LinkedIn Content Strategy for Executive Thought Leadership Agencies | Netwarm
LinkedIn playbook · Case study
LinkedIn content strategy for executive thought leadership agencies: how a Denver agency founder reached 213 founders, CEOs and executives in 6 weeks
We read the reactions on 22 posts from a Denver-based executive thought leadership agency founder. 836 people, 213 founders, CEOs and executives. Here is what brings buyers, what brings peers, and the 5 posts we’d publish next.
Max Sawyer · Netwarm··12 min read
The creator in this case studyA Denver-based executive thought leadership agency founder
Followers19,322
Posts
These numbers are from 30 October. Your audience has already moved.
New founders, CEOs and executives turn Hot every week and others go quiet. Run your free scan to see today’s version, with the names.
SellsDone-for-you executive thought leadership: LinkedIn content, interviews and media strategy for CEOs and senior leaders
PeriodSep 21 – Oct 30
Ideal client: CEOs, founders and senior executives of growing and public companies in healthcare, technology, professional services and manufacturing who want their expertise to bring credibility and business.The challenge: The agency founder writes that some of the most valuable LinkedIn engagement is invisible: buyers read, then mention a post in a meeting without ever liking it. Most posts get 140 to 360 reactions. Which of them reach the CEOs who sign, and which only reach other marketers?
Key takeaways
1 in 4 readers is a buyer.213 founders, CEOs and executives reacted in 6 weeks: 25.5% of the 836 people who reacted. About as many (26.9%) are ghostwriters, content marketers, coaches and freelancers.
The gap is between posts, not topics.Every topic sits between 21.9% and 28.5% buyers. But the long investment portfolio post reached 29%, and its three-line version a week later 16%.
35 of them are Hot right now.They reacted to 5 posts or more. One of them reacted to 11 of the 22.
01
Who actually reads you, and what the LinkedIn algorithm changed
The agency founder posted 22 times between 21 September and 30 October: data from the agency’s executive LinkedIn research, AI and search visibility, essays on why leaders should be heard, company milestones like the Inc. 5000, and Navy and family stories.
The LinkedIn algorithm shows a post to the people who reacted to the last ones, then to people like them. Write about LinkedIn, and the feed fills with people who also sell LinkedIn: ghostwriters, content strategists, growth marketers. They react often. Reach can’t tell them apart from a CEO. Who reacted can. We sorted every person who reacted by role.
22posts in 6 weeks
836people reacted
213founders, CEOs and executives
72came back 3+ times
Audience by roleThe 836 people who reacted, by roleFree
Ghostwriters, content & social media marketers, coaches, freelancers & students225 · 26.9%
Everyone else398 · 47.6%
About a quarter of the people who react sell content, LinkedIn growth or coaching themselves, or are students and developers. They push reach, and they rarely hire an agency to write for their CEO.
The 213 buyers are founders, CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, presidents and VPs. About 40% work in technology, AI and software, followed by marketing and media leaders and finance.
SeniorityAll people who reactedFree
Founder, owner, C-level33.9%
Director, VP4.8%
Manager8.3%
Independent7.4%
Other45.7%
IndustriesFounders, CEOs and executives onlyNetwarm
Technology, AI & software40.4%
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Core audience72 founders, CEOs and executives engaged 3+ times · 35 engaged 5+ timesNetwarm
72 founders, CEOs and executives keep coming back. One of them reacted to 11 of the 22 posts.See your regulars
Engager company sizeEveryone who reacted, by company sizeNetwarm
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See which company sizes your founders, CEOs and executives work at.See company sizes
02
What to post on LinkedIn to reach founders, CEOs and executives
Most agencies judge a post by its reactions. An agency that sells to CEOs should judge it by who reacted.
We tagged each of the 22 posts by topic, then measured the share of founders, CEOs and executives among the people who reacted.
