LinkedIn in 2026 is a completely different platform than it was even six months ago. LinkedIn rebuilt the algorithm from scratch with 360Brew AI, and the result is that views are down 40-50% across the board. Everyone you follow is panicking. Most of them are giving you advice that worked in 2023…

These are 23 tips that DO work today. You can start every single one today.

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Before we get into it…

I’m running my free LinkedIn brand deals webinar again this month: How LinkedIn Creators With Under 15,000 Followers Are Landing $500-$10,000 Brand Deals.

60 minutes, live on Zoom. We cover the 4-layer brand deal system, how UGC actually pays on LinkedIn, and how to negotiate your first deal. Live attendees get My First $5K Playbook as a bonus.

📅 June 3 at 5pm ET or June 17 at 1pm ET (replay only available for 48 hours)

Save your spot here

Now, onto this week's issue.

Grab your coffee. Let’s go ☕

The Profile Tips Most Creators Skip

The line I want you to screenshot

Anyone can post on LinkedIn in 2026. Almost no one is doing it on purpose.

The creators winning this year aren’t the loudest. They’re the most intentional. They picked a lane. They wrote shorter. They replied faster. They built systems instead of chasing trends.

Your homework this week

Pick 3 tips from this list. Just 3. Do them every day for 7 days. Reply to this email and tell me which ones you picked. I read every single one.

Launched last week: Get Paid to Post on LinkedIn

The playbook is live. If you want to monetize LinkedIn right now (not in two years), this is the one.

62 pages, 5 interactive tools. Works even at 1,000 followers.

What’s inside:

⭐ Proven monetization frameworks ⭐ Real examples from LinkedIn creators ⭐ 5 interactive tools: Affiliate Program Tracker, Comment Quality Dashboard, Weekly Engagement Tracker, Retainer Income Calculator, Niche Validator

If the 23 tips above are the strategy, this is the system that turns it into revenue.

[Grab the guide here]

📚 More Free Resources

[Browse the full library]

One more thing before you go.

Remember: posting with strategy is way better than posting consistently with no direction. And this goes for everybody. Me included.

I’ve been checking my own account lately and adjusting too. Leaning harder into frameworks, into content that feels human, into giving you things that genuinely help. Because you change. You’re not the same person you were six months ago, and your content shouldn’t be either! What worked for me at 5K followers isn’t what works at 45K. What I cared about last year isn’t exactly what I care about today. That’s not a problem to fix. That’s the whole point.

So I keep asking myself, what can I give my people for free that they’d actually appreciate? And then I make it. Not to win anything from you. To build something real between us. That’s what makes it worth coming back to post, week after week: knowing it’s actually making a difference for someone.

And that’s my advice to you too: even if you’re doing everything pretty well, are there any gaps to optimize? Can it be even better? That’s the version of LinkedIn I want to build in 2026. I hope you’ll build it with me.

Talk soon, bestie. 💗

— Melissa

P.S. If this was useful, forward it to one creator friend who’s still posting into the void. They’ll thank you. ✨

Before we dive in, if you’ve been DMing me asking “how do I actually start making money on LinkedIn without 50K followers?” this is for you.

Go grab your copy: Get Paid to Post on LinkedIn Booklet

This week’s issue connects directly to what’s inside that booklet, so let’s get into it:

Subscribe now

The data nobody is talking about (yet)

Semrush just analyzed 89,000 LinkedIn URLs to figure out which posts AI search engines actually cite when someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google’s AI Mode a question.

The headline number: 11% of all AI responses cite a LinkedIn URL. Across all three engines.

That’s massive. LinkedIn is now a primary source for the AI tools your future clients are using to make decisions.

But here’s the twist that flipped my whole brain inside out:

The posts AI is citing? They’re almost never the viral ones.

The median cited post got 15 to 25 reactions.

Let that sit for a second.

The posts pulling in citations from the platforms that will increasingly shape how people discover experts… are the same posts most creators consider “flops.”

What AI ignores

Before I tell you what AI loves, let me tell you what it skips right past:

Reshares. 95% of cited posts are originals. If you didn’t write it, AI strips it out.

Viral reach. Likes don’t translate to citations. A 50,000-impression post and a 500-impression post have roughly the same shot at being cited (IF the writing is right).

Big followings. Accounts with under 500 followers still get cited. Audience size barely moves the needle here.

Read that again, babe. Because if you’ve been waiting to “grow your following first” before you start writing the deeper stuff?

You’ve been solving the wrong problem.

What AI actually rewards

Four things. Let’s go through them.

1. Original content. 95% of cited posts are originals: your own writing, your own framework, your own take. Not a reshare. Not a recycled quote graphic. Your IP.

2. Educational depth. Between 54% and 64% of cited posts share useful knowledge. They teach a thing. They explain a concept. They walk through a process. AI extracts explanations, not opinions.

3. Consistency. 75% of cited accounts post 5+ times per month. AI rewards a body of work, not a single hit. One brilliant post a quarter won’t cut it.

4. Right length. Cited posts run 50–299 words. Long enough to actually teach something. Short enough to actually get read.

If you’re nodding right now thinking “oh wow, that’s literally what Melissa keeps telling us to do”... yes, bestie. Yes it is.

This is the framework I’ve been beating the drum on for months:

✨ Pick 2–3 core topics

✨ Stay in your lane 80% of the time

✨ Hook → Context → Insight → Takeaway

✨ Post with intention, not for the algorithm

✨ Build a body of work, not a highlight reel

The reach vs. relevance shift

Here’s where this gets really interesting for creators who care about monetization (so… all of us).

For years, LinkedIn coaching online has been optimized for one thing: reach.

Hooks that stop the scroll. Controversy. Short, punchy, repeatable formatting. Likes, comments, dwell time.

That’s still a real game. The algorithm pays you in impressions for playing it well.

But there’s a second game running in parallel now. And it pays in something different:

Citations. Authority. Discovery by AI.

That game rewards specificity over snappiness. Concrete claims over hot takes. Useful and complete over short and punchy. The outcome is being the source AI sends future clients to.

The creators who win the next 24 months are the ones who learn to write for both readers.

Because here’s the thing nobody is saying out loud yet: when a CMO asks ChatGPT “who should I hire to teach my sales team how to use LinkedIn?”, that answer is a sales pipeline. And it’s being built right now, in posts you might be writing or skipping this week.

