Richard van der Blom

Tired of LinkedIn™️ not delivering the leads you need? Struggling to stand out in all the noise? Too much advice, not enough results? Running out of time to land new clients? Wondering how to turn connections into paying customers? I’ve got exactly what you need!  ☎️ 𝘁𝗲𝗹. +𝟯𝟭 𝟲 𝟱𝟱𝟭𝟭 𝟳𝟮𝟴𝟮

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗔𝗺 𝗜?
I'm Richard van der Blom, born in the Netherlands 🇳🇱, currently living the Spanish 🇪🇸 life. My world revolves around my partner Evelina 🇦🇷, our delightful doodle Siena 🇩🇪, and an undying love for international cuisine 🍲 , travel, Pearl Jam 🎶 , and yes, a Gin-Tonic 🍸 . Once a technical wizard on the football ⚽️  field, now I get my kicks from steering businesses towards success on LinkedIn™️.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗗𝗼
We specialize in leveraging comprehensive, evidence-based strategies to enhance LinkedIn™️ engagement and effectiveness for B2B clients. Our partnerships with a diverse clientele of over 900 companies and the mentorship of more than 300,000 professionals have enabled us to develop a robust repository of best practices and actionable insights. Our commitment to ongoing research in social selling, content optimization, and staying ahead of LinkedIn’s algorithmic updates ensures that our consultancy and training services are at the forefront of the industry, delivering customized solutions that drive tangible business outcomes.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁?

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗨𝗕
An independent 100% dedicated LinkedIn™️ training and consultancy agency. Founded in 2009, we empower our clients with insights-based LinkedIn™️ training for sales, marketing and recruitment professionals as executives and consultants. In 7 native languages, online and on-site.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗘
Join my vibrant online community of 150+ members. We're all about leveraging social selling to amplify your online presence through continuous training, community events, and masterclasses. Learn from industry leaders and become part of a groundbreaking training community.

𝗞𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 
I bring the stage to life – either live or virtually – with insights that 99.9% of LinkedIn™️ experts can't match. Rated as the Best Keynote Speaker in over 80% of my engagements, I'm here to deliver strategies that truly make a difference and inspire business growth

𝗦𝗼...
Dive into the transformative world of insights-based LinkedIn™️ strategies and training – to see more results, with a more efficient and less time-consuming approach

📞 +31 6 5511 7282
✉ Or share your ambition with me via richardvanderblom@justconnecting.nl

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.

5 ways LinkedIn silently kills your post. 
No warning. No explanation. Just... gone.

Analyzed 600,000+ posts, found algorithm behaviors that LinkedIn will never publicly acknowledge. Some are brutal. Some are bizarre. All are real.

1.     The 60-Minute Cliff

Your post gets 50+ engagements in the first hour. Comments flowing. Likes stacking. You're thinking "this one's going viral."

Then... nothing. Complete flatline at minute 61.

We've tracked posts where 50%+ of ALL lifetime engagement came from that first hour — then the algorithm just... stopped distributing. No second wave. No extended reach. Dead.

Why? Our theory: LinkedIn's "quality gate" triggers at the 60-minute mark. If engagement velocity doesn't hit a specific threshold relative to your follower count, the algorithm assumes the content peaked. Distribution stops.


2.     The “See More” Shadow Ban

This one's eerie. Post something critical about LinkedIn, gender issues, religion, or politics. Get decent engagement. Someone clicks "see more" to expand your post and...

It vanishes. Not scrolls down. VANISHES. Gone from their feed entirely.

We've replicated this dozens of times. The post still exists on your profile. But it's been quietly removed from active distribution. No notification. No policy violation. Just algorithmic erasure.

3.     The Ambassador Penalty

This one breaks my heart. You have 15-20 loyal supporters. Real people. Genuine fans of your content. They comment on everything you post — manually, thoughtfully, because they actually care.

And LinkedIn punishes you for it.

When the same accounts engage with your content repeatedly, the algorithm flags it as "artificial engagement patterns." Your reach gets throttled. Sometimes immediately. Your biggest fans are accidentally killing your distribution.

4.     The Ghost Follower Drain

You have 10,000 followers. But only 2,000 are "active" (logged in within 30 days).
LinkedIn doesn't care about your total count. It calculates engagement rate against your 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 follower base — including the ghosts.

