Social selling is everywhere right now, and for good reason. According to LinkedIn, top-performing salespeople are 51% more likely to hit their quota when they engage in it.
So now, everyone’s suddenly a “CEO-founder-LinkedIn-thought-leader.” And maybe you're thinking it’s time to join the trend and post more actively.
The typical pattern on LinkedIn is to use a hook, add bullet points, throw in an emoji, and finish with a CTA. But when everyone’s playing the same game, the feed starts to feel like ChatGPT talking to itself.
"Originality found the number of likely AI-generated posts had spiked 189 percent."
– Kate Knibbs, Writer at Wired
When everyone builds the same AI-generated image of an expert, it doesn’t work.
People don’t remember you.
They don’t want to follow you.
Because LinkedIn isn’t about looking smart. At its best, it’s a space to share how you think, what you’ve lived, and how it shaped your opinions.
At Zmist & Copy, we follow and study founders on LinkedIn who write like humans and have a distinct voice. Most of them fall into four archetypes that make their posting style distinctive and recognizable.
We believe that B2B LinkedIn creators fall into one of the following archetypes:
- Product storyteller
- Industry influencer
- Career coach
- Community leader
Each archetype attracts different people, builds a different kind of trust, and opens different doors. The trick is to know which one feels the most like you and use it as your compass.
Let’s break down each archetype with real B2B founder examples and discover how you can find your voice and become recognizable in the LinkedIn feed.
What’s the thing with archetypes?
People love being categorized, as weird as that might sound. If you were (or still are) a Harry Potter fan, you’ve probably taken a quiz to find out your Hogwarts house.
Most of us know our temperament, zodiac sign, or even our totem animal. But why do we keep doing those quizzes and seeking out patterns?
Because it feels comforting to know where we belong. It gives a sense of structure.
Part of it is pure psychology: we’re wired to see patterns (hello apophenia), and we love personality descriptions that sound relatable (the Forer effect).
But on a deeper level, we look for categories that reflect something about how we see ourselves or how we want to be seen.
That’s why archetypes work. They’re not strict boxes. They’re mirrors, helping us see the traits that already exist in us.
The idea of LinkedIn creator archetypes isn’t new.
The latest version comes from Margo Laz, who defined four types:
- Visionary
- Evangelist
- Guide
- Mentor
Others go further into personality rather than content. Doug Lawson, for example, grouped his clients into:
- The Restless
- The Perfectionist
- The Artist
- The Nice Person
Each of these types has strengths and blind spots, but the point remains: great creators bring their personality to the surface. That’s what makes their content resonate. Their posts reflect them as persons, and that attracts the audience that wants to hear what they’ve got to say.
That’s why defining your archetype isn’t just a fun exercise. It’s a way to make sure your content feels real to you and to others.
Product-, industry-, career-, or community-driven founders
As we mentioned earlier, most strong LinkedIn creators fall into one of four categories based on what they naturally want to talk about. Knowing which one fits you can change everything about how you post.
Let’s walk through them, starting with the most “builder-core” of them all.
The product storyteller
Motivated by: What they’re building and how it works
Focuses on: Product features, milestones, growth charts, internal culture
This type is usually a founder, product lead, or deeply technical person who lives their product. They’re not on LinkedIn to boost their personal brand. Rather, they’re obsessed with solving a problem and can’t stop talking about it.
Their posts sound like:
✔ “Here’s the backend bug we fought for two weeks and finally fixed.”
✔ “Just shipped X. Small feature, big unlock.”
✔ “Here’s what we learned from getting 0 to 100 users.”
They’re not trying to sell the product; they’re explaining it, with clarity and excitement. And that energy is contagious.
For a product storyteller, specific updates are more valuable than vague, feel-good posts. They are proud to share measurable progress that people can understand and trust.
As an example, take Mirko Novakovic, founder of Dash0, an observability platform for monitoring and troubleshooting.
Mirko’s feed is a case study in how to be product-driven without being boring. Here are several types of posts you would see on his profile:
- Deep dives into AI, dev tools, and defense tech that position him as both a builder and thinker
Jake Vygnan, Co-founder and COO of two fast-growing dating platforms, Hily and Taimi, is another great example of a product storyteller in the consumer app space.
What stands out in Jake’s posts:
- New product features that improve UX or simply make users smile
- Trends in the dating app space and user behavior shifts
So, what can we learn from product storytellers?
💡 Share specific wins. “We launched X. It now saves our users 4 hours a week.” Numbers beat adjectives.
💡 Don’t skip the technical stuff. The right audience will love that you go deep. Viral posts don’t bring the clients, but a clear how-to will.
💡 Make the invisible visible. Screenshots of internal dashboards. Bug fixes. Debates in your Slack. The gritty stuff builds trust.
Fun fact: posts with visuals (screenshots, Figma mockups, system diagrams) get more engagement on average, especially when they’re not polished. People love seeing the work in progress, not just the launch post.
