Just Connecting - Social Selling, Employee Advocacy and Marketing together. 

Not as vendors selling courses, but as strategic partners solving the problems that matter.

We're taking everything we've learned over 15 years and building something different. 

The next six months will be interesting.

More to come.

B2B Thought Leadership | Social Selling and Employee Advocacy | Most companies contact me for platform training. Often they walk away with something more valuable....

The biggest issue for selling isn't your lead-generation process.

It's how you treat the people running it.

I have trained sales teams for over 15 years, 
And I have found that most companies focus on the obvious stuff.

They optimize every step of the process.
Until there is nothing left to optimize 
Then they complain that it doesn't work.

They overlooked one critical element. 

Selling is emotional work. 

Deals fall through. 
Prospects ghost reps. 
The pressure never stops.
Salespeople face rejection daily. 

And if you don't support them in this.
You and the organization are going to pay a price 

So here's my message to all of you leading sales teams 
Stop talking about the f'n numbers for five minutes. 

Ask the question nobody asks:
"How are you really feeling?"

In the long run, this conversation will be what builds the business.

☝️ Swipe through to see how this actually works
♻️ Repost so others can learn too.

Carousel_Selling is a deeply emotional process.pdf

If your own team won’t like your posts...

Why should any customer trust your brand?

I always look at a straightforward thing before I take on new clients 

Do employees like, share, or comment on their own company posts?

If the answer is no, I know the problem isn't their LinkedIn strategy.

Most of our clients tell me it is about time, skills, or tools.

They ask for more training, better content, or an easy way to share posts.

(P.s. I'm all for that 😁)

But…

When people do not feel proud or safe, no tool can fix that. 

They stay silent….

Employee Advocacy acts like a mirror.

If people feel seen, heard, and trusted, they will show up. 
If they do not, they hide.

So next time when you signal low engagement… 

Do you dare to ask what it says about your culture?

Everyone in my social selling cohorts is panicking about AI
"Adapt or get replaced!"
Let's talk about adapting.

To sell anything, you need three things:
Demand
Supply
Leverage to match them efficiently

AI crushes efficiency. 
It always will.

But here's the thing: 
Efficient doesn't mean effective.

I think you are competing on the wrong battlefield.

What your leads and clients actually want? 
Your Point of View.

Not your branding. 
Not your post volume. 
Not your network size.

Your unique way of seeing their problem.

The experience you've built. 
The knowledge you've earned. The skills you've refined. 
The perspective only you have.

That's what AI can't touch.

That's what makes you irreplaceable.

Stop trying to be more efficient. 
Start being more you.


☝️ Swipe through to see how this actually works
♻️ Repost so others can learn too.

Carousel_Why you need to adapt to the new way of selling (1).pdf

Do you want to share your company's latest press releases?
No? 
Well, guess what - your employees don't want to either.

Only 1 in 10 employees actively participates in advocacy programs. 

Why? 
Because most programs are built on corporate self-interest, not mutual benefit.

Below you find a list of better alternatives. 
Your employees could be your best marketing asset - but only if you treat them like partners, not channels.

Ready to build an advocacy program that actually works? 
DM me to learn how we help companies get this right

The dumbest advice lifestyle guru’s give you is "Just be yourself.”

“Being yourself” can be the exact thing that is holding you back.

Because if “yourself” is telling you that:
❌ Playing big is arrogant
❌ Risks are dangerous
❌ That is “just” who I am….

…then authenticity becomes an obstacle, not an advantage.

We don’t want the watered-down version of you.

We want the version that dares to lead, share, and stand for something.

So don’t just “be yourself.”
Be your best self— the one that we remember, respect, and rally behind.

It improves your business and it improves your career. 
Some won't understand the best version of you. 
Some will 

No matter the outcome, doing the right thing is always the right thing to do. 

What’s one part of your “best self” that we haven't seen yet?

Social selling frameworks promise to make everything easy.
And that's exactly why most people using them aren't seeing real growth.

Don't get me wrong - frameworks and templates have their place.
They give you structure and confidence.

But the people getting real results go way beyond it

✅ They show up consistently.
✅ They ask questions they genuinely want answers to.
✅ They personalise like they actually care.
✅ Their follow-ups add value before asking for anything.

Frameworks can teach you what to do.
They can't teach you how to care.

