LinkedIn

Workspace Context

Read bootstrap context before asking questions: strategy/brand.md for brand, audience, offer, channels, tools, constraints, and metrics; about/me.md for personal voice; content/ideas.md and content/calendar.md for content planning. Use legacy product-marketing context files only as fallback. Save generated drafts to content/<platform>/drafts/YYYY-MM-DD_short-topic-slug.md, and route durable learnings back to strategy/brand.md, about/me.md, or content/ideas.md.

Operating Contract

This skill is self-contained for its frontmatter scope: use its local instructions, references, scripts, and assets as the playbook; ask only for missing task-specific inputs; hand off to adjacent skills instead of expanding scope; and return an actionable artifact, decision, plan, draft, or diagnostic.

Two modes — often used together:

1. Profile Audit — analyze and optimize your LinkedIn profile (photo, headline, About, experience, skills, SSI, engagement rate)
2. Content Creation — write high-engagement posts, build thought leadership, grow your audience

Check for strategy/brand.md and about/me.md before starting. If they exist, use them to calibrate voice, audience, and positioning.

Mode 1: Profile Audit

Analysis Types

• Full Profile Audit — all elements, complete report with scores
• Quick Profile Review — priority action items and quick wins only
• Visibility Optimization — keyword/SEO discoverability
• Content Strategy Analysis — posting frequency, engagement performance

Accessing LinkedIn via Chrome DevTools

Requires LinkedIn profile open in Chrome, user logged in.

Workflow: listpages → find linkedin.com/in/ → selectpage → takesnapshot → takescreenshot → hover lazy-loaded sections → re-snapshot.

Playwright fallback: If Chrome DevTools unavailable, use mcpplaywrightbrowser_* equivalents.

Sections to analyze: photo, banner, headline, About, custom URL, experience, education, skills/endorsements, recommendations, featured section, activity/posts, followers/connections, groups.

Common errors:

Profile Scoring

Score guide: 90–100 Elite · 80–89 Excellent · 70–79 Good · 60–69 Average · <60 Needs Work

Mandatory Metrics

Engagement Rate:

(Reactions + Comments + Shares) / Impressions × 100

Target: 3%+. Example: (15+1+0)/1,376×100 = 1.16% → below target.

SSI Score (target: 70+/100):

• User visits linkedin.com/sales/ssi to share actual score, OR
• Estimate: All-Star + active + engaged network → 70–85; complete + regular posting → 55–70; basic + occasional → 40–55

Profile Element Best Practices

Photo: 400×400px min, professional attire, approachable expression, face 60–70% of frame, clean background.

Banner (1584×396px): Branded, value proposition text, no small text or clutter.

Headline (220 chars): [Who you are] | [Problems you solve] | [Benefit/result] | [Keywords]

• ❌ "Marketing Manager"
• ✅ "Marketing Manager | Helping B2B Companies Grow Through Data-Driven Strategies | 45% Revenue Increase Specialist"

About (2,600 chars): Hook → story → what you do/who you help → achievements with metrics → skills → CTA. First person, short paragraphs, relevant keywords.

Experience: Quantified achievements (%, $, #), scope, key projects demonstrated.

Featured: 3–6 curated items — portfolio, case studies, articles, lead magnets.

Audit Report Structure

1. Executive Summary
2. Classification (Industry, Profile Type, Target Audience)
3. Profile Scorecard
4. Calculated Metrics (Engagement Rate, SSI)
5. Element-by-Element Analysis
6. Quick Wins (high impact, low effort)
7. Strategic Recommendations
8. 30-60-90 Day Action Plan

See references/scoringframework.md, references/metricsbenchmarks.md, and assets/profileaudittemplate.md for detailed criteria, industry benchmarks, and report templates.

Industry tone calibration: Conservative industries (Legal, Finance, Healthcare) → formal tone, 2–3x/week, minimal emojis. Progressive industries (Tech, Marketing, Startups) → casual/personal, 4–5x/week, emojis acceptable.

Mode 2: Content Creation

Core Principles

Authenticity over performance. LinkedIn readers instantly spot manufactured vulnerability and engagement bait. What resonates is genuinely useful or genuinely human.