Your topicsWhat your 22 posts were aboutFree
22posts
Thought leadership essays6
LinkedIn data and how-tos5
Company milestones and events5
AI and visibility4
Navy and family stories2
Topics that attract founders, CEOs and executivesShare of each topic’s reactions from founders, CEOs and executivesNetwarm
Navy and family stories28.5%
Thought leadership essays23.8%
LinkedIn data and how-tos23.5%
AI and visibility23.4%
Company milestones and events21.9%
One post brought twice as many buyers as another on the same idea. See which.See which topics
Topics are close: 21.9% to 28.5% founders, CEOs and executives. Navy and family stories lead, on only 2 posts; event and milestone posts are the lowest. The real gap is between single posts: 32% for the best, 16% for the lowest.
Posts that brought the most founders, CEOs and executivesShare of founders, CEOs and executives in each post’s reactions1 of 5 open
#1My mom saved my Naval Academy noisemakers for over 20 years32%
#2Something I tell executives all the time: think of thought leadership as an investment portfolio29.3%
#3The best-performing LinkedIn posts start by making a point27%
#4“Anyone could have written them, and a general LLM did.”27%
#5I’ve had the same chair in my office for fifteen years26%
For comparison, the Inc. 5000 Dallas post had 238 reactions and reached 24%. The EO Alchemy invitation reached 19%, and the three-line investment portfolio post 16%, the lowest share.
6 rules for LinkedIn engagement from founders, CEOs and executives
These rules come from what worked on the agency founder’s own profile, and from the best-performing posts by executive ghostwriters and LinkedIn strategists over the last 3 months.
1
Make your point in the first line, in under 15 words. The agency’s own research found it: every one of the 15 best executive posts opened with a short statement that created tension. The same holds on this profile.On this profile: the post that opens “The best-performing LinkedIn posts start by making a point” brought 27% founders, CEOs and executives.
Tell the story behind the point. A Navy game, a handmade chair, a dinner with YETI’s founders. A personal scene gives a CEO a reason to read the argument that follows.On this profile: the Naval Academy noisemakers post brought 32% founders, CEOs and executives, the highest share. Navy and family stories average 28.5%, against 21.9% for event posts.
Write the long version, not the summary. Executives react to reasoning they can reuse. The full argument gives them that; the three-line version only gives them the conclusion.On this profile: the full investment portfolio post brought 29% buyers. The three-line version a week later brought 16%, the lowest of the period.
Show one client result, with the numbers. A before and after from a real client is the post a CEO forwards to a colleague. Tell it as a story, with the numbers that matter to the buyer.On this profile: the MarketingSherpa client post (5,537 to 17,948 average impressions) brought 27% founders, CEOs and executives.
Name the reader in the first words. “VPs of Comms:” or “Something I tell executives all the time” tells the right person this post is for them, and tells everyone else to scroll.On this profile: “Something I tell executives all the time” opened the post with 29% buyers, the second highest share.
Back the claim with a number you own. Agency research is a strong asset: 6,035 posts, 33.2 million impressions, 46 executives. One number per post, tied to a decision the reader makes.On this profile: LinkedIn data posts brought 23.5% buyers, and the best of them 27%. Across the niche: the Google CEO post, built on one number, got 1,061 likes and 184 comments.
When founders, CEOs and executives read: the best time to post on LinkedIn for executive thought leadership agencies
We compared the share of founders, CEOs and executives by the day each post was published (Denver time). Every post went out at 8 a.m., so the hour can’t be compared. There were no Tuesday or weekend posts.
Share of founders, CEOs and executives by posting dayAmong the people who reacted to each postFree
24.0%
Mon
23.6%
Wed
23.1%
Thu
23.8%
Fri
The days are close: Monday brought the highest share (24.0%), then Friday (23.8%), Wednesday (23.6%) and Thursday (23.1%). The day matters less than the post.
Keep the 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday rhythm, and put the stories and long essays on Monday and Friday. Event invitations and milestones bring the fewest buyers: keep them short and occasional.
05
5 posts ready to publish to target founders, CEOs and executives
Each post follows the rules above, in the agency founder’s voice. Swap in your own details before posting: the real story is what makes it land.
1Ready to postPersonal story
Silent runningRule 2: tell the story behind the point. Modelled on the Naval Academy noisemakers post, the one that brought the most buyers (32%).
