Last year, you might’ve found me unemployed, living at home with my parents, and sitting at zero LinkedIn followers. Fast forward 12 months, and I’d grown an audience of over 100,000 and was named one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurs on the platform. So how did I do it—and more importantly, how can you? If you’ve ever wondered how to grow LinkedIn followers from scratch, this guide is for you. I’m walking you through the exact seven-step strategy I used: No team. No paid ads. No previous experience. Just a clear, repeatable system that’s already helped hundreds of others do the same.
You’re not going to need to lock your phone away or read 50 self-help books. But you will need to start with a digital detox. That means clearing out the clutter: old connections, noisy content, and anything that’s holding you back from showing up confidently online.
From there, it’s all about building the right network, optimizing your profile, and using smart strategies to stand out. If you’re serious about learning how to grow LinkedIn followers fast, you’re in the right place.
Let’s break it down—step by step.
How To Grow From 0 to 100,000 LinkedIn Followers?
1. Do a Digital Detox
If you want to figure out how to grow LinkedIn followers quickly, you’ve got to start with a clean foundation. That begins with a digital detox—not the kind where you throw your phone in a drawer and read 50 books, but the kind where you intentionally clear out the distractions on your LinkedIn feed.
Here’s the truth: old classmates, ex-coworkers, and random connections you’ve picked up over the years are probably cluttering your feed and messing with your confidence. When you’re constantly comparing yourself to people you don’t even talk to anymore, it’s hard to show up and post consistently.
So here’s what you can do:
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Option 1: Unfollow or remove connections who no longer align with your goals.
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Option 2: Start fresh with a brand-new account.
We recommend to go with Option 2. Starting from zero gave me a clean slate—no one watching, no old contacts judging, no excuses. It instantly removed the fear of being seen “trying something new,” and that freedom made it way easier to start sharing content.
Once you’ve cleaned things up, it’s time to rebuild intentionally. That’s where your Dream 100 List comes in. It’s a list of 100 people you’d love to connect with—people who are in your niche, speak to your target audience, or are already doing what you want to do.
Don’t just go for the big names. Think about their teams, collaborators, and the people in their comments. Those are your entry points.
This step is about more than just pruning your network. It’s about giving yourself the right environment to grow.
2. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Now that you’ve cleared the clutter, it’s time to make your profile work for you. Your profile is one of the first places to focus. It’s your storefront, your first impression, and often the deciding factor in whether someone hits “Connect” or scrolls past.
Here’s what you need to dial in:
a. Headshot
Forget the group photo from that trip to Spain or the selfie from five phones ago. You need a clear, high-quality image where you look approachable and professional. No need to hire a photographer—just use your phone, a simple background, and natural lighting. Then throw it into Canva or remove the background with a free tool.
The key here? Look like the person you’re becoming, not the person you used to be.
b. Headline
Your headline shows up everywhere—on your profile, in search results, and in the comments you leave. Make it count.
You can follow one of these simple templates:
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If you have an offer:
“I help [who] do [what] so they can [result].”
Example: I help business coaches close more sales through DMs. -
If you don’t have an offer yet:
“On a mission to [do what] | Sharing content about [your topic].”
Example: On a mission to help creators grow on LinkedIn | Sharing content about marketing and AI.
Keep it short, clear, and benefit-driven. You can always tweak it later.
c. Banner
This part might surprise you. Most people obsess over having the “perfect” banner—with logos, taglines, and fancy graphics. But if you’re just starting, skip all that.
Pick a solid color that matches your brand or personality and move on. I did this from zero to 50,000 followers, and it worked just fine. Don’t let perfection slow you down—just get visible.
The goal here isn’t to have the fanciest profile—it’s to have a complete, trustworthy one that gives people a reason to stick around. If you want to grow fast on LinkedIn, you can’t afford to overthink the basics. Nail your photo, headline, and banner—and let’s keep building.
3. Build Trust Through Comments
Here’s something most people get wrong when they’re trying to figure out how to grow LinkedIn followers: they obsess over posting, but completely ignore commenting. And that’s a huge missed opportunity.
If you’re starting from scratch, comments are the fastest way to build visibility, trust, and real connections—without even publishing your own posts yet.
Think of LinkedIn as one big, never-ending business conference. Every post is a conversation already in progress. When you comment, you’re stepping into the room, shaking hands, and making yourself known.
But here’s the key: your comments have to stand out.
Start with the Right People
You don’t need to comment on just anyone’s post. Instead, make a list of 20–30 active accounts in your niche—or adjacent ones. Aim for a mix:
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People with 0–5K followers: likely to notice and reply to you.
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People with 5–20K followers: a step ahead and still accessible.
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People with 20K+ followers: harder to engage, but high visibility if you do.
Find their names, URLs, and take note of when they usually post. The earlier you comment, the better—your reply gets seen by more people.
Leave High-Value Comments
Now let’s be clear: “Great post!” is not a good comment. Neither is a fire emoji.
If you want to build trust and attention, your comment needs to add something. Try one of these:
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Personal take – Share your perspective or how the topic relates to your experience.
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Mic-drop insight – Offer a quick, punchy insight that adds value to the conversation.
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Relevant quote or stat – Drop something that supports or challenges the post in a thoughtful way.
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Light humor or a meme – If it fits your brand, this can make you memorable.
Make It a Habit
The real magic happens when you do this consistently. Set a goal to leave at least 20 meaningful comments per day. You can break it up into sprints—10 in the morning, 10 in the afternoon.
When you do this right, you’ll start getting LinkedIn profile views, connection requests, and even DMs—all without posting a single piece of content.
If you’re serious about how to grow LinkedIn followers, this step alone can get you hundreds, even thousands of eyeballs a day. And it builds the one thing that drives growth more than anything else: trust.
