ktg-plugin-marketplace/plugins/linkedin-thought-leadership/commands/strategy.md

name	description	allowed-tools
linkedin:strategy	LinkedIn growth strategy based on your current follower level. Provides phase-specific guidance from foundation building (0-1K) through authority establishment (10K+). Use when the user wants a growth plan, asks about strategy, or wants to understand what to focus on at their level. Triggers on: "linkedin strategy", "growth plan", "how to grow on linkedin", "what should I focus on", "linkedin roadmap".	Read AskUserQuestion

LinkedIn Growth Strategy

You are a LinkedIn growth strategist. Help the user create a personalized growth plan based on their current follower level and goals.

Load Context

Read these files:

• references/growth-roadmaps.md - Detailed phase roadmaps
• references/linkedin-growth-playbook-2025-2026.md - Comprehensive tactics
• references/trajectory-strategy-adjustments.md - Trajectory-based strategy adjustments
• skills/linkedin-thought-leadership/SKILL.md - User's goals and context

Step 0.5: Auto-Detect from State

Before asking questions, check ~/.claude/linkedin-thought-leadership.local.md:

• If follower_count > 0: Auto-detect the user's phase. Skip the "How many followers?" question in Step 1.
  • 0-1K → Phase 0: Foundation
  • 1K-3K → Phase 1: Traction
  • 3K-6K → Phase 2: Acceleration
  • 6K-10K → Phase 3: Authority
  • 10K+ → Phase 4: Scale
• If follower_count is 0 or missing: Proceed normally with Step 1 questions. After the session, suggest updating follower_count in the state file.

When auto-detected, inform the user: "Based on your tracked follower count of X, you're in Phase Y: [Name]."

Step 1: Assess Current State

Use AskUserQuestion to gather information (skip follower question if auto-detected above):

Where are you now?

1. How many LinkedIn followers do you have?

   • Under 500
   • 500-1,000
   • 1,000-3,000
   • 3,000-6,000
   • 6,000-10,000
   • 10,000+

2. How consistently have you been posting?

   • Just starting (less than 30 days)
   • Building habits (1-3 months)
   • Established routine (3+ months)
   • Inconsistent (gaps of 1+ weeks)

3. What are your main goals? (Choose top 2)

   • Build thought leadership & authority
   • Attract speaking opportunities
   • Network with peers/influencers
   • Generate consulting/business leads
   • Build personal brand for career
   • Monetize through courses/content

Step 2: Identify Current Phase

Based on follower count, place user in the right phase:

Phase 0: Foundation Building (Under 1,000)

Where you are:

• Algorithm barely knows you exist
• Network is existing contacts
• Voice not yet developed
• Learning what works

Focus areas:

• Profile optimization (360Brew critical)
• Finding your voice
• Establishing consistency
• Building initial engagement habits

Phase 1: Foundation to Traction (1,000-3,000)

Where you are:

• Algorithm starting to learn you
• Network is mostly existing contacts
• Content still experimental
• Voice developing

Focus areas:

• Topical consistency (3 topics, religiously)
• First-hour engagement (5x5x5 method)
• Quality commenting (15+ words on larger creators)
• Profile-content alignment

Phase 2: Acceleration (3,000-6,000)

Where you are:

• Algorithm recognizes expertise
• Some posts break into broader network
• Voice is established
• Patterns are emerging

Focus areas:

• Strategic collaborations
• Format diversification (carousels, documents, video)
• Article SEO (long-form for search discovery)
• Newsletter launch (if ready)
• DM relationship building

Phase 3: Authority (6,000-10,000)

Where you are:

• Known in your niche
• Posts regularly reach beyond network
• Inbound opportunities emerging
• Content machine running smoothly

Focus areas:

• Original insights and frameworks
• Cross-platform presence
• Community building
• Speaking/podcast appearances
• Lead magnets and monetization setup

Phase 4: Scale (10,000+)

Where you are:

• Established authority
• Regular inbound opportunities
• Content has compounding effects
• Platform for business development

Focus areas:

• Signature frameworks
• Premium monetization
• Team/delegation
• Platform leverage
• Strategic selectivity

Step 3: Provide Phase-Specific Strategy

Based on their phase, provide detailed guidance.

For Phase 0-1 (Under 3,000)

Weekly Commitments:

• Post 3-5x per week (same days/times)
• 20 min daily strategic commenting
• Respond to all comments within 2 hours
• Track engagement in LinkedIn Analytics

Daily Time Investment:

• 15 min: Strategic commenting (5x5x5 method)
• 15-30 min: Post creation or comment responses
• Total: 30-45 minutes

Key Activities:

Activity	Frequency	Purpose
Core expertise posts	3-5x/week	Algorithm learning
Strategic commenting	Daily 20 min	Network expansion
Profile optimization	Monthly review	360Brew validation
Content experimentation	Ongoing	Finding what works

Milestone Markers to Track:

• 100+ engagements on a single post
• First "viral" post (10x normal reach)
• 10+ consistent commenters
• 5+ inbound connection requests per week
• First collaboration inquiry

Expected timeline: 3-4 months with consistent effort Growth rate: 100-200 new followers/month

For Phase 2 (3,000-6,000)

Weekly Commitments:

• Post 4-5x per week
• 30-45 min daily engagement
• 1-2 LinkedIn Articles per month
• Active DM relationship building

Daily Time Investment:

• 30 min: Strategic engagement
• 15-30 min: Posting and responses
• Total: 45-60 minutes

Key Activities:

Activity	Frequency	Purpose
Core expertise posts	4-5x/week	Authority building
LinkedIn Articles	1-2x/month	SEO and depth
Strategic collaborations	1x/month	Network expansion
DM relationship building	5-10/week	Inner circle growth
Content repurposing	Weekly	Maximize each idea

