For a long time, I thought that LinkedIn was a boring social network for job searches and corporate communication.
When I started my business back in 2015, I focused almost all my efforts on YouTube and Facebook, and grew them to nearly 500K subscribers / 55K followers.
But over the years, I learned that I was wrong about LinkedIn.
And I decided to give it a second chance.
So over the past 3 years, I’ve been studying how to get the most out of LinkedIn and experimenting with my own practice and LinkedIn routines.
In this learning process, I’ve been specifically looking at how foreign entrepreneurs and business can leverage the power of LinkedIn to get more American clients.
Why is LinkedIn so important for you if you’re trying to get more American clients?
- 200 million Americans are present on Linkedin. So lots of potential clients!
- 53% of American LinkedIn users are “high-income”. So more buying power.
- LinkedIn is the #1 platform for B2B marketers in the USA
- 82% of B2B marketers in the USA say their greatest results come from Linkedin
(Source: LinkedIn statistics for marketers in 2023, by SproutSocial)
Even if most of my clients are based outside of the USA, I have still seen the best business results on LinkedIn too.
I’m probably working in smaller markets than you, so imagine what a solid LinkedIn strategy could do to bring you more American clients!
In this article, I’ll explain how to build your content & publishing strategy so that your Linkedin posts resonate with and attract American clients.
Understanding American Business Culture
Before we talk about posting strategies, we first need to look at how Americans do business. This will allow you to adapt your way of communicating to the “codes” of American business.
A few themes that are common in American business practices:
- Direct, clear communication
- Optimism and a “can-do” attitude
- Individual achievements
- The pursuit of success (however you define it)
Another element that can make your posts resonate with American audiences: reflecting American values in your content.
(Disclaimer: Of course there are nuances, and not ALL Americans have the same values. But these are values that are commonly admired by many Americans, and therefore have a good chance of helping your posts resonate with Americans on LinkedIn.)
That being said, here are some values that many Americans see positively:
- Entrepreneurship
- Innovation and forward-thinking
- Learning from your failures
- Authenticity
- Humility …but at the same time also being proud of your accomplishments
- Self-improvement
- Community involvement
- Inclusivity
- Determination & resilience
How these practices & values influence content production & consumption on LinkedIn
These practices & values influence what kind of content American LinkedIn members tend to publish, and also what kinds of posts they find interesting and attractive.
This is crucial to understand for foreign entrepreneurs & businesses, especially if their home culture tends to favor content that is polemic, sparks debate, or highlights negative topics & complaining.
These are practices to generally avoid if you want to attract American clients on Linkedin. You don’t want to be seen as a “Debbie Downer”, as we say ( = someone who focuses on the negative, why things won’t work, are a bad idea, etc.)
Crafting Your Message to Appeal to American Prospects
Now that you know what kind of practices and values should infuse your content, let’s look at key points for actually crafting your posts, no matter what you write about.
“Brevity is the soul of wit”
That’s an English expression that means clever or smart people can express their message in a few words. For Americans on LinkedIn, this is very true.
In fact, the average attention span for American internet users is just 5 seconds.
What’s the ideal length of a LinkedIn post in English?
- Text only: 1800-2100 characters
- Text + image: 900-1200 characters
- Text + video: 500 characters of text with a 1.2 (1 minute & 20 seconds) video
You still have plenty of time to develop your message. But keep in mind the rule “1 post = 1 message”. This way it is clear, direct, and to the point.
Length is just one element of crafting your message…
Balancing Professionalism & Approachability
You also want to get the tone right.
Americans are very casual, even in business interactions. We often call each other by our first names immediately. We don’t use very formal ways of speaking & writing in many business interactions.
In your posts, you want to find a balance between professionalism and approachability. This basically means writing the way you speak in conversations.
If your writing is too formal, it will turn off Americans because it creates distance. You won’t sound natural. This aspect of American communication is particularly difficult for many foreign professionals, because in their home culture, doing business requires a certain level of formality.
I suggest that you study the posts of several successful American business people for good examples of the right tone:
Leveraging Storytelling to Engage American Audiences
Telling stories is a great tool for captivating American audiences, and we like good stories.
Not only that, stories are more memorable. We remember stories more than facts & figures, because stories are meant to create an emotion. And emotions stick in the brain better than numbers.
What kind of stories resonate with American audiences on LinkedIn?
