How to Win Big Without LinkedIn Recruiter with Amelia Rivas

How did narrowing your niche change the results you got from LinkedIn?

“It changed it massively. As soon as I started building my network within that niche, I was following the right people, extracting relevant knowledge and it just snowballed. 

My LinkedIn feed became like a ready-made BD tool because the right people were there saying the right things. 

I could kickstart conversations straight from what I was seeing every day. If you’re not following the right people, there’s no point looking at LinkedIn because it’s irrelevant. 

But when your feed is full of the right posts, comments and insights, it’s almost easy to just look at LinkedIn for BD.”

How did you actually go about narrowing it?

“As soon as I found my niche, I went hell for leather for it. I would look at a relevant company and then check who their partners were, who their vendors were, where they’d worked before. 

I made sure I was connecting with all the relevant people and used my full connection limit each week on that. 

The gold with doing that is once you’ve got the right people in your network, LinkedIn’s ‘people also viewed’ and ‘people you may know’ recommendations become really valuable. 

The algorithm starts working in your favour when you focus in like that.”

When you say personal brand isn’t just selfies, what does yours look like in practice?

“I try to do a mix. At first I didn’t overthink it, if I saw interesting market data, I’d just post it. 

If you want more of a plan, I’d go for one post about industry knowledge, one about acquisitions or the startup world, and one that’s slightly more personal. 

That mix of professional insight and something more human works for me.”

What’s the quickest way for a recruiter to show they know their market on LinkedIn?

“Share what you’re hearing. We speak to people day in, day out, and that’s where the gold is, the things you won’t find in a news article. 

Use that insider knowledge. Share the problems you’re hearing about, share the failures, share the successes too. 

I don’t think recruiters shout enough about their wins. 

The key is to make it authentic and valuable.”

How do you use mutual connections to open doors with target clients?

“In my niche, I sometimes have over a thousand mutual connections with someone. 

I’ll point that out and say ‘Hey, we’re clearly in the same space - look how many mutuals we have.’ That instantly shows I’m relevant. 

I might also name-drop specific mutuals and say, ‘I know X well and they speak highly of you.’ Or I’ll ask that mutual to introduce me directly. 

Those are three really easy ways to use mutual connections to your advantage.”

What LinkedIn signals do you check daily that could lead to business?

“I check new hires first, that a hiring trigger for the company they’ve joined, but also could mean a backfill for the role they’ve left. 

I also look at investments, mergers and acquisitions, and I follow company insights to see who’s growing and where. 

Then I break it down - is the growth in engineering, product, sales? Those details make your outreach more targeted.”

What’s your process for keeping LinkedIn content consistent without it feeling like a chore?

“I keep a note on my phone where I drop any post ideas as soon as I think of them. That way, on days when I’m feeling uninspired, I can just scroll through my list and pick something. 

I also use AI a bit more now for inspiration. 

For example, if I know I want to post about sports tech in performance, I’ll look up the latest news in that space and see if any of it sparks a post idea. 

The main thing is to have a log of ideas you don’t want to forget and tools to help you when you’re stuck.”

How do you encourage team members to post when they’re not seeing results yet?

“I make sure I shout about the successes and show them the direct results from my own posts, for example ‘I posted this and it led to this meeting or role.’ 

I also remind them that just because someone isn’t liking or commenting doesn’t mean they’re not seeing it. I’ve had people come up to me at events and talk about a post I’ve done when they’ve never interacted with it online. 

Stuff happens in the background, you’ve just got to keep going.”

If a recruiter could implement one quick daily LinkedIn habit after reading this, what should it be?

“Treat your LinkedIn content as part of your BD strategy. Make it a non-negotiable. 

