In short
How busy entrepreneurs can use LinkedIn to grow sales, authority, and influence with only ~2 hours/week—by shifting from “post and ghost” to consistent engagement.
Guest
Yesim Saydan, social media expert; Forbes and AgWe featured speaker; LinkedIn Creator Program alum; Google Accelerator mentor; works with global leaders and entrepreneurs.
Key claims
LinkedIn has transformed from a formal CV database into a business-focused social platform where professionals share struggles and mental-health/workplace issues; it’s now “business mode” vs entertainment mode on other platforms. Early adoption of new LinkedIn features boosts reach. Social media success in 2022 is less about creating lots of content and more about being social and replying to comments.
Notable examples/tips
Leave thoughtful comments on 10 targeted people daily (or as often as possible) to be seen and heard; use sincere, value-adding one long sentence. Ring the bell to be notified first when they post. Example comment angle: praising someone for reducing mental-health stigma and encouraging your own story.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOIntroduction of Yassim Saydan
1:31 to 2:25
Yassim shares insights on success and mindset in entrepreneurship.
“and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with.”
Importance of LinkedIn for Entrepreneurs
2:26 to 2:45
Yassim explains why LinkedIn is crucial for modern entrepreneurs.
“to talk about growing your sales, your authority, your influence, how to impact your spending in only two hours a week.”
LinkedIn's Transformation and Opportunity
2:46 to 3:46
Discussion on LinkedIn's evolution and the opportunities it presents.
“through a big transformation and a lot of people have not realized it yet.”
Debunking LinkedIn Myths
3:47 to 4:37
Yassim addresses misconceptions about LinkedIn being just a database.
“So it's so much easier to connect to people for your business than it is on other platforms.”
The Shift in LinkedIn Culture
4:38 to 5:35
The conversation covers changes in LinkedIn's content culture towards openness.
“So now there is a whole division devoted to help creators and they are introducing one feature after another.”
Real Life Engagement on LinkedIn
5:36 to 6:42
Yassim emphasizes the importance of authenticity and real-life stories on LinkedIn.
“Well, you're making a lot of good cases here.”
Moving Away from Formality
6:43 to 8:00
Discussion on the shift from formal to informal conversation on LinkedIn.
“Those executives and higher level successful entrepreneurs talk about it so they make it okay for their teams to talk about it.”
Strategies for Effective LinkedIn Use
12:48 to 14:02
Yassim offers insights on how to use LinkedIn effectively without being overwhelmed.
“And this is one thing that I know a lot of people struggle with.”
Breaking the Post and Ghost Habit
14:02 to 15:29
Learn why simply posting content isn't enough for social media success.
“I noticed that most people, John, they use social media in a way what I call post and ghost.”
Building Strategic Relationships
15:30 to 16:47
Discover how to strategically connect with potential clients and partners.
“and then they post it, and then they're gone.”
Show all 15 chapters
Effective Commenting for Engagement
16:48 to 18:58
Understand how to craft thoughtful comments that build relationships.
“it will have the name of these people, as well as a link to their LinkedIn profile.”
Creating Value Through Genuine Interactions
18:59 to 21:56
Learn how to add value to your comments to increase visibility and trust.
“if you are one of the first who uses this, trust me, you will be the one who keeps on leaving to influencers like John comments.”
Introducing the LinkedIn Accelerator Program
21:57 to 24:35
Explore the benefits of a structured coaching program for LinkedIn success.
“This is just one of many great methods that Yusim just talked about that's going to help you get noticed in this space.”
Final Takeaways and Connecting with Yesim
24:36 to 27:32
Recap key insights and learn how to connect with Yesim for additional resources.
“And, you know, do not be afraid to ask me anything every single week.”
Interview Reflection and Appreciation
28:01 to 29:06
The guest expresses gratitude for the interview and acknowledges the host's supportive influence.
