You go for one thing and end up with something completely different. Life – you can plan, but you’ve got to be ready.

Hoi An is beautiful, calm, and I've been enjoying running by the rice fields. It’s been really productive. I thought I’d be here for a weekend, but it’s going to be two weeks by the time I leave.

Just got booked to speak in Hong Kong on April 1st. If you're around, let me know!

In today's storyletter:

• Sales: How to improve your sales funnel on LinkedIn

• Building in Public: YouTube and Newsletter updates

• From the Web: Fun stuff and recommendations
  

  Let’s go!
  
  

Sales - Improve the funnel

Want More Leads? Here’s How I Get Leads with Only 10 Likes Per Post

I have a friend who gets over 1,500 likes on average per post on his LinkedIn. He cracked the system about two years ago and started to scale his followers. The problem? He got great generic comments but not the right clients. He now sells a course on how to scale your LinkedIn, while his main business still struggles to grow.
He always laughed at my posts getting 10-12 likes, but here’s the difference – I get a lead from the right likes, not just any likes.

Organic reach is declining on most social media platforms, leaving us with two options: go viral or pay up.

• Going viral is tough for most people.

• Paid ads work great, but only when your content is already solid.

So what’s the real option? Creating more content and hoping something sticks? Not really. About 1-1.5% of your followers will see your content. And yet, we keep trying to get as many followers as possible.
I believe it’s time to shift focus:
Have fewer but relevant followers. The ones who are truly your audience, not just your high school friends or random strangers with nothing in common.

We’re building a dirty sales funnel when we cast too wide a net. Instead, focus on quality over quantity.
Unless you're planning to sell a course on how to grow your LinkedIn, and if you’re a founder or manager talking about your company’s product or service, here’s how to improve your top-of-funnel strategy:

1. Reach out to 5-10 relevant people per day and add them to your network (aim for 3-4 meaningful DM conversations).

2. Follow relevant people who might be your ideal clients. Leave thoughtful, value-adding comments on their posts.

3. Share relevant content that’s specific to your audience: experience shares, problem-solving, or thought-provoking ideas.

4. Engage with your commenters – keep the conversations going and let them know what you’re working on.

5. Forget about the numbers. Focus on impact.

LinkedIn might be your best bet to go all in with a small, niche audience instead of chasing scale. It looks good to have a big following, but it’s killing the quality of your sales funnel.

Building in public

YouTube

With 20 new videos uploaded, the best lesson I’ve learned is to have one clear goal: upload a video on a set day, no matter what. Twice a week, whether the sound or video sucked, I kept going. Now it’s time to get intentional with scripting and maybe get a video editor involved.

One fail I’ll share – I tried pushing shorts on YouTube and while I got hundreds of subscribers, they didn’t move the needle. After some research, it turns out shorts might give numbers, but not real engagement. So, we stopped.

Newsletter

The new sequence is ready! New subscribers will get my 5-day “Improve Your Sales” sequence. It’s activated and will start rolling on Monday. If you want it, let me know and I'll send it your way.

Also, I’m working on a new guide called The Business Storyteller – about 7,000 words taking you from branding and messaging to pitching, sales, and the customer journey. It’s almost ready, so if you want an early peek, reply to this email and I’ll share the link.

Final Thoughts

Feeling very grateful for this community and this journey. Let’s keep learning, building, and improving together. 💡
My YouTube channel. Subscribe and support.

About Building in Public

Sharing the journey in an open, unfiltered way—the good, the bad, and the behind-the-scenes of scaling my next idea.

Just for Fun

Enjoy these nuggets

🎵 Music: This week’s newsletter was created while listening to Jungle’s live set at a train station in Paris. One of my favorite sessions.

🎥 Video: Been following Matt D’Avella for years. His 30-day challenges always hit home, and now he’s sharing everything he learned about habits and behavior change.

🎬 Trailer: The luckiest man in America – When you know how to play the game.