How a Simple LinkedIn Post Generated Huge Results – And How You Can Multiply That Success with Employee Advocacy and Influencers

When it comes to posting on LinkedIn, most people struggle with one thing: getting attention. You might have the perfect product, service, or insight, but none of that matters if no one is paying attention to you.

Recently, we saw just how powerful one well-crafted post can be. It racked up over 290,000 impressions, sparked 100+ direct messages, and generated leads that paid ads alone couldn’t touch.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/linknlearn-jdg_linkedinads-activity-7129832359633317888-WBVF/

Here’s the kicker – the post didn’t come from an external influencer or a celebrity endorsement. It was created by someone within the company. This makes it a brilliant example of employee advocacy at its finest.

But imagine if this post had also been amplified by external third-party influencers. If people had seen the same message coming not just from the company itself, but also from a trusted voice outside the organisation, the impact could have been even bigger.

That’s what we’re going to dive into today – why this post worked, and why you should be combining both employee advocacy and external influencers to maximise your campaign’s potential.

Why This Post Worked: Psychology and Emotional Triggers

Every successful post has something that makes people stop scrolling and take notice. For this post, it was about tapping into real emotions—but in a way that felt human and relatable.

1. Relatability through humour The tone was playful, asking the reader: “What are you even doing with your life?” It’s cheeky, it’s light-hearted, and most importantly, it’s a thought we’ve all had. Rather than coming across as preachy or too serious, it instantly put the reader on the same page. This makes the reader feel like the writer is on their side, not lecturing them.
2. Hitting Pain Points Without Overwhelming the Reader There’s a fine line between highlighting problems and scaring people off. This post balanced it perfectly by listing concrete issues around wasted LinkedIn ad budgets, something many marketing teams can relate to. It didn’t overwhelm the reader with jargon or complicated stats, just a clear message: “You’re losing money if your ads aren’t structured right.”
3. Authority and Expertise Without the Ego Here’s where a lot of people go wrong. They try to shove their expertise down your throat. This post avoided that by listing specific technical challenges, showing the writer knew their stuff without sounding boastful. People want solutions, but they don’t want to feel talked down to.

What Happened Next: The Results

The results spoke for themselves. Over 290,000 impressions. 100+ DMs. That’s not a fluke; it’s what happens when you hit the right emotional triggers and give people something they care about.

Let’s look at the key stats:

• Impressions: 290,000+
• Direct Messages (DMs): 100+
• Leads generated: Significantly higher than a typical paid campaign
• Engagement: Massive, with users tagging others, commenting, and sharing

What’s important to note is that this success came from employee advocacy—a member of the company stepping up and representing the brand. This shows how powerful internal voices can be in driving real engagement and results.

But now, imagine if this same message had also been pushed by external third-party influencers. You’d not only get the trust and relatability of an employee, but also the reach and authority of someone outside your organisation. The results could have multiplied.

Employee Advocacy + Influencers: A Multiplication Effect

Here’s the big takeaway: Brands need to double down on both employee advocacy and third-party influencers.

Why? Because you’re not choosing between them – you’re combining their strengths.

1. Employee advocacy brings authenticity and trust. People like hearing from real people within a company, especially those who know the product or service inside out.
2. External influencers add credibility, a fresh perspective, and help you tap into new audiences that may not be directly connected to your brand yet.

Now, imagine seeing the same message from both an internal advocate and an external influencer. The trust you’re building internally gets reinforced by a trusted outside voice. This multiplies the impact, giving your message more credibility, wider reach, and ultimately driving stronger engagement.

What About Paid Ads?

We often hear marketing teams say, “Why bother with organic when we can just throw money at ads?” Here’s why:

1. Paid Ads Lack the Personal Connection LinkedIn Paid Ads can target audiences, sure, but they often get dismissed as background noise. People are bombarded with ads all day, so why would yours stand out? The organic post we’re discussing did stand out because it spoke directly to the reader’s challenges and felt like a personal conversation.
2. Trust-Building Through Organic Content Trust is everything. People trust people, not ads. Organic content, like this post, lets you build a relationship over time. It’s not just about getting your message in front of someone; it’s about making them feel like they want to engage with you. That’s a massive advantage over paid ads, which often feel transactional.

By combining organic employee advocacy with external influencers, you’re creating multiple touchpoints for trust and engagement that paid ads alone can’t achieve. You’re building relationships, not just driving clicks.

Alternatives Like Google Ads – What’s Missing?

Google Ads offer another approach to reaching prospects, but they come with their own limitations. Yes, they capture immediate intent, but they lack the emotional appeal that a post like this one created. Google Ads might drive clicks, but they rarely spark conversations or build relationships the way this organic post did.

The message is clear: whether it’s internal employee advocacy or working with external influencers, the trust and connection you build through organic content convert far better than cold traffic from an ad.

The Power of Combining Organic and Paid Strategies

Here’s the real kicker: You don’t have to choose between paid ads and organic content. The smart move is combining the two.

Imagine this:

• You post something like this organic piece, which gets hundreds of thousands of impressions.
• Then you retarget those who engaged with a paid ad campaign.

Now, your audience already knows you. They’ve seen your content, they’ve connected with it emotionally, and they’re much more likely to convert when they see your ad again. This strategy maximises the impact of every pound you spend.

Overcoming the Fear of “What If My Post Flops?”

Here’s the thing – not every post will be a hit. And that’s okay. But posts like this one didn’t just happen by chance. It worked because it hit on real pain points, used humour to break down barriers, and positioned the author as a trusted expert.

Even if your first post doesn’t explode with engagement, it’s about learning what resonates with your audience. Tweak your tone, experiment with different structures, and keep testing.

The same goes for choosing influencers. Start small, try different voices, and learn from what works.

Final Takeaway: Use Both Employee Advocacy and Influencers to Build Relationships

If there’s one thing you should remember, it’s this: organic posts are about building relationships, not just driving clicks. Paid ads have their place, but they can’t replicate the trust and engagement you get from well-crafted organic content.

So why limit yourself to just one strategy? Combine employee advocacy with the power of external influencers to create a real multiplier effect. People trust people—whether they’re inside or outside your company. The more trusted voices are amplifying your message, the stronger the impact.

When your audience sees the same message from your internal advocates and external influencers, you’re not only building engagement – you’re building relationships that convert.

Action Steps: What You Can Do Next

1. Craft your own organic content strategy: Start creating posts that speak directly to your audience’s pain points. Use humour, relatability, and real-world expertise from your internal team.
2. Bring in third-party influencers (where we come in!): Find influencers who resonate with your brand’s values and voice. They’ll help amplify your message and give your content an external credibility boost.
3. Layer paid ads on top of successful organic posts: Retarget the people who engage with your organic content through LinkedIn ads for even stronger results.
4. Experiment and Iterate: Not every post or campaign will be a hit, but every piece of content is a chance to learn, refine, and strengthen your approach.

Organic content doesn’t just build engagement – it builds relationships. Whether through employee advocacy or third-party influencers, using both approaches will multiply your impact and drive the real results you’re looking for.