Your “get cited” formula

If you want to be the LinkedIn creator AI surfaces 6 months from now, here’s the equation:

Original (not a reshare) + Educational (teach, don’t just opine) + 50–299 words (useful but tight) + 5+ posts per month (consistent cadence) + Specific claims with sources (concrete > clever) = Cited by AI

That’s it. That’s the whole thing.

Notice what’s NOT in the formula:

❌ A trending hook

❌ A massive follower count

❌ Going viral

❌ Posting daily

❌ A polished personal brand photoshoot

You don’t need any of that. You need a clear topic, real expertise, and the discipline to write it down 5+ times a month.

What to do this week

Three moves. Pick the one you’ll actually do:

Move 1: Audit your last 10 posts. How many were originals? How many taught a specific thing? How many landed between 50–299 words? If fewer than half check all three boxes, you’ve got your edit list for next week.

Move 2: Pick ONE concrete claim you make all the time in DMs or calls, and turn it into a 200-word post. No hook gymnastics. Just: here’s the claim, here’s the proof, here’s what to do with it. Watch what happens.

Move 3: Block 30 minutes this Sunday to plan 5 educational posts for the next 30 days. Topic. Claim. Proof. Takeaway. That’s your monthly minimum to even enter the citation game.

The bigger picture💌

For the last few years, “creator” on LinkedIn has been measured in impressions and follower count.

The next chapter measures something different: are you the source AI trusts?

That’s a much better game for people like us. People who actually know things. People who teach. People with real frameworks and real experience.

You don’t have to chase virality to win it.

You just have to write what you know: clearly, consistently, and on your own terms.

I love this for us 🤍

Want help making this real?

Wherever you are right now, there’s a path:

📘 Just getting started or want the full playbook in your hands today?

Get Paid to Post on LinkedIn — the 62-page digital booklet with 5 interactive tools. Instant download.

🚀 Building, but not monetizing yet? (under 25K followers or under $2K/month in brand revenue) The Creator Accelerator is a 6-week group program that takes you from “content creator” to “paid creator” — alongside a cohort at your stage.

And hit reply and tell me: which of the three moves above are you actually going to do this week? I read every single response.

Talk soon,

Melissa ✨

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Hey babe,

So I need to tell you something.

In August, I was laid off. No severance. No safety net. Just… nothing.

And by November, I had launched a proof-of-concept cohort, signed my first creators to the talent agency, and committed to a strategy that terrified me.

Fast forward to today: Citrine’s first-ever real quarter just closed.

$114,000 in cash collected revenue.

Two people running the entire operation. Multiple creators getting PAID. Zero missed bill payments.

But here’s the thing nobody tells you about those kinds of numbers: they don’t show you what it actually took to get there.

So let me show you the part that doesn’t fit in a revenue screenshot. Because if you’re scared right now, if you’re in survival mode, if you’re wondering if you can actually do this... I need you to see what that number really represents.

The Part Where Everything Falls Apart 💔

August hit different.

Laid off. No severance payout. My savings already thin from building Citrine on the side while working full-time.

And suddenly? I was completely on my own.

September and October were pure survival mode. I was selling anything I could. No clear direction. No clear ICP. No clear problem statement that I was solving better than anyone else.

Just panic. And hustle. And this sinking feeling that maybe I’d made a massive mistake.

My bank account was at an all-time low. I was TERRIFIED. Like the kind of scared where you wake up at 3am doing mental math on how long you can stretch $847.

You know that fear? The one where you’re like “okay I can make rent this month but what about next month and also I haven’t bought groceries in a week and also WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE”?

Yeah. That one.

The only reason I didn’t completely spiral? My husband never once made me feel like I needed a backup plan. Just quiet support and this belief that I’d figure it out 💕 (hope you have someone like that in your life!)

The Only Thing I Knew How to Do 🎯

So I did the only thing I knew how to do when I didn’t know what to do.

I started talking to people.

Not pitching. Not selling. Just... talking.

“Hey, what’s actually hard about being a LinkedIn creator right now?”

“What would make brand partnerships easier for you?”

“If you could pay someone to solve one problem in your creator business, what would it be?”

I had 70 of these conversations between August and October.

SEVENTY.

Some were 15 minutes. Some were an hour. Some turned into friendships. Some never replied to my follow-up.

But every single one taught me something.

And after about 40 conversations, a pattern started emerging.

The same problem kept coming up. Over and over and over.

Creators were getting opportunities. But they didn’t know how to:

• Price themselves without undercharging or scaring brands away

• Negotiate without burning the relationship

• Structure deliverables so brands actually understood what they were buying

• Turn one-off posts into retainer relationships

• Build a content system that didn’t eat their entire life

They needed structure. Systems. Strategy. Not just “post more and hope.”

And I realized: I know how to do this. I’ve been doing this. I can teach this.

So in October, I built the proof-of-concept for the Creator Accelerator.

In November, I sold the first cohort seats.

In January, I went all in.

What “All In” Actually Looks Like 🔥

When I say Q1 was Citrine’s first real quarter, I mean it.

October was testing. November was validating. December was building.

But January? January was the moment I stopped hedging my bets.

No backup plan. No “let me just keep one foot in corporate.” No safety net.

Just: this is the business. This is what we’re doing. Figure it out or fail trying.

And here’s what “figuring it out” actually looked like:

Week 1-4: Onboarding the first cohort

Teaching rate negotiation frameworks at 9am. Reviewing pitch decks at 11pm. Answering Slack messages at midnight because someone just got their first brand inquiry and needed help responding.

Week 5-8: Launching the talent agency

Signing creators. Pitching brands. Negotiating contracts. Learning how to be an agent while simultaneously teaching other people how to be better creators.

Week 9-12: Scaling without breaking

Adding systems. Documenting processes. Hiring help. Realizing that $114K in revenue means nothing if you burn out getting there.

Every single dollar was earned. Not handed to me. Not lucky. Not “right place right time.”

EARNED.

Through calls I didn’t want to take. Pitches that got rejected. Late nights building slide decks. Early mornings answering emails. Conversations where I had to say hard things. Moments where I had to hold boundaries even when it felt uncomfortable.

