Is LinkedIn Really Working for Your Business? An Honest Look at ROI and Value

If we’re being honest, how well does LinkedIn work for you from a business perspective?

How many leads are generated? How much sales can be attributed to your activity?

Most importantly, how many clients can you directly trace to LinkedIn?

Let’s start with one of LinkedIn’s biggest strengths: thought leadership.

LinkedIn is an excellent space to share insights, offer advice, and demonstrate expertise. People who follow your content can get a sense of who you are and what you stand for, which is invaluable for building a personal brand.

Many professionals have successfully positioned themselves as thought leaders through consistent, high-quality posts on LinkedIn, and it’s clear that this type of presence can attract attention and open doors.

But for many others, the return on investment is fuzzy.

However, here’s the tricky part: while thought leadership is powerful, it doesn’t always translate into direct sales or leads.

It’s often more about “brand building,” creating awareness, and establishing credibility. These are valuable, no doubt, but they’re also intangible.

For a small business owner, consultant, or entrepreneur, time is precious, and every hour spent on LinkedIn ideally needs to contribute to the bottom line.

My Personal Experience with LinkedIn

For myself, LinkedIn has been a valuable tool in certain respects.

I’m very active on the platform—I post regularly, engage with others, and try to foster genuine conversations. I’ve found that this level of engagement has helped me establish brand awareness, which is critical in a competitive market. People know who I am and understand what I do, and I’ve received positive feedback on the insights I share.

But here’s the twist: despite my high activity level, most of my leads don’t actually come from LinkedIn. When I look at my clients, most come via referrals.

I’ve had some clients find me through organic searches, my podcast, or simply word-of-mouth recommendations. LinkedIn is a part of my business ecosystem, but it’s not the main driver of leads or revenue.

There’s value in being present on LinkedIn but can I definitively quantify its success for my business? Not really. The benefits are there, but they’re somewhat indirect and harder to measure.

What Are the Alternatives?

If LinkedIn isn’t directly driving sales, then what’s the alternative? Should you double down on other platforms, or is LinkedIn still worth the investment? Let’s break down a few options:

• While Twitter is a good for real-time engagement and sharing quick insights, it’s often noisy, and the environment can feel polarized or even toxic.

• Reddit offers an environment for in-depth discussions, but it can be a tough space for B2B marketing. You need to bring genuine value, and promotional content is often unwelcome. While some brands find success, it requires a careful approach and significant community involvement.

• Events: Networking events, conferences, and trade shows can be hit-or-miss. When they work, they’re fantastic for creating connections and engaging face-to-face. However, they can also be costly and time-consuming, with no guarantee of immediate ROI.

In other words, there’s no perfect answer.

For me, much of my success comes from relationships, conversations, and  staying active in my industry. It’s about being out there, talking to people, and being open to opportunities.

LinkedIn’s Role in Today’s Digital Landscape

So, where does that leave LinkedIn?

For many, LinkedIn is essential, a place to network, build credibility, and even close sales.

For others, it’s a nice-to-have—a useful tool but not necessarily a primary driver of business. And perhaps that’s the heart of it: LinkedIn’s role in your business depends on how you leverage it and what your expectations are.

If you’re consistently landing clients from LinkedIn, that’s fantastic, and I’d love to know what’s working for you.

But if you’re like many professionals who are active on LinkedIn but unsure of its ROI, maybe it’s time to reassess how you’re using the platform.

Experiment with different types of content, engage more deeply with your audience, or perhaps even scale back and focus on platforms that provide clearer returns.

So, what’s your take? How well does LinkedIn work for you?

Can you directly trace clients or revenue back to your LinkedIn activity, or do you find the ROI a bit murky?

I’d love to hear from others navigating the same questions.

What’s your strategy, and how do you evaluate LinkedIn’s role in your business? Let’s keep the conversation going.