“For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01John Lee Dumas:Light that spark fire nation, JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire brought to you by High Level, the all-in-one sales and marketing platform. On today's classic episode, we'll be breaking down LinkedIn secrets for busy entrepreneurs, how to grow your sales authority and impact with only two hours a week. To drop these value bombs, I brought Yassim Saydan into EO Fire Studios. Yassim is a renowned social media expert, Forbes and AgWe feature speaker, LinkedIn creator program alum, and Google Accelerator mentor, sharing expertise with global leaders. And today we talked about how most people post and ghost.
0:35John Lee Dumas:They create content, but they don't stick around. Even big influencers want comments. They want to be seen and heard and oh, so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Yassim and our sponsors. If you are building a real business, you need real infrastructure. High Level gives you website hosting, funnels, email marketing, automation, calendar booking, payments, and course hosting all on one platform, plus award-winning 24-7 support. Get a 30-day free trial and my full bonus stack that includes a 50-minute private call with me and much more at highlevelfire.com. Highlevelfire.com.
1:08John Lee Dumas:Fire Nation, 50 days will fly right on by. The only question is, will you have something to show for it? I created a free YouTube series called 50 Days to Something, a step-by-step path to build a real product, service, or offer in just 50 focused days. Start today for free at eofire.com slash YouTube. Yasim, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. Hello, Fire Nation. I am so excited to be here. people say you need to work hard to be successful. I say you need to work smart and have a positive mindset. If you believe it will be hard to be successful, that's what you'll get.
2:00But if you believe that you will be successful and you take action every day, you will get success sooner. And more importantly, you will enjoy the journey.
2:12John Lee Dumas:I love that message. And I mean, Fire Nation. It goes so along with what we're talking about today. LinkedIn secrets for busy entrepreneurs because you are busy Fire Nation. You have a lot of things going on. So we're going to talk about growing your sales, your authority, your influence, how to impact your spending in only two hours a week. So let's start off by just breaking down Yusim why. Why is LinkedIn important for entrepreneurs? Wow, there are so many reasons, John. So firstly, LinkedIn went through a big transformation and a lot of people have not realized it yet. So those who do are getting way bigger return on their investment, meaning their time, than any other platform.
3:03It's like Instagram 10 years ago. Secondly, LinkedIn has been around for a long time and it's a trusted platform. You can check people's backgrounds. You can check their testimonials. It has over 800 million users, of which 63 million are decision makers. So all of your potential clients, investors, partners, anyone you connect with is waiting for you there to approach them. And lastly, I would also say that when people are on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, they are more on an entertainment mode. On LinkedIn, they are on business mode. So it's so much easier to connect to people for your business than it is on other platforms.
3:59John Lee Dumas:But why is now the best time? I mean, right, you know, it's 2022. We have a lot of things going on. There's these newer platforms in LinkedIn that are kind of getting a lot of momentum. Why now for LinkedIn? Oh, my God, John, LinkedIn is on a fire now. We should have called this episode LinkedIn on fire. It's literally like Instagram 10 years ago. So, you know, LinkedIn realized how other social media platforms are building features and monetization systems for creators. And they realized that they have really been late to the game. So now there is a whole division devoted to help creators and they are introducing one feature after another.
4:50And just so that everybody knows what we say when we say creators, it's not artists. It's literally anyone who creates content in any form, whether it's audio, photos, text, videos. and you know that like whenever a platform goes through this big transformation or when they introduce a new feature if you are one of the early birds to adopt it and use it the platform always gives you a lot more reach visibility and that is the time for LinkedIn so that's why I I encourage the entire Fire Nation to jump on LinkedIn now.
5:40John Lee Dumas:Well, you're making a lot of good cases here. But, you know, when you talk to most people, pull them off the street, if they know something about social media, let's say, well, isn't LinkedIn just a database? How would you respond to that? Oh, my God. Yes, it was until a few years ago. Now it's competing directly with other social media platforms. So I was selected for LinkedIn's creator program where I get a creator manager I am in touch with on a daily basis. And the one thing she keeps on emphasizing to me is that they want to feature stories of people, especially executives or entrepreneurs who want to talk about their struggles openly.