$114K sounds impressive until you see the 900 hours of work behind it.

But you know what? I’d do it again. Because those 900 hours bought me something I’ve never had before:

Proof that I can build the thing I said I was going to build.

To Every Creator Who Bet on Me: Thank You 💕

Look, I’m gonna get real for a second.

When you’re building something new, every person who says yes is taking a risk on you.

They’re betting their money, their time, their trust on your ability to deliver.

And in those early months when I was still figuring it out? That bet felt HEAVY.

Every cohort member who signed up when the curriculum was still half-built.

Every creator who joined the agency when I’d never placed a deal before.

Every person who said “yeah, I trust you” when I barely trusted myself yet.

You gave me the opportunity to build my dream.

And it’s my absolute honor to help you build yours.

I don’t take that trust lightly. Not for a second.

Every win you get, every rate increase, every brand deal, every “I finally feel like I know what I’m doing” message... that’s why I do this.

Not the revenue. The impact. The fact that you’re out here WINNING because we built something together.

That’s the part that actually matters 💕

And Speaking of Bets... It’s My Birthday 🎂

So here’s the thing: it’s my birthday this week.

And I’m not really a “please buy me things” person. But I AM a “let me give YOU things to celebrate” person.

So here are your birthday gifts from me:

Gift #1: The 70-Question Framework The exact questions I asked in those 70 conversations that helped me go from “no clear direction” to a $114K business model. How to spot patterns, validate problems worth solving, and find your million-dollar insight hiding in plain sight.

Gift #2: From Survival Mode to $114K – The 90-Day Revenue Roadmap My actual playbook from August to November. Month 1: Validation. Month 2: Proof of concept. Month 3: All in. What I did each week, what worked, what I’d do differently, and the exact checklist for each phase so you can follow the same path.

Gift #3: Q1 Revenue Breakdown – Where $114K Actually Came From The transparent breakdown nobody shows you. Talent agency commissions (60%), accelerator cohorts (25%), personal brand partnerships (10%), and subscriptions (remainder). Plus how each revenue stream serves a different purpose and why diversification matters more than you think.

Download all three here: FREE Guides!!

Because honestly? The best birthday gift I could ask for is watching more creators win.

So let’s make that happen 💕

If You’re Scared Right Now, Read This 🌟

I know some of you are in the place I was in August.

Scared. Uncertain. Wondering if you can actually pull this off.

Maybe you just got laid off. Maybe you’re thinking about going full-time creator but terrified to leave stability. Maybe you’re already creating but not making enough to justify it yet.

Let me tell you what I learned:

The fear doesn’t go away. You just get better at doing things scared.

In August, I was terrified AND broke.

In November, I was terrified AND launching a cohort.

In January, I was terrified AND going all in.

In March, I was terrified AND closing a $114K quarter.

The terror is part of it. It doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means you’re doing something that matters.

So if you’re scared right now, good. Use it.

Let that fear fuel you to:

• Have the conversations you’ve been putting off

• Build the thing you’ve been planning

• Pitch the brand you’ve been stalking

• Raise your rates to what you’re actually worth

• Go all in on the version of your life you actually want

If I can figure this out, you can too.

I’m not special. I’m not lucky. I’m not more talented or connected or “naturally good at this.”

I’m just someone who refused to let fear win.

And I’m betting you’re that person too 🔥

What Happens Next 💸

The mission stays the same: help creators build sustainable, profitable businesses without burning out or selling out.

Learn more and apply here: [citrine link]

Because here’s what I know for sure:

You don’t need more followers to make more money.

You need better strategy. Better positioning. Better systems.

And babe? That’s exactly what we build together 💕

The Real Real Talk 💬

That $114K? It’s not the goal. It’s proof of concept.

Proof that you can go from laid off and terrified to profitable and thriving in 90 days.

Proof that when you solve a real problem for real people, they’ll pay you for it.

Proof that betting on yourself isn’t reckless. It’s the smartest investment you’ll ever make.

So whatever you’re scared of right now... I see you. I’ve been you. Hell, some days I still AM you.

But I’m also proof that you can do the scary thing and come out the other side stronger.

Every single dollar was earned. Every single win was fought for. Every single moment of doubt was worth it.

And if you’re reading this thinking “maybe I can actually do this...”

Yeah babe. You absolutely can 🌟

See you next week,

Melissa 😘

Share Monetized with Melissa

P.S. If this hit you in the feelings, forward it to another creator who needs to hear it. We rise together 💕

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Before we dive in: This newsletter is brought to you by Rebrandly - the link management platform I use to track every click, prove ROI to brand partners, and build the performance case studies that help me close premium deals. More on how I use it below, but if you’re serious about turning your LinkedIn presence into actual revenue, this is the infrastructure piece nobody talks about. Check them out here.

So LinkedIn tells me my last post got 47,000 impressions.

Cool.

Wanna know how many people actually clicked the link in my post?

That’s a 0.66% click-through rate.

And out of those 312 clicks? Only 89 signed up for my newsletter. Only 23 booked a call. Only 4 became paying clients.

But here’s what’s wild: When I pitch brands, they don’t ask about my 47K impressions. They ask “how many people actually took action?”

And that’s the number most creators can’t answer.

Because LinkedIn analytics are designed to make you feel good about your content. Not to help you run a business.

Let me show you where the platform is lying to you (and what to track instead if you actually want to make money).

I’ve created this for YOU 💛

In this PDF guide I teach you which LinkedIn metrics actually matter and how to track them: Get It Here for FREE.

The 3 LinkedIn Metrics That Are Not Really Telling The Entire Truth:

1. Impressions LinkedIn counts an impression if your post showed up in someone’s feed for 0.3 seconds while they scrolled past it.

Brands don’t pay for “showed up in a feed.”

They pay for “got someone to stop, click, and convert.”

2. Engagement rate LinkedIn’s engagement rate = (reactions + comments + shares) / impressions

Notice what’s missing? Clicks.

You can have a 10% engagement rate and zero clicks. Which means zero traffic. Which means zero conversions. Which means zero ROI for a brand partner.

3. Follower count I’ve seen creators with 100K followers get worse partnership results than creators with 8K followers.

Why? Because follower count doesn’t tell you:

• How many are active

• How many are in the target audience

• How many actually click through to offers

Brands are getting smarter. They’re asking for link click data, conversion rates, and off-platform behavior.