Use frameworks as starting points.
Then master the parts you can't systemise.

Building trust through genuine human connection.

Do frameworks help or get in the way of your relationship building?

Frameworks  make Social Selling feel easy, but...

Richard van der Blom

Spending hours on LinkedIn but not seeing clients? Your content getting lost in the algorithm? Your comments disappear in the void? Competing with 10,000 other "experts" saying the same things? Let me fix that for you. Send me a message or email richard@richardvanderblom.com

WHO I AM
I'm Richard van der Blom, Dutch living with my Argentinian wife and German doodle in Spain. Pearl Jam, Padel and Gin-Tonic lover.

For 15 years, I've been obsessed with one question: what actually works on LinkedIn? Not theory. Not guesses. Data-backed strategy that turns visibility into revenue.

I've trained over 350,000 professionals. I've worked with 1,000+ companies across every B2B sector. My clients closed over €10 million in deals in 2025 alone using the systems I built for them.
I don't do surface-level tips. I run ongoing LinkedIn algorithm research, analyze millions of data points, and translate that into strategies entrepreneurs can execute without living on the platform.

WHY WORK WITH ME
Most LinkedIn "experts" regurgitate the same advice. I give you what 99.9% of them can't: data-driven insights before they become common knowledge. My Algorithm Insights Report is the industry standard—used by thought leaders, sales teams, and agencies worldwide.

I've keynoted at 100+ events and been rated Best Speaker in over 80% of my engagements. But I'm not just a stage performer. I build LinkedIn systems that work in the real world—for busy entrepreneurs who need results, not busywork.

WHAT I OFFER
🎤 Keynote Speaking – Insights that shift how your team thinks about LinkedIn strategy, authority, and lead generation
🔥 The TRIBE Community – Exclusive membership where 150+ entrepreneurs get early algorithm insights, mastermind sessions, and direct guidance
🚀 The Authority Accelerator – My 4-month VIP program for established entrepreneurs building predictable LinkedIn lead generation in under 30 minutes daily
📊 Algorithm Insights Report – The most comprehensive, research-backed LinkedIn playbook, updated 2-3 times yearly
🤝 Corporate Training – LinkedIn training for mid-to-large B2B companies via Just Connecting

THE RESULT
You'll stop guessing. You'll build authority that attracts clients instead of chasing them. You'll have a LinkedIn strategy that converts profile visitors into paying customers—consistently.

My clients don't just get more engagement. They close deals. They build funnels that grow on steroids. They become recognized authorities in their industries. No automation, no spam. Pure value.

INTERESTED? LET'S TALK!
📧 richard@richardvanderblom.com

Public Speaker / Keynote Speaker

Renowned international keynote speaker, deeply passionate and knowledgeable about a range of topics including LinkedIn, Social Selling, Content Strategy, and the evolving landscape of Sales. My expertise is in delivering insights-based, engaging, and impactful keynotes.

With a track record of delivering 60+ keynotes across cosmopolitan cities such as Buenos Aires, Marrakech, Austin, Paris, Copenhagen, Athens, Vienna, and Dubai, my global experience enables me to bring unique perspectives and insights to every event.

I'm proud to have been rated as the best speaker at 80% of all events I've attended, with an impressive average rating of 9.1 out of 10. As a speaker, I am dedicated to not just sharing knowledge, but also inspiring change and action. My talks are a blend of current trends, practical strategies, and forward-thinking ideas, designed to empower professionals to thrive in today's dynamic sales environment.

Dannos Tsakalos (CEO)
Richard was one of the 10+ international speakers who took the stage at our annual Social Media & Influencer Marketing Conference (Athens October 2023). He was the last who took the stage, yet he managed to captivate the audience and received an impressive rate of 9,5/10. Why? Because, in a nutshell, he is a gifted presenter, a true expert who delivers tons of actionable insights and useful tips around LinkedIn and how to stand out on it.

Michael Geary (CEO - SMPS)
I have had the pleasure of witnessing Richard in action at our annual marketing conference, Amplify A|E|C, and I am was impressed by his ability to captivate and engage audiences. He's a true master of a stage presentation and communication skills. Richard possesses the talent for making complex ideas accessible and compelling. He has the the ability to distill intricate concepts into clear, concise messages that resonate with our audience.