6:30because LinkedIn really wants to lift the stigma of mental health as well as all of those other issues that are not talked about in the workplace. Those executives and higher level successful entrepreneurs talk about it so they make it okay for their teams to talk about it. And so the entire LinkedIn ecosystem has changed from it being indeed a CV database that was really formal. Now it's really informal. It's still in the business context. But since work is such a big part of our daily lives and the pandemic really shifted how what people want to talk about, LinkedIn really became this social platform where professionals are talking about their struggles, whether they relate to the workplace.
7:37or their personal life where they talk about it openly. They are sharing, they are inspiring others. And sometimes they are just looking for help. And trust me, John, I have seen those posts where somebody is really saying, I hate enough, I can't deal with this anymore. And the community really jumps in. So LinkedIn is really, I would say it's becoming a lot more what we think of Instagram now.
8:07John Lee Dumas:When I think of LinkedIn, if I'm just being honest, the first images that come to mind are suits and ties, high heels, briefcases, very formal. Isn't LinkedIn just a place for formal business conversations? It indeed used to be before LinkedIn realized they really need to change the platform and adopt those new times. Right now, John, like a lot of my clients, they come to me because they say, oh, you know, they had those professional videos made. It's exactly the way you describe and they are not getting traction. So the pandemic really changed the way we want to consume content and the content that we relate to.
8:54If everything is so professional, people can't really relate to it. It sounds really like an advertisement. You know, it's like, you know, people on Instagram who are not showing their real selves, but who are posing as if, you know, they have those Lamborghinis and the Porsche. You know, that's how it comes across now. So on LinkedIn, the more open you are and the more you talk about your daily struggles, you know and it might be related to your business it might be related to when you started your entrepreneur journey or it might even be the struggles you face now um and i have literally even seen people john who talk about their struggles about getting divorced or the custody battles with their exes so not even necessarily work related things but things that happen in their personal life that then impact their business.
9:59And trust me, those are the posts that are getting the most engagement and traction because that is real life. And people really want to, they want to see content that reflects real life on LinkedIn. And the more you show your real self, the more you share your struggles, hopefully, and ended on an inspirational note so people can learn from your experience. Those are the types of content that people consume more and they engage more because they can relate to it. Does that make sense?
10:39John Lee Dumas:It makes sense, Yassim, and you are really changing my mind when it comes to LinkedIn. and Fire Nation, we're going to be talking about specifics, case studies, and so much more when we get back from thanking our sponsors. There are two things I know about you for sure. You're an action taker and you love to learn. Otherwise, you wouldn't be listening to this podcast. So I'm excited to share another source of inspiration I know you're going to love, Blinkist. Blinkist is an app that takes the world's best nonfiction books and breaks them down into 15-minute reads or listens. So whether you're commuting, working out, or in between calls, Blinkist delivers insights you can apply immediately without the week it takes to read a full book.
11:19John Lee Dumas:And get this, there are over 9 ,000 titles available to you on mobile anytime you want, so you can get straight to the key ideas and action points, no fluff. Some of my favorite titles on Blinkist, The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, The One Thing by Gary Keller, The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday, and so many more. So let's get into a new daily learning habit, one 15-minute session at a time. Turn your spare moments into learning moments with Blinkist. Go to Blinkist.com slash fire to start your free trial and lock in an extra 30 % off today. That's Blinkist.com slash fire. Fire Nation, if you are building a real business, you need real infrastructure.
11:59John Lee Dumas:That is why High Level is Entrepreneur on Fire's featured partner. High Level gives you a website builder and hosting, funnels and landing pages, email marketing, appointment scheduling, payment processing, course and membership hosting, and so much more. Everything you need to succeed all under one roof. No duct tape, no juggling five platforms, just one clean system for your business. And their award-winning 24-7 support has your back when you need it most. When you sign up at highlevelfire.com, you also get my exclusive bonus stack, a 30-day free trial, a private 15-minute call with me, JLD.