If you can’t show them that data, you’re leaving money on the table.

What Brands Actually Want to See:

I’ve closed some big partnership deals in the last 18 months. And every single negotiation came down to one thing: Proof that my audience takes action.

Here’s the data I show in every partnership pitch:

✨ Link click-through rates by content type

• My carousels average

• My text posts average

• My videos average

✨ Conversion rates by traffic source

• LinkedIn → newsletter

• LinkedIn → sales page

• LinkedIn → partner offer

✨ Audience behavior patterns

• When do most of the clicks happen? In the first 3 hours, 6 hours, 10 hours?

This is the data that makes brands say “yes” at premium rates.

But here’s the problem: LinkedIn doesn’t give you any of this.

How I Actually Track What Matters (The Infrastructure Brands Respect)

Okay so if LinkedIn analytics are useless for partnership conversations, how do you get the real data?

You need to track off-platform behavior.

Here’s my actual system:

Step 1: Every link I share gets a unique tracking URL

• Newsletter signup links

• Partnership landing pages

• Lead magnets

• Booking calendars

• Affiliate offers

I don’t use generic short links anymore (bit.ly makes you look like a hobbyist tbh).

I use custom branded links through Rebrandly because:

• They look professional in posts (go.melissagaglione.com vs bit.ly/3x7kQ2m 👀)

• I can track every click by campaign, platform, and time period

• I can edit the destination URL without breaking the link (huge when you’re split-testing landing pages)

• I get click data that LinkedIn will never show me

Step 2: I organize every link by campaign type

I tag all my links so I can see performance patterns:

• Brand partnership content

• Newsletter growth content

• Lead gen content

• Affiliate content

This lets me tell a brand: “Here’s how my last 3 partnership posts performed compared to my organic content. Here’s the CTR. Here’s the conversion rate. Here’s why your offer is a fit.”

Step 3: I build performance case studies

After every brand partnership, I create a 1-page performance summary:

• Total impressions (from LinkedIn)

• Total link clicks (from my tracking)

• Conversion rate

• Cost per acquisition

• Audience sentiment (based on comments)

I send this to the brand. And then I use it in my next pitch to a different brand.

This is how you prove ROI. This is how you raise your rates. This is how you go from “influencer” to “strategic partner.”

Share Monetized with Melissa

The Shift That Changed Everything for Me ✨

I used to think my job was to create great content.

And yeah, that matters.

But the creators making real money? They’re not just creating content. They’re running data-informed creator businesses.

They know:

• Which content types drive clicks (not just likes)

• Which partnerships convert (not just align)

• Which platforms send quality traffic (not just volume)

And they can prove it with numbers.

When you show up to a brand conversation with a performance deck that includes click-through rates, conversion data, and audience behavior patterns? You’re not competing with other creators anymore.

You’re positioning yourself as a marketing channel with measurable ROI.

That’s when brands stop negotiating rates and start asking “how do we lock you in for a retainer?”

Here’s What to Do Right Now ✨

If you’re serious about landing brand partnerships (or raising your rates on current partnerships), you need to start tracking off-platform behavior today.

Here’s your action plan:

1. Audit your current tracking setup

• Are you using trackable links in every post?

• Can you see click data by campaign?

• Do you know your conversion rates?

2. Set up professional link infrastructure

• Get a custom domain for your links (I use go.melissagaglione.com)

• Organize your links by campaign type so you can spot patterns

• Start building a historical performance database

3. Create your first performance case study

• Pick your last partnership post (or high-performing organic post)

• Pull the click data and conversion data

• Build a 1-page summary showing the full funnel

This is the difference between “I got 10K likes” and “I drove 247 qualified clicks with a 12% conversion rate.”

Brands pay for the second one.

Want a head start? I’m using Rebrandly to manage all my links, track campaign performance, and build the case studies that help me close premium partnerships. They’ve got a free plan to get started, and it’s the same infrastructure powering my 6-figure creator business. (Seriously, this is the behind-the-scenes tool nobody talks about but everyone needs.)

Stop trusting LinkedIn’s vanity metrics. Start tracking what actually makes you money.

Subscribe now

Talk soon, Melissa ✨

P.S. If you landed a brand deal but have no idea how to track its performance, reply to this email. Let’s fix that before your next pitch.

Okay so can we talk about something nobody wants to admit?

You’re probably undercharging. Like by a LOT.

And before you’re like “Melissa I don’t even charge yet so this doesn’t apply to me”…oh babe, this ESPECIALLY applies to you.

Because here’s what I’ve learned after working with hundreds of creators:

The pricing problem isn’t actually a pricing problem. It’s an identity problem✨

Subscribe now

Let me explain what I mean because once you see this, you’ll never look at a rate card the same way again.

The Moment Everything Broke for Me 💔

I’ll never forget the first time a brand asked me: “What are your rates?”

I literally froze.

My brain went: “$500? No that’s too much. $200? That feels insulting to them. $1000? WHO AM I TO CHARGE THAT MUCH.”

So you know what I said?

“Oh I’m flexible! What’s your budget?”

🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩

That one sentence cost me probably $3K on that deal alone.

Because they came back with $300. And I took it. And I felt grateful.

GRATEFUL. For $300. To create content that would live on their page forever, reach thousands of people, and make them look good.

I wasn’t just undercharging. I was training them to undervalue me.

And here’s the brutal truth: every time you undercharge, you make it harder for the next creator.

When you accept $200 for a carousel that should cost $800, brands start to believe $200 is the market rate. And then the creator after you has to fight that expectation.

We’re doing this to ourselves babe😭

But Here’s the Thing About Raising Your Rates...

You’re going to start attracting better opportunities. But you’re also going to start seeing the red flags you used to ignore.

When you were desperate for any deal at any price, you said yes to everything. “Great exposure”? Sure! “What’s your budget?” Cool! “Can we start small and see how it goes?” Absolutely!

Now that you know your worth? Those phrases hit different.

So before you go into your next partnership conversation, you need to know what you’re actually hearing when brands try to lowball you. Because they will. And they’ll make it sound reasonable. Even generous.

Here’s your decoder:

Why Smart People Undercharge (It’s Not What You Think)

Most people think they undercharge because they don’t know the “right” number.

