Justin Oberman’s 5-Day LinkedIn Experiment: Shifting from ‘Saying’ to ‘Doing’

In a recent LinkedIn post, Justin Oberman proposes a practical, self-guided experiment for users to understand and potentially improve their engagement with the LinkedIn algorithm. Oberman frames this not as a passive observation, but as an active, five-day challenge to re-evaluate content strategy.

Deconstructing Content: Positioning, Persuasion, Invitation, and Demonstration

Oberman’s core premise revolves around a critical self-assessment of one’s past posts. He outlines a series of questions designed to reveal whether content is effectively connecting with its intended audience. The author suggests examining the last five posts and asking:

“Am I positioning myself above or below my audience?”

This question, according to Oberman, probes the fundamental relationship between the content creator and their audience. He implies that content should aim for a peer-to-peer connection rather than a hierarchical one.

Further refining this self-analysis, Justin Oberman prompts users to consider their communicative intent:

“Am I trying to convince or captivate?”
“Am I announcing or inviting?”
“Am I selling or showing?”

As Oberman points out, the distinction between these pairs is crucial for algorithmic favorability and genuine audience connection. He advocates for a shift away from overt persuasion, simple announcements, or direct sales pitches towards content that captivates, invites interaction, and demonstrates value.

Rewriting for Impact: Simplicity, Excitement, Honesty, and Demonstration

Based on the self-assessment, Oberman provides a clear directive: rewrite posts that fall into the ‘less effective’ category of each question pair. The goal of this rewrite, as outlined by the author, is to enhance the content’s appeal and effectiveness through specific qualities:

• Find a way to make it simpler
• Find a way to make it exciting
• Find a way to make it more honest
• Find a way to demonstrate

Oberman emphasizes that the ultimate aim is to shift the focus from the self to the audience’s discovery. He argues that the most impactful content is less about what the creator says and more about what the audience learns or experiences.

The Paradigm Shift: From Saying to Doing

The cornerstone of Justin Oberman’s advice is a fundamental change in perspective. He suggests that truly transforming one’s social media presence, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, requires viewing it as a space for ‘doing things’ rather than merely ‘saying things’.

“Once you start thinking of social media as doing things instead of saying things, everything changes.”

This conceptual shift, according to Oberman, moves beyond simply broadcasting information. It encourages creating content that illustrates, proves, or showcases value, thereby fostering genuine engagement and potentially influencing the algorithm positively. He contrasts this approach with the less effective method of simply repeating efforts that are not yielding results, using the analogy of a persistent but ultimately ineffective salesperson.

Oberman concludes by offering further clarification through his newsletter, indicating that this five-day experiment is a gateway to a deeper understanding of content strategy in the digital age.