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I often get asked how I grew so fast on LinkedIn.
The answer is really simple: I iterated really fast.
Most creators post for a month, get rubbish results, and give up.
If you want to succeed, you cannot just be a content creator. You must be a content scientist.
And scientists don't quit after a few experiments.
The Content Scientist Mindset
In February 2024, I posted my first post on LinkedIn. For the next month, I was getting 2,000-4,000 views on most posts.
They were a mess. Look at these gems:
I was treating LinkedIn like my diary → 2,085 views
My Crypto investing tips (not financial advice) → 4,239 views
Last month, I got 3.5 million impressions.
And the way I got there was treating every post like an experiment.
Failed post = data point
Successful post = hypothesis to test again
Just last month, 38% of my impressions (1.4 million views) came from just 5 posts.
Most of these were iterations of concepts I'd tested before on my own or my clients’ accounts.
How to Think Like a Content Scientist
Traditional Creator Approach:
Post fails → "This topic doesn't work"
Post succeeds → "Great, time for something new"
Result: Random performance, mixed results
Content Scientist Approach:
Post fails → "Hmmm, what variable can I change?"
Post succeeds → "Yay, people like this. What worked? How can I do more of it?"
Result: Predictable growth patterns
My 3-Step Iteration Process
1. Launch experiments (3-5 posts/week minimum) You need volume for valid data. One post isn’t enough.
2. Identify patterns in winners Save every post that gets 2x your average impressions and 2x your average leads. Study what made it different.
I often drop my post into Saywhat’s writing assistant and say: “why do you think this post performed well and what can I use in future posts?”
3. Run variations of what works Change ONE variable at a time:
Same visual style, different topic and content:
How to fix work conversations → 8,158,965 views
What great leaders say under pressure → 4,213,758 views
How to disagree well → 2,416,995 views
Same topic, different visual:
Leadership styles of top performers → 1,700,702 views
Ways to speak like a great leader → 712,180 views
Same topic and visual style, different content:
Job interview cheat sheet 1 → 8,645,959 views
Job interview cheat sheet 2 → 5,076,474 views
Job interview cheat sheet 3 → 691,431 views
And obviously not all experiments work. In fact, most don’t.
But the important principle to take away is, as soon as something works well, just do more of it until it stops working (as long as it is brand aligned).
Start Your First Experiment This Week
Step 1: Look at your last 20 posts
Step 2: Find your top performer
Step 3: List 3 ways to remake it
Step 4: Test one variation
Step 5: Compare results
That's it. Just fast iteration based on real data.
Remember content is a long game. Your first 50 posts will probably suck.
But if you iterate fast enough, post 51 could be more successful than the first 50 combined.
Your audience is already telling you what works, you just need to listen.
See you next time,
Will
P.S. In case you’re curious, I track all my experiments in Saywhat's analytics dashboard and write with Saywhat’s writing assistant.
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.
