Let’s be honest – most agency LinkedIn pages are a bit… meh. They’re polished, they’re branded, they follow the rules… and that’s exactly why they don’t work. People don’t log into LinkedIn to hear from brands. They log in to hear from people.

That’s why recruiters who post as themselves get way more traction. Not just because they have great jobs to share, but because they sound real. Human. Relatable.

At my agency ALRA, for example, we’ve got the corporate page doing its job; it’s clean, consistent, and positioned well for white-collar professionals. But the real engagement? That happens on the personal profiles of the recruiters who just show up as themselves. We’ve seen recruiters posting in their own voice, speaking directly to their niche market, and absolutely crushing it because their audience trusts them.

Have a Take

The most boring recruiters on LinkedIn are the ones trying to be liked by everyone. They post safe, generic content and wonder why no one engages.

If you want to build trust, you’ve got to have a take. A real opinion. Something worth paying attention to.

This doesn’t mean being controversial for the sake of it, it just means being clear on what you stand for.

Practical example: One of our consultants recently posted:

“If you’re a junior looking to break into environmental consulting, stop waiting for the perfect job ad. Start calling people. Ask about graduate programs. Offer to intern. Make yourself visible. You’ll get picked faster than you think.”

Was it blunt? Yep. But that’s how he speaks. And his audience responded. It wasn’t ‘personal branding’. It was just helpful advice, said like a real human.

Talk Like Your Market

This is where so many recruiters miss the mark – they post job ads like they’re submitting them for an award. Overly polished, full of fluff and completely disconnected from the people they’re actually trying to reach.

Let’s take one of our consultants who works with property valuers. His market is 80% male, most are on the road all day, and they don’t have time for waffle. So when he writes ads, he keeps it real. No corporate jargon. No unnecessary buzzwords. Just straight to the point, with a bit of personality.

One of his recent ads opened with:

“If you’re still waiting on that promotion your boss promised 18 months ago, this one’s probably worth a look.”

That one line hit a nerve and it worked. The phones rang. CVs came in. Because the valuers reading it felt like, “Alright, this bloke gets what I’m dealing with.”

Compare that with another post someone else put up for the same type of role — all fluff and formalities. Sounded like it was written by someone who’s never spoken to a valuer in their life. You can guess which one landed more applications.

It’s this same logic you need to use when writing posts for social media. Talk to YOUR AUDIENCE. Appeal to your audience.

Still Not Sure What to Say?

Here’s a simple framework I use when I’m writing posts, whether it’s about recruitment, business development, or just life in the trenches.

1. Know your audience.
   Are you writing for salespeople? Nurses? Lab techs? Don’t try to sound like a generalist. Use the language they use. Understand their pain points. Make them feel seen. What’s going to interest them? What’s going to make them stop & take the time to read & engage with your content?
2. Have a recruitment take.
   Don’t just share articles. Give your perspective. You’re speaking to more people in your market than anyone else, share what you’re hearing. THIS is something recruiters forget – you see & hear information that your market will be interested in. Obviously don’t go sharing anything confidential, but you can share stories (names removed) & your take on what happened.
3. Show a bit of you.
   Whether it’s a story, a joke, or a bit of cheek, your personality is the thing that makes people want to work with you. Don’t be scared to show it. People engage with AUTHENTICITY – so be authentic.

One of our team once shared a post about a candidate who left $80K on the table to work in a better culture. They didn’t name the company or the person, just told the story. The message was powerful: culture still matters more than cash to a lot of people. That’s the kind of content people care about. It’s not fluff. It’s insight.

Social Media Is Social – So Be Social

It’s wild how many recruiters treat LinkedIn like it’s just a digital CV. They post once a month, never reply to comments, and wonder why no one engages.

Don’t just post – interact. Reply to people. Comment on posts. Send DMs. That’s how the algorithm works, and more importantly, it’s how people work.

If you comment on 10 posts a day – not spammy stuff, but actual thoughts – your name gets seen. And when people start recognising you as someone who adds value, the DMs start coming.

And that’s where the business is.

Don’t Hide Behind the Brand

Your company might be great. But people don’t hire brands – they hire PEOPLE. If someone reads your post and jumps on a call with you, it should feel like the same person. If your content is super formal and your call is super relaxed, the trust breaks.

One of our recruiters once said, “I don’t want to sound too casual in my posts…” but guess what? She is casual. She’s warm, funny, and sharp as a tack. And that’s exactly why people want to work with her. So we said: lean into that.

Be Consistent (Even When You Can’t Be Bothered)

Most recruiters fall down here. They post once, maybe twice, then vanish for 6 weeks. Or they wait until they’ve got a perfect role or a “good reason” to show up.

But brands aren’t built like that. If you want to be known, you’ve got to stay in people’s feeds – even when you’re busy, even when you don’t feel like it.

Doesn’t mean every post has to be gold. Just means you keep showing up.

Practical example: One of our consultants committed to posting 3x a week; a mix of job ads, client wins, and little observations from their desk. After 60 days, he had 3 new clients, a shortlist of warm candidates, and more inbound messages than ever.

No viral hits. No paid ads. Just consistent, human posts.

Don’t Overthink It

You don’t need Canva templates, AI prompts or a 90-day LinkedIn strategy. You just need to post like you talk.

What are you seeing in your market? What’s annoying you this week? What advice would actually help your ideal candidate or client?

Start there. Keep it simple. Keep it honest. And remember, people buy from people. Not polished brands. Not ‘thought leaders’. Just people who sound like they get it.