So your 200 likes on a post? 
LinkedIn sees that as 2% engagement on 10K followers. Mediocre. Distribution slows.

Meanwhile, someone with 2,000 active followers gets 200 likes and LinkedIn sees 10% engagement. Exceptional. 


5.     The Hashtag Trap

Using hashtags should expand your reach, right? Not anymore.
Posts with 3+ hashtags now consistently underperform posts with 0-2 hashtags. But here's the strange part: it's not gradual. At exactly 3 hashtags, we see a 15-20% reach drop. At 5+, it's 35%+.

LinkedIn's spam detection now treats hashtag stacking as a manipulation signal. The very feature designed to help discovery is now triggering suppression.

The algorithm isn't evil. It's just optimizing for metrics we can't see. Understanding these hidden rules won't guarantee virality. But ignoring them guarantees suppression.

Which of these surprises you the most? Drop a number (1-5) in the comments

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

Everyone is guessing how the LinkedIn algorithm works. But very few have data. 10 myths people still follow that are destroying their reach without them even noticing.
 
I wrote it in yesterday's newsletter (missed it? Sign up), LinkedIn isn’t punishing you. It's your strategy that needs an upgrade.
 
Here are 10 myths I still see people swear by — myths that silently cap your growth, bury your best posts, and keep you wondering why “the algorithm hates you.”
 
MYTH 1: “Post multiple times a day”  

MYTH 2: “Use hashtags to improve your reach”  

MYTH 3: “External links kill your reach”  

MYTH 4: “The first hour decides everything”  

MYTH 5: “Video always wins”  

MYTH 6: “Pods boost visibility”  

MYTH 7: “Tag more people = more reach”  

MYTH 8: “Don’t like or repost your own post”  

MYTH 9: “Personal posts hurt credibility”  

MYTH 10: “AI-written content performs just as well as human”
 
If you’re nodding along.
You’re already losing reach before you hit “post.”
 
I’ll show you why each of these myths collapses under real data — and what the algorithm actually rewards in 2025.
 
👉 Swipe the Carousel to see the breakdown. 
... but be prepared to unlearn 90% of the “LinkedIn tips” you’ve picked up over the past years.
 
PS: The Algorithm Insights 2025 will get another big Update in January.  If you want lifetime access, now’s the time.

RvdB 10 LinkedIn Algorithm Myths Everyone Believes

20 things NOT to do if you want more reach on LinkedIn:

1. Change your gender because you think the algorithm discriminates
2. Join 47 engagement pods and comment "Great post!" on everything
3. Let Chat GPT write all your posts, to sound like everyone else
4. Post at 3am because "less competition means more visibility"
5. Use 30 hashtags like it's Instagram 2018
6. Send connection requests saying "I see we have mutual connections"
7. Comment with just emojis 👍🔥💯 (the algorithm sees right through you)
8. Buy 10,000 fake followers from that guy in your DMs
9. Copy-paste viral posts and change three words
10. Buy 200 templates of viral hooks
11. End every post with "Agree? Thoughts?"
12. Create fake conversations in the comments with your second account
13. Post 17 times a day because "consistency is key"
14. Tag 50 people who've never heard of you
15. Share motivational quotes with sunset backgrounds
16. Lend out your inactive account to Growth Hackers for $ 30 a week (!)
17. Start your DM to Richard with “Hey Robert”
18. Automate everything including your "authentic" comments
19. Complain about the algorithm in every single post
20. Sacrifice your firstborn to the LinkedIn gods (I tried, didn't work)

Look, I've analyzed millions of posts, hundreds of tactics.
The algorithm isn't discriminating against your gender, your timezone, or your zodiac sign.

It's discriminating against boring, automated, inauthentic content.

Want more reach? 
Stop gaming the system. 
Start being genuinely useful.

The algorithm changes. 
Human psychology doesn't.

Write something worth reading, and people will read it.
Revolutionary concept, I know.

PS: Which number made you chuckle?

LinkedIn has officially entered chaos mode.
Everyone’s blaming gender, privilege, and secret bias for their collapsing reach.
So I did what I always do: I went deep into the data… and the truth is far more uncomfortable than the outrage.

Women changing their gender to “be treated equally to men”? People feeling discriminated, discriminating on people who have different opinions?

