Getting Your First Fractional Clients on LinkedIn

## The Cold Start Problem You've decided to go fractional. You've updated your profile. Now you're staring at LinkedIn wondering how to find clients without looking desperate. The honest truth: your first few clients probably won't come from LinkedIn. They'll come from your existing network—former colleagues, old bosses, people who already know your work. LinkedIn accelerates what comes after. But you still need a strategy. Here's what actually works. ## Week 1-2: The Audit Before you post anything, do an inventory: **Your existing connections:** - How many are founders, CEOs, or hiring managers? - How many work at companies that might need fractional help? - Who have you lost touch with that you should reconnect with? **Your content history:** - What have you posted before? (Delete anything embarrassing) - What topics do you actually have expertise in? - What questions do people already ask you? **Your competition:** - Search for other fractional [your role] on LinkedIn - What are they posting? What gets engagement? - What gaps can you fill? ## The Warm Outreach Campaign Before you try to attract strangers, work your existing network. **Step 1:** Make a list of 50 people who might hire you or refer you. **Step 2:** Send a simple, honest message: "Hey [Name], hope you're well. Quick update—I've gone fractional and I'm working with [type of company] as a part-time [role]. If you know anyone who might need help with [specific problem], I'd appreciate an intro. Happy to return the favour." No pitch. No pressure. Just information and a soft ask. **Step 3:** Follow up with anyone who engages. Offer a call, not a sales pitch. ## The Content Strategy (Simple Version) You don't need to post every day. You need to post things that demonstrate expertise. **The 3-2-1 weekly rhythm:** - **3 comments** on posts by your ideal clients or their peers - **2 shares or reposts** of relevant industry content with your take - **1 original post** sharing something you've learned or done This takes 30 minutes a day maximum. Consistency matters more than volume. ## What to Post Forget viral content. Focus on useful content. **Post types that work for fractional executives:** 1. **The "here's what I did" post** - Describe a specific problem you solved for a client (anonymised) - Explain the approach - Share the outcome - No bragging, just information 2. **The "here's what I learned" post** - Something surprised you in your fractional work - A mistake you made and how you fixed it - A pattern you've noticed across clients 3. **The "here's how to" post** - A framework or process you use - Step-by-step instructions for something your clients struggle with - A checklist or template 4. **The "hot take" post** (use sparingly) - A contrarian opinion about your industry - Something you think people are doing wrong - Only post these if you genuinely believe them ## The Comment Strategy Commenting is underrated. A thoughtful comment on a founder's post puts you on their radar without the awkwardness of sliding into DMs. **Good comments:** - Add something the post didn't mention - Share a relevant experience - Ask a genuine question **Bad comments:** - "Great post!" - "Totally agree!" - Anything that's really just a pitch for your services ## The DM Approach Cold DMs can work, but most people do them wrong. **What doesn't work:** - "I help companies like yours grow revenue by 300%..." - Long messages about your services - Pitching before you've built any rapport **What works:** - Responding to something specific they posted - Asking a genuine question about their business - Offering something helpful with no strings attached Example: "Hey [Name], saw your post about scaling your sales team. I worked through the same challenge at [similar company]. Happy to share what worked and what didn't if useful—no pitch, just been there." ## Tracking What Works Keep a simple spreadsheet: - Posts: What you posted, engagement, any DMs or conversations it generated - Outreach: Who you contacted, their response, next steps - Conversations: Who you've spoken with, where they are in their decision process After 30 days, you'll start seeing patterns. Double down on what works. ## The Timeline Reality **Month 1:** You'll feel like nothing is happening. This is normal. **Month 2-3:** You'll start getting engagement. Maybe a few conversations. **Month 3-6:** If you're consistent, you'll land your first LinkedIn-sourced client. Most people quit after month 1. That's why there's opportunity for those who stick with it. ## The Compounding Effect LinkedIn works through compounding. Every post, comment, and connection adds up. A post from 6 months ago might land you a client today because someone just discovered your profile. This is why consistency beats intensity. One post a week for a year beats posting daily for two months then stopping. ## What Not to Do - Don't buy followers or engagement - Don't use automation tools to send mass DMs - Don't post content that's obviously generated by AI without your input - Don't pretend to have clients you don't have - Don't bash your competition The fractional world is small. Reputation travels fast.