- Overcoming adversity, achieving success
- Innovative product launch stories
- Unique entrepreneurial journey insights
- Cross-cultural collaboration successes
- Personal growth, business lessons
- Sustainability, eco-friendly initiatives
- Customer success, impactful testimonials
- Diversity, inclusion efforts highlighted
- Community involvement, social impact
- Resilience, bouncing back from failures
- And of course, YOUR backstory!
(This is something that we work on specifically in my course American Client Magnet, if you need help with it!)
For example, let’s image a startup founder who wants to tell the story of how she developed her product.
She might share a story about how she came up with the idea for the product, probably from a personal experience.
Then, she could tell a story about the trials and errors that she and her team faced when trying to build the product, and what they learned from that process.
Another story might be about their 1st success on the American market, and how it made her and her team feel.
Instead of just sharing news about her products, the storytelling approach informs, inspires, and engages readers. It makes the business more memorable, and the founder more approachable.
When sharing your stories, the human element is what makes the story resonate with your audience. The people behind the business, the positive changes you want to make in the world, and the lessons you learned from your failures.
Stories also are a great way to infuse your content with the values we discussed earlier. 67% of Americans are willing to spend more to buy from founders whose values align with their own.
In short, stories not only help you better engage your American LinkedIn audience, you’ll also earn their trust and they’ll be willing to spend more with your business.
Visuals and Branding That Catch Americans’ Eyes
I think no matter the culture, images catch readers’ attention more than words. This is not specific to Americans.
That being said, you can make some slight tweaks to how you use images and visual branding to resonate more strongly with Americans, in a market that is known for its diversity, dynamism, and culture of personal branding.
Diversity is an important value in the American workplace, more than in many other countries. When choosing images, be sure to show diverse groups whenever possible.
This reflects the multicultural fabric of American business & society. It’s best to use photos that you take yourself, as these get more reach than stock photos or AI-generated photos. But if you choose to use stock photos, take care to vary the types of people you depict in your images.
In general, images that depict modernity, success, and forward-thinking are particularly compelling. They align with the American values of progress & achievement more than conservative, formal images.
Brand Consistency in Images
You don’t need to always dress in the colors or your brand (although some people do!) but in general, your visuals should reflect your brand’s identity.
Use your brand’s color scheme, logo, and typography consistently in your LinkedIn visuals to reinforce your brand’s presence and message.
This rule is less strict when taking photos spontaneously, but if you create visuals on Canva, for example, be sure to always use your brand colors.
This consistency in brand visual identity helps build recognition and trust among American clients, who value authenticity and reliability.
You may think this is not really that important, but let me give you some statistics to try to convince you otherwise:
- On average, consistency across your brand leads to +23% more revenue on the American market
- Consistency creates trust and 81% of American consumers say trust is an important factor in their decision to buy from a company
- 90% of snap judgements about a brand are based on brand color alone
American Cultural References in Images
Every culture has its own images that speak to its people. But you can’t just put American flags, eagles, and the Statue of Liberty in your images and think Americans will love it.
Using American cultural references in your images can make your visual content catch Americans’ attention more easily, but you need a more nuanced approach.
Beyond the obvious symbols, here are some nuanced images that can subtly reference American culture:
- City Skylines: Iconic skylines, such as New York City, San Francisco (Golden Gate Bridge), or Chicago, can evoke a sense of ambition and innovation.
- Tech and Innovation Symbols: Images representing Silicon Valley, tech gadgets, or futuristic concepts can appeal to American clients’ appreciation for innovation.
- Cultural Landmarks: Well-known landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood Sign, or Route 66 signpost, subtly reference American culture and history.
- Sports and Recreation: Baseball, basketball, and American football imagery can evoke a sense of community and shared interests.
- Nature and Landscapes: The diverse American landscape, including images of national parks (like Yellowstone or Grand Canyon), can symbolize freedom and exploration.
- Academic Symbols: Ivy League or other prestigious university symbols can represent excellence and high achievement.
- Historical References: Images reflecting the entrepreneurial spirit of historical figures like Henry Ford or modern tech leaders can inspire innovation and success.
- Cultural Celebrations: Visuals related to Thanksgiving, Fourth of July fireworks, or other national holidays can evoke a sense of tradition and celebration.
- Community and Social Movements: Imagery associated with volunteerism, community service, or social movements (e.g., environmental sustainability) reflects American values of inclusivity and social responsibility.
Using these symbols thoughtfully in your LinkedIn visuals can help you catch American audiences’ attention, and also show that you have shared cultural references.