Hook
On a nuclear submarine, the quietest boat wins.We trained for it every day. No unnecessary noise. No signal anyone could pick up. If nobody knew you were there, you were doing your job.It took me years to unlearn that.When I started Executive Presence, I heard the same instinct from almost every CEO I met. Too self-promotional. Too risky. Better to stay quiet.I understood it. I had lived it.But a company is not a submarine. When a leader stays silent, nobody admires the discipline. They just don't know the leader is there. The board member, the future hire and the buyer asking a friend for a recommendation all come up empty.Silence protects a boat. It doesn't build trust.The leaders I see win online didn't become loud. They became findable. One clear point of view, shared every week, for long enough that people start to recognize it.That's the shift I wish someone had explained to me when I came ashore.
Visual · PhotoA real photo from your Navy years, or the Naval Academy noisemakers, no caption needed.Check before postingUse your real submarine detail: the training routine and the phrase you remember. Keep it to your own experience; avoid anything classified.
Stop ending your posts with a questionRules 1 and 6: a claim under 15 words, then your own data. Modelled on the best-performing posts analysis (27% buyers).
Hook
Stop ending your LinkedIn posts with a question.We analyzed 6,035 executive posts that generated 33.2 million impressions. Posts that ended with a question received 4% fewer impressions.And no additional comments.I understand why leaders do it. Someone told them the algorithm rewards conversation, and a question feels like an invitation.But a senior reader doesn't need a prompt to respond. They respond when a post says something they agree with strongly, or disagree with strongly.The question at the end is often a sign the post didn't commit to a point.Here is what I suggest instead:1. Put your stance in the first line, in under 15 words.
2. Back it with one story or one number you own.
3. End on the sentence you would want a reader to repeat to a colleague.If the post is clear, the comments will come. If it isn't, a question won't save it.
Visual · Single imageA simple card: "Ending with a question: 4% fewer impressions, 0 extra comments", with the sample size underneath.Check before postingConfirm the 4% figure and the sample against the latest version of your report before posting.
Who read it, not how manyRules 4 and 5: one client, one result, aimed at the executive who measures reach. Modelled on the MarketingSherpa client post (27% buyers) and the invisible engagement post.
Hook
The best post one of our clients published this year had fewer likes than usual.She almost called it a flop.Then we looked at who viewed it. Her number one target job title was the top title among viewers. A few days later, a prospect she had been chasing for months mentioned the post at the start of a call.The like count never showed any of that.Most executives judge a post the way they judge an ad: how many people saw it. But a thought leadership post isn't trying to reach everyone. It's trying to reach the 50 people who could change your year.So we now look at three things before we call a post a success:1. Who viewed it, by job title.
2. Who mentioned it away from LinkedIn: in a meeting, an email, a text.
3. Whether the right people came back for the next one.Likes are the easiest number to see. They are rarely the most important one.
Visual · Text onlyNo visual, or a screenshot of the viewer job title breakdown with names hidden.Check before postingUse a real client example with their permission, and keep their name out unless they agree. Adjust the details (she, the call) to what actually happened.
Rebalance your thought leadership portfolioRule 3: write the long version. The full portfolio post brought 29% buyers; the three-line version a week later brought 16%.
Hook
It's the end of the quarter. Time to rebalance your thought leadership portfolio.I tell executives to treat thought leadership like an investment portfolio. Put your resources where they can produce a real return, give them time to perform, then rebalance.Here are the questions I ask with clients every quarter:1. Which channel brought a conversation we wouldn't have had otherwise? Not impressions. A meeting, an introduction, a reply from someone who matters.2. Which channel got enough investment to judge? One podcast appearance and three posts are not a test. Diversification only works when each position is big enough to produce a return.3. What changed on the platform? Algorithms update. Audiences move. AI search now reads long-form writing and small podcasts in ways it didn't a year ago.4. What would we stop if we had to free up five hours a month?Most leaders add channels every quarter and never remove one. That's how a portfolio ends up spread so thin that nothing in it compounds.Pick fewer positions. Hold them long enough to learn something. Then decide.
