LinkedIn Content Strategy for Social Media Consultants | Netwarm
LinkedIn playbook · Case study
LinkedIn content strategy for social media consultants: how a New York consultant and creator reached 199 marketing and social leaders
We read every reaction on 26 posts from a New York social media consultant, speaker and creator. 1,096 people, 199 marketing and social leaders. Here is what brings buyers, what brings peers, and the 5 posts we’d publish next.
Max Sawyer · Netwarm··13 min read
The creator in this case studyA New York social media consultant, speaker and creator
Followers18,135
Posts~5 a week
Sells
These numbers are from 2 November. Your audience has already moved.
New marketing and social leaders turn Hot every week and others go quiet. Run your free scan to see today’s version, with the names.
Social media consulting for brands, keynotes and event hosting, brand partnerships as a creator, a YouTube show (Office Tea Party) and a newsletter community
PeriodOct 1 – Nov 2
Ideal client: Marketing, social and brand leaders at consumer, tech and media brands who hire a consultant, book a speaker or sponsor a creator.The challenge: The consultant went freelance this year after leaving Duolingo, and posts across one-liners, a new YouTube show, events and strategy. The one-liners travel furthest (2,163 reactions on one), but the clients are the people who sign off on consulting and sponsorships. The question is which posts reach them.
Key takeaways
199 marketing and social leadersreacted to 26 posts in 5 weeks, about 1 in 5 people who reacted. 306 peers (creators, consultants, strategists and students) reacted too.
Event and brand partner posts bring 2x the shareof leaders that one-liners and memes bring: 25.6% against 11.9%. The one-liners win on reach, not on buyers.
25 keep coming back25 marketing and social leaders reacted to 3 posts or more, and 9 to 5 or more.
01
Who actually reads you, and what the LinkedIn algorithm changed
The consultant sells consulting, keynotes and partnerships to brands, and posts for a large social media crowd. The LinkedIn algorithm shows a post to whoever engages fast, and in this niche the fastest to engage are other social media people: they are the audience, rarely the client.
We read the reactions on each of the 26 posts (up to the first 100) and sorted the 1,096 people by role.
26posts read
1,096people who reacted
199marketing and social leaders
25came back 3+ times
Audience by roleThe 1,096 people who reacted, by roleFree
Marketing and social leaders (directors, heads, VPs, leads, founders, CMOs)199 · 18.2%
Peers: creators, consultants, strategists, freelancers and students306 · 27.9%
Other roles: managers, coordinators and people outside marketing591 · 53.9%
Peers outnumber leaders 3 to 2: 306 to 199. Creators and strategists react because the jokes are about their job. They share the posts and make them travel, but they rarely hire a consultant.
The leaders are there in every topic, but not in the same share: 1 in 4 on event and partner posts, 1 in 8 on one-liners.
SeniorityAll people who reactedFree
Founder, owner, C-level10.8%
Director, VP9.4%
Manager15.1%
Independent6.6%
Other58.2%
IndustriesMarketing and social leaders onlyNetwarm
Agencies and creative studios20.1%
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Core audience25 marketing and social leaders engaged 3+ times · 9 engaged 5+ timesNetwarm
25 marketing and social leaders keep coming back. One of them reacted to 11 of 26 posts.See your regulars
Engager company sizeEveryone who reacted, by company sizeNetwarm
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See which company sizes your marketing and social leaders work at.See company sizes
02
What to post on LinkedIn to reach marketing and social leaders
A creator with 18k followers could judge a post by its reach. A consultant who sells to brands should judge it by who reacted.
We tagged each of the 26 posts by topic, then measured the share of marketing and social leaders among the people who reacted.
Your topicsWhat your 26 posts were aboutFree
26posts
YouTube show and community8
Events and brand partners6
One-liners and memes6
Social media strategy3
Freelance life3
Topics that attract marketing and social leadersShare of each topic’s reactions from marketing and social leadersNetwarm
Events and brand partners25.6%
Freelance life24.8%
YouTube show and community21.3%
Social media strategy16.8%
One-liners and memes11.9%
One topic brings twice as many marketing and social leaders as another. See which.See which topics
Event and brand partner posts bring 2x the share of marketing and social leaders that one-liners and memes bring (25.6% against 11.9%). Per post, the YouTube show reaches the most of them (14.0 against 8.7 for one-liners).
