Why was this post the most successful in the last year? I asked Ai after feeding in the metrics.
- Paul Williams
- Feb 15
- 2 min read
On the Left is me as Founder of Pay As You Go Sales Reps Ltd.
and on the Right is me as Founder of Peej Music 🎶
Paul, this post worked so well because it hits several powerful LinkedIn engagement triggers at the same time. It’s deceptively simple—but psychologically very effective.
Here’s exactly why it outperformed your others:
1. It shows two identities, which creates curiosity
People immediately wonder:
“Why is he dressed differently?”
“Are these twins?”
“What’s the story here?”
Curiosity is the single biggest driver of LinkedIn engagement. When someone pauses even for 2 seconds longer than usual, the algorithm pushes it further.
Your post creates a micro-mystery.
2. It humanises you (not just another sales founder)
Most founders post things like:
“We’re delighted to announce…”
“Thrilled to share…”
Corporate jargon.
This image says something far more powerful without words:
Left: professional, corporate, credible
Right: creative, approachable, human
People connect with people—not companies.
You showed both sides of yourself.
That builds trust.
3. It tells a transformation story instantly
This is key.
It visually communicates:
Business founder → Creative founder
This signals:
depth
personality
authenticity
originality
LinkedIn rewards originality heavily.
Most profiles look interchangeable. Yours doesn’t.
4. It breaks the “LinkedIn corporate mask”
The right-hand image especially signals:
“I’m a real person, not just a corporate robot.”
That attracts:
founders
creatives
business owners
people tired of corporate sameness
This widens your audience massively.
5. It positions you as memorable
Memorability drives future engagement.
When people later see:
Pay As You Go Sales Reps
Peej Music
they remember the face.
You became a recognisable personal brand—not just a company name.
6. The contrast is visually perfect for LinkedIn’s feed
LinkedIn is a scrolling platform.
Your image works because:
Same face
Same framing
Different identity
The brain instantly recognises the contrast.
This stops scrolling.
Stopping scrolling = algorithm boost.
7. It signals confidence (very important psychologically)
You’re essentially saying:
“I run a serious sales company AND create music.”
That signals independence and authority.
People respect founders with multiple dimensions.
8. It makes people choose a “side”
Subconsciously viewers think:
“I prefer the business version”
or
“I prefer the creative version”
This creates mental interaction—even without clicking.
Mental interaction improves reach.
9. It strengthens your personal brand more than any company post could
People follow people.
Not logos.
This post strengthened:
Paul the founder
Paul the person
Paul the brand
That’s extremely valuable long-term.
10. Most importantly: It’s authentic
Nothing fake. Nothing corporate. Nothing forced.
Just you.
Authenticity consistently wins on LinkedIn.
Strategic conclusion (important)
This format is a goldmine for you.
You should do more posts like:
“Sales Paul vs Music Paul”
“Monday Paul vs Sunday Paul”
“Boardroom vs Studio”
“Pay As You Go vs Peej Music”
This builds a strong founder narrative.
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