#154 · The 3 AI Agency Models (Updated for 2026)
He says he’s not an expert in organic LinkedIn but would combine daily value‑posting with outbound connection requests (≈20/day, ~100/week), automate the outreach, grow connections, test multiple content types (FOMO, case studies, etc.), then double down on the top performers.
With no money, you double‑down on time. Scrape LinkedIn or Upwork profiles for first names and contact details, then manually reach out with a concise pitch that showcases your AI skill and offers a quick solution. Aim for 10‑minute outreach slots; in 48 hours (assuming you sleep 16 hours) you have 32 slots, which translates to about 192 potential prospects. Even a single positive response can land a $5k‑$10k client. If LinkedIn isn’t an option, be relentless on any platform—spend every waking second on outreach. These prospects are pre‑qualified because they’ve already expressed a willingness to pay for a problem solved. You can also farm social media for signals of need and contact those users directly.
I'm not a big inbound LinkedIn expert, but from what I've seen, lead magnet-based posts generate large top-of-funnel interest and positive responses. You can then DM everyone to start private conversations. The value is taking conversations off public and making them private. If you don't have 50k followers, the calculus differs when starting vs growing. When starting, the top approach is reply‑guy‑ing your way up—engaging on others' posts to piggyback on their growth. Once you have a few thousand followers and something valuable, try lead‑magnet posts. Also, add non‑AI elements like photos of yourself doing odd things to inject personality and flavor, because soon AI will be able to generate indistinguishable talking‑head videos; being real will help you stand out.
If you haven’t considered it yet, let me walk you through it. LinkedIn is just one of many platforms; you can copy the same approach to virtually any other social media site. For example, on X you can skip the connect request, which would double your outreach, and on TikTok you could triple it. Facebook, Instagram, and other Meta platforms work similarly. If you’re running out of outreach capacity but still have time, simply expand to other platforms using the same method, making minor platform‑specific tweaks. On Instagram, a common hurdle is getting funneled into message requests; a strong opener like an open‑ended rhetorical question—e.g., 'Hey, do you do one‑on‑ones?'—can move prospects into your chat box. The core strategy stays the same; only the tactics change. Beyond social media, think about email, phone calls, or even walking up to a local business. With so many channels, a rational person could easily fill an 8‑hour day just reaching out. So, get after it—put the pedal to the metal. If you finish your outreach in the first hour, you could easily 7× your current volume, and with more reps you’ll gain efficiency and effectiveness.
LinkedIn safely allows roughly 100‑150 connection requests per day before you risk a ban. To scale beyond that you’d need to purchase additional LinkedIn accounts, which runs into the same moral and legal concerns as buying email accounts. Most companies in the Netherlands worry about GDPR, so if you target US prospects or route outreach through your own company the risk is lower. Ultimately, the only realistic path to higher volume is to use multiple accounts, but that reintroduces the same issues you’re trying to avoid.