To sum up, here are several signs you might be a product storyteller:
- You obsess over user feedback
- You speak in sprints
- You’ve started writing a “shipping log” more than once
- You’d rather explain how something works than talk about “the vision”
Industry influencers
Motivated by: Trends, frameworks, proof of expertise
Focuses on: Deep dives, strategic thinking, case studies, free resources
Industry influencers spot patterns, test frameworks, and share what works. Their target audience is other professionals who want to grow, learn, or improve their expertise in their field.
Their main goal is to make an industry (or even bigger) impact. Their content often reads like the opening of a paid course or a consulting deck, except it’s free.
They usually come from a strong operator background: CFOs, CMOs, GTM leaders, niche consultants. And they earn trust through their expertise.
A great example of an industry influencer is Alyona Mysko, founder & ex-CFO at Fuelfinance.
Alyona is part of a new wave of LinkedIn creators who add attitude to their expertise. Her content is practical and valuable, but that’s not all. She’s also here to make finance sexy (yes, that’s her actual tagline). And she pulls it off.
What makes her content strong (and fun to follow):
- Free resources with real utility (downloadable benchmarks, templates, financial dashboards)
- A bit of humour. She’ll throw in a finance meme or make a joke about CFO life
Alyona understands that credibility doesn’t have to be dry. You can be the smartest in the room and post a meme about budget season.
What we can learn from industry influencers:
💡 Use the “If I were a [role], I’d…” format. This works because it shifts the focus from you to your reader. Example: “If I were a Head of Growth at a B2B SaaS, I’d run this play every quarter.”
💡 Structure your client wins. Don’t just say “we helped a $10M company.” Break it down: Challenge → Action → Result. People trust the process more than promises.
💡Give away useful stuff. Templates, checklists, PDFs, Notion pages — things people would pay for. That generosity builds authority fast.
You might be an industry influencer if:
- You turn client calls into LinkedIn posts with frameworks and bullet points
- You use terms like “playbook,” “benchmark,” or “unit economics”
- You save other creators’ posts to reverse-engineer their structure later
- You don’t care about going viral; instead, you want to be bookmarked
Career coaches
Motivated by: Personal growth, lessons learned, helping others level up
Focuses on: Tactical advice, vulnerable storytelling, milestone reflections
This type of founder on LinkedIn writes from the trenches. They’ve launched things, failed at things, grown through it, and now they want to pass it on. You’ll often see them share the “ugly middle” of their journey, not only the highlights.
Their posts are generous, practical, and often personal, something you definitely saw in your feed: “Here’s what worked. Here’s what didn’t. Here’s what I’d do differently if I were you.”
The first example is Alex Boyd, co-inventor at useAware.co, and co-founder at Wildfront.
Alex writes like someone who’s been burned a few times and now wants to help others avoid the same pain. His content is honest, sharp, and often structured like a short playbook.
What you’ll find on his feed:
- Mini-masterclasses in GTM and sales, often with practical diagrams
- Short-form videos where he explains nuanced topics
His content feels like a coffee chat with a founder who’s a few steps ahead and is willing to share what he has learned.
Another, a bit more relaxed, example is Aleksandr Volodarsky, founder of Lemon.io, an agency that helps hire vetted engineers.
Aleksandr’s style is different: faster, bolder, more “American hustle.” He talks directly to founders and indie entrepreneurs, especially those building alone or with small teams.
His feed is a mix of personal brand building and community leadership:
- Behind-the-scenes updates with an implied lesson in them
- Random funny or touching moments from his personal life
Volodarsky writes in a way that’s easy to scan but hard to ignore, and that’s all while being extremely raw and true to himself.
What we can learn from career coaches:
💡 Tell the truth, even the messy parts. Break down what you did, why you did it, and what changed.
💡 Be generous with your knowledge. The best career coaches don’t gatekeep. They want others to win, too.
💡Don’t be afraid to be too personal. Career is only a part of our lives and personalities, and casual stories from your family life will only add a human side to your profile.
You might be a career coach if…
- You write LinkedIn posts like journal entries
- You’ve shared revenue milestones without bragging
- You’ve documented your “fails” as well as your wins
- You believe entrepreneurship is teachable, but only through experience
Community leader
Motivated by: Community, connections, and relationships
Focuses on: Team updates, interviews, collaborations, celebration posts
Community leaders don’t always follow structure, and that’s their charm. Their posts feel like conversations because they show up to connect, not to teach.
Take as an example Jimmy Daly, co-founder and CEO at Superpath. Jimmy treats LinkedIn like a group chat with the content marketing world.
Here’s what he usually posts.
- Questions to gather info and build connections
- Creator spotlights. He amplifies others more than himself
As his example shows, you don’t need a strategy doc to build a real connection. Show up, tag your people, and let the conversation do the rest.