Visual · Single imageA simple portfolio chart: channels as slices, with "hold", "add" and "cut" labels.Check before postingSwap in the questions you really use with clients, and add one real example of a channel a client cut.
15 opening lines that reached the most peopleLead magnet built from the 2026 Executive LinkedIn Report. Modelled on the executive swipe file format (429 comments) and the report post.
Hook
Every one of the 15 best executive posts we studied opened with fewer than 15 words.Our team analyzed 6,035 posts from executives, together worth 33.2 million impressions. When we pulled the top 15, the pattern was hard to miss.No warm-up. No context. Each one opened with a statement that created tension before it explained anything.One opened with five blunt words about a policy the executive regretted. It reached 669,411 impressions.Another opened with a short sentence about firing the company's most important employee. It reached 470,895.None of them were trying to be controversial. They were making arguments they believed, and they let the first line carry the weight.I put all 15 opening lines on one page, with what each one did in the first sentence and why it worked.If you'd like it, comment HOOKS and I'll send it to you.
Visual · Document previewA one-page preview of the 15 opening lines, blurred below the first three.Check before postingAnonymise the executives if the posts belong to clients, and have the one-page sheet ready before posting. Share it through a Reveal link to see which executives download it.
Our pick for you: “The 15 opening lines”Built from the 2026 Executive LinkedIn Report the agency founder’s team already published: the 15 best opening lines on one page, with what each one did in the first sentence. Offer it at the end of post 5 with a Reveal link, to see which CEOs and executives download it.With a Reveal link, every person who downloads it is shown by name, with their role and how warm they are. Your first Reveal link is free.Create your free Reveal link
07
From reactions to clients
Content brings CEOs and founders to the profile. It doesn’t say when to reach out. As the agency founder wrote, most never like or comment, so they stay invisible, and a CEO who read every post this quarter may sign with another agency next quarter.
On LinkedIn, the right moment to start a conversation is when someone keeps coming back. We call that Hot: 5 or more points over 90 days, where a reaction counts 1, a repost 2, a download or a reply 4.
Hot right now35 founders, CEOs and executives · not contacted yetNetwarm
35 founders, CEOs and executives are Hot. See who to message first.See who’s Hot
First messageAn opener for each Hot person, based on the posts they readNetwarm
Hi David, you’ve followed the posts on executive LinkedIn data closely this month. Are you thinking about posting more yourself next year?Hi Sarah, I saw you reacted to the investment portfolio post. How are you deciding where your team’s thought leadership goes in 2027?
A first line for each of them, ready to send.See the openers
Netwarm sends nothing for you. It tells you who and when, and you write the message. It also works inside Claude and ChatGPT: ask “Who’s Hot today?” and get the list.
08
FAQ
For this agency founder, topics were close (21.9% to 28.5% buyers), but single posts were not: a Naval Academy story reached 32% founders, CEOs and executives, and a three-line summary 16%. Open with a point, tell the story behind it, show client results with numbers.
For this agency founder, Monday brought the highest share of founders, CEOs and executives (24.0%), then Friday (23.8%) and Wednesday (23.6%). The gap between days is small. Every post went out at 8 a.m. Denver time.
This agency founder posts about 4 times a week, and 72 founders, CEOs and executives came back 3 times or more in 6 weeks. Consistency builds the regulars; the long, story-led posts bring the most buyers.
Look at who reacts, not how many. The three-line portfolio post had 236 reactions and 16% buyers; the full version had 227 and 29%. Group reactions by role, measure the share per post, and follow the people who keep coming back. A free Netwarm scan does this for you.
Yes. Netwarm only reads public reactions to your own posts. It never logs in as you, never asks for your password, and never messages anyone for you.
How we made this playbook
We read the public reactions on 22 posts published between 21 September and 30 October 2026, up to the first 100 people per post, and sorted the 836 people by role. Reposts, deleted posts and posts written by other people were left out. Comments were not counted, so engagement figures are a floor.
Niche rules come from top posts by executive ghostwriters and LinkedIn strategists over the last 3 months. Role groups are approximate; a Netwarm scan matches people to your own ideal client.
