How to build visibility, connections, and client relationships through strategic LinkedIn comments
Your expertise as a coach sets you apart. But getting people to see that expertise feels like an uphill battle. You create LinkedIn posts, hoping they gain traction, yet many disappear into the void. Meanwhile, a simpler strategy sits right under your nose. Strategic commenting puts you in front of new audiences and builds relationships with potential clients where they’re already paying attention.
Smart coaches use commenting alongside their content creation to reach qualified prospects and showcase their expertise. This approach doesn’t replace your original content – it amplifies your overall LinkedIn strategy. By adding thoughtful insights to trending conversations, you demonstrate your coaching style naturally and connect with people who might never see your posts otherwise.
Adding strategic commenting to your LinkedIn approach helps you reach more potential clients while making the most of your limited time. In short, commenting can help grow your LinkedIn account faster than before and help you get off the endless content grind!
When you comment on popular posts, you put your name and insights in front of large, established audiences. This works alongside your content strategy, giving you more visibility with less effort than creating original posts from scratch.
Your thoughtful comments on posts from influential figures leverage the credibility they’ve already built. Their followers (who often match your ideal client profile) see your insights next to content they already value. This creates a powerful association that helps potential clients notice and remember you.
Comments create natural conversation starters that feel more genuine than cold outreach. By commenting on someone’s posts, you’re also helping that content go further, which they’ll appreciate and often reciprocate.
When someone responds to your insight or visits your profile after seeing a comment, they’re approaching the relationship on their terms. These relationships grow naturally as potential clients observe your thinking across different conversations. By the time they reach out directly, they already feel like they know and trust you.
Your comments show how you think, solve problems, and support others in actual conversations. This practical demonstration of your coaching skills complements your more formal content and shows your expertise in action.
Potential clients get to see how you respond to different situations and offer guidance. This “micro-coaching” in the comments section gives them a preview of your style and approach. It’s like a free sample of your coaching that builds confidence in your abilities.
Use commenting to try out different approaches and language with minimal risk. The responses you get provide instant feedback on which ideas connect with your audience before you invest in creating longer content.
Try sharing different aspects of your coaching methodology or your strong opinions in comments. When something gets high engagement, you’ve found a topic worth exploring in your posts, articles, or even course material. This testing approach makes your content strategy more effective and targeted.
It’s one thing to understand the concept, but another entirely to execute it. Here’s your step-by-step guide to making LinkedIn comments a powerful tool in your marketing strategy. These practical tactics help you stand out in crowded comment sections and turn casual engagements into meaningful client relationships.
Identify 15-20 content creators whose audiences overlap with your ideal clients. Look beyond just other coaches to include thought leaders, industry experts, and potential referral partners whose followers might need your services. Ideally they have followings 2-10x larger than your won.
Add their profile URLs to a bookmarks folder for easy reference. Having this list ready prevents you from getting lost scrolling your feed when you sit down to comment.
Begin noticing which posts generate the most engagement and how their audience responds to different topics. This research helps you understand what matters to your potential clients and where to focus your commenting energy.
Set aside 15 minutes daily specifically for strategic commenting. Schedule this time block earlier in your day, ideally just before posting your own content. Consistency matters more than volume. Regular, thoughtful engagement builds more recognition than sporadic commenting sprees.
Before sharing potentially polarizing viewpoints in LinkedIn comments, test them on Twitter/X where rapid feedback comes standard. This platform’s faster pace and broader reach provides quick signals about how your ideas might land with various audiences. Think of Twitter as your testing ground for concepts you’ll later refine for LinkedIn.
Post variations of your coaching perspectives, frameworks, or contrarian viewpoints as tweets to gauge reaction. Pay attention to which phrasings and ideas generate positive engagement versus those that fall flat or create unintended controversy.
For example, a tweet stating “Most business coaching fails because it focuses on tactics rather than mindset” might reveal whether this perspective resonates or needs refinement before you share it in a LinkedIn comment.
Track which tweets gain traction and adapt the most successful ones for LinkedIn commenting. This approach reduces the risk of damaging your professional reputation while still allowing you to stand out with distinctive perspectives.
Generic praise like “Great post!” does nothing to showcase your expertise or start meaningful conversations. Instead, create “sticky” comments that add genuine value and make readers pause their scrolling. Your goal is to be memorable enough that people click through to your profile.
Share a specific insight related to the post but with your unique perspective. For example, if commenting on a post about leadership challenges, you might add: “I’ve found that the leaders who struggle most with delegation often have limiting beliefs about their own indispensability. Asking ‘What would happen if I couldn’t work for a month?’ reveals these blind spots quickly.” This type of comment demonstrates your coaching approach in action.
Use the PACE method when you’re unsure what to write: Praise something specific about the post, Add a valuable insight, Connect it to your experience, and End with a thought-provoking question. This structure ensures your comments contribute meaningfully to the conversation rather than just taking up space.
Transform your comments into mini coaching moments that demonstrate your expertise. Break down a concept from the original post, add your framework, or explain how you approach a particular challenge mentioned. These micro-coachings show potential clients what working with you might be like.
Keep these micro-teachings concise but substantive. Aim for 3-5 sentences that deliver a complete thought while respecting the platform’s conversational nature. Your goal is to provide immediate value while showcasing your coaching style. For example:
“When clients face this situation, I guide them through three questions: What’s the actual risk here? What’s the worst possible outcome? What resources do you already have to handle that outcome? This process typically reduces decision paralysis within minutes.”