What we can learn from community leaders:
💡 Tag your team, your users, your clients. Real people drive engagement
💡 Announce your progress, even if it’s not “big”
💡Let your content feel alive. A little chaos is okay if it feels human
Here are some signs that you might be a community leader:
- You tag five people in every post and genuinely mean it
- You treat LinkedIn comments like a group hangout
- You’re always down to organize a meetup (even if just over coffee)
- You write like you talk, typos and all
- You’d rather spotlight your team than center yourself
Are there only 4 types of LinkedIn creators?
Not even close. The four archetypes we’ve shared are just a starting point.
The best creators don’t fit neatly into boxes. Some blend traits from all four. Others break the mold entirely.
Take Dave Harland, Creative Copywriter and Co-Founder at Copy Or Die. One day, he’s making fun of buzzwords. Next, he’s roasting a trend. Then he drops something hilariously random that still goes viral.
Is he teaching? Selling? Reflecting? Joking? Yes.
Does he fit into any one archetype? Not really.
But does he have a recognizable voice? Absolutely.
That’s the point. The goal isn’t to strictly follow a type; it’s to find your tone. Use archetypes to get unstuck or try something new, but your best content will always sound like you.
With that being said, let’s finally see what archetype is closest to your personality.
Want to join the fray? Define your archetype first
Take this 3-minute test to discover whether you’re product-, industry-, career-, or community-driven.
Choose one option per question. Keep track of your answers, and we’ll tell you how to score at the end.
1. What’s your favorite type of LinkedIn post to write (or read)?
A) A product update that explains how something works
B) A breakdown of a framework or market trend
C) A personal story with a clear takeaway
D) A post about your team, client, or event
2. If LinkedIn disappeared tomorrow, where would you put your energy instead?
A) On refining the product or building something new
B) Writing a newsletter or recording a podcast on your niche
C) Coaching others or writing a blog about your journey
D) Hosting meetups or building a private online community
3. You’re at a work dinner. What’s your role at the table?
A) The one explaining a cool feature with a napkin sketch
B) The one discussing the latest macro trends
C) The one telling a story that makes everyone nod (or laugh)
D) The one introducing people and keeping the energy up
4. What gives you the most energy at work?
A) Solving complex product or tech challenges
B) Watching market trends and thinking three steps ahead
C) Helping someone grow or giving useful advice
D) Talking to people and building community
5. You’re most likely to use LinkedIn to…
A) Talk about what you’re building and why
B) Share your expertise and thought process
C) Reflect on your journey and connect through vulnerability
D) Celebrate people, projects, and good vibes
6. Which sentence sounds most like something you’d post?
A) “We just hit 100+ customers — here’s what got us there.”
B) “If I were a CFO today, these would be my 3 top priorities.”
C) “I failed big time on this project. Here’s what I’d do differently.”
D) “Huge thanks to the team for making this happen — you’re the best!”
7. What content format feels most natural to you?
A) Charts, progress updates, dashboards
B) Frameworks, case studies, carousel posts
C) Stories, how-to lists, short videos
D) Photos, shoutouts, behind-the-scenes posts
8. What’s your guilty pleasure on LinkedIn?
A) Reading long technical breakdowns most people skip
B) Bookmarking every smart take you see (but forgetting to read later)
C) Watching people being real and emotional
D) Jumping into fun comment threads with people you barely know
9. Your ideal weekend activity?
A) Building a side project or learning something new
B) Attending an industry event or reading a business book
C) Journaling, hiking, or calling an old friend
D) Hosting a dinner party or going to a community event
Here are the results:
You can also share this quiz with your team or fellow CEOs by downloading it here.
If you got a tie between the two, don’t worry. You can blend archetypes, think of them as your primary and secondary voices. For example:
- Product + Industry = “Deep-tech explainer with strategic punch”
- Career + Community = “Storyteller who builds community”
- Product + Career = “Founder who shares both features and failures”
Most important: Start with self-awareness
You won’t stand out in a flooded LinkedIn feed by copying industry best practices. You stand out by sounding like yourself.
And that starts with knowing what actually matters to you and what keeps you thinking after work hours.
"Content creation is largely a mindset game. Yes, there are systems, formulas, playbooks, etc that help you carry out a long-term strategy. But those are useless without self-awareness."
– Doug Lawson
Whether you're most passionate about your product, your industry, your career, or your people, lean into that. Write from there. That doesn’t mean putting yourself in a box or filtering your content too tightly. It means not wasting time chasing trends that aren’t you.
Our whole approach comes down to this: less focus on "what works in the industry" and more focus on who you are as a person.
If you wish to write content that attracts but lack ideas, here are 8 Content Marketing Examples You’ll Want to Bookmark.
Or, if you don’t have time for that, but still want to grow your audience (and leads) on LinkedIn, drop us a short message, and we’ll help you write LinkedIn posts that reflect you and your business.