Posts that brought the most marketing and social leadersShare of marketing and social leaders in each post’s reactions1 of 5 open
#1After two episodes of a heated rivalry: we are hosting the same event!41.9%
#2Do you like your Social Media job? 50 Social Media Pros answered29.7%
#3What happens when two former TV journalists do a webinar?29.6%
#4Since March, I've started working for myself28.7%
#5Here's the OFFICIAL Trailer to my new YouTube show25%
For comparison, the post on never using AI drew 2,163 reactions, and 11 of the first 100 were marketing and social leaders. The post about Cardi B drew 699 reactions and 12 leaders in the first 100.
6 rules for LinkedIn engagement from marketing and social leaders
These rules come from what worked on the consultant’s own profile, and from the best-performing posts by social media strategists, consultants and heads of social on LinkedIn over the last 3 months.
1
Show the client work, with the client in it. A leader hiring a consultant wants to see who already hired you and what you did for them. An event you worked, a brand you hosted for, a client you name: that is the proof a joke can’t give.On this profile: event and brand partner posts reached 25.6% marketing and social leaders, the highest of 5 topics.
Keep the one-liners, and know what they are for. One-liners about the job make the posts travel, and they bring followers. They mostly bring peers. Keep them for reach, and follow a big one with a client or business post while the profile visits are up.On this profile: one-liners drew the most reactions (2,163 on one post) and the lowest share of leaders: 11.9%.
Write to the leader who briefs the social team. Many posts in the niche speak to social media managers. The ones a director shares are written about what leadership should do differently: involve social earlier, post less, trust the team.Across the niche: the most-liked post among social media strategists in our research, 2,758 likes.
Share the business, not only the show. Going freelance, hiring contractors, a year of clients: leaders react to the business behind the content, because it tells them you are someone they can hire.On this profile: freelance life posts reached 24.8% leaders, and the November 2 thank-you post 28.7%.
Get hyper-specific: one situation, one product, one fandom. The consultant already teaches this to clients. The same works on LinkedIn: a specific scene from a brand’s feed reads as expertise, a general tip reads as content.Across the niche: a creative learnings file opening with “micro-situations beat broad problems” drew 482 comments.
Take one clear position a leader can act on. “Post less.” “Long form and short form are two different sports.” A clear call gives a marketing leader something to forward to their team, and a reason to call the person who said it.Across the niche: the post below drew 1,997 likes and 225 comments.
When marketing and social leaders read: the best time to post on LinkedIn for social media consultants
We compared the share of marketing and social leaders by the day and the hour each post was published (New York time). With 4 to 6 posts per day of the week, read the gaps as a direction.
Share of marketing and social leaders by posting dayAmong the people who reacted to each postFree
24.3%
Mon
19.7%
Tue
23.2%
Wed
15.8%
Thu
15.0%
Fri
Best time to post, by hourShare of marketing and social leaders among people who reactedFree
22.3%
10:00
14.2%
12:00
22.0%
14:00
20.7%
16:00
Monday (24.3%, 6 posts) and Wednesday (23.2%, 4 posts) brought the highest share of marketing and social leaders; Thursday (15.8%) and Friday (15.0%) the lowest.
The 10:00 slot carried 11 of 26 posts at 22.3%. The noon slot is lower (14.2%), but 4 of its 7 posts were one-liners, so the topic explains most of the gap. Keep client and business posts for Monday to Wednesday at 10:00, and the one-liners for Thursday and Friday.
05
5 posts ready to publish to target marketing and social leaders
Each post follows the rules above, in the consultant’s voice: lowercase when it’s a quick one, Lady Socialdown when it’s a lesson, one ask at the end. Swap in your own details before posting: the real stories are what make it land.
1Ready to postEvent lessons
What I learned on the floor at CatConRule 1: show the client work, with the client in it. Modelled on the CatCon announcement (23.3% leaders) and the partner event post (41.9%).