12:32John Lee Dumas:access to my weekly live office hours, a digital copy of my book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, my 50 Days to Something Execution Roadmap, and more. Visit highlevelfire.com and start building your something today. So you see, we're back. And this is one thing that I know a lot of people struggle with. It's time. I mean, we're busy people. We have this going on. We have kids. We have families. We have vacations. We have work. We have health. We have finances. We have all these things we're always seeming to deal with. We're juggling all these things. The last thing people really need is another thing to do.
13:10John Lee Dumas:Isn't LinkedIn, especially doing it the right way, going to require a lot of our time? John, it can be if you don't use it strategically. That's why I recommend all entrepreneurs to work with a LinkedIn strategist who can develop a clear action plan for them to follow to meet their business goals. I mean, I have to be honest here. Keeping up with social media algorithms is a full-time job. So it's even challenging for me. I cannot imagine how entrepreneurs would be able to keep up with all of those changes besides their business. And most of my clients come to me when they are completely overwhelmed.
13:54because they have spent a lot of money and time having those professional videos made and they don't get much traction. So they conclude LinkedIn doesn't work. My approach is very different. I noticed that most people, John, they use social media in a way what I call post and ghost. So they focus all of their time and energy on content creation and then they go away. In 2022, in my experience, social media success is not about creating content. So stop driving yourself crazy about trying to, you know, find the time to create content for all platforms every single day. In my experience, the reason my clients are getting so much success as well as myself is because we are more about being social and making our ideal clients feel seen and heard.
15:07So it's really a lot more about being social and interacting with each other than creating tons of content every day. Does it make sense, John, before I would give a more precise example?
15:24John Lee Dumas:Yes. I mean, the don't post a ghost line, Fire Nation, it just makes so much sense. I mean, people spend so much time working on content and this image and these words, and then they post it, and then they're gone. They're gone. They never come back. They never interact with the comments, and they never interact with their customers and their clients and the people who are consuming this content. And then you did mention some specifics and some case studies you're going to go over. So let's get into real life case studies and examples of how you help your entrepreneurial clients. John, I would also love to give a specific tip for Fire Nation so they can start implementing it right away.
16:05So I want them to make a list of 10 people they want to build a relationship with this week, this month, because I want them to be strategic. I want them to focus only on those 10 people. Now, this can be a list of their potential clients. It can be a list of influencers they want to connect with. It can be a list of potential business partners, whatever they want to build, whoever they want to build a relationship with, that is the list I want them to create and focus on for this month. Now, they need to put this into a document, whether that's your phone notes or Google Doc, it will have the name of these people, as well as a link to their LinkedIn profile.
17:02So step two, every single day. And if you can't do it every day, don't worry as often as you can. You will refer to this document and you will click on the link that takes you to that person's LinkedIn profile. And you're going to be leaving a comment that is really well thought of. Now, before I tell you how to leave the best comments, which really means the most to those people, let me tell you what this is going to accomplish. It's going to show them that you took the time to read their content. Now, that means that you are giving them the attention. You are making them feel seen and heard.
17:56And I bet, John, you can relate that even as a big influencer that you are, sometimes you also wonder if people are going to be commenting on your post. So even if somebody is a big influencer like John, they still want to see, you know, that people are leaving comments to them. They still want to be seen and heard because they are humans. So if you literally do this, every single day or as often as you can, trust me, even big influencers start to notice. So that is a great way to start building a relationship with others. And I will give you a ninja tip here. If you ring the bell, which is also a new feature on LinkedIn, the bell next to the picture of that person, you will be the first person who will be notified when they create content.