• Real experiences with honest reflection
• Specific insights from your actual work
• Admitting what you don't know
• ❌ Performed vulnerability for engagement
• ❌ Stories that feel too perfectly structured

One idea per post. If you have five points, that's five posts.

Value without strings. Ask: "Would I find this valuable if a stranger posted it?"

Post Anatomy

[HOOK — first 1-2 lines]          ← Visible before "...see more" (~210 chars)
...see more
[BODY — story or value]
 - Short paragraphs (1-2 sentences)
 - Line breaks for readability
[CTA — last 1-2 lines]
#hashtags (3-5, at the end)

Character limits:

Hook Formulas

Hooks to retire:

❌ "This one thing made me $X"
❌ "The CEO pulled me aside and said..."
❌ "I'm excited to announce..."
❌ "In today's rapidly evolving landscape..."
❌ Starting with a hashtag or emoji

See references/hooks.md for comprehensive examples.

Formatting

❌ Dense paragraph: "I learned something about leadership last week. My team was
struggling and instead of pushing harder, I removed scope. The result was incredible."

✅ LinkedIn formatted:
"I learned something about leadership last week.

My team was struggling with a deadline.

Instead of pushing harder, I removed scope.

The result?

We shipped faster.
And the quality was BETTER."

Rules: one sentence per line, blank lines between paragraphs, numbered lists for tips, 3–5 hashtags at the very end (never inline), one emoji max.

Post Formats

Story Post (personal experiences, lessons):

[Honest admission or surprising outcome]
[One sentence of context]
[What happened — the tension]
[The turning point]
[What you learned]
[Question for reader]

List Post (frameworks, actionable advice):

[Hook — clear value promise]
[Why this matters — one sentence]
1. [Point with brief context]
2. [Point with brief context]
3. [Point with brief context]  (3-7 items max)
[Closing insight or question]

Contrarian Post (challenging conventional wisdom):

[Your position, stated directly]
[The common belief you're challenging]
[Your reasoning — why you see it differently]
[Evidence or experience]
[Nuanced conclusion — acknowledge complexity]
[Invite discussion]

Guardrails: Have genuine expertise, argue against ideas not people, offer an alternative, be open to being wrong.

Observation Post (industry insights, trends):

[What you've observed]
[Specific evidence or examples]
[Why it matters]
[Your interpretation]
[Question to test if others see it too]

Content Pillars

Rotate through 3–5 pillars:

Algorithm Signals

Link post workaround: Post without link → add link as first comment → edit post to say "Link in comments."

Vulnerability Guidelines

Share when: The experience taught something others can learn, you've processed it enough to offer perspective, it serves the reader.

Don't share when: The wound is still fresh, you're seeking sympathy not providing value.

Test before posting: Am I sharing to help others or to process my own feelings? Would I be comfortable if this went viral?

CTAs

Avoid: "Comment YES if...", "Share this with 3 people", "Follow me for more" — engagement bait destroys trust.

Engagement Strategy

• First hour: Respond to every comment, ask follow-up questions to extend conversations
• Daily comments on others: Add insight, not just agreement — "Great post!" without substance builds nothing
• Posting schedule: Tue–Thu 7–8 AM, 12 PM, or 5–6 PM; avoid posting >1x/day

Anti-Patterns

• "I'm excited to announce..." (corporate speak)
• Humblebrags disguised as lessons
• Recycled viral formats (the Uber driver wisdom, the airport conversation)
• Every. Sentence. As. Its. Own. Line. (when overused)
• Hashtag stuffing (>5)
• Engagement pods (LinkedIn detects and penalizes)

Pre-Posting Checklist

• Hook: Would this stop MY scroll?
• Focus: Is there ONE clear idea?
• Value: Would I find this useful if someone else posted it?
• Authenticity: Does this sound like me, not "LinkedIn me"?
• Format: Short paragraphs, scannable with line breaks?
• CTA: Genuine engagement question (not bait)?
• Links: External links in comments, not the main post?

References

• references/hooks.md — Complete hook patterns with examples
• references/scoring_framework.md — Detailed profile scoring criteria
• references/metrics_benchmarks.md — Industry benchmarks for SSI, engagement, growth
• assets/profileaudittemplate.md — Complete audit report template
• assets/quickreviewtemplate.md — Rapid assessment checklist
• assets/actionplantemplate.md — 30-60-90 day roadmap template