Share relevant examples from your coaching practice (anonymized appropriately) to illustrate your points. Real-world applications make your insights more credible and help potential clients see themselves in your coaching scenarios. Phrases like “I recently worked with a client who…” or “This reminds me of a situation where…” create powerful connections.
Comment early on posts to increase your visibility. The first 30 minutes after publication is prime real estate, as these comments appear at the top and get seen by everyone who engages with the post. LinkedIn’s algorithm tends to favor early, substantive comments.
Follow key creators to receive notifications when they post. Many LinkedIn influencers have predictable posting schedules so knowing when they typically share content lets you be among the first to engage. Some even announce when they’ll be posting important content, giving you a perfect opportunity to prepare thoughtful responses.
Don’t limit yourself to just the initial comment. Return to engaging conversations later to respond to replies and continue valuable discussions. This ongoing engagement keeps your name visible and demonstrates your commitment to meaningful exchange. Each additional comment increases your chances of being noticed by key accounts browsing the conversation.
Thoughtful questions demonstrate both your expertise and your genuine interest in others’ perspectives. They invite engagement with your comment, increasing its visibility and creating opportunities for deeper connection. A well-crafted question turns your comment from a statement into a conversation starter.
Frame questions that reveal your coaching approach. Instead of asking “What do you think about team building?” try “Which of these team dynamics do you find most challenging: establishing trust, managing conflict, or creating accountability? I’ve been noticing trust issues appearing first.” This approach showcases your knowledge while inviting others to share their experiences.
When someone responds to your question, always acknowledge their contribution and continue the conversation. These exchanges often lead to direct messages and connection requests from engaged prospects. Developing a reputation for asking thought-provoking questions and genuinely engaging with the answers helps you stand out from coaches who simply broadcast their expertise.
Balance professional insights with relevant personal stories that demonstrate your authenticity and relatability. These glimpses into your journey help people feel connected to you as a person. When people feel they know you, they’re more likely to follow you or reach out when they need coaching support.
Focus on experiences that reveal your values or approach as a coach. Brief stories about challenges you’ve overcome, lessons you’ve learned, or moments of transformation make your expertise more accessible and memorable. For example:
“This resonates with me. Last year, I faced a similar challenge when scaling my coaching practice. What worked was setting clear boundaries around my calendar and communicating them confidently to clients. My work is better and I have happier clients 💪🏼”
Keep personal shares concise and relevant to the original post. The goal is to illustrate your point with a human touch, not to dominate the conversation with your personal narrative. The best personal stories in comments connect your experience directly to the topic at hand, showing both vulnerability and expertise in balance.
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Thoughtfully bring others into discussions when you believe they can add significant value. Tagging should always enhance the conversation, not simply draw attention to your comment. This approach builds your network while providing additional value to the original poster and their audience.
When tagging someone, briefly explain why you’re bringing them in: “This reminds me of @JaneSmith’s work on team resilience. Jane, your framework might be helpful here.” This context shows respect for both the person you’re tagging and the original poster. It also positions you as a connector who knows valuable people.
Use this approach sparingly and strategically. Excessive tagging appears self-promotional rather than genuinely collaborative. Save this technique for moments when someone’s perspective would truly enrich the discussion.
Monitor which types of comments generate the most profile views and connection requests. LinkedIn’s analytics show you when your profile visits spike, allowing you to correlate these increases with specific commenting activities. This data helps you focus your energy on what actually works for your business.
Notice patterns in the topics and types of engagement that resonate most with your target audience. Are your questions getting more traction than your frameworks? Do personal stories generate more responses than analytical insights? Adjust your approach based on these observations.
Follow up with people who engage with your comments or visit your profile after seeing them. A simple connection request with a personalized note like “I enjoyed our exchange on Sarah’s post about leadership transitions” can turn a comment interaction into a meaningful relationship. These warm connections often develop into client or collaborative relationships more easily than cold outreach approaches.
Turn your most engaging comments into standalone content. When a comment generates significant discussion or attracts multiple likes, you’ve identified a topic that resonates with your audience. This validation provides a foundation for creating original posts with confidence.
Expand on the insight that sparked interest, adding more examples, nuance, and actionable steps. For instance, if your comment about decision-making frameworks receives strong engagement, develop it into a complete post that outlines your entire approach. This strategy creates content you know will connect with your audience because it’s already been tested in comment form.
Save your best-performing comments in a document or take screenshots. Review this collection monthly to identify patterns and themes worth developing further. This approach turns your commenting strategy into a content idea generator, ensuring your posts build on proven interest rather than guesswork.
You already have everything you need to begin leveraging strategic commenting. Start with just five content creators whose audiences align with your ideal clients and commit to engaging thoughtfully with their posts this week. This small step creates immediate visibility while building valuable connections over time.
Focus on quality over quantity. Three substantive comments that showcase your expertise will do more for your visibility than dozens of generic responses. Each comment is an opportunity to demonstrate your unique value as a coach and connect with potential clients where they’re already engaged.
Schedule your daily 15 minutes for LinkedIn commenting and protect this time as you would any other business development activity. Whether it’s during your morning coffee or right after lunch, consistency builds recognition. This small daily investment will yield significant returns in visibility, connections, and eventually, client relationships.
