If I see one more 'We are thrilled to announce' post on LinkedIn, I’m going to lose it. And frankly, so are your potential clients in Brisbane.
Most business owners approach LinkedIn like a digital brochure. They post stiff, corporate updates that sound like they were written by a legal department in 1995. It’s boring, it’s invisible, and it’s a waste of your marketing budget. In 2026, thought leadership isn't about being 'professional' in the traditional sense; it’s about having a pulse and a point of view.
The Death of the 'Corporate Voice'
Here is a hard truth: people don't follow companies; they follow people. If your LinkedIn strategy consists of sharing your company’s latest blog link with a generic caption, you are shouting into a void.
The algorithm—and more importantly, the human brain—is now tuned to ignore corporate speak. To win, you need to stop posting like a firm and start posting like a person who actually knows their stuff.
Quick Win #1: The 'Unpopular Opinion' Post
Every industry has a 'best practice' that is actually total rubbish. As a business owner, you know what these are.
Maybe you’re a builder in South East Queensland who knows that certain 'sustainable' materials don't actually hold up in our humidity. Or maybe you’re an accountant who knows that a specific tax 'hack' circulating on TikTok is a one-way ticket to an audit.
Action: Write a post that starts with: "Everyone says [Common Industry Advice] is the way to go. Here is why they are wrong."
Being contrarian isn't about being a jerk; it’s about showing you have deep enough expertise to see through the fluff. This is how you build actual authority.
Quick Win #2: Stop the 'Omnichannel' Laziness
One of the biggest mistakes I see Brisbane SMEs make is taking a video meant for Instagram Reels and slapping it onto LinkedIn with the same caption.
LinkedIn is a different context. People are there to learn, to solve business problems, or to be inspired in their careers. When you stop cross-posting garbage, you force yourself to write for the platform.
Action: If you have a video, don't just post it. Write a 200-word 'Executive Summary' above it. Tell the reader exactly what the takeaway is so they don't even have to watch the video to get value from you. That is how you respect a busy professional's time.
Quick Win #3: The 'Behind the Curtain' Reality
Thought leadership isn't just about your wins. It’s about your process.
Share a mistake you made this week. Share a difficult conversation you had with a supplier. Share the messy reality of scaling a business in Queensland’s current economic climate. This creates 'relatability equity.' When you eventually ask for a sale, your audience trusts you because they’ve seen the real version of your business, not just the polished, fake one.
Moving Past the Ego Metrics
I’ve seen accounts with 50,000 followers struggle to generate a single lead, while accounts with 800 followers are booking three discovery calls a week. Why? Because the latter is focusing on the right people, not the most people.
You have to look past the 'likes' and 'shares.' In our experience, high-engagement 'fluff' (like polls about coffee) actually hurts your brand because it trains the algorithm to show your content to people who like polls, not people who buy your services. You need to focus on measuring social ROI based on meaningful conversations and inbound enquiries.
Your 48-Hour LinkedIn Challenge
Don't overthink this. You don't need a professional film crew or a ghostwriter. You need a phone and an opinion.
1. Identify a common pain point your customers mentioned this week. 2. Write a post explaining how to solve it, using plain Australian English (no jargon!). 3. Tag a peer or a client and ask for their specific take on your solution. 4. Reply to every single comment with a thoughtful follow-up question.
LinkedIn is a two-way street. If you treat it like a megaphone, people will eventually walk away. If you treat it like a boardroom table or a networking event at the local pub, you’ll find your tribe—and your next big contract.
Ready to get serious about your digital presence?
If you're tired of shouting into the void and want a social strategy that actually moves the needle for your Brisbane business, let’s talk. At Local Marketing Group, we cut through the fluff and focus on what works. Contact us today to start building real authority.