This week’s newsletter breaks it all down — the facts, the myths, the bias, the behaviour, and what’s actually happening inside the feed.

Give me 3 minutes. 
You’ll never look at your LinkedIn reach the same way again.

Oh, you also get a free AI Summit to join and learn about my experiences on LinkedIn being a woman.

LinkedIn just pulled the biggest bait-and-switch in platform history. And 99% of you haven't even noticed yet.

LinkedIn's AI search update is brilliant.
But there's something they're not highlighting in the press releases.
While we're celebrating natural language search — "find a CSO in a Dutch SaaS company" without Boolean — there's a quieter change rolling out:

Basic Job Title search becomes a paid feature!

I've been on this platform since 2005. I've seen every evolution. And this one has me concerned — not as a critic, but as someone who deeply believes in LinkedIn's mission.

What's actually changing?

Free accounts are losing:
• Job title filters in search
• Current company filters  
• Industry-specific searches
• Years of experience parameters

The AI search is impressive. Genuinely. 
But removing basic filters from free accounts? 
That's a fundamental shift in how LinkedIn operates.

I understand the reality in business.
LinkedIn needs to monetize. I get it. 
With 1 billion users and only ~2% on premium, the math demands evolution.

But here's my concern:
We're moving from "freemium with premium advantages" to "pay-to-access-basics."
The same for "Boost" your organic content to compensate the 65% drop in organic reach!
Seriously?

The bigger picture:

LinkedIn has always balanced two promises:
1. Democratizing professional opportunity
2. Building a sustainable business model

This change tips that balance.

When job seekers can't search by job title...
When entrepreneurs can't find their target audience...
When professionals can't connect with peers...

We're not democratizing anymore. 
We're gatekeeping. Right?

What this means for you:

If you're using LinkedIn for business development, recruiting, or job searching, you'll soon face a choice:
- Pay for Sales Navigator/Recruiter ($80-150/month)
- Or lose access to targeted searching entirely

For enterprises? 
Just a minor budget line.
For individuals? 
That's $1,800 annually to network effectively.

My thoughts?

LinkedIn has every right to evolve their business model. 
They've provided incredible value for two decades, much of it free.

But I worry about the precedent.

Today it's job title search.
Tomorrow it might be advanced messaging.
Next year? Who knows.

The platform that connected 1 billion professionals shouldn't disconnect them behind a paywall.

A Respectful Challenge to LinkedIn:

Consider a middle ground:
- Keep basic job title search free
- Limit the number of searches, not the functionality
- Create affordable tiers for individuals
- Preserve the core promise of professional networking

We want LinkedIn to thrive. 
We need LinkedIn to thrive.
But not at the expense of the very accessibility that made it essential.

What's your take? 
Is this evolution or erosion of LinkedIn's core value?

Sincerely yours,
- an early adopter and ambassador of the platform

Remember your high school crush? The one everyone was chasing. You too. She smiled sometimes. Gave you hope. But never called back. That’s me and LinkedIn.

Signed up in 2005 
An early lover. 
An ambassador before they even knew they needed one.

Started my training business in 2010 
Brought more people to the platform than a beer keg at a college party.

Started paying in 2014 
Told every sales team to do the same. 
Advocated the tool like it was oxygen.

Organized 2 LinkedIn events before LinkedIn started their own 
Generated 600K annual business for them. For 3 consecutive years.
What did I get? 
Not even a sticker.

Got banned in 2019 
Why? 
I used an emoji. 
In front of my name. 
To protect myself from spam. 
Explained it. 
Begged them to chase the bots. 
They ghosted me. 
Got my profile back—wobbly like a drunk uncle for 2 months.

Started researching the algorithm in 2020 
Spent over 1,000 hours. 
Posted insights. 
Clients sent me thank-you letters. 
Literally made them more revenue—organic and paid.

Got an email from LinkedIn’s lawyers 
Telling me to delete it all. 
Couldn’t use their name on my website. 
Meanwhile, LinkedIn appointed Top Voices SELL services with “LinkedIn” right in the name. 
Equality? That's cute.

Flew to Dublin. 
Met them. 
They paid for a terrific lunch. 
Talked synergy. 
Still no LinkedIn socks. 
Bought my own cup. On Temu. For €2,99.