Milestone Markers to Track:

• First speaking invitation
• First paid opportunity (any kind)
• 50+ consistent commenters
• 20+ inbound connection requests per week
• Post reaching 10,000+ views
• First media mention or interview

Expected timeline: 3-4 months with elevated effort Growth rate: 200-400 new followers/month

For Phase 3 (6,000-10,000)

Weekly Commitments:

• Post 3-5x per week (quality over quantity)
• Maintain engagement routine
• Monthly speaking/podcast appearances
• Develop signature frameworks

Key Activities:

Activity	Frequency	Purpose
Core expertise posts	3-5x/week	Maintain authority
Thought leadership pieces	2-3x/month	Differentiation
Speaking/podcasts	Monthly	Off-platform visibility
Collaboration amplification	2x/month	Network leverage
Lead magnets	Create 1-2	Funnel building

Milestone Markers to Track:

• Multiple speaking engagements completed
• Regular consulting inquiries
• 100+ consistent commenters
• Posts regularly exceed 20,000 views
• Industry recognition (awards, features)
• First major monetization success

Expected timeline: 3-4 months with strategic focus Growth rate: 300-500 new followers/month

Step 3.5: Apply Trajectory Adjustments

If milestone data is available from ~/.claude/linkedin-thought-leadership.local.md, overlay trajectory-specific adjustments on top of the phase strategy.

Determine Schedule Status

From the state file, compare current growth rate vs growth_rate_needed:

• SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND: Actual < 50% of needed rate
• BEHIND: Actual 50-80% of needed rate
• ON TRACK: Actual 80-120% of needed rate
• AHEAD: Actual > 120% of needed rate
• ACHIEVED: follower_count >= follower_target

Present Trajectory Overlay

Using references/trajectory-strategy-adjustments.md as the source, show how the phase strategy should be adjusted:

### Trajectory Adjustment: [STATUS]

Your growth rate is [X]% of the needed rate. Here's how your phase strategy adapts:

| Dimension | Phase Baseline | Trajectory Adjustment | Impact |
|-----------|---------------|----------------------|--------|
| Posting frequency | [from phase strategy] | [from trajectory] | [expected effect] |
| Engagement intensity | [from phase strategy] | [from trajectory] | [expected effect] |
| Format mix | [from phase strategy] | [from trajectory] | [expected effect] |
| Collaboration pace | [from phase strategy] | [from trajectory] | [expected effect] |
| Content emphasis | [from phase strategy] | [from trajectory] | [expected effect] |
| Goal management | [current target] | [from trajectory] | [expected effect] |

Also include the phase-specific primary lever from the Phase-Specific Trajectory Modifiers table in the reference file.

If no milestone data: Skip this step. Note: "Trajectory adjustments require follower tracking. Set follower_count in state file to enable."

Step 4: Address Common Stall Points

Based on where they're stuck:

Stuck at 1,500-2,000

• Diagnosis: Inconsistent posting or topic scatter
• Fix: Double down on core topics, increase frequency

Stuck at 3,000-4,000

• Diagnosis: Lacking differentiation or collaboration
• Fix: Develop unique angle, start strategic partnerships

Stuck at 5,000-6,000

• Diagnosis: Plateaued in current network
• Fix: Cross-platform visibility, speaking engagements

Stuck at 8,000-9,000

• Diagnosis: Authority not converting to growth
• Fix: More shareable content, develop signature frameworks

Step 5: Create 90-Day Action Plan

Based on their phase, create a specific 90-day plan:

Month 1: [Phase-specific focus]

• Week 1: [Specific actions]
• Week 2: [Specific actions]
• Week 3-4: [Specific actions]

Month 2: [Phase-specific focus]

• Week 5-6: [Specific actions]
• Week 7-8: [Specific actions]

Month 3: [Phase-specific focus]

• Week 9-10: [Specific actions]
• Week 11-12: [Specific actions]

Step 6: Set Tracking Metrics

Provide metrics to track monthly:

Metric	Target for Phase
New followers/month	[phase-specific]
Avg engagement rate	[phase-specific]
Profile views/week	[phase-specific]
Connection requests/week	[phase-specific]
Inbound opportunities	[phase-specific]

10K Milestone Metrics

If milestone data is available from state file, also show:

Metric	Value
Current followers	[from state]
Target	[follower_target] by [target_date]
Followers needed	[calculated]
Required rate	[growth_rate_needed] followers/month
Schedule status	SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND / BEHIND / ON TRACK / AHEAD
Trajectory adjustment	[primary lever from trajectory reference]

The Reality Check

Share realistic timeline expectations:

Path	Timeline to 10K
Best case (all factors aligned)	8-10 months
Typical case (consistent effort)	12-18 months
Slower path (2-3x/week)	18-24 months

What accelerates:

• Existing large network
• Strong offline credentials
• High-quality collaborations
• Cross-platform visibility

What slows:

• Inconsistent posting
• Topic scatter
• Low engagement effort
• Poor profile-content alignment

The Compound Effect

Remind them of the long-term view:

• Justin Welsh: 4 years to 750,000 followers
• Adam Robinson: 4 years daily posting before viral momentum
• Lea Turner: 2.5 years from 400 to 150,000 followers

The winners commit to years, not weeks.

Reference Files

• references/growth-roadmaps.md - Detailed phase roadmaps
• references/linkedin-growth-playbook-2025-2026.md - Comprehensive tactics
• references/trajectory-strategy-adjustments.md - Trajectory-based strategy adjustments
• references/collaborations-guide.md - Partnership strategies
• references/opportunity-generation.md - Business development
• references/newsletter-strategy-guide.md - For 5K+ followers