TL;DR: LinkedIn is the best place to start becoming known for what you know, but you don't own your audience there. Build an email list alongside it with four simple pieces: one useful thing to give away, a place to sign up, a short welcome sequence and one clear next step.
I tell almost every new client the same thing: start on LinkedIn.
If you're launching a B2B business, it's the best place to begin. It's full of professionals who are there for work. It moves slower than other platforms. People are forgiving. You can fix your profile in an afternoon and start posting the same week, with no website, no logo and no budget.
But there's a catch I don't want you to miss.
You don't own any of it.
The problem with building only on LinkedIn
LinkedIn decides who sees your posts. The algorithm changes, and your reach goes up or down with it. Your followers are LinkedIn's audience, and you can't take them with you or reach them directly when it matters most, like the week you open enrollment or launch something new.
That's what people mean when they call social media rented land. It's a great place to be seen. It's a risky place to keep everything you've built.
So don't leave LinkedIn. Build something alongside it that's yours: an email list.
The missing piece
I had this exact conversation with a client recently. She's doing so many things right. She's showing up with content, she's planning workshops and webinars, she's building real relationships. But when we mapped out the whole machine, there was one gap staring back at us. Nobody had a way to raise their hand and stay in touch.
So I told her what I tell a lot of people:
"We need something where people are exchanging their email address and giving it to you as an actual lead."
A workshop is wonderful, but it's really more of a service. Content is wonderful, but it lives on someone else's platform. The email list is what ties it all together.
Why an email list matters
When someone gives you their email address, the relationship changes. You can show up in their inbox on your schedule, not the algorithm's. You can go deeper than a post allows. And when you're ready to offer something, you're talking to people who already raised their hand.
It doesn't need to be big. A small list of the right people is worth more than thousands of followers who scroll right past.
A simple path you can build on your own
A lot of people hear the word "funnel" and picture something complicated and expensive. It doesn't have to be. For a solo expert, it can be four pieces.
1. One useful thing to give away. Something small that solves a real problem for the people you want to work with. A checklist, a short guide, a five-day challenge, a self-assessment. It should connect directly to what you want to be known for, so the people who want it are the people you can help.
2. A place to sign up. A simple landing page with a short form. Name and email. That's it.
3. A short welcome sequence. Three to six emails that deliver what you promised, share a bit of your story and teach something useful. This is where people get to know how you think.
4. One clear next step. At the end, invite them to do one thing: book a call, join a waitlist, buy a starter offer. One option, not five.
Then keep doing what's already working. Keep posting on LinkedIn. And every so often, point people toward the thing you're giving away.
I'm building mine right now
I'm not writing this from the finish line. I'm right in the middle of it.
For a long time, nearly everyone found me through LinkedIn… and here's the funny part. A lot of them found me through my clients' posts. People would reach out to one of my clients and say, "Hey, I noticed you're doing this thing on LinkedIn. Can you teach me how you're doing that?" And my client would say, "Well, I've been working with Anna Marie." Which is really freaking cool. It's also the reason I knew I needed something of my own.
"I need to start… building my community of people who are watching along with what I'm doing."
So here's what I'm building, piece by piece:
- The thing I give away: Out Loud, a free five-day challenge with one small step each day and a workbook to go with it.
- The place to sign up: a simple landing page on my email platform.
- The welcome sequence: one short email each weekday for the challenge, then a couple of follow-ups.
- The next step: a call about my Starter Kit, or a spot on the waitlist for my mastermind.
And you don't need fancy software to start. Most email platforms have a free plan, and you can upgrade when the list earns it.
What comes next: your signature piece
After you've been showing up for a while, something shifts. You've found a voice that sounds like you. You know which posts land and which questions people keep asking. That's when it's time to build your signature piece: something uniquely yours that gives the right people a reason to raise their hands.
Right now, three of my founder clients who've been with me for a year are building theirs. The idea behind each is the same. What each one turned into is completely different:
- An advisor is building an industry benchmark survey for a corner of his industry that doesn't have one yet.
- A consultant kept answering the same questions on calls and in emails, so we're turning those answers into a thought leadership piece people can download.
- A founder shines so bright in person that we're building her a workshop.
Each one is built on what resonated, what everyone kept asking about and who was actually paying attention. Your signature piece doesn't have to be your first freebie. It can grow out of it.
Start smart
Don't wait until you have the perfect lead magnet. Pick one problem your people have, make one small thing that helps, and give it a home where they can sign up. You can make it better later. (I'm still building mine, too.)
LinkedIn is where people find you. Your email list is where they get to know you.
Frequently asked questions
Why is social media called rented land?
Because the platform controls it. LinkedIn decides who sees your posts, changes the rules when it wants and owns the connection to your followers. If your reach drops or the platform changes, you can't take that audience with you.
Do I need an email list if I'm already active on LinkedIn?
Eventually, yes. LinkedIn is great for getting found. An email list gives you a direct relationship you own, so you can reach the people who care about your work on your schedule, not the algorithm's.
How do I start an email list with no audience?
Make one small, useful thing tied to what you want to be known for, put it on a simple sign-up page and mention it in your LinkedIn posts every so often. A small list of the right people is a great start.
What is a lead magnet?
A lead magnet is a free resource people get in exchange for their email address, like a checklist, short guide, challenge or self-assessment. The best ones solve one real problem for the exact people you want to work with.
How many emails should a welcome sequence have?
Three to six is plenty. Deliver what you promised, share a bit of your story, teach something useful and end with one clear next step.
Want to see what this looks like from the inside? Join my free Out Loud challenge. Five days, five small steps toward becoming known for what you know. Start the challenge →