Comment prompt - self-identification post

When to use this template

When you want to both build community signal and surface warm leads simultaneously. The key is making the comment prompt specific enough that only people in your ICP can answer it well - unqualified people will feel that the prompt isn't for them and scroll past.

The template

{bold_claim_or_observation_about_your_audiences_situation}.

I want to know {specific_thing_youre_collecting}.

Drop yours below 👇

{scaffolding_line_that_tells_people_exactly_what_to_write}

I'll reply to every single one - and I'll build a breakdown post from the best responses.

Variables

{bold_claim_or_observation}

An observation about your ICP's situation that makes them want to confirm or deny it. Must be specific enough to feel targeted: 'Most B2B founders are sitting on a case study they've never turned into a post' hits differently than 'Most people underuse their experience.'

{specific_thing_youre_collecting}

Concrete, not vague. 'Your single biggest LinkedIn win in the past 6 months' beats 'your story'. 'The one mistake that set your outreach back' beats 'your experience'. Specificity increases comment volume by 3–5×.

{scaffolding_line}

Tell people exactly what format to use: '[What you did] → [The result]' or '[Your situation] + [What changed]' or '[Before] / [After]'. The scaffold reduces cognitive load - people don't have to figure out how to frame their answer.

Worked example

Most B2B founders and consultants have one LinkedIn result they've never turned into a post.

I want to know your single biggest LinkedIn win from the past 12 months - the one thing that directly produced a lead, a booked call, or a closed deal.

Drop yours below 👇

Format: [What you did or posted] → [The specific result]

I'll reply to every single one - and I'll build a breakdown post from the best responses, featuring the people who contributed.

How to use it

1. 1

   Make the prompt ultra-specific - generic prompts get generic comments

   'Your biggest win' beats 'your story'. 'What produced a lead' beats 'what worked'. Specificity signals who the prompt is for - it filters in your ICP and filters out everyone else. That filter is the lead quality mechanism.

2. 2

   Add the scaffold - lower cognitive load = more comments

   Telling people exactly what format to use (format: [what you did] → [the result]) removes the friction of figuring out how to frame their answer. Lower cognitive load directly increases comment volume.

3. 3

   'I'll reply to every one' - commit to it and do it

   This line increases comments 40–60% by itself. But only if you follow through. Replying to every comment also extends algorithmic reach because each reply generates a notification that brings the commenter back.

4. 4

   Turn top comments into a follow-up post, tag the contributor

   DM the best commenters before featuring their response. Ask permission first. The contributor gets exposure; you get fresh, high-quality content. The follow-up post gets higher reach than the prompt post because it has a named author who will share it.

Related templates

• Poll post with a committed follow-up →
  LinkedIn poll drives comment volume and impressions fast. Best used as a data collection mechanism for a follow-up post. The follow-up post gets 2–3× more reach than the poll itself - the poll is the setup, not the content.
• Thread / 'I'll go first' post →
  Post where you make a candid, specific disclosure and invite others to match it. Builds community and earns credibility simultaneously. Best for normalising a topic most people in your industry don't discuss publicly: revenue numbers, client churn, failed deals, pricing mistakes.
• Personal narrative post - Pillar 3 (Personality) →
  First-person story with a clear arc and a transferable lesson. Personal stories get 1.8x higher engagement than informational content and generate the longest comment threads. Use sparingly - 1 in 4 posts max (Pillar 3 = 25% allocation). Without a lesson, it's a diary entry.

More engagement templates

• Poll post with a committed follow-up →
• Thread / 'I'll go first' post →
• Reshare with a sharp take →