That’s not it.

You undercharge because you haven’t made the identity shift yet.

Here’s what I mean 👇

When I was posting on LinkedIn while working full-time in sales, I saw myself as:

• An employee who posts sometimes

• Someone with opinions who shares them

• A person building in public

I did NOT see myself as:

• A media channel

• A business asset

• Someone brands pay to access an audience

That shift? That’s everything.

Because once you see yourself as a media channel, $500 for a post isn’t expensive. It’s a steal.

A billboard costs $2K-10K per month. A podcast sponsorship costs $5K-50K. A single Instagram story ad costs $500-3K depending on reach.

You have:

• An engaged audience that trusts you

• Expertise in a specific niche

• The ability to create content that converts

• Direct access to decision-makers

And you’re charging... $200? 🥴

Babe. No.

The Real Cost of Undercharging (It’s Not Just Money)

When you charge too little, here’s what actually happens:

You attract the wrong clients

Cheap clients are the WORST clients. They want everything. They change scope mid-project. They question every deliverable. They ghost you after posting.

Premium clients? They respect timelines. They trust your expertise. They pay on time. They come back.

I learned this when I raised my rates by 3x overnight. Lost some inquiries. Gained clients who actually valued my work.

Best trade I ever made 💅

You burn out faster

When you’re undercharging, you need MORE deals to hit your income goals. More deals = more pitching, more revisions, more client management, more everything.

You end up working 60-hour weeks to make what you could’ve made in 20 if you’d just charged properly.

Your time has a cost. Factor that in.

You damage your positioning

Here’s something wild: people judge quality by price.

When I charged $500/post, brands saw me as a mid-tier creator. When I charged $2500/post (for the exact same work), brands saw me as a premium partner.

Same content. Same audience size. Different perception.

Pricing isn’t just about covering costs. It’s about signaling value.

If you price yourself like everyone else, you’ll be compared to everyone else. If you price yourself as premium, you get compared to premium.

Choose your comparison group wisely✨

The Framework I Use Now (Steal This)

Okay so here’s how I actually price partnership content now:

Base rate by follower count:

• 1K-5K followers: $300-500 per post

• 5K-20K followers: $500-2,500 per post

• 20K-50K followers: $2,500-4,000 per post

• 50K+ followers: $4,000+ per post

This is just a reference point. You may charge more or less depending on the situation; the goal is simply to know what others are charging so you can price confidently and avoid underselling yourself💕

Then I add multipliers for:

• Video content: 3-5x base (video = higher trust = higher value)

• Usage rights beyond 90 days: 2-3x the base rate

• Exclusivity clauses: 50-100% premium

• Multiple deliverables in one package: bundle pricing (always higher than à la carte)

• Expedited timelines: 25-50% rush fee

So a single LinkedIn video post with 6-month usage rights at 25K followers?

Base rate: ~$3,000
Video multiplier: ×4
Usage rights: ×2

That’s $24,000.

And I charge it. And brands pay it. Because the math makes sense for them.

The Mindset Shift You Need Right Now 🔥

Stop thinking: “What’s the least I can charge and still get the deal?”

Start thinking: “What’s the value I’m creating for this brand?”

If your post generates:

• 50K impressions

• 500 meaningful engagements

• 20 inbound leads

• 3 closed deals

And those 3 deals are worth $30K to the brand...

You charging $2,500 is a STEAL for them.

Your pricing should reflect the outcome you create, not just the time you spend.

Time-based pricing is for freelancers. Value-based pricing is for partners.

Be a partner 💕

What to Do Right Now

If you’re currently undercharging (and you probably are):

Option 1: Raise your rates for NEW clients

Grandfather existing clients at old rates if you want. But every new inquiry gets the new number.

Option 2: Add premium tiers

Keep your base tier. Add a premium tier at 3x the price with extras (usage rights, exclusivity, video, etc).

Let clients choose. You’ll be surprised how many pick premium.

Option 3: Just rip the band-aid

Email every past client: “As of [date], my rates are updating to reflect current market value and demand.”

Scary? Yes. Necessary? Also yes.

You’ll lose some people. That’s fine. They were gonna leave eventually anyway. The ones who stay? Those are your real clients.

Need the Exact Words? I Got You 💬

Look, knowing you should charge more and actually SAYING the number out loud are two different things.

So I made you something: The Rate Negotiation Script, a free guide with word-for-word scripts for:

• Responding when a brand asks “what are your rates?”

• Pushing back on lowball offers without burning the relationship

• Negotiating usage rights, exclusivity, and rush fees

• Handling “we don’t have budget for that” objections

It’s the exact language I use in real partnership conversations.

Download it here: The Rate Negotiation Script FREE Guide

The Truth Nobody Wants to Hear

You’re not going to “build up” to premium pricing.

You don’t get there by slowly increasing $50 at a time until one day you’re charging what you’re worth.

You get there by deciding you’re worth it NOW and adjusting everything else accordingly.

I didn’t wait until I had 100K followers to charge premium rates.

I charged premium rates and THEN grew to 100K.

Because premium pricing forced me to show up as premium. Better content. Better client experience. Better positioning.

You rise to the level of your pricing, not the other way around.

The Real Real Talk 💕

I know this is scary.

I know you’re thinking: “But Melissa, I don’t have proof yet. I don’t have a big audience. I don’t have fancy testimonials.”

Cool. Neither did I when I started charging premium.

Your proof is that you showed up. You built something. You have expertise people need.

That’s enough.

Don’t wait for permission to charge what you’re worth.

Nobody’s coming to tell you “okay NOW you can charge more.”

You just decide. And then you do it.

And yeah, some people will say no. Some people will ghost. Some people will tell you you’re “too expensive.”

Let them.

Those aren’t your people anyway🌟

Your people will see the value. They’ll pay happily. They’ll come back. They’ll refer others.

That’s the business you actually want to build.

So go update that rate card babe.

Add a zero. Delete the “I’m flexible” language. Send it with confidence.

You’re not charging for your time. You’re charging for years of experience, a trusted audience, and tangible business results.

Price like it.

See you next week, Melissa 😘

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Okay I need to tell you about the wildest month of my life.

I got laid off. And I was genuinely, truly, deeply... HAPPY about it. 😅

I know that sounds crazy. Let me explain.

