According to social selling expert Dean Seddon, the answer is not simply to post more often or blame the algorithm. It starts with a clear commercial proposition and a joined-up sales strategy.
Dean, founder of social selling training company Maverrik, says businesses often treat posting, networking, outreach and engagement as separate activities.
But these tactics are unlikely to deliver consistent results if a company has not first worked out what it is selling, who is most likely to buy it and why they would pay for it.
“The three big reasons people don't get leads on LinkedIn are that they're unfocused on what they're selling, unfocused on who would buy it and unfocused on why,” Dean told That's Business.
It is a useful reminder for businesses tempted to focus on activity for activity’s sake. A regular stream of posts might attract attention, but attention alone does not explain what a company offers or give a potential customer a reason to take the next step.
Likewise, networking and outreach need a clear purpose if they are to support sales.
Dean says consistent lead generation rests on three connected elements: content, newsletters and events. Each can help a business communicate its offer, build relationships with potential customers and create opportunities for further conversation. The key is to bring them together around the same commercial proposition, rather than treating them as isolated marketing tasks.
For businesses, that means starting with some straightforward questions. What problem does your product or service solve? Who is most likely to need that solution? And what makes your offer worth paying for? Clear answers can help shape the messages shared through LinkedIn content, the subjects covered in newsletters and the focus of events.
This approach also offers a more useful way to judge LinkedIn activity. Instead of asking only whether a post received likes or comments, businesses can consider whether their communications are reaching the right people and helping them understand the value on offer.
LinkedIn can be an important part of a sales strategy, but it cannot make an unclear proposition compelling by itself. Before changing the posting schedule or chasing higher engagement, businesses may want to review the foundations of their offer and how each part of their marketing supports it.
Dean Seddon’s comments were issued in London on 15 October 2026.


