Latest / Solopreneur Sessions with Fexingo: One-Person Businesses, Freelancing, and Independent Work / How a Solopreneur Used a Single LinkedIn Post to Land a Retainer
Transcript
- Lucas: You know what's wild? I was scrolling LinkedIn last week—don't judge—and I saw a post from a freelance brand strategist I follow. She has like, 450 followers. The post was a detailed breakdown of a competitor's rebrand for a mid-market SaaS company. Luna: Okay, I've seen those. Usually they get like, twelve likes and a comment from someone's mom. Lucas: Normally, yeah. But this one had a twist. She tagged the CMO of the company she was analyzing. Not in a show-offy way—more like, 'Hey, I noticed your team did X, here's what I think worked and what I'd do differently.' And within 48 hours, she had a $4,000 per month retainer from that company. Luna: Wait—48 hours? From one post? That's the dream, right? But I'm skeptical. Was it just luck, or was there a method? Lucas: Totally fair. But when I dug into it, there was a clear method. She spent about three hours researching the company's recent brand moves, pulled together a few key data points—engagement drop after the rebrand, a pricing page change that confused customers—and wrote a post that was genuinely useful. The hook was: 'Three things the rebrand got right, and one thing I'd fix.' Luna: That hook is smart. It's not just criticism, it's constructive. And tagging the CMO directly... risky, but if the value is high enough, it works. Lucas: Exactly. And she didn't just tag them and walk away. She engaged in the comments when they replied. The CMO commented something like, 'Interesting read. The pricing thing was intentional, but you make a good point.' Then she replied with a thoughtful follow-up question. That thread became the conversation that led to the retainer. Luna: So the post was the door opener, but the follow-up in the comments sealed the deal. That's a skill in itself. Lucas: Right. And here's the key: she didn't need a big audience. She had under 500 followers. But she targeted the right person. The post got 23 comments, four direct messages, and one retainer. That's a 4% conversion rate from post views—way higher than cold outreach. Luna: I love that. It's like the anti-cold email. Instead of blasting a generic pitch to a hundred people, you put one piece of valuable work out in public where your ideal client can see it. Lucas: Exactly. And it works especially well for solopreneurs because you're not a faceless agency. You're a person with a specific point of view. That authenticity is hard to replicate at scale. Luna: Okay, but let's talk about the risk. What if the CMO had gotten defensive? Or ignored her? Could that have backfired? Lucas: Sure, but the way she framed it was respectful. She led with what they got right. The 'one thing I'd fix' was couched as an observation, not a critique. And she had data to back it up. So if they ignored her, fine—she still had a useful post that other people might engage with. The downside is minimal. Luna: So the bar for 'valuable enough to tag a CMO' is pretty high. You can't just do this with any random company. You need to do your homework. Lucas: Absolutely. She spent three hours researching. That's a big upfront investment for a single post. But if you land a $4,000 retainer, that's $1,333 per hour. Pretty good return. Luna: And the post lives on. It's not like a cold email that disappears. Months later, someone could discover it and reach out. So the ROI compounds. Lucas: That's the beauty of it. Now, I want to break down exactly what made that post work, because there's a formula here that any solopreneur can adapt. Luna: Yeah, let's do it. What was the hook? Give me the exact wording if you remember. Lucas: She opened with: 'I've been watching 's rebrand rollout for three months. Here's what I think they nailed—and one blind spot.' Then she listed three specific things: the logo simplification, the color palette shift toward accessibility, and the tone of voice in their product copy. The blind spot was their pricing page, which she argued created confusion because it didn't align with the new premium positioning. Luna: That's concrete. She's not saying 'great job,' she's giving specific, actionable observations. That's the kind of thing a CMO would actually read. Lucas: Exactly. And she included a screenshot of the old versus new pricing page, with annotations. That visual made it real. A CMO scrolling LinkedIn stops at a screenshot like that. Luna: So the post itself is a mini case study. It demonstrates her expertise without her having to say 'I'm an expert.' Lucas: Right. And then the call to action was subtle. She ended with: 'I'm curious what others think—especially anyone who's gone through a similar rebrand. Drop your thoughts below.' That invited conversation, not a sales pitch. Luna: And then she tagged the CMO directly. How did she phrase that? Lucas: She wrote: 'Shout out to and the team for taking a bold swing. Would love to hear your perspective on the pricing decision.' It was a compliment, not a challenge. That made it easy for the CMO to engage without feeling put on the spot. Luna: Okay, so the strategy is clear: do deep research, lead with value, be specific, and invite dialogue. But I'm wondering—how do you choose which company to target? Not every CMO will engage. Lucas: Great question. She told me she picked this company because they had recently raised a Series A, so they were in growth mode and likely had budget