Got featured on their blog twice I blushed. Thought “this is it.” I'm in!
Then—excluded from the Sales Insider program. Again. 
Despite multiple nominations. Not even a sniff.

Got banned again start of 2025. On my birthday
Trolls celebrated. “You see? He used Pods.” 
Never did. Don’t even grow fast. 
Turtle pace. 
Got an apology from LinkedIn. 
Their words: “You were banned by mistake.” 
Still have the email for proof.

Got invited to the LinkedIn Marketing Program
Not a marketer. But hey, I'll take this dance with both arms. 
Made my own cushions in the meantime. For my Couch Talks with Richard. 
They promoted a video I made for Cannes. That was fun. 
Still no hoodie.

I could go on. But you get the point.

I love LinkedIn. 
I’ve been loyal. 
I’ve brought people. 
Money. Ideas.

But she flirts. And never truly commits.
Still… I wait. 
Still… I hope.

Maybe one day, she’ll pick me too. 
And send that damn cup.

From 2005 to 2025: The 7 LinkedIn Eras (and why only Veterans like us remember the Golden Age)

I joined LinkedIn in 2005. 
Back when your profile photo was optional and connection requests came with actual messages.

20 years of LinkedIn evolution — and most people don't realize we've lived through 7 distinct eras. Each killed what came before.

Era 1: The Digital Resume (2005-2008)
LinkedIn was Monster[dot]com with a social twist. Upload CV. Wait. Hope.

Era 2: The Recruiter's Playground (2009-2012)  
InMail spam began. "Perfect fit for a role" meant you had a pulse and keywords.

Era 3: The Content Awakening (2013-2015)
Pulse launched. Suddenly everyone was a "thought leader." 
Quality content actually got seen. No algorithms. Just chronological truth.

Era 4: The Golden Age (2016-2018)
This was it. Real conversations. Authentic networking. The algorithm rewarded value, not vanity. 
10K views meant 10K humans actually read your post.
Veterans? We still chase this high.

Era 5: The Influencer Invasion (2019-2021)
Growth hackers arrived. Engagement pods formed. "Agree?" posts everywhere.
The platform shifted from networking to broadcasting.

Era 6: The AI Contamination (2022-2024)
ChatGPT changed everything. 40% of posts? AI-generated. 
DMs became bot conversations. Trust eroded faster than reach.

Era 7: The Authenticity Reset (2025-?)
We're here now. The algorithm got smart — it detects AI patterns, rewards real voices, and punishes automation. Human connection is the new currency.

Don't let them fool you!
As most "LinkedIn experts" only know Era 5 and 6. 

They're teaching tactics from the Influencer era in an Authenticity economy.

Those of us from Era 4? 
We remember when a comment meant someone actually read your post. 
When your feed wasn't trying to sell you something every third post.
When connections turned into coffee meetings. 

That's why my approach hasn't changed since 2016:

Build real relationships. 
Share real value. 
Have real conversations.

Because algorithms change. 
Platforms evolve. 

But authenticity? 
That's timeless.

Which era did you join? 
And be honest — do you miss the Golden Age too?

"Post daily and your reach will die." Not true!
Here is al you need to know on frequency and timing of your next post.

This week my comment on a post that stated that posting daily is bad for your visibility reached 24,000 comments and over 150 likes. 

The mistake everybody makes:
People compare average reach per post instead of total reach.

Post once a week at 5,000 reach = 5,000 total views
Post 5x a week at 3,500 reach = 17,500 total views

You're not "hurting your reach." 
You're 3.5x-ing your visibility.
You're getting seen 3x more by your ICP.

What our Algorithm Report says:

The sweet spot isn't a number. It's a pattern.

For Global Audiences:
• Post 3-5x weekly 
• Rotate your timing every 4 weeks
• Hit different time zones deliberately
• Why? LinkedIn's 360Brew clusters audiences by activity patterns

You're not diluting reach. 
You're accessing new audiences.

