Nick Broekema
You’re sitting on 10+ years of expertise. I help you package + sell it as coaching offers, products, group programs, and communities.
Nick Broekema teaches B2B coaches and consultants how to package expertise into sellable offers by writing authentic, personality-driven LinkedIn content that cuts through template noise. His most distinctive move is weaponizing vulnerability and humor to flip the algorithm expectation: instead of chasing what 'LinkedIn wants,' he shows personality traits that feel too raw for the platform (dark humor, ADHD, family life in Spain) and watches engagement spike.
4.8/wk
21 posts in 30d
334
avg per post
33.3%
comments / total
1.5%
reposts / total
story
Thu · 9 AM CET
Voice & tone
Nick writes like a friend who's tired of LinkedIn's fake professionalism but refuses to leave the platform. He's self-deprecating without being self-pitying, uses casual language ('my shit sandwich,' 'I'm not the LinkedIn police'), and mixes brutal honesty with humor. The tone says: I've built a real business, I'm not perfect, and I'm going to tell you what actually works instead of what the algorithm supposedly wants. This creates permission for readers to be themselves.
Signature phrases
- “Ditch the templates. Ditch the prompts.”
- “My feed is infested with the same crap.”
- “But showing some good ol' personality rarely fails.”
- “Funny how the internet makes people feel late while real life quietly keeps getting better.”
- “I'm not the LinkedIn police.”
- “You need to stop sounding like everybody else.”
Top 3 posts, dissected
Their highest-engagement posts, broken down line by line. Steal the structure.
Important question: Do people on Facebook also say “This isn’t LinkedIn” When posts are too professional?
The hook 'Important question:' signals vulnerability and invites the reader to think before reading. The follow-up question is absurd enough to be memorable ('Do people on Facebook also say this?'), which creates cognitive dissonance and forces a pause. This is a vulnerable question pattern that scored 1003 engagement.
Opens with hook + rhetorical question. Then pivots to a longer reflection on LinkedIn's unspoken rules and how they limit authentic communication. Closes with a reframe about personality being the actual differentiator. The structure is: provocation > observation > reframe.
- Rhetorical question that feels conversational, not corporate
- Absurdist humor (the Facebook comparison) that breaks tension
- Direct address to reader's pain ('This isn't LinkedIn') to show Nick understands the criticism
- Pivot to teaching moment without losing the casual tone
No explicit CTA. Instead, Nick ends with a reframe: 'showing some good ol' personality rarely fails.' This is a soft close that invites readers to comment with their own personality traits or disagreements. The lack of a hard CTA actually drives comments because readers feel invited to debate, not sold to.
Use rhetorical questions that expose platform absurdities to create permission for your audience to be themselves, then teach the lesson without losing the conversational tone.
Important question: Do people on Facebook also say “This isn’t LinkedIn” When posts are too professional?
The hook combines age (38) with a self-aware admission of not hitting a cultural milestone (millionaire status), then immediately undercuts the seriousness with humor ('I'm not'). This is the self-deprecating milestone pattern. It works because readers feel seen in their own anxiety about 'being late' and want to read the reframe. Scored 746 engagement.
Opens with vulnerable admission. Lists 3-4 things Nick 'should have' done (crypto, AI startup, etc.) with parenthetical jokes to keep tone light. Then shifts to a bullet-point list of what actually happened in his 30s (exited business, became dad, moved to Spain). Closes with a reframe: 'Funny how the internet makes people feel late while real life quietly keeps getting better.' The architecture is: anxiety > humor > reality > reframe.
- Parenthetical asides ('I'm not,' 'no lambo,' 'joke') that soften the vulnerability
- Bullet points that show progression and growth without bragging
- Specific details (Cape Town, Bali, Spain, expecting 2nd daughter) that make the story credible and relatable
- Closing line that reframes the entire post and gives readers permission to feel 'on track'
Ends with 'Feeling late? Nah. You're just getting started.' This is a permission-based close that invites readers to comment with their own 'late' feelings or wins. No ask for shares or follows. The close is so resonant that readers want to engage to feel the permission again.
Use your own life milestones (birthdays, anniversaries, moves) as hooks, then list the real wins that don't fit Instagram, and close with a reframe that gives readers permission to feel ahead of schedule despite what social media says.