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The backstory no one talks about

So I had been poached by another company. Seemed like a great opportunity at the time.

It was not. It was a TERRIBLE experience. Like genuinely awful.

So when the layoff came? I wasn’t devastated. I wasn’t panicking. I was like... oh thank GOD 🙏

I felt relieved. I felt FREE.

And the very next day, I made a decision that would change everything:

I was going to make $30K in 30 days to prove (to myself and everyone else) that I didn’t need a corporate job anymore.

Want to get actionable tips to start earning money FAST? I’ve created this for YOU 💛

: FREE Guide: The First 5K Playbook

The post that broke LinkedIn 📱

I posted about being happy about the layoff.

Not sad. Not “grateful for the journey.” Not “excited for what’s next” corporate speak.

Just... happy. Relieved. Free.

It went MEGA-VIRAL. Like actually insane numbers.

Here’s what people don’t understand about that moment: I wasn’t being performative. I wasn’t trying to be edgy or get engagement.

I was genuinely relieved. And people FELT that. Authenticity hits different ✨

My DMs exploded. People were reaching out left and right. Some said “same, I wish I could feel that way.” Others said “teach me how you built this.”

The sprint (aka the most chaotic 30 days ever) 🏃‍♀️

I sold EVERYTHING.

Eight different offerings. Courses. Coaching. Consulting. Templates. Whatever I had, I put it out there.

I was in full send mode. Posting every day. Hopping on calls. Closing deals. Barely sleeping tbh.

Final number: $34K in 30 days.

I beat my own goal by $4K🥹

But here’s the thing: the money wasn’t even the real win. The real insight came from the conversations.

70 conversations. One pattern. 💡

Over the next 2 months, I talked to 70 people.

Prospects. Creators. Random people who reached out after the viral post. Anyone who wanted to chat.

And a pattern emerged. Like, a VERY clear pattern.

Everyone kept asking the same question:

“How do I get paid for my posts?”

Not “how do I grow my audience.” Not “how do I go viral.” Not “how do I get more followers.”

How do I actually MONETIZE?

That was the question nobody was answering well. That was the gap.

So I decided: That’s the question I’m going to solve.

That’s why Citrine exists💛

How I built the business model

The strategy:

• Creator Accelerator= In 6 weeks, you'll learn how to build a brand that attracts partnerships.

• Established Creator Track = We fast-track your certification and start handling the business side immediately.

And aligned incentives.

That’s the whole game.

If my creators don’t win, I don’t win. That keeps me motivated to actually help them succeed, not just sell them something 💅

Choose Your Path to Citrine

What this whole experiment actually taught me

The $34K wasn’t really about the money.

It was about PROOF.

Proof that I had built something real over the years. That the relationships I’d nurtured, sometimes for YEARS without any “payoff”, would show up when I actually needed them.

That my content had created trust I could convert.

That I could bet on myself and win.

All those posts that got 47 likes? They mattered. All those DMs I sent with no pitch? They mattered. All those comments on other people’s content? They mattered.

Everything compounds. Even when it doesn’t feel like it 🌱

The real talk for you 💕

If you’re still employed and thinking about going independent someday: START BUILDING NOW.

Don’t wait until you “have to.”

Post. Even when it feels weird. Connect. Even when no one responds. Nurture relationships. Even when there’s no immediate ROI. Create things people want to buy. Even if you sell them while still employed.

Build the plane while you’re still on stable ground.

Because when your moment comes… when you get laid off, or you’re ready to quit, or an opportunity appears, you’ll be READY.

You won’t be starting from zero. You’ll be activating everything you already built.

That’s the game. That’s how you win ✨

See you next week, Melissa 😘

P.S. That $30K goal I set the day after getting laid off? I genuinely didn’t know if I could hit it. I just decided to try. Sometimes the bold move is just... deciding. And then figuring it out as you go. You can do that too. 💛

Hey star!

Okay so I’ve never actually told this whole story in one place before.

People ask me all the time: “Melissa, how did you figure out LinkedIn? How did you get here?”

And honestly? It wasn’t some master plan. It was a series of messy pivots, scary moments, and a LOT of just figuring it out as I went.

So grab your coffee (or wine, no judgment 🍷) because I’m about to walk you through the entire journey.

Here’s something you may want to steal…

My “6 LinkedIn Lessons That Took Me From $9/hr To Head Of Sales At A $4B Company” FREE guide can be found here: https://citrinecreators.co/resources

Now that you’re all set, let’s gooo ✨

Chapter 1: The $9/Hour Starting Point

Picture this: I’m a news reporter in Amarillo, Texas making NINE DOLLARS AN HOUR.

Nine. Dollars. An hour. 💀

I was miserable. I wanted out. I wanted Tampa specifically (the vibes, you know?)

So I did what felt logical at the time: I got on LinkedIn and started hunting for news directors. Recorded a video intro for a station in Sarasota. Connected with a Fox Tampa director. Put myself out there.

None of it worked out.

But here’s what I learned: LinkedIn gets you in front of people.

That one lesson? It would literally change everything🔥

Chapter 2: The Call Center Era (glamorous, I know)

I moved to Tampa anyway because I’m stubborn like that lol.

Took a $20/hour call center job. Not glamorous AT ALL. But hey, it was double what I was making!

Then I found an event producer role at IQPC Exchange through LinkedIn. In my interview I said: “I cold call people who trust me with their Social Security numbers.”

They looked at me and said: “You’re going into sales.”

And just like that... I was in sales😂

At IQPC, we were doing things SO old school. Printed ZoomInfo lists. Manual dialing. Copy-paste emails. It was painful.

My stepdad told me: “Get on LinkedIn and actually USE it.”

So I did. Started prospecting there. Started closing Fortune 500 C-suite executives for events.

And then... COVID hit😳

Chapter 3: Survival Mode Activated

I saw an email about a virus spreading in China. I KNEW the event industry was about to collapse. I was only 3 months into this job.

My thought: “I need to outsell literally everyone or I’m getting fired.”

So I went into full survival mode 👇

Went remote. Found a $20 email sequencer tool. Started “multithreading”: LinkedIn messages PLUS email sequences running at the same time.

I posted on LinkedIn constantly. Made graphics. Created LinkedIn groups and events. Slid into DMs asking: “Who else should be invited?”