Again, that makes you more approachable, trustworthy, and likely that they’ll buy from you.
Engagement Strategies to Spark Business Relationships
Posting is great, but it’s not enough. You can’t expect to post and wait for your American prospects to magically find your content and love it.
Posting is just the 1st step in your engagement strategy. After all, you’re on LinkedIn to build relationships and do business, not just share content.
How do you engage with people you don’t even know?
Let’s imagine you’ve written a great post on Linkedin.
It has all the right elements: Storytelling, consistent brand imaging, it evokes values that resonate with your ideal American prospect.
To optimize it for engagement, be sure to ask an open-ended question at the end of your post. Invite readers to contribute to the conversation.
But don’t just ask “What do you think?” People don’t want to think too much on social media. They need a little guidance.
Examples of good questions include:
- How do you…?
- What have you tried that has worked in the past to…?
- What has been your biggest challenge in… ?
- What advice would you give on… ?
- What do you think is most important for…?
- What strategies have you found to be most effective for…?
- Did I miss anything? (This works particularly well for list posts)
- What would you advise me to do here?
Of course the question choice will depend on the topic of your post, but that gives you some inspiration.
Look for signals and then reach out
When you publish something, people will like or comment on it.
But don’t worry if every post doesn’t get a lot of engagement. Some posts work, some don’t. I’ve had posts that I thought would do great, and they flopped. And vice versa.
So don’t let low numbers discourage you. Remember, Linkedin is about quality first, quantity second. And if you’re trying to attract a new audience, like American prospects, it can take time to see traction.
But you can accelerate this process! How?
It’s a strategy I learned from Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole, called “Make noise, listen for signals, and double down.”
Concretely, it means this:
- Publish something that interests your target audience (Make noise)
- Look for likes, comments, etc. that tell you someone is interested (Listen for signals)
- Reach out to them to thank them, connect with them, ask about what they do, etc. Basically, start a conversation with them and see if it might lead to something (Double down)
Make sure your message to them is super personalized. Americans are very sensitive to personalization and if your message seems generic, they will probably ignore it.
Avoid messages like “Thanks for commenting on my post. I’d love to connect with you.”
Instead, try something like “Thanks for commenting on my post. I see we both are interested in AI for sustainable development. I liked your post on what your company is doing in Mexico. Would you like to connect?”
You shouldn’t be able to send your message to anyone else. It needs to be that personalized to catch their attention.
The Underestimated Power of Commenting
One strategy that is underestimated but extremely powerful on LinkedIn: Commenting.
This is especially true if you are going into a new market or trying to build a new audience, like American prospects. Commenting is a great way to build your network of American contacts faster.
Here’s what to do:
- Identify 5-20 high-profile Americans in your industry (check that they post regularly)
- Identify 5-20 American peers in your industry (check that they post regularly)
- Identify 5-20 Americans who fit your ideal client persona
- Bookmark their profiles or copy the link to their profile in a spreadsheet
- Spend 30 minutes each day commenting on their posts. You may not comment on everyone each day. The key is to show up regularly in their comments.
- After a few weeks of commenting, invite them into your network
(You can start small and work your way up. No need to try to find 50 people before you start!)
Why is this effective?
- You build a relationship and become familiar to them before reaching out to connect. They’re more likely to accept.
- You show up in their comments feed. Their network sees you and what you do (People see the 1st part of your profile headline when you comment, so be sure it’s in English and that it’s compelling. I can work on that with you.)
- This means more Americans will see you and what you do, which helps grow your network faster than just with posting alone, especially if you don’t already have many American prospects in your network.
By employing these strategies, foreign entrepreneurs can significantly build their network and business success in the American market via LinkedIn.
It’s about creating value through your posts, actively engaging with the right people, and networking with a personalized, culturally aware approach.
This blend of tactics will not only increase your visibility but also foster lasting connections with American clients and industry leaders.
Conclusion
These are all practical tactics that I use in my own LinkedIn strategy (adapting to my own target audience, of course), so I know that they work.
In this article, I simply added a layer of “American culture insights” for you, since you are a foreign entrepreneur aiming to attract American clients.
If you have a solid strategy combined with intercultural insights, you’ll have the winning combo to appeal to and attract American prospects to your business.
The hardest part in all of this? Being consistent, having a tactical strategy, and taking action.
If you need help with that, book a free consultation with me, and we can discuss how I can help you put a solid action plan into place to start getting appointments with your American prospects.