I'm turning 38 today. Social media tells me I should've been a millionaire 10 years ago (I'm not). I missed the crypto boat (no lambo). Should've built the next big thing during Covid (I didn't). Probably should launch an AI and sell it for $60M after 4 months (I won't). …
The hook 'I fired my entire marketing team' is a bold contrarian statement that contradicts the 'hire more, scale faster' narrative. It stops scroll because readers expect either a rant or a lesson. Scored 713 engagement. The follow-up ('Comment X to get my shit sandwich') uses casual language and a CTA that feels like a joke, not a sales pitch.
Opens with bold statement + joke CTA. Then pivots to a rant about LinkedIn's fakeness ('My feed is infested with the same crap'). Positions Nick as an observer, not a preacher ('I'm not the LinkedIn police'). Then teaches the lesson: stop sounding like everyone else. Closes with a list of what his successful clients actually do (dark humor, ADHD, being a woman of color, etc.). The structure is: provocation > rant > permission > teaching > examples.
- Bold opening that contradicts expectations
- Self-aware disclaimer ('I'm not the LinkedIn police') that disarms potential criticism
- Rant that validates reader frustration with LinkedIn templates
- List of specific personality traits (dark humor, ADHD, family life) that shows what 'personality' actually means
- Personal example at the end ('A family man running a solo biz in Spain') that proves Nick practices what he preaches
No explicit CTA. Ends with 'But showing some good ol' personality rarely fails.' This is a teaching close that invites readers to comment with their own personality traits or ask how to show more of themselves. The close is so strong that readers feel permission to be weird on LinkedIn.
When teaching a lesson about authenticity, rant first to validate frustration, then teach the lesson, then give specific examples of what 'personality' looks like so readers know what to do tomorrow.
What drives their engagement
Nick's posts invite debate or permission-seeking. He opens with provocative questions ('Do people on Facebook also say this?') or statements that readers want to defend or attack. His conversation index is 33.3%, meaning 1 in 3 engagements is a comment. He also closes with reframes that invite readers to share their own experience ('Feeling late? Nah. You're just getting started.').
Repost rate is low (1.5%), which suggests Nick optimizes for reach and comments, not shares. Posts that get reposted tend to be the ones with universal lessons (personality beats templates) or the ones that validate reader anxiety (you're not late). Reposts happen when readers want to show their network that they've found someone who gets it.
Low save rate implied by low repost rate. Nick's content is designed for immediate engagement (comments, debate) rather than reference material. Readers engage in the moment, not later. This is intentional: his posts are about mindset and permission, not tactics that need to be saved for later.
Content pillars
Authenticity Over Algorithm
32%Posts that call out LinkedIn fakeness and argue that personality (even weird personality) outperforms templates and best practices.
Personal Narrative + Business Lesson
28%Story-driven posts about Nick's own life (turning 38, moving to Spain, becoming a dad) that land a business insight without feeling preachy.
Coaching Offer Packaging
27%Problem-solution posts teaching coaches how to structure, price, and position their offers (coaching, products, communities, group programs).
Tactical Content Strategy
13%Numbered lists and how-to guides on LinkedIn posting mechanics, hook formulas, and content structure for B2B service sellers.
Hook patterns
Vulnerable Question
Open with a rhetorical question that exposes a gap between expectation and reality, phrased as 'Important question:' or direct address
“Important question: Do people on Facebook also say 'This isn't LinkedIn' when posts are too professional?”
→ Readers pause to answer mentally, creating cognitive friction that forces engagement. Avg 493 engagement across 7 posts.
Self-Deprecating Milestone
Age or timeline reveal + admission of not hitting a cultural milestone + reframe to what actually happened
“I'm turning 38 today. Social media tells me I should've been a millionaire 10 years ago (I'm not).”
→ Readers feel seen in their own 'lateness' and stay to hear the reframe. Creates emotional safety to read on.
Bold Contrarian Statement
Short declarative sentence that contradicts LinkedIn conventional wisdom, often followed by 'My feed is infested with...'
“I fired my entire marketing team.”
→ Stops scroll immediately. Readers expect a rant or a lesson, so they comment to understand the context. Avg 304 engagement.
Relatable Pain Point Quote
Open with a quote or paraphrase of what Nick's audience thinks or says, positioned as a problem to solve
“Comment X to get my shit sandwich.”
→ Mirrors reader's internal monologue. Creates instant recognition and permission to keep reading. Avg 512 engagement.
Provocative Question About Platform Norms
Ask a question that challenges LinkedIn's unspoken rules or exposes the gap between platform culture and reality
“Do people on Facebook also say 'This isn't LinkedIn' when posts are too professional?”
→ Invites debate in comments. Readers defend or attack the premise, generating high comment-to-like ratio (33.3% conversation index).