Hook
I spent a weekend at a cat convention for a client. Here’s what every brand doing events should steal.CatCon has been a consulting client for a few months. That weekend I was their Kitty Correspondent, on the floor in Pasadena, asking people for their best “meow.”What I saw brands get right:➡️ Give people one line to say
Nobody knows what to say to a camera. “Give me your best meow” gets a yes in two seconds. Your prompt is your content plan.➡️ Shoot vertical first, everything else later
The clip you post the same night beats the recap video you post three weeks later.➡️ Plan the moment, not just the booth
The freebies went home in bags. The moments went home in camera rolls, and those get posted.➡️ Bring the fans, not only the followers
Everyone on that floor shared one love: cats. Find your fandom and build the event around it.Experiential isn’t the future. It’s the now.What’s the best brand moment you’ve seen at an event this year?
Visual · Short videoA 20-second cut of the best meows from the CatCon floor, with the prompt on screen in the first second.Check before postingUse the moments you actually saw on the floor, and check with CatCon that you can name them as a client.
1 year since leaving DuolingoRule 4: share the business, not only the show. Modelled on the November 2 freelance post (28.7% leaders), the recap it announced.
Hook
1 year ago, I left Duolingo. here’s the emo recap I promised.Everyone told me going freelance would be lonely. It was the loudest year of my life.What happened in 12 months:✨ I started consulting for brands I used to only follow
✨ I launched my first community, the Socialdown Society, doing it scared
✨ I self-funded a YouTube show, Office Tea Party
✨ I hired 5 contractors: videography, editing, design, photography
✨ I hosted festivals, webinars, and yes, a cat conventionWhat I learned:Brands don’t hire you for your follower count. They hire you because they’ve watched you think out loud for months.Your old job title opens the door. Your posts keep it open.And the people in your corner matter more than any algorithm.To every brand that took a chance on me this year: thank you. Year 2, let’s get weirder.If your team is planning 2027 and wants a strategy that gets people hype, my DMs are open.
Visual · CarouselA 6-slide year in photos: last day at Duolingo, CatCon, the Office Tea Party set, the festival costume changes, the team of contractors, a thank-you slide.Check before postingCheck the date you left Duolingo and the list of wins, and only name clients who agreed to be named.
Leadership said “let’s do YouTube”Rule 6: one clear position a leader can act on. Modelled on the long form post and the trailer’s bonus lesson (25% leaders). Carries the lead magnet.
Hook
Leadership: “We’re doing well on social… so let’s do YouTube!?”
Social team: “uhhhh sure.”With Instagram and YouTube both pushing long form, a lot of teams are getting this brief right now.Before anyone films anything, answer 3 questions:➡️ What will someone click on?
On YouTube, a viewer picks one thumbnail and title out of dozens. 90% of the work is in that pair. Write 10 before you write a script.➡️ What happens in the first 30 seconds?
Confirm the click, open a loop, give them something new. If you can’t write those 30 seconds, you don’t have a video yet.➡️ Who’s doing it, and what stops?
One TikTok can take a few hours. One long video can take days. Something on the calendar has to give.Short form is football. Long form is baseball. Same balls, different sport.I built a one-page packaging sheet for my own show, Office Tea Party: thumbnail and title pairs, the 30-second script and the questions I’d ask leadership first.Comment TEA and I’ll send it to you.
Visual · Single imageThe packaging sheet as one page: a thumbnail and title grid on top, the 30-second script in three boxes below.Check before postingBuild the one-page sheet before posting. Check the platform news you mention on the day you post.
Your brand’s posts are too generalRule 5: get hyper-specific. Modelled on the October 1 consulting lesson (19.6% leaders), with one brand scene instead of six.
Hook
Dearest Gentle Reader, it has come to this author’s attention that your brand’s posts are too general.Here’s the test I give every consulting client:Read your last post out loud. Could any other brand in your category have posted it?If yes, it’s too general.“Comfortable shoes for everyone” is an ad.
