I shared something silly in a LinkedIn post.
It was a throwaway nugget, inspired by something a UK radio writer said in passing at a copywriters’ convention. And I didn’t give it a moment’s thought after hitting ‘Publish’…until it went more viral than anything I’ve written in 20 years.
Want to see the post? Course you do.
But the absolute gold is in the comments. Go on, treat yourself.
Why’s this post such an outlier?
Well, look at the numbers below:
That’s 16,500+ impressions. The post’s closest competitor in the last 12 months achieved only 37% of that (and my average engagement rate on LinkedIn, if I’m honest, sits at a mere 12% of that).
What can you learn from this LinkedIn post? A freakin’ lot.
Things you can copy
– Start with a nostalgia trigger: Audio jingles are buried in people’s brains. Readers had to respond.
– Use hyper-local cultural shorthand: The “uncle in the…” was local, familiar and irresistible to SA readers.
– Request low-friction participation: I didn’t ask for an essay; I asked for one memory in return.
– Use a blend of trivia and conversation: The fact gave the post freshness; the nudge gave it legs.
Let me be clear: It wasn’t clever copywriting that accelerated this LinkedIn post. It was the post’s tapping of human reflexes – which was entirely accidental.
Things to remember
For marketers: Don’t over-engineer your social media campaigns. Find the everyday hook your audience already shares, like sayings, stories or inside jokes. Then add a surprising fact or piece of data to spark curiosity.
For salespeople: Your pitch need not (indeed, should not) lead with the product every time. Kick off with something your audience already says or remembers. Because one of the quickest routes to trust is recognition.
For both: In general, it’s a good idea to lower the barrier to entry. Don’t demand deep thought; make it easy for a reader to answer, engage or act in five seconds. That’s how you get and keep momentum. (This post is still attracting comments, likes and shares, two weeks later…)
A mini template for you
– Anchor: Use cultural or professional shorthand your audience knows
– Spark: Add one surprising fact or stat.
– Invite: End with a low-barrier question.
– Layer: Mix local specificity with broader relevance.
Try this structure in your LinkedIn posts, emails or sales openers this month. If you like, send me your best published attempt for (free) after-the-fact feedback.
Have a lekker week.
Liked this? Good. Now stop lurking and browse my training options. Consider booking me to speak. Or let’s chat about a consult or some killer copy. Go on now; don’t be shy.