18:58And because it's a new feature and because very few people noticed it, if you are one of the first who uses this, trust me, you will be the one who keeps on leaving to influencers like John comments. You're going to be the first one who is leaving the comment. So they will really start noticing your name. And that's going to start, you know, the relationship in a really positive way and they will start noticing you. Now, which kind of command should you leave so that it's not going to take all of your time and it's going to give the best impression? What I suggest is that you leave them a command that's going to be at least one long sentence.
19:47what it needs to do is to add value and I found that the best way to add value is by giving them a compliment in a way that shows them that you read their post you thought about it and now you are giving them a compliment in a way that sounds really sincere and it also needs to be sincere Trust me, if you really try to be not genuine, it is going to show. So if you don't feel like complimenting the person, if you don't respect them, I would say don't do it. But if you really resonated with that post and let's say that person has shared something really vulnerable that they went through depression during the pandemic or they went through a depression when they went through a divorce, things like that.
20:48a great comment you can leave them would be how you believe that this person is being a good role model for eliminating stigma about mental health, that they encouraged you to share your own story because you realize that them sharing their story, it helped you see that you are not alone. So things like that, you're going to see it's going to give you a lot of visibility. And even if some people will not engage on LinkedIn, trust me, they will start following you and you're going to start building that trust relationship with those people because they see you are honest. You were yourself and you have connected to their heart.
21:40that I find very, very valuable. Would you agree, John?
21:44John Lee Dumas:I would agree with all of this. This is the process to go through Fire Nation. I mean, I see every day who's commenting on my Instagram post, who's commenting on my Facebook post. I mean, believe me, people notice. This is just one of many great methods that Yusim just talked about that's going to help you get noticed in this space. And you kind of talk about this and more, of course, a lot more in your LinkedIn Accelerator program. So let's end with having you give us a breakdown about what this program is and why Fire Nation should be excited about it. Amazing. So actually I offer two types of services, John.
22:22So the first one is done for you where my clients can just sit and relax while me and my team do all the necessary work for them to reach their business goals. So this is really for those very busy professionals, the very successful entrepreneurs who really don't want to learn, you know. And so the only thing they will need to do is to have a meeting at the very beginning so I can understand their business goals and convert them to LinkedIn goals and set the KPIs that matter to them. So that's one way of working with me. The second way is the LinkedIn Accelerator for Lead Generation and Authority Building that you just mentioned.
23:15That is my coaching program. And the reason my clients are getting incredible results from this program is because I combined the best of one-on-one coaching programs and group programs and came up with a unique structure, John. because I have attended so many group programs where I was very frustrated that I could not ask questions because, you know, there were thousands of people in those programs, John. So and I, you know, yeah, you really want to make sure you have access to the person that really knows this best. So the way I structured those is that they have accountability from the group as well as myself.
24:10They have support from me, my team, as well as the small group of students, and they get one-on-one attention. So they have access to an online course they can study at their own time. And then they have access to me, me personally. And I promise I do not put my team on those calls. I help you personally myself. And you have access to me every single week via the calls where you can ask me anything. Anything. And, you know, do not be afraid to ask me anything every single week. I want to make sure you succeed. I want to make sure you get unstuck. So the reason I created this in a really small group structure is so that you are not afraid to ask me any questions you have so that you really become one of my next big case studies.
25:15So yeah, that's my goal, John.
25:18John Lee Dumas:That's a great goal. And Fire Nation, I hope you have a goal of becoming one of Yassim's next great case studies. And who knows, it could be a conversation we're having later on Entrepreneurs on Fire. So Yasim, you've shared so much value. Give us one final takeaway from the entire episode, a last call to action about how we can connect with you, and then we'll say goodbye. Oh God, this is so difficult to say goodbye. I first of all love really Fire Nation and John, the community that you have built. I really hope they will take advantage of the LinkedIn Accelerator program. But I have created two gifts for them.
