EP #075 - The Technical Content Dilemma: How Deep Is Too Deep on LinkedIn?

A consultant reached out recently for advice on managing content for defense contractors. Their audience includes serious engineers with PhDs who can spot surface-level thinking in seconds. The question they asked was, "How deep should I go when my audience will know if I'm faking it?"

I understood why they were asking. Most LinkedIn advice says "keep it simple" because simple content performs well with the algorithm. But for technical founders, this advice creates a problem.

PhD-level engineers will dismiss anything that sounds like business speak instead of technical expertise. Oversimplify your content to reach more people, and you lose credibility with the exact people you need to reach.

Finding the right level of depth isn't the answer. Instead, measure success by who sees your content - not how many people see it.

Focus on Qualified Reach Instead of Total Impressions

People scrolling their newsfeeds are looking for quick hits, not deep thinking. That's why the standard advice is to keep posts short and easy to scan. The consultant I spoke with had heard this advice before but assumed it didn't apply to technical content aimed at PhD-level engineers.

During our call, they kept expressing surprise at how brief LinkedIn posts need to be in order to be successful. "Two sentences on each recommendation? Four bullet points total? People scroll that quickly?"

I told them yes. People can scan and decide whether to engage with a post in under 60 seconds, regardless of how technical your audience is.

Most founders see this brevity requirement as forcing them to choose between technical credibility and algorithmic reach. They water down their technical insights to appeal to a broader audience, then wonder why their content doesn't resonate with the people who matter.

But the root cause is simpler than most realize. Founders are chasing total impressions instead of qualified reach.

Track Who's Actually Seeing Your Content

Here's the truth - if you get 1 million views on your post, you have a much higher probability of reaching more of your target audience than if you get 47 views. Views lead to more views.

But that doesn't mean all views are equal. Use the per-post analytics to check the job titles, companies, and seniority levels of people who viewed your posts. A post with 10,000 views that reaches 50 decision makers at target accounts is more valuable than a post with 10,000 views that reaches no one in your ICP.

The goal is maximum reach among the right people, not choosing between reach and relevance.

Use Newsletters for Technical Depth

Technical founders need a place to demonstrate their expertise beyond what fits in a 60-second scroll. LinkedIn posts work best for accessible insights that can be scanned in 60 seconds, which means you need a different format to prove your technical expertise.

Newsletters let you demonstrate the technical depth that proves you understand the complexity your ICP deals with daily. Use LinkedIn to hook readers with accessible insights, then deliver the technical proof in your newsletter.

Take this newsletter as an example. My LinkedIn posts are brief and accessible, designed to hook readers in under 60 seconds. But this newsletter goes deeper into the strategy behind content decisions, the specific conversation details I have with founders, and the reasoning that can't fit in a quick scroll.

The consultant I spoke with will do the same - using LinkedIn to demonstrate they understand defense contracting challenges, then proving their technical depth in newsletters where PhD-level engineers expect to see it.

Maximum reach among the right people beats maximum reach among everyone.

–Justin 

Justin M. Nassiri | Founder & CEO
M: 650.353.1138 | E: [email protected]
250 Fillmore St Suite 150, Denver, CO 80206
www.ExecutivePresence.io

Executive Presence specializes in helping top-tier executives boost their visibility, activate their network, and position themselves as thought leaders via our premium, fully-managed LinkedIn service.

Our unique process involves ex-McKinsey, BCG, and Bain consultants conducting monthly hour-long interviews with our clients, and turning them into impactful daily LinkedIn posts to establish their unique voice and authority. On average, our clients see a 500% bump in engagement in their first 30 days with us. Data is continuously analyzed to improve engagement and identify impactful messaging that you can use for conferences, podcasts, and internal communications.