For Local (or Niche) Audiences:
• Find YOUR golden hour (when your ICP is most active)
• Post same time, consistently
• 2-3x weekly minimum for algorithm recognition
• Quality + consistency > quantity

The Data Nobody Talks About:

From our latest algorithm update (October 2024):
• Posts live up to 6 days with sustained engagement
• First 2 days counts for 69% of total reach (used to be 85%)
• Comment velocity after hour 4 extends life by 4x
  
You need to train the algorithm:

Post sporadically? Algorithm doesn't know who you serve.
Post consistently? Algorithm learns your audience DNA.

The Quality Paradox:
Yes, quality matters. But not how you think.

Bad post + good timing + audience match = 2,000 reach
Great post + wrong timing + no pattern = 500 reach

The algorithm rewards predictability over perfection.

The 360Brew Game-Changer:
LinkedIn's new clustering system rewards multi-timezone (re)posting.

Your 9am post enters Cluster A.
Your 2pm repost enters Cluster B.

Zero cannibalization. 
Double the opportunity.

But only if you understand the pattern.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻:

1. Stop comparing per-post averages
2. Track total monthly reach instead
3. Test your golden hours (use the data, not guesses)
4. Maintain quality baseline (no spam)
5. Post minimum 3x weekly for algorithm training

Want the complete breakdown? The Algorithm Insights Reports contains +320 pages of actual data — not opinions. Including optimal formats, structures, frequency and posting schedules, dwell time vs. consumption rate, and the 360Brew explanation.

Grab it now and secure your free 2026 edition: 
Link on top of my profile and in my Featured Section!

Because while everyone else debates frequency, you'll be dominating feed visibility.

What's your current posting frequency — and more importantly, share your total monthly reach?

Who doesn't love an audit for a viral post, right?
Well, here you go.

Don't get me wrong, I'm in the same boat as you.

Average reach of my posts:
February 2024: 32,000 
February 2025: 14,000 (that's minus 57%)
December 2025: 9,000 (yes, below 10,000 with 250k followers)

That's crazy as in Feb 2024 reach was around 18% of the number of my followers and now this dropped to below 4% (ouch).

Did I care?
Of course, a combination of a hurt ego, disbelief and frustration at first.

Then I realized again
I don't write to go viral, I write to educate and to land new clients for keynotes and training

So instead of tactics like
• comment "X to get Y" and enjoy manipulated reach
• copy-paste an awesome Insta-reel that +1,000 people already shared
• make up a story where I eat pizza on the street to buying my California mansion 

I stick to the plan.
Educate. Educate. Educate.

Fun fact
I'm still on my all time high in terms of engagement & conversion.

Enough with the smooth talk.
Check my 5 minute audit and checklist to predict your next viral post

PS: It might take you more than 5 

PSS: What's your average reach? Happy, Neutral or Frustrated?

RVDB_The 5-Minute LinkedIn Audit That Predicted My Next Vi

Truth! Most people don’t have a LinkedIn content strategy problem.
 They have a 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 problem.
 
They post randomly.  
They follow hacks.  
They expect results.
 
Meanwhile…  

From 2005 to 2022, I grew 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 to 20,000 followers.  

Then I changed one thing: my strategy.  

Now I’ve added over 𝟮𝟯𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 in less than 3 years.
 
This carousel?  
It’s not another “tips & tricks” thread.
 
It’s a look behind the curtain:  
• The 8 decisions that changed everything 
• The values I 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 stick to
• The myths I had to unlearn
• The systems I built to scale
• The one secret ingredient that made it all work
 
If you create content and 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 wonder why it’s not converting…  
If you’re stuck recycling ideas and copying others…  
If you’re ready to move from guessing to growing...
 
Then 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗹 — and pick 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 to implement this week.
 
You might be one decision away from a totally different trajectory.
 
What will you choose?
 
#LinkedInStrategy 
#ContentMarketing 
#SocialSelling 
#LeadGeneration

RVDB_Secrets of my content strategy

Everyone’s preaching “social selling” on LinkedIn. Here’s what most priests won’t tell you and no this post is not about AI for once.

The problem isn’t the tactic. 
It’s the way everyone’s using it — in isolation.

In 2025 alone, I worked with over 20 B2B sales teams. 
Across industries. 
Across continents. 

Different products, same issue: 
Conversion rates are dropping. Hard.

Why? 
Because sellers are running the same 4 plays on repeat: 
Cold outreach, referrals, content likes, trigger-based pounces. 