for brand work. Also, the rebrand had been controversial in the design community—people had opinions. So she knew there was already a conversation happening. She just added a fresh angle. Luna: So you're looking for companies that are in a visible transition, have budget, and where the topic is already being discussed. That's smart targeting. Lucas: Exactly. And she didn't just pick any CMO. She picked the one at the company she wanted to work with. She had a specific retainer in mind: brand messaging for their new product line. So the post was a foot in the door for that exact opportunity. Luna: I think a lot of solopreneurs get stuck on 'I need more followers' or 'I need to post every day.' This flips that. It says: one great post, targeted at one person, can be more effective than a hundred mediocre posts. Lucas: Totally. And I'll add: she didn't just post and pray. She followed up. After the CMO commented, she sent a LinkedIn message—not a pitch, just a thank you and a link to a relevant case study she'd done. That message was what actually led to the call. Luna: So the post was the bait, the comment thread was the conversation starter, and the message was the closer. Three-step funnel, all public or semi-public. Lucas: Exactly. And it's replicable. The hard part is the upfront research. But once you've done it, you can repurpose that post in different formats—turn it into a Twitter thread, a blog post, a slide deck. The work compounds. Luna: I want to push back a little. This worked because she's a brand strategist and the post was about branding. If you're a bookkeeper or a web developer, can you do the same thing? Lucas: I think so, but the format changes. A bookkeeper could analyze a public company's expense reporting or do a breakdown of a startup's burn rate. A web developer could audit a site's performance and share findings. The key is to pick something visible, data-driven, and relevant to the person you're targeting. Luna: So it's about showing your work in a way that's useful to a specific decision-maker. That's the core principle. Lucas: Right. And I want to emphasize: this isn't about going viral. Her post had maybe 2,000 impressions. But the right person saw it. That's all you need. Luna: We talk a lot on this show about systems and automation, but sometimes the most effective thing is just one thoughtful piece of work. Lucas: And that's something I think a lot of solopreneurs undervalue. We get busy with the tactics—the email sequences, the CRM, the content calendar. But the real leverage is in doing something that makes a specific person say, 'I need to talk to you.' Luna: Speaking of which, if you're finding value in these conversations and want to support the show staying ad-free, there's a simple way. You can head to buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. That's a big help in keeping this exactly the kind of space where we can dive into real, unsanitized stories like this one. Lucas: Yeah, we don't do ads for a reason. This show is about honest, no-fluff advice for solopreneurs. If it's moved your work forward in some small way, that link is there. No pressure. Luna: Okay, back to the strategy. Let's talk about the follow-up. She sent a direct message—what exactly did she say? Lucas: She said something like: 'Thanks for engaging on the post. I put together a similar analysis for a client in the HR tech space and it led to a 40% improvement in their messaging clarity. If you're ever evaluating your brand messaging, happy to share more.' That's low-pressure, value-forward, and specific. Luna: So she attached a relevant case study. That's smart because it shows she's done similar work, not just talking theory. Lucas: Exactly. And the CMO replied within a few hours asking for a call. They had a thirty-minute conversation, and by the end of the week, they'd agreed on a retainer for brand messaging for their new product line. Luna: I want to know the specifics of the retainer. $4,000 per month—what does that include? Lucas: She told me it's for three months initially: one month of research and positioning, one month of messaging framework and copy, and one month of refinement and handoff. So $12,000 total, with an option to extend. Luna: That's a solid solopreneur gig. Not huge, but life-changing for someone who's been scraping by on project work. Lucas: And the best part? She now has a case study to share. That post is already generating inbound interest. She's had two other companies reach out asking if she's available. Luna: So the original post keeps working. That's the gift that keeps on giving. Lucas: Right. And I think the takeaway here is: don't underestimate the power of a single, well-crafted piece of content aimed at exactly the right person. You don't need a big audience. You need one decision-maker who sees value. Luna: And the confidence to tag them. That takes guts. Lucas: It does. But if you've done the work, you have every right to share it. Worst case, they ignore you. Best case, you get a retainer. Luna: I'm going to try this. I have a few companies in mind where I've been wanting to work. Might be time to write that post. Lucas: Do it. And let me know how it goes. I'd love to feature your story on a future episode. Luna: Deal. For now, I think we've given our listeners a solid blueprint. Research, create, tag, engage, follow up. Lucas: That's the formula. And remember, the post doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be useful to one person. That's the whole game.