I was HUSTLING.

The company assigned everyone to Groups A, B, and C. I called my friend Julie immediately: “We’re in Group B. Group C is basically the chopping block. Group A is managers and top closers. We NEED to get to Group A.”

Layoffs came. Group C? Eliminated. Group B got called in.

Only Julie and I kept our jobs. We actually got swapped for some Group A people.

We survived because of LinkedIn activity. Period. That taught me something I’ll never forget.

Chapter 4: The Video That Changed Everything 🎥

A college friend posted on LinkedIn about hiring SDRs. I messaged him. Got hired.

All of a sudden... I’m in tech sales???

Plot twist: My first month as an SDR? I was a LOSER. Like genuinely terrible. Not booking meetings. Struggling.

Then I heard about a teammate using voice notes for outreach. And I thought: “Wait. I was literally a news reporter. I should be making VIDEO.”

So I made a video for the COO of King’s Furniture. Full newscast style because that’s what I knew! Started with a problem. Mentioned my grandmother loves their furniture (true story). Pitched LivePerson messaging bots for their clunky website.

Within 30 minutes: meeting booked. ✨

THIRTY MINUTES.

Here’s what I did:

Chapter 5: The Climb (Cue Miley Cyrus 🎵)

An enterprise AE named Ann Goldfein took me under her wing. She pulled me aside and said: “You’re special. Let’s make a shit ton of money.”

I mean... YES MA’AM🙌

She pushed me toward big accounts. I built a whole crypto vertical. Started working enterprise deals.

I made a course on video prospecting because people kept asking how I did it. At 7K followers, I made $5K in 2 months just from LinkedIn posts. No ads. No fancy funnel. Just posting.

A company approached me to buy the rights to my course. I said no because I knew I could make more independently.

(Always trust your gut on these things!!)

I got promoted to enterprise AE. Then... laid off. 😅

But here’s the thing…

…I had spoken at Sales Success Summit, which I found through LinkedIn. I met someone from DEEL there.

After the layoff, I sent a cold video to DEEL’s sales director. Within 1 HOUR: interview scheduled. Within 5 DAYS: hired as Founding Mid-Market AE.

I was the first person in the US to sell a product that’s now worth $4 billion.

I went from SDR to Head of Sales in 3-4 years.

Like WHAT 🤯

Chapter 6: What Every Chapter Taught Me

Okay so looking back, every single chapter taught me something different about how LinkedIn actually works:

✨ It gets you in front of people: Even when my early outreach “failed,” I was building the muscle

✨ Activity keeps you employed when others get cut: Julie and I survived layoffs because we were VISIBLE

✨ Video cuts through noise: Everyone’s scared of it, which is exactly why it works

✨ Content builds trust before you ever pitch: By the time I DM someone, they already feel like they know me

✨ Relationships from one chapter pay off in the next: The DEEL connection came from a speaking gig I got through LinkedIn posting

The Real Talk 💕

I didn’t have a master plan, besties.

I wasn’t strategic about “building a personal brand” or “optimizing my content pillars” or whatever.

I just kept showing up. Kept posting. Kept reaching out. Kept saying yes to scary things.

LinkedIn isn’t magic. It’s a tool.

But if you use it consistently (even when it feels like nothing is happening) doors open that you didn’t even know existed.

That $9/hour news reporter had NO idea she’d be running a creator business, hosting yacht events, and teaching thousands of people how to monetize their LinkedIn presence.

But she kept posting anyway🥹

So wherever you’re starting from? It’s not too late. It’s not too small. It’s not too weird.

Just start. Keep going. Trust the compound effect.

Your future self will thank you.

See you next week, Melissa 😘

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Every week someone DMs me like: “Melissa, the algorithm is broken. My reach is dead. LinkedIn hates me now.”

And every time I’m like... no, babe. The algorithm isn’t broken.

You’re just still playing the 2023 game in 2026. And that game? It’s over.

I see it so often that I turned it into two FREE PDFs: one on the content mistakes that quietly cap reach, and one on the growth traps that stall progress even when you’re consistent.

Get them here 👉https://citrinecreators.co/resources

Let me explain what’s actually happening because once you get this, everything changes✨

LinkedIn isn’t ranking your posts anymore. It’s ranking YOU!

Read that again.

The algorithm is now trying to answer one question:

“Is this person actually credible on this topic for this audience?”

That’s it. That’s the whole game now.

This is why two creators can post the same exact format and get wildly different results. One person’s carousel flops. Another person’s identical carousel gets 500K impressions.

The difference isn’t the content. It’s the person behind it.

You’re not being rewarded for activity anymore. You’re being rewarded for consistency of expertise.

Here’s what LinkedIn is actually looking at in 2026:

What your profile says you’re good at. What topics you post about repeatedly. How people interact with your content. Whether conversations continue after the post. Whether people come back to you over time.

LinkedIn’s latest update (internally they’re calling it 360 Brew) now reads your headline, about section, and experience to verify your authority BEFORE distributing your posts.

If your content doesn’t match what your profile claims? LinkedIn limits your reach.

Think about it: A healthcare professional randomly posting about crypto? The algorithm is like “...girl, what? This doesn’t match. I’m not showing this to people.”

Your profile and your content need to tell the same story. Period 💅

The new game is topic ownership, not virality

I know everyone wants to go viral. Trust me, I get it. When my layoff post went mega-viral, it felt amazing.

But here’s what I’ve learned: Virality is unpredictable. Topic ownership is not.

The accounts winning right now do one thing extremely well: they train both humans AND the algorithm to associate them with a small number of ideas.

Not five topics. Not ten. Two or three.

I talk about brand partnerships, LinkedIn strategy, and creator monetization. That’s my lane. I don’t randomly post about fitness or politics or whatever’s trending. I stay focused.

When you do this consistently:

Your posts travel further without crazy spikes. Old posts resurface weeks later (this happens to me ALL the time now). New audiences find you automatically.

Reach feels slower but lasts way longer. That’s the trade-off. And honestly? It’s so worth it.

Why video matters and why most people still get it wrong 🎥

• 2-4 minutes (not 30 seconds, not 10 minutes)

• Starts with a specific insight, NOT “hey guys welcome back”

• Explains ONE idea clearly

• Ends with a perspective shift or action step

No fancy edits needed. No virality tricks.

