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Here's a post format that can go viral for anyone:
The Personal Transformation post
Why does this work?
Because every single person scrolling LinkedIn is on their own journey and so when they see yours, something clicks and they get curious.
And because two side-by-side contrasting images are very easy for our brains to understand. The image tells the whole story before anyone reads a single word.
Examples In Practice
Here are two more examples:
“2018: Broke. Outside. Only a visitor in London.“ (8,165 likes) - the transformation is obvious at a glance. No explanation needed.
“I made $100k at 16 while failing high school and eating cup ramen.” (252 likes) - the hook and the visual creates a curiosity gap. It makes the reader think “How did he do that” and click “see more.”
In both cases the writer:
Includes a sh*tty moment to create curiosity or shock in their hook
Tells a specific story with real details, not a vague "I worked hard and made it"
How To Create Your Own
You don't need design experience to pull this off. Canva and Figma both work well…I'd recommend Canva if you're just starting out.
Here's how to do it yourself:
Find your "before" - this could be an old photo where you look exhausted, younger, out of shape, or just clearly earlier in your journey. Put this on the left or on top.
Find your "after" - a recent photo, updated stats, a milestone screenshot. Whatever shows the change clearly. Put this picture on the right or bottom.
Add the dates to each image - e.g. the year.
Write the post - include challenges you've overcome and the turning point. Use a difficult moment from the early days as your hook.
When It Doesn’t Work
There are three mistakes I see people make with this:
The hook doesn’t include a difficult enough moment.
The "before" picture looks too good - if your old photo is confident, and polished…the contrast and emotional pull are weaker.
You don’t look “great” in the after picture.
The contrast in the visuals has to be obvious and immediate. That's the whole point.
See you next week,
Will
P.S.
A new format you can try this week: The Three Circle (1,507 likes). Apply it to any topic.
Will McTighe
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P.P.S. Building a personal brand was the highest leverage thing I’ve done in my career. Whenever you’re ready, there are three ways I can help you:
Enterprise LinkedIn Systems – I work with enterprise clients ($10M+ in revenue or Series A+) on building and running your entire LinkedIn content-led GTM system. If this is you, apply here.
Trying out Saywhat: My software platform and community for solopreneurs, consultants and coaches.
Cheat Sheets (Worth $200): Here are my 60+ LinkedIn Cheat Sheets.
