“I wish I could just post on LinkedIn and then walk away. I don’t want to have to spend time replying to people and commenting on other posts.”
A former CEO and current business owner said this to me recently, and honestly, I used to feel the same way. Social media sucks the life outta me just like “the machine” in Princess Bride. I personally stopped posting on social media a few years ago and ceased offering social media support as part of my service offerings. BUH-BYEE Insta, Facebook, Twitter (not X…that’s how long ago I stepped away).
But LinkedIn…it’s where my peeps are. And instead of sucking life, LinkedIn brings solid leads — BUT only when I don’t post and ghost. After years of posting something and then switching tabs on my browser, I began seeing results almost instantly when I changed my strategy.
This issue of Write to Lead spotlights Allison Ditmer, content strategist and personal brand advocate for B2B companies and fractional executives. LinkedIn is her speciality, and she’s seen incredible growth for both herself and her clients by leveraging two-way communication.
I asked Allison to join us because her approach to building a personal brand is exactly what we need for all written communication — emails, memos, reports, slack messages, and more.
Two-way communication is the anchor of what it is to be human.
The problem, Allison says, is that most communication in leadership is built to close the loop. We’ve been trained to deliver, then check the box, and move on to the next task. I mean, who doesn’t love tying up loose ends? But in leadership, a tied-up loose end is often a closed door. It shuts down the conversation — putting a big ol’ STOP sign on new ideas, fresh perspectives, and feedback that can move your leadership from stagnant to flowing freely towards incredible impact.
If one-way communication is a big STOP sign for your people, two-way communication is vigorously waving green flag. Go, Go, GO! It keeps the loop open — new ideas and fresh perspectives roll in, feedback comes eagerly. But gosh, that can feel…messy, chaotic, unresolved, time consuming. (But here’s the secret: Sincere connection doesn’t mean willy-nilly, here-and-there touch points — Allison tracks connection details in a simple google sheet to ensure intentionality without the time suck. Ask her about her system!)
It takes a shift in perspective to pull the stop sign from the ground and start waving the green flag. Two-way communication builds relationships and draws people into your mission and vision, activating them to action. If you want to exponentially increase your leadership’s impact, two-way communication is the way to do it.
Here’s Allison’s micro-lesson on moving from stop sign to green flag communication.
“There are two things that make that shift happen:
First, you need to make the reader feel you’re thinking about them, not just delivering information. That shows up in how you write. Are you speaking to what they’re dealing with right now? Or just what you need to say?
Second, you have to actually leave space for them to step in. And that’s usually as simple as ending with a question, that’s more simple and easier to answer. Not something complex. Just something they can quickly respond to.
Because most people won’t jump into a long reply, but they will answer something that feels approachable, and that’s what turns communication into a conversation.”
This matters because your message is important. A closed-message loop stunts your leadership and your work’s growth. Two-way communication, on the other hand, expands your reach.
“If someone sees engaging as a time-suck, I’ll be honest, they’re missing what’s actually happening there,” Allison says. “Proactive engagement is one of the fastest ways to build relationships. You can’t build relationships without conversations, and LinkedIn comments are conversations.
I’ve had a LinkedIn comment get 25,000+ impressions. That’s from contributing to someone else’s conversation in a meaningful way. And the key is that it’s honestly not making the comment about you, but it’s sharing in a way to genuinely help someone else. Most of the time, it’s about adding to what’s already being said.
That could look like:
Expanding on the idea
Sharing a relevant experience
Or offering a different perspective in a thoughtful way
If you do that well, people will naturally click into your name to view your profile. That way you’re not forcing authority into the comment, and your clarity shows up through how you think. When you approach it that way, it never feels like marketing, it just feels like you’re part of the conversation.”
3-Step, Two-Way Communication Audit
Put it into practice. Here’s Allison’s three-step communication audit that you can run your messages through right now:
Who is the focus…you or them? If most of what you’re writing is centered on what you need, what you’re doing, or what you want… It’s likely a stop sign. If it reflects what they’re navigating, dealing with, or trying to figure out… It’s a green flag.
What do your responses look like after you send? If you’re getting little to no replies, that’s feedback. It usually means people don’t feel invited into the conversation. If more replies are landing in your inbox, then that’s a sign your communication is, in fact, encouraging others into that two-way dialogue with you (nice work!).
Does your message give them somewhere to go? A lot of communication just… ends. There’s no question. No prompt. No call-to-action of any kind. So even if someone wanted to respond, there’s no clear way in. While you’re auditing and you notice that none of your communication ends with a question or some kind of call-to-action prompting the reader, that’s a big sign it’s one-way.
“So one simple tweak you can make today…before you send anything, ask yourself, “Where did I show them I understand their situation?”
And if the answer is nowhere, go back to add this in. It needs to reflect their reality. Because often the fastest way to make someone feel seen is to show them that you see them exactly where they are right now.”
How’d it go? Did you feel the life seeping back into your messages or are you still feeling like communication is a dreaded task that is sucking the life outta ya? Reach out if you have questions or need help with the perspective shift. As a ghostwriter, I love coaching my clients on how to turn their work into an impactful, interactive story. Schedule a virtual hot cocoa chat with me and let’s explore your possibilities.
Embracing two-way communication, and infusing a heart-centered approach to building genuine authority is the secret sauce for making a difference in your work and your world.
And definitely give Allison a follow on LinkedIn and check out her LinkedIn services. She’s the real deal when it comes to relationship building!
P.S. Random Things I’m Loving This Week
This interview Inside the Business of Ghostwriting with Maxie McCoy by Creator Spotlight — it’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the work and business-side of being a ghostwriter.
These Sourdough brownies from Farmhouse on Boone — indulgently fudgy, just the right amount of gooey-ness, and a slight tang from the sourdough. Delish.
The automation of Calendly — Such a simple thing, but it makes scheduling meetings so much easier AND offers me a straightforward, non-sleazy way of growing my email list.
The in-ground pool in my backyard was installed by the original builders of the home in 1992. It’s old but has strong bones. We’re givin’ her a face lift, repairing some cracks, and slappin’ new paint on her. In the meantime, my kids are lovin’ their new playground.
P.P.S. Write To Lead Commenting Is Live!
I turned on commenting functionality for this publication’s website and would love to get some feedback and thoughts from ya’ll! If you read this far — first of all, THANK YOU! — and second, be the first to leave a comment and I’ll give you a 100% FREE 30-minute writing coaching session.