Hey LinkedIn, what's going on with my feed? Where's the value?

Here's a breakdown of the first 10 posts you showed me this morning:

1️⃣ The same post I've seen for 2 months now. A CEO telling us LinkedIn Video is "da bomb." Ironically, this has been Boosted by LinkedIn for 8 weeks straight. Organic reach, right?

2️⃣ An influencer promoting a product with 100% AI-generated text. Receiving 100+ AI-generated comments. Humans optional.

3️⃣ A Promoted Post completely irrelevant to me. I get it, you need to make money.

4️⃣ Wait — another "As a Head of Social Media, I'm often asked if organic LinkedIn reach is enough" post that is... Promoted. Doesn't it get enough reach organically? The irony writes itself.

5️⃣ A life story about giving up alcohol and becoming a successful 6-figure coach. Wait, is this a template? I've seen this exact arc 47 times.

6️⃣ "7 Signs I Hit Middle Age" from Marco Andre, a LinkedIn Top Voice. Probably shown because I also hit that barrier. Thanks for the reminder.

7️⃣ Another influencer promoting a "Life Hack" AI tool to manage all your other AI tools in one place. AI-ception.

8️⃣ A Thought Leadership Ad about "an interesting job offer in Silicon Valley." Yep, no intention to leave Spain. Zero relevance.

9️⃣ A carousel titled "10 Things Successful People Do Before 5 AM" — posted at 11:47 PM. Make it make sense.

🔟 A repost of a repost of a quote from someone who died in 1965. No commentary. No insight. Just vibes.

The result?

Just 1 of the first 10 posts was from an actual connection.

One.

You call yourself a network platform.
Then why don't you show me my network?

I have multiple people reaching out lately saying "I don't see your posts anymore."
Why is that?
Who gave you permission to decide that?

What happened to "Members first"?

You built a platform on connections.
Now you're burying them under ads, influencers, and recycled AI content.

If I wanted an algorithm that ignores who I actually follow, I'd use Instagram.

Fix the feed. Or just admit what this has become.

PS: Let me know if it's just me?

LinkedIn Strategist | Algorithm Research-Backed | Helping Entrepreneurs Turn Visibility Into Revenue Without Living on the Platform | 350K+ Trained | Keynote Speaker

Exciting times as a batch of data from 400,000 posts has just arrived. Preparing for the Algorithm Insights Report 2026 again.

This time Engagement will be a complete chapter

Why?

Because comments aren't a courtesy anymore. 
They're the conversion engine (human comments that is)

Here's what our data exposed:

The Algorithm's New Obsession
Comments now trigger 3 distribution mechanisms:
• Extended dwell time (people reading threads)
• Micro-thread spawning (sub-conversations)
• Interest graph training (who sees your future posts)

One well-crafted comment can outperform your last 5 posts combined.

When writing a comment, did you know that?

1. The structure of your comment actually matters?
2. There still is a Golden Window, but this is now influenced by type of posts, number of comments and the authors response (!)
3. Power Words vs. Spam Words to build your interest cluster
4. AI Comments "make them go away"
5. The number of comments you are giving (daily, weekly) that actually spark conversations

This means more commenting could actually hurt your visibility and performance, when not done right!


Stop counting comments. Start tracking:
• Reply ratio (>0.6 = strong)
• Unique voices (12-25 per key post)
• Save-to-comment ratio (≥0.4 = rediscovery potential)
• Thread longevity (multi-day = algorithm gold)

And this is just ONE section from our 50+ page update.

The new Algorithm Insights Report 2026 drops April 29th!
Including new stats, insights and tactics on reach, formats, performance boosters, Company Pages, successful content structures and strategies. It's not a report, it's your Playbook to win!

Check out the link on Top of My Profile on how to get life-time access.

No tricks. 
No bait. 
Just data.


Which comment type are you using least? 
Time to change that.

PS: Bought the Content & Algorithm Playbook 2025 already? Don't worry, you will receive the 2026 edition for free

Your LinkedIn headline has two judges. One is human. One isn't.

Most people write their headline for humans.
Problem is, humans never see it — because the algorithm rejected you first.

I've worked with over 5,000 entrepreneurs on their LinkedIn profiles (*)
86% saw a massive increase in profile visits and conversions after one change: optimizing their headline for both audiences.

