Podcast EP214 - How To Leverage LinkedIn In 2025 with Sam Rathling & Ian Luckett

In this episode of the IT Experts Podcast, I had the absolute pleasure of welcoming back a long-time friend and LinkedIn powerhouse, Sam Rathling. Known as the Queen of LinkedIn and co-founder of the Social Selling Suite, Sam has spent nearly two decades mastering the platform and helping businesses-from solopreneurs to global giants like MasterCard and FedEx-achieve extraordinary results through social selling. If you're an MSP or IT support business owner looking to generate real results from LinkedIn in 2025, this episode is packed with golden nuggets you won't want to miss.
We kicked things off by addressing the ever-present mystery surrounding the LinkedIn algorithm. Sam’s straightforward advice? Stop blaming the algorithm for poor results. She explained that if your content isn’t resonating or your impressions are dropping, the issue likely lies with the content itself. Whether people are scrolling LinkedIn out of boredom or to sell something, your job is to create compelling, scroll-stopping content that connects with your audience on a human level. Sam emphasised the importance of moving beyond dull, uninspired posts and highlighted the need to produce value-driven, engaging material that appeals to your target market.
One key takeaway from our conversation was LinkedIn’s latest push towards video content. According to Sam, LinkedIn is investing heavily in video with new features like the immersive video feed, similar to TikTok or Instagram Reels. Early adopters of portrait videos with captions will see a significant boost in visibility. For 2025, video should be a priority in your LinkedIn strategy. If you're not yet comfortable on camera, now’s the time to start practising-otherwise, you risk missing out on this trend.
Sam also shared her non-negotiables for LinkedIn success, which are incredibly simple yet effective. First, build your network daily by connecting with your ideal clients. You can send up to 200 connection requests per week, and if you’re not hitting a 50% acceptance rate, it’s time to review your profile and targeting. Second, post consistently-a minimum of three times a week-with a mix of personal stories, educational content, and social proof. Finally, engage with others. Visibility on LinkedIn is a two-way street, and engaging meaningfully with others’ posts can be just as impactful as creating your own content.
A standout segment of the episode was our discussion about moving prospects off LinkedIn and into your ecosystem. Sam explained that LinkedIn should be viewed as a traffic source, not the destination. Building an email list is critical for long-term success, as it gives you ownership of your audience data and allows you to nurture leads outside the platform. Your LinkedIn profile should act as a mini website, offering clear calls-to-action such as downloads, event registrations, or links to free resources. Sam shared how her own downloadable assets-like 44 prospecting tips or 100 content ideas-consistently drive thousands of email signups.
LinkedIn events also came up as a powerful, often underutilised tool. Sam explained how these events can generate highly qualified leads when approached strategically. She recommended not just creating the event but actively inviting your network to it-up to 1,000 invitations per week. Follow up personally with registrants to secure their attendance, and use the event as an opportunity to capture email addresses. For Sam, events aren’t just about providing value on the day-they’re a gateway to building deeper relationships and converting leads into clients.
We also touched on the Social Selling Index (SSI), a score out of 100 that measures your effectiveness on LinkedIn. Sam stressed that achieving a score of 70 or above can significantly increase the visibility of your posts. She encouraged listeners to focus on the four areas that make up the SSI: building your personal brand, connecting with the right people, engaging meaningfully, and fostering trusted relationships.
Ultimately, this episode boiled down to a crucial message: LinkedIn success in 2025 requires a combination of consistent action, strategic content, and proactive engagement. Whether it’s through adopting video content, leveraging events, or building an email list, the platform offers enormous potential if used correctly. Sam’s insights were a timely reminder that hope is not a strategy-success on LinkedIn takes effort, creativity, and a clear plan.
Connect with Sam Rathling and explore the resources you can download on her LinkedIn profile by clicking HERE - / samrathling-linkedinex...
See you in the coming episodes, cheers!