Top-performing hooks
“Important question:”
→ The post uses self-referential irony to poke fun at LinkedIn's notorious culture of policing 'unprofessional' content, instantly resonating with anyone who has experienced or observed this phenomenon.
“I'm turning 38 today. Social media tells me I should've been a millionaire 10 years ago (I'm not).”
→ The post uses vulnerability and relatable self-deprecation to draw the reader in, then contrasts the perceived 'failures' with genuine personal achievements. This creates an uplifting message that res
“"I fired my entire marketing team.”
→ The post uses a provocative hook and self-aware humor to mock overused LinkedIn tropes, immediately building credibility with a savvy audience tired of formulaic content. By blending relatability, spe
“"I'm just overwhelmed" a cohort member said.”
→ The post opens with a relatable pain point from a real cohort member, creating immediate emotional resonance, then delivers a concrete named framework (SCART) that feels proprietary and actionable. Th
“"I share everything I know. I get plenty of likes. But my content doesn’t attract clients."”
→ The post opens with a highly relatable frustration that resonates deeply with mid-sized creators, then reframes the root cause in a counterintuitive way — shifting blame from effort to strategy — whic
What works
- Vulnerable question hooks score 493 avg engagement (48% higher than bold statements at 304). Example: 'Important question: Do people on Facebook also say this isn't LinkedIn?' The pattern works because it invites readers to answer mentally before reading the post.
- Self-deprecating admissions about not hitting milestones (millionaire by 40, Ferrari, etc.) create permission for readers to feel on track. The 38th birthday post scored 746 engagement by reframing 'lateness' as 'just getting started.'
- Personality-first teaching (showing dark humor, ADHD, family life) outperforms template-based advice. Posts that say 'Ditch the templates' and then show what personality looks like (woman of color in leadership, family man in Spain) generate high comment volume because readers want to know how to show their own weirdness.
- Casual language and profanity ('my shit sandwich,' 'infested') lower the barrier to engagement. Readers feel they can comment without being formal. This drives the 33.3% conversation index.
- Closing with permission rather than a hard CTA ('You're just getting started' vs 'DM me') invites comments instead of DMs. Readers want to debate or share their own story, not be sold.
Steal this for your own LinkedIn
- Open your next post with 'Important question:' followed by a rhetorical question that exposes a gap between what LinkedIn says you should do and what actually works. This pattern scored 1003 engagement on Nick's top post.
- Use your own life milestone (birthday, anniversary, move, new kid) as a hook, then list the real wins that don't fit Instagram (exited a bad business, found a partner again, worked out family patterns). Close with a reframe that gives readers permission to feel ahead of schedule.
- When teaching a lesson about authenticity or standing out, start by validating frustration ('My feed is infested with the same crap'), then teach the lesson, then give 3-4 specific examples of what personality looks like (dark humor, ADHD, being a woman of color, family life). This shows readers what to do, not just what to think.
- End posts with a reframe or permission statement instead of a CTA. Example: 'But showing some good ol' personality rarely fails' or 'You're just getting started.' This invites comments and debate instead of DMs, which drives the conversation index higher.
- Post on Thursday at 8 UTC if your audience is coaches and consultants in Europe and North America. This is when Nick's posts perform best, catching readers at the start of their workday.
Compare Nick with…
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Posting patterns
Nick posts 4.8 times per week (21 posts in last 30 days), maintaining consistent presence without overwhelming the feed. This cadence keeps him top-of-mind without fatigue.
Thursday at 8 UTC performs best. This is early morning in Europe (where Nick is based in Spain) and early morning in US East Coast, catching both his coach/consultant audience as they start their workday.
Medium-length posts (80-180 words) perform best with 435 avg engagement, but Nick's signature is long-form (180-350 words, 52% of posts, 231 avg engagement). The long-form posts underperform on raw engagement but outperform on comment quality and conversation index. Nick trades raw likes for deeper discussion.
Engagement by day
Content mix
avg 325 engagements per post
avg 294 engagements per post
avg 272 engagements per post
avg 308 engagements per post
avg 335 engagements per post
avg 1.0K engagements per post
Nick's format mix (32% story, 27% problem-solution, 18% numbered list) mirrors his audience's needs: coaches and consultants want to see proof that authenticity works (stories), understand how to apply it (problem-solution), and get tactical steps (lists). The heavy story focus (32%) is intentional because his core message is 'be yourself,' which requires proof through his own life. Problem-solution posts (27%) teach the lesson. Lists (18%) give tactical handles. This mix keeps readers engaged across different learning styles while reinforcing his core message: personality beats templates.