26:03So the way they can access those gifts are either they can Google my name. So yes, I'm Saidan and they can find my LinkedIn profile and connect to me there. Or the easier way, I believe, would be my Instagram, which is www.instagram.com slash your social media expert, which is my company name. So Y-O-U-R, social media expert altogether. And if you DM me the word entrepreneurs on fire or EOF, I have two special gifts that I created for the Fire Nation community that are completely free. And more importantly, trust me, they will take your LinkedIn game to the next level. So those are my gifts for you.
27:04And if you like what I shared and if you'd like to work with me, then we can always have this conversation on LinkedIn or Instagram. But please take advantage of those free resources. so then you will think of me and you will remember this episode with John and you will say, oh my God, I am so happy that Yesim encouraged us to take action because I see what she's talking about.
27:35John Lee Dumas:Well, thank you for your energy today, Yesim. And thank you for just sharing so much value because Fire Nation knows that they're the average of the five people they spend the most time with. And you've been hanging out with YS and JLD today. So keep up the heat, Fire Nation. And if you head over to eofire.com and type Y-E-S-I-M in the search bar, the show notes page will pop up with everything that we've talked about here today. And thank you, Yasin, for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side. Thank you, John.
28:11It was such an honor to be here. And did you know that you have a reputation for being the very, very helpful and supportive influencer? I keep on seeing your name in everyone's books. Call it Russell Brunson or, you know, really so many people. Whenever I read their books, I see your name that they reached out to you. and you were one of the first influencers that went out of their way to help them. So I am so honored by being interviewed by someone who is so kind and supportive. And thank you so much for having me.
28:55John Lee Dumas:Well, first off, I received that. Thank you for those kind words and for sharing that with Fire Nation is very meaningful as well. So I much appreciate it. And we will catch you on the flip side. Hey, Fire Nation, Today's value bomb content was brought to you by Yasim and Fire Nation. What can 3 ,000 of the world's most successful entrepreneurs teach you? How about how to achieve financial freedom and fulfillment? My first traditionally published book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success, is a revolutionary 17-step roadmap that will lead you to the lifestyle that you've been dreaming about. This book took me 10 years of accumulating the genius of the world's top entrepreneurs, and you can get it all in one place when you visit UncommonSuccessBook.com.
Read the full transcript
29:41John Lee Dumas:I'll catch you there or I'll catch you on the flip side. If you are building a real business, you need real infrastructure. High Level gives you website hosting, funnels, email marketing, automation, calendar booking, payments, and course hosting all on one platform plus award-winning 24-7 support. Get a 30-day free trial and my full bonus stack that includes a 15-minute private call with me and much more at highlevelfire.com, highlevelfire.com. Fire Nation, 50 days will fly right on by. The only question is, will you have something to show for it? I created a free YouTube series called 50 Days to Something, a step-by-step path to build a real product, service, or offer in just 50 focused days.
30:25John Lee Dumas:Start today for free at eofire.com slash YouTube.
30:34Thank you.
From the publisher
From the archive: This episode was originally recorded and published in 2022. Our interviews on Entrepreneurs On Fire are meant to be evergreen, and we do our best to confirm that all offers and URL's in these archive episodes are still relevant.
Yesim Saydan is a renowned social media expert, Forbes- and AdWeek-featured speaker, LinkedIn Creator Program alum, and Google Accelerator mentor sharing expertise with global leaders.
Top 3 Value Bombs
1. On LinkedIn, share your daily struggles, real life content gets the most engagement.
2. Most people post and ghost, they create content but don't stick around.
3. Even big influencers want comments, they want to be seen and heard.
Connect with Yesim on LinkedIn - Yesim's LinkedIn
Sponsors
HighLevel - The ultimate all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, marketers, coaches, and agencies. Learn more at HighLevelFire.com.
50 - Join JLD on his free '50 days to something' video series on YouTube and create something special in 50 days.
Blinkist - Turn your spare moments into learning moments with Blinkist. Go to Blinkist.com/fire to start your free trial and lock in an extra 30 percent off today.