Because sellers think of Sales Navigator as the solution for their sales:
Sending InMails, Saving Leads and Accounts, expecting the magic to happen.

All disconnected. 
All predictable. 
All underperforming.

Here’s what the top 10% are doing differently 

They’re stacking signals. 
Not guessing intent — tracking it. 
Not pitching after 6 likes — engaging before outreach. 
Not sending messages when the CRM says so — timing it when the prospect is actually active.

That’s what I call the Signal Stack Method™.
It doesn’t rely on one magical tactic. 
It combines them — based on actual buyer behavior.

The results for our clients? 
4.2x more responses than any isolated tactic. (Yes, we measured it. Across thousands of touches.)

Curious how it works in practice?
Check out the full breakdown in my new carousel. 
No fluff. Just data-based tactics and the framework that’s winning in 2025.

📥 save for later
💬 comment to spark a conversation
♻️ repost for more visibility and to show some love

PS: I hit the 30,000 connection limit so I can't accept new connections without kicking somebody else out. Therefore I will not accept default ones, only personalised ones that make me smile.

RVDB_Sales Tactics on Linkedin

Sunday again. Holiday season. Just 4 more weeks till 2025 is over. 
So how you feelin' today?

Richard_Art

Let’s be honest — content creation isn’t hard.
It’s starting over and over again that’s exhausting.
 
You’ve already written that post.  
You already ran that webinar.  
You already answered that client question 6 times this month.
 
So why are you staring at a blank screen again?
 
The real challenge isn’t creativity.
 It’s your system.
 
No process to reuse what you’ve already said 
No prompts to keep your momentum going  
No structure to scale what works
 
So content becomes something you do when you have time — and that time never comes.
 
 
That’s why I created this carousel 
👉  “20 Ways to Stay Productive with LinkedIn Content”
 
Small changes  
Smart systems 
No hacks, just sustainable habits
 
These ideas come straight from what I coach leaders, marketers, and sellers on every week.
 
 
Curious — which one do you already use?  
Or are you still reinventing the wheel every Monday?
 
Let me know in the comments. 
And save this post for your next dry spell.

RvdB_20 Tips on how to stay productive with Content

What's worse than receiving spam from unknown random people?
Receiving automated pitches from people you do know.

When someone in your network sends you a bot-generated pitch, it doesn't just damage their reputation — it damages your entire network's ecosystem.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸:
LinkedIn's algorithm tracks relationship decay. When your connections mark your messages as spam, ignore them consistently, or remove a connection your network credibility score — yes, that's a real metric — drops hugely.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀:
• Your messages get deprioritized in their inbox (hello, "Other" folder)
• Your posts stop showing in their feed — algorithm assumes broken relationship
• Future connection requests from you get -30% acceptance rate (!)
• Your profile visits from 2nd-degree connections drop another 40% (!)

Me and my data again!
People who receive automated pitches from existing connections are 8x more likely to disconnect. And LinkedIn remembers. Your "connection quality score" affects everything — from who sees your content to InMail response rates.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲:
Unknown spam = Expected annoyance
Known contact spam = Betrayal of trust

One damages your inbox. 
The other damages relationships you spent years building.


Trust is breaking on LinkedIn—and not just because the algorithm got stricter.
Check out my recent appearance on Follow the Brand TV from Grant McGaugh, FHIMSS where we discussed LinkedIn for Leaders.

TV show: https://lnkd.in/eJ3sDBcj
Podcast: https://lnkd.in/eMYSVdvB

And let me know your thoughts!

PS: Grant and myself am teaming up in St. Croix (US Virgin Islands) March next year for an amazing event!

Solo entrepreneurship is fun. Until your website turns into a fake Spotify and starts handing out malware instead of masterclasses.
 
That’s when you realise something important:
 
You’re not a “solo” anything.  You’re only as good as the flexible team behind you.  (And in my case: the team that understands my brain farts before I do.)
 
For more than two years, Laura Burnett, Alex Williams and Tamara from IT Moon Ltd have been my IT brains, IT muscles  and—let’s be honest—my IT babysitters
 
They rebuilt my entire website.  They launched my community.  They made every checkout look like I'm a grown-up who knows what he's doing.  And they handle 50+ 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 that would otherwise destroy the last two brain cells I have left.
 
But the real story?
 
