If you’ve been refreshing your LinkedIn profile, updating your headline and cover photo, and still wonder how other people keep landing remote jobs and freelance gigs, this post is for you. I’ll walk you through the exact, practical steps I use to find remote work on LinkedIn, even when I had zero followers and very few connections.
Why most people miss remote opportunities on LinkedIn
Most job seekers go straight to the Jobs tab and complain there are only scams or low-quality listings. The truth is many real opportunities are posted in LinkedIn posts, not the Jobs tab. Also, you don’t need a huge audience to find or win work — you just need a smart process and a few outreach tactics that make you stand out.
Quick overview — What you’ll learn
- How to use LinkedIn search to surface hiring posts (not just job listings)
- How to leverage other people’s activity to discover openings fast
- Exactly how to get noticed (comment strategy + DM strategy)
- Why startups are low-friction targets for remote work
- A simple outreach framework that increases response rates (voice notes included)
Strategy 1 — Use the search bar and look at POSTS (not only Jobs)
Open the LinkedIn search bar and type a phrase that hiring people would use. Examples:
- “hiring email marketer”
- “hiring content writer”
- “looking for a freelance designer”
Then click the Posts tab in search results and filter by recency (past 24 hours or past week). Many founders, hiring managers, and startups announce roles via posts. Open promising posts in new tabs, review the comments and engagement, and note application links or contact names.
Tip: sometimes a role is posted as hybrid or on-site but the company is open to remote hires — it’s worth applying or pitching anyway.
Strategy 2 — Use other job hunters’ activity to find more opportunities
This is one of my favorite, underused tactics. When you find a post where people are commenting “I’m interested” or tagging others, click into someone who has engaged with that post and check their profile.
On their profile, go to Activity → All (or Likes/Comments). You’ll see other job posts they’ve liked, commented on, or shared. Those are additional openings you can apply to — effectively you’re leveraging their job-search pipeline.
You can follow or connect with active job seekers in your niche so their likes and comments appear in your feed. It’s a quick way to discover more opportunities without having to re-run lots of searches.
Strategy 3 — Make strategic comments, then DM the hiring person
Instead of joining a crowded comment thread under a popular job post, find the recruiter’s or founder’s other posts that have low engagement. People notice thoughtful comments on quieter posts.
How to do it:
- Find a low-engagement post by the hiring person.
- Leave a useful, specific comment that adds value (not just “interested”).
- Send a connection request with a short note (or wait until they accept and then DM).
- Reference your comment in the DM so they recognize you quickly.
Examples you can adapt:
- Comment: “Nice point — I’ve run a similar email campaign that lifted open rates by 18%. Happy to share the sequence if anyone’s curious.”
- Connection note: “Hi — enjoyed your post about email nurture. I left a note in the comments and would love to connect.”
- DM (text): “Hi [Name], thanks for your post on [topic]. I commented about an email sequence that boosted opens by 18%. If you’re hiring, I’d love to send a one-page audit or quick sample.”
Tip: If you don’t have LinkedIn Premium and the “Message” button is disabled, send a connection request first. Mention you left a comment — that increases the chance they open and reply to your DM.
Strategy 4 — Stand out with voice notes
Voice notes on LinkedIn are underused and therefore high-impact. When you send a short, clear voice note — 20–40 seconds — you create curiosity and a personal connection. People tend to listen because most messages are text and get skimmed.
What to say in a voice note (structure):
- Quick greeting and your name.
- One line of context referencing your comment or their post.
- A concise value statement or the result you can deliver.
- One clear next step (send a sample, schedule a 10-minute call).
Example voice note script (30 seconds):
“Hi [Name], I’m Rita — I commented on your post about email strategy. I recently helped a startup increase email open rates by 18% using a two-step re-engagement sequence. I can send a one-page audit or a sample campaign if you’d like. What would you prefer?”
Voice notes + a targeted DM or connection request consistently perform better than plain text outreach.
Strategy 5 — Target startups and founders
Startups are often remote-friendly and willing to hire globally. Use the search bar to find cohorts or startup communities (for example, “YC” or “Y Combinator 2025”) and switch to the People or Posts tab. Follow founders and early team members whose work aligns with your skills.
When founders post updates or hiring announcements, use the comment + DM approach described above. Founders and early-stage hiring teams frequently recruit through social posts and are receptive to direct, concise outreach.
The long game — build in public and become excellent at one thing
All the outreach tactics above are great for getting your first clients fast. But the best, most sustainable way to win high-paying, low-drama clients is to become outstanding at one skill and share the results publicly.
Practical steps:
- Pick one thing (e.g., email marketing or content writing) and get excellent at it.
- Do the work — run tests, create case studies, save screenshots of results.
- Share short posts showing outcomes, processes, and lessons learned (build in public).
- Repeat. Over time, inbound leads who already trust your work will become your best clients.
Clients who come to you after seeing your results are usually easier to work with and often willing to pay more.
A simple outreach framework: “Beyond and Above” (overview)
I call my outreach framework the Beyond and Above strategy — outreach that gives something useful up front and makes the next step obvious. The core idea is:
- Personalize (mention their post, product, or a recent update).
- Show immediate value (one-line result or a free one-page audit).
- Close with a tiny next step (send a sample or schedule a 10-minute call).
I’m building a mini-course that breaks this down with templates and examples. If you want early access and the templates, join the waitlist here: https://ritamichaeladegoke.com.ng/beyond-above-strategy-waitlist/
Recap — actionable checklist you can use right now
- Search LinkedIn for “hiring [your skill]” and filter to Posts.
- Open multiple posts in new tabs and track ones that look promising.
- Check activity of people who commented or liked those posts to discover more openings.
- Find low-engagement posts by the hiring person, leave a valuable comment, then connect and DM.
- Use short voice notes to stand out in DMs.
- Target startups and founders — follow first, then pitch when you have something specific to offer.
- Work towards building public proof of results so clients eventually come to you.
Final thoughts
LinkedIn is not a scam — but it rewards strategy over luck. You don’t need a large following to find remote gigs; you need the right searches, the right way of engaging, and outreach that actually provides value. Use these tactics to get your first few clients, build momentum, and then scale by sharing your results.
If you want the outreach templates, voice-note examples, and a step-by-step playbook, join the waitlist for my mini-course: https://ritamichaeladegoke.com.ng/beyond-above-strategy-waitlist/
Got questions or want a quick DM script tailored to your niche? Leave a comment below and I’ll help you craft it.