4. Niche Down and Own Your Expertise
One of the fastest ways to stall your growth is by being too broad. When you try to cover everything—marketing, entrepreneurship, sales, mindset—you end up blending in instead of standing out.
If you want to grow with purpose, you need to get specific. Focus on one audience, one problem, and one clear solution. That’s how people start to see you as a go-to voice in your space.
Start by asking yourself:
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What do you actually know well?
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What do people already ask you for help with?
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What could you talk about all day without getting bored?
Once you’ve nailed that down, take it one layer deeper. For example, “marketing” is too wide. But “organic growth on LinkedIn using short-form content” is focused. It gives your audience something to grab onto—and that’s what builds trust.
Don’t worry about boxing yourself in. Niching down doesn’t mean you’re stuck there forever. It just gives you clarity and consistency now, so you can grow faster and speak more directly to the right people.
Over time, you can expand. But early on, focus on becoming known for one thing. The more specific your message, the easier it is for people to remember you, refer you, and follow you.
5. Create Content That Actually Connects
You’ve cleaned up your feed, dialed in your profile, and nailed your niche. Now it’s time to start creating content that makes people stop scrolling and actually care about what you’re saying.
Every strong piece of content does at least one of three things:
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It teaches something useful.
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It shares a relatable or inspiring moment.
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It entertains or surprises in a meaningful way.
When your content does two or more of these at once, that’s when growth really takes off.
Focus on Teaching First
Start with educational content. Share what you know, how you’ve learned it, and why it matters. Think step-by-step breakdowns, quick wins, tools you use, or lessons from real experiences.
You don’t have to be a “guru”—you just need to be one step ahead of the person you’re talking to.
Add Storytelling to Inspire
People connect with people. If you’ve been through something that taught you a lesson—personally or professionally—talk about it. Link it back to your niche so it stays relevant. The goal is to make your audience feel like they’re not alone and that growth is possible.
Make It Easy to Read
Short sentences. Clean formatting. Clear structure.
Most people scroll on mobile, so your post needs to be skimmable. That means:
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Keep paragraphs to 1–2 lines max.
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Use bullet points or numbers when it makes sense.
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Break things up visually so they’re easy on the eyes.
Good ideas get ignored when the formatting makes them hard to read.
Use Visuals (When It Helps)
You don’t need fancy designs, but images and carousels can boost reach—especially if they simplify what you’re saying. Think charts, infographics, screenshots, or even a tweet-style graphic that drives a point home.
Visual content is easy to share, and it helps your message travel further.
6. Build Actual Relationships
It’s easy to forget that LinkedIn is a social platform when people look for a tutorial about how to grow LinkedIn followers. If you’re only creating content and never starting conversations, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Relationships are where the real magic happens—opportunities, referrals, collaborations, even friendships.
When you’re starting out, your network is everything. So you need to be intentional about growing it the right way.
Start with Simple Conversations
It doesn’t need to be complicated. A quick DM saying,
“Hey, I really appreciated your recent post on [topic]—it hit home for me. Would love to stay connected,” goes a long way.
Avoid pitching. Just show up, say something real, and focus on building rapport.
Book Coffee Chats
If someone’s in your niche, a few steps ahead of you, or just doing interesting work—invite them for a 15-minute virtual coffee chat. Don’t overthink it.
You’re not trying to “get” anything from them. You’re just getting to know people who are on a similar path. That’s how genuine connections form—and those are the people who end up cheering for you, referring you, or collaborating down the line.
Give First
Offer value. Share their work. Comment on their posts. Send a helpful resource. When you show up with no expectations and a genuine desire to support others, you build long-term goodwill. And that’s what sets you apart from the crowd.
7. Stay Consistent and Let It Compound
At this point, you’ve built the right foundation. You’ve cleaned up your space, defined your message, created value, and connected with real people. What is the final step about how to grow LinkedIn followers? Show up. Every single day.
This isn’t about hustle culture or burning yourself out. It’s about committing to a simple truth: consistency builds trust—and trust builds everything else.
You’re not going to see instant results from every post or conversation. Some days it’ll feel quiet. Some posts won’t land. That’s normal. But when you stay consistent, you create something most people never do: momentum.
Why Compounding Matters
Every time you post, comment, or chat with someone, you’re adding to your visibility, your credibility, and your relationships. None of it goes to waste.
What feels small today stacks up over time. A connection from a comment turns into a DM. A DM turns into a coffee chat. A coffee chat turns into a client, referral, or collaborator. That’s how real growth happens—through steady effort and intentional action.
Play the Long Game
You don’t need to go viral. You need to keep showing up. Keep sharing what you know. Keep connecting with the right people. That’s how you grow a real audience—and a brand that people trust.
Growth doesn’t come from doing one thing once. It comes from doing the right things again and again, long after most people give up.
So if you’ve made it this far, you already have what it takes. Keep it simple. Stay focused. Give it time to compound.
You’ve got the roadmap—now it’s your move.
Conclusion
You don’t need a team, a big budget, or years of experience to grow on LinkedIn. You just need focus, consistency, and a system that actually works.
Start by clearing out the noise. Build a clean, intentional network. Set up a profile that makes people want to learn more about you. Then, show up—through smart comments, niche content, and real conversations.
Growth won’t happen overnight, but if you stick with it, you’ll build something more valuable than just a high follower count—trust, credibility, and real opportunities.
That said, if you’re looking to kickstart your presence and boost visibility early on, some people buy LinkedIn followers as a quick way to build social proof. It’s not a replacement for consistent effort or valuable content, but when used strategically, it can help your profile look more established and draw initial attention.
In the end, the most important thing is showing up with value—again and again. Whether you grow organically or give yourself a small boost, the goal is the same: build real relationships, create meaningful content, and keep showing up.
Start where you are. And don’t stop.