Two weeks ago my LinkedIn inbox exploded on a Thursday:  
“Your website doesn’t load.”  
“I can’t sign up.”  
“Hm… are you suddenly in the music piracy business?”
 
Turns out: hacked.  
Fake Spotify.  
Malware.  
And a hotline of international scammers calling me with the urgency of a Black Friday sale.  

“Sir, pay in bitcoins.” → 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬  
10 calls in 2 minutes.  

My hosting provider: “It’s busy. Maybe Monday.”  
I kid you not.
 
Then IT Moon stepped in. 
No drama. No panic.  
Just: “Richard, here’s the plan.”
 
Wipe the site.  
Transfer the domain.  
Get reliable hosting.  
Rebuild from scratch.  

Over. The. Weekend.
 
Tuesday: new site live.  
Not perfect, but at least not promoting Drake downloads laced with malware.
 
Everyone needs a Laura, Alex or Tamara.  
People who get you.  
People who tell you when your idea is stupid.  
People who jump in before you even finish your sentence.  
People who save your business while you’re Googling “what to do when hacked”.
 
I happily pay a monthly retainer for one reason:  
Peace of mind is cheaper than chaos.
 
Honour your collaborators.  
They make you look far more competent than you actually are.

So let's pay tribute! Who's your hero to the rescue?

Most B2B teams post on LinkedIn like they're broadcasting to Times Square. 

Problem is, they're actually talking to their high school reunion.

I've trained 200+ sales teams on LinkedIn (40+ in 2025 alone), and 90% make this fundamental mistake:

They post before they plug their ICP as audience.

Your organic network? Family, college friends, ex-colleagues from that startup that failed. They don't need your "enterprise CRM integration solution."

The math is brutal:
< 2,000 targeted connections = You're wasting your time posting
> 5,000 targeted connections = Now you have an audience

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀:

Send 25 connection requests daily to your exact ICP. No pitch. Just connect.
• 25/day = 9,125/year
• 50% accept rate = 4,500 new targeted contacts
• 10-person team = 45,000 industry contacts

Now when you post, it reaches buyers, not your brother-in-law.

But teams do it backwards. They sweat over "viral" content while connected to 500 random people. Then wonder why LinkedIn "doesn't work for B2B."

One of our clients connected their 12-person team to 50,000 marketing agency owners over 18 months. When they post now? They own that market.

LinkedIn isn't a billboard. 
It's a conference room.

Make sure the right people are in it before you start presenting.

𝗔𝘄𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗽:
The winning engagement vs. content path

Day 1: connect with 25 ICP daily
Day 3: check acceptance rate
Day 4: engage (like, comment even better, but don’t repost) on their posts
Day 5: Post 

Because of your engagement on day 4 you have single-handedly favoured the algorithm, in return LinkedIn will show your “day 5 post” to at least 90% of them.

New newsletter is live: New LinkedIn Signals, Smarter Reach, Better Tools
If your LinkedIn content feels solid but the results don’t match the effort, you’re not imagining it. 

The platform is shifting — quietly, structurally, and faster than most people realize.

In this edition I break down what actually matters right now:
 • why frequency isn’t killing your reach (bad math is)
 • how LinkedIn moved from “first-hour panic” to long-tail visibility
 • new platform signals you should adapt to now, not later
 • two tools that seriously changed how my team creates content and pitches
 • and what we’re already seeing for the 2026 algorithm direction

No hacks. 
No recycled advice. 
Just patterns from data, testing, and real use cases.

If LinkedIn is part of your growth, sales, or positioning strategy in 2025, this one is worth 5 minutes of your time.

👉 Read the full newsletter below
 (And yes — the Algorithm Report + 2026 updates are covered too.)

Your GTM strategy is only as strong as the tools behind it.  Yet most teams still try to scale with duct tape and dashboards from 2018. Watch my 2026 Stack below...
 
If you're serious about winning in 2026, you need a tech stack that does more than track — it needs to think, coach, predict, and close.
 