Saves are the metric that matters now. Not likes.

• Comments that add real thought

• Replies that keep the conversation going

• Saves that signal “I need this later”

Every meaningful interaction tells LinkedIn: “This content is worth staying with.”

The creators winning right now:

• Don’t chase formats: they master ideas

• Don’t post daily: they post deliberately

• Don’t optimize for reach: they optimize for recall

People don’t remember your best post. They remember what you consistently help them understand.

💫Remember:

• Topic chaos

• Shallow takes

• Performative posting

More rewarding of:

• Clear expertise

• Repeated insights

• Trust built over time

If your content clearly signals expertise, your profile reinforces it, and your engagement deepens it, well… the algorithm does the heavy lifting for you.

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Hey Stars! ⭐

Can we have a real talk for a sec?

I see so many creators posting consistently, trying all the “right” tactics, and still getting crickets.

And they always blame the same things:

“My hook wasn’t strong enough.” “The algorithm didn’t pick it up.” “I posted at the wrong time.”

I used to think this too. Like maybe if I just found the perfect posting time or wrote a spicier hook, everything would click.

Turns out... that’s not the real problem.

Most posts fail BEFORE they ever hit publish.

Not because of execution. Because of misalignment ✨

Here’s what I mean:

When your content doesn’t match how you’re positioned, two things happen:

1. LinkedIn doesn’t know who to show it to

2. Your audience doesn’t know why to trust it

And your post just... floats. Into the void. Never to be seen again.

That gap between a solid idea and a clear position is exactly why I put together a super simple ✨ “Before You Hit Post” checklist ✨for my creators.

Not to help you create MORE content (please, we have enough content). But to make sure you don’t post something that quietly messes with your positioning.

✨ Want more FREE goodies? I put together this Downloadable Guide full of deeper prompts and strategies to help you plan your posts with intention 💖

And now, let’s break down the 4 quiet reasons content dies early 👇

Mistake 1: You’re Writing for Engagement, Not Belief🙈

Okay this one is SO common and I totally get why.

Engagement is easy to chase. Belief isn’t.

So people default to:

• Hot takes that get reactions

• Relatable pain that gets “omg same” comments

• Broad opinions everyone agrees with

And it works... kinda…

You get likes. You get comments. You feel good for a day.

But here’s the cost 👇

You get:

• Comments from peers (not prospects)

• Agreement without action

• Visibility without authority

People like the post. They don’t remember YOU.

I learned this the hard way. Early on I was posting stuff that got engagement but wasn’t moving anyone toward working with me. Vanity metrics feel nice but they don’t pay your bills babe.

The fix:

Stop writing to be liked. Start writing to be BELIEVED✨

Make one clear point. Take a position. Let it cost you something.

The posts that built my business? They weren’t the ones everyone agreed with. They were the ones where I said something real and let people decide if they were in or out.

Authority isn’t popularity. It’s conviction 💅

Mistake 2: Sounding Smart Instead of Being Useful🤓

We all want to look credible.

So we:

• Over-explain everything

• Add fancy jargon

• Stack frameworks on frameworks

I’ve 100% done this. Written posts that made ME feel smart but made my audience feel confused.

Now I do the opposite 👇

I try to write everything at like a 5th-6th grade reading level.

Not because my audience isn’t smart, y’all are brilliant. Because clarity creates access💕

If someone has to re-read your post twice to understand it, they’re not saving it. And if they don’t save it... it didn’t help them. (And remember: saves are THE metric that matters now!)

The fix:

Translate. Don’t lecture.

Before you post, ask yourself: “What should someone actually DO differently after reading this?”

End with a decision. Not a definition.

The smartest people explain things simply. That’s the flex ✨

Mistake 3: Posting Ideas You Don’t Actually Live😬

Oh this one. THIS ONE.

You’ve seen these posts everywhere:

• “Consistency beats intensity”

• “Build in public”

• “Add value first”

They’re not wrong. They’re just... empty when you’re repeating someone else’s wisdom.

People can FEEL when advice isn’t earned. Trust me. Your audience knows.

And when that happens, your content becomes:

• Generic

• Forgettable

• Safe

I have a rule now: Before I write anything, I pause and ask myself, “Have I actually earned this take? Do I have receipts?”

If I’m writing about brand partnerships, I better have done brand partnerships. If I’m writing about cold outreach, I better have sent cold outreach THIS WEEK.

The mess becomes the message. Remember that.

The fix:

Share what you’re testing RIGHT NOW:

What’s working. What broke. What surprised you.

Messy beats polished every single time.

I posted about being HAPPY about getting laid off. That was messy. That was real. That went mega-viral. Because it was true.

Originality isn’t new ideas. It’s lived perspective ✨

Mistake 4: Not Being Clear Who the Post Is For🎯

This might be the biggest one tbh.

Wanting reach is normal. Writing for everyone is the mistake.

Because broad content feels safe... but it rarely feels RELEVANT.

If your reader can’t instantly think “Oh wow, this is literally about me”, they scroll.

I talk about this all the time with my creators: Talking to everyone means talking to no one. A focused audience is easier for brands to understand. It’s easier for the ALGORITHM to understand.

When I narrowed down to specifically helping creators monetize through brand partnerships? Everything changed. My content got clearer. My audience got more engaged. Brands knew exactly why to work with me.

The fix:

Write to ONE person. One role. One problem.

Let others feel excluded. That’s actually how relevance is created.

Not everyone is your person. That’s okay. The right people will feel SO seen.

Relevance beats reach. Always 💕

The Real Fix (TL;DR for my busy babes):

Write fewer posts. Make each one do more work.

Every strong post should:

1. Signal expertise

2. Build trust

3. Move the right person closer to action

If it doesn’t hit at least two of those? It’s noise. Don’t post it.

The algorithm doesn’t reward volume anymore. It rewards clarity + resonance✨

And honestly? That’s exactly what clients and brands respond to too. They don’t want to work with someone who posts a lot. They want to work with someone who clearly knows their stuff and speaks directly to the right audience.

Quality over quantity. Always.

Now go check your drafts folder and ask yourself: “Does this post actually align with how I want to be known?”

If not? Delete it babe. Your positioning will thank you😘

See you next time, Melissa.