“For the girlies who hate heels, have you ever tried Crocs?” is a conversation.The second one picks a person, a pain and a moment. That’s why it gets shared.Three ways to make your next post specific:➡️ Pick one situation: the iced coffee at the job interview, not “work life”
➡️ Pick one tension: “if your teacher said you talked too much…”
➡️ Pick one fandom: ask your team what they’re stans of, then let them make itSocial feeds are hyper-personalized. Your content should be too.Which brand nails this right now? Tell me in the comments, I’m making a list.
Visual · Single imageTwo phone screens side by side: a general caption crossed out, the specific one circled. Bridgerton-style title card on top.Check before postingUse examples you’re free to share, and check the Crocs line is one you worked on or credit it.
What my YouTube show taught me about long form for brandsRule 1 and rule 6: show the work and take a position. Modelled on the Office Tea Party trailer post (25% leaders).
Hook
I self-funded a YouTube show this year. Here’s what I’d tell any brand before they start one.Office Tea Party is about the drama of working in social media. Guests so far: Gabriel Gomez and Grace Helbig.3 things I learned making it:➡️ Packaging first, script later
I wrote the titles and thumbnails before the questions. Every top creator does it. Most brand teams do it last.➡️ Your guest is your distribution
Each guest brings their own audience. Choose them like you’d choose a creator partner, not a panel.➡️ A series beats a one-off
One video is a test. A series is a habit. People came back for episode 2 because there was an episode 1.Brands have the budget I didn’t have. What they often don’t have is the patience for episode 3.If your team is thinking about a show in 2027, start with the title, not the camera.What show would you watch from a brand?
Visual · Short videoA 30-second behind the scenes cut: the thumbnail drafts on a wall, the set, a clip with each guest.Check before postingCheck the episode count and guest names on the day you post, and add your real watch-hour progress if you want to share it.
Our pick for you: the Office Tea Party packaging sheet
Our pick for you: “Our pick for you: the Office Tea Party packaging sheet”The consultant already teaches that 90% of a YouTube video’s success is in the thumbnail and title, and that long form and short form are two different sports. Turn it into a one-page sheet for brand teams told to “do YouTube”: thumbnail and title pairs, the 30-second script that confirms the click, and the questions to ask leadership first. Offer it on post 3 below with “Comment TEA”, and see which brand leaders ask for 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 marketing leaders to the profile. It doesn’t say when to reach out. Most never comment, so they stay invisible, and a director who reacted to three event posts this month may book another speaker 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 now9 marketing and social leaders · not contacted yetNetwarm
9 marketing and social leaders 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 Dana, you reacted to the CatCon post and the long form one. Is your team being asked to do YouTube next year too?Hi Sam, I saw you liked the post on going freelance. Are you planning any events or creator partnerships for Q1?
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
Client and event work, business milestones and clear positions written for marketing leaders. Here event and brand partner posts brought 2x the share of marketing and social leaders that one-liners brought (25.6% against 11.9%).
For this consultant, Monday (24.3% marketing and social leaders) and Wednesday (23.2%) were the best days, Thursday (15.8%) and Friday (15.0%) the weakest. Posts at 10:00 New York time carried most of the period at 22.3%.
They bring reach and followers, mostly peers. The biggest post here drew 2,163 reactions with 11 leaders in the first 100; a partner event post drew 44 reactions and 18 leaders.
Look at who reacts, not how many. Here 1,096 people reacted and 199 were marketing and social leaders. The ones who come back to several posts without commenting are the ones to talk to.
Yes. A Netwarm scan reads public reactions only. It needs no LinkedIn login and sends nothing from your account.
How we made this playbook
We read the public reactions (up to the first 100) on 26 posts published between 1 October and 2 November 2026, and sorted the 1,096 people by role. A designer’s post that tagged the consultant, and deleted posts, were left out. Comments were not counted, so engagement figures are a floor.
Niche rules come from top posts by social media strategists, consultants and heads of social over the last 3 months. Role groups are approximate: we counted as buyers people whose headline says director, head, VP, lead, founder or chief, and left out creators, consultants and strategists. A Netwarm scan matches people to your own ideal client.