 1. Conversation Intelligence
• Substrata: Reads between the lines of sales conversations to surface hidden buyer intent and guide reps in real time
• Gong: Captures and analyzes every interaction so teams can spot winning talk tracks, risks, and next steps
• Chorus: Records and analyzes calls to highlight key moments that impact win rates and sales cycles

2. Sales Analytics
• Clari: Unifies pipeline data with AI-driven forecasts so revenue teams know precisely where to focus
• Substrata: Turns behavioral and conversational signals into analytics that reveal friction and deal risk early
• Jiminny: Transcribes calls, scores conversations, and delivers coaching insights straight from customer meetings.

3. Sales Intelligence
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Uses LinkedIn’s network and AI insights to help sellers find, understand, and engage the right buyers
• Salesloft: Orchestrates multichannel outreach with AI-guided next best actions to keep every prospect touch on track
• Apollo.io: Combines a massive B2B contact database with automated outreach to turn targeted lists into live opportunities

4. Sales Coaching
• Substrata: Acts like a real-time deal coach, decoding social cues to tell reps how their approach is landing
• Mindtickle: Delivers AI-driven onboarding, practice, and assessments so every rep can mirror top performers
• Second Nature: Uses AI role-plays and instant feedback to let reps practice pitches until they sound customer-ready

5. Revenue Intelligence
• People.ai: Converts emails, meetings, and contacts into revenue insights that show what winning reps actually do
• Substrata: Turns every email, meeting, and deal interaction into rich behavioral signals that reveal true pipeline health and hidden revenue risks
• Clari: Tracks every deal and activity to give leadership one predictive view of the entire revenue engine

6. eSignature
• PandaDoc: Streamlines quotes and contracts into fast, branded e-sign workflows that keep deals moving.
• Docusign: Provides secure, trusted e-signature so agreements get signed anywhere without slowing the sales cycle.
• GetAccept: Blends digital sales rooms with e-signature to turn every proposal into an interactive closing experience.

7. SalesRoom
• trumpet 🎺: Creates interactive, trackable buyer microsites so every deal has a single, personalized home base.
• DealHub.io : Combines CPQ, proposals, and digital sales rooms into one workspace that accelerates complex deals.

Which tool is your MVP — and which one’s just shelfware?  
👇 Drop your underrated GTM gem in the comments. 
Let’s build the ultimate stack together.

Fine. It's Black Friday.
But before I give stuff away, you need to know what you're missing in 2026.

LinkedIn in 2026 will be brutal:
• +60% of posts will be (partly) AI-generated (up from 35% today)
• Organic reach will drop another 25% for generic content
• Comments from verified humans will be worth 5x more`’
• Visual posts will need 3 seconds to hook or die instantly

Today only, I'm giving away:
🎁 5x Content Toolkit 2025 (worth €49 each)
🎁 3x Algorithm Insights Report 2025 (worth €150 each)
🎁 3x my Book "Connect, Qualify Close" signed as well

How to win?
👉 Comment your thoughts on LinkedIn in 2026 in at least 12 words (and yes, I’ll do the counting)

That's it. No connection needed. No repost required (but I won't complain if you do).
Winners drawn tomorrow. Announced in my weekend newsletter Sunday.
And if you don't want to gamble on winning, you can still grab these offers:

• TRIBE — €1,000 → €700
• Algorithm Report — €150 → €99
• Toolkit 2025 — €49 → €29

Grab it here: https://lnkd.in/dUpMeXcc
All end Sunday 23:59 CET.

The data doesn't lie:
Those who understand the algorithm now will dominate 2026.
Those who don't will wonder why their content disappeared.

Which side will you be on?

Happy Black Friday. 

Now comment and let's see who wins.

Never a dull moment (or week) on LinkedIn — and this week’s newsletter might be one to make you smile about your past or get your first 2026 gift.

Inside, I’m breaking down:
• The Black Friday giveaway winners (yes, you might be on the list).
• Your last chance to join the Agentic Singularity Summit — the only AI event that actually prepares you for 2026 instead of recycling old hype.
• A free tool that turns your CV or LinkedIn profile into a 2026-ready visual asset.
• And a first look at what we’re uncovering for the January Algorithm Update: audience dynamics, writing styles, engagement hubs, new “save” & repost behaviours… and a few surprises.

If you want to stay ahead while everyone else is guessing, this edition is worth the 4-minute read.

And tell me this:
What's your favourite Sunday activity? 
Mine just switched from playing football to playing padel

taplio

Richard van der Blom's Linkedin Analytics