Here's what most don't realize:

𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟭: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺 (𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟯𝟲𝟬𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘄)
It scans for keywords, clarity, and relevance signals.
It decides if you get suggested in search, "People Also Viewed," and interest-based feeds.
No keywords = invisible. Doesn't matter how clever your headline is.

𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮: 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀
They scan for "Is this person for me?" and memorability.
They want to know what you do, who you help, and why they should care.
Keyword-stuffing satisfies bots but sounds robotic to them.

The tension?
Pure creativity gets buried by the algorithm.
Pure keywords get ignored by humans.

You need both.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀:
[Role] + [Who you help] + [Outcome/Impact]

Example: "CMO driving B2B revenue growth through predictable marketing campaigns"

The algorithm gets the keywords (CMO, B2B, revenue growth, marketing).
Humans get the clarity (I know exactly what this person does and for whom).

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱:
→ "Someone good at marketing" — too vague, zero positioning
→ "A leader with a track record of..." — proven to who? Where? How?
→ "24k followers, 8M views" — nice numbers, still unclear
→ "GSTRT | ITIL | WTF" — your headline is not a scrabble board

Your headline is the first filter.
Fail the algorithm, humans never find you.
Fail humans, they scroll right past.

Satisfy both, and you become discoverable AND memorable.

Which audience have you been writing for?

(*) launching my VIP Program "The Authority Accelerator" in March. Only 4 out of 10 seats left. It's a 4 month program, after that you'll have a working system to grow your business without living on the platform. More info? Drop me a DM!

LinkedIn didn’t change your reach by accident. It changed how it understands you. The platform no longer evaluates content..... only

It evaluates patterns.

Your profile, content, comments, and behavior are now read as one coherent signal. 

And that explains why old tactics stopped working, why random posting hurts more than silence, and why some people quietly gain trust, reach, and inbound while others stall.

In this newsletter, I break down what 360Brew actually changes behind the scenes, what the AI is really learning about you, and how this affects visibility, credibility, and business opportunities.

I also explain why I rebuilt how people can work with me, and I’m sharing a free AI event for those who want to understand how modern GTM architecture really works before copying the next tool.

If LinkedIn matters for your business in 2026, this is 5 minutes well spent.
👉 Read the newsletter below

LinkedIn changed how it decides who gets seen, and most entrepreneurs are still playing by the old rules. In this edition, I break down what 360Brew r

Open article: The Truth Behind LinkedIn's 360Brew by Richard van der Blom • 8 min read

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Peter Drucker
AI is not failing because the models are weak. 

AI is failing because your GTM architecture was never built for it.

That is why 95 percent of AI deployments collapse after the pilot phase. 
Not because of ambition. 
Because of structure.

On January 28, the 𝗔𝗜 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 go deep on one thing most teams avoid. 

AI Native GTM Architecture. 
Not tools. 
Not prompts. 
Not hacks. 

Just real operating systems.

This 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 virtual session is about applied reality. 
Where AI fits. 
Where it breaks. 
Where it silently erodes value.

What you will see in practice. 
• Why tool first AI strategies fail at scale
• Where GTM systems fracture when agents are added
• Which operating models actually hold under growth
• How governance decides success long before performance does

Again, this is not theory. 
This is architecture under pressure.

Built with operators from Hook, Gainsight and Momentum.io 

Featuring practitioners who live inside real GTM systems, like:
Brady Bluhm, Moiz Virani, Jonathan M K., Amos Bar-Joseph, Joe Klin and Sam Champion.

If you are serious about AI in 2026, architecture is no longer optional. 
It is the product.

Register now for free:
Jan 28th
Virtual
8:30am PT / 5:30pm CET
https://lnkd.in/ezxes7_v

Most teams will keep stacking tools. 
A few will redesign the system.

My mission is to bring AI to successful sales teams in 2026

Helping B2B Sales & Marketing Teams Turn LinkedIn into a Lead Generation & Business Growth Engine | Social Selling Expert | International Keynote Speaker| 4x Investor

taplio

The Battle

Martijn Holtes

Richard van der Blom

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreMartijn Holtes's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreRichard van der Blom's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Martijn Holtes

Richard van der Blom

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Martijn Holtes's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreRichard van der Blom's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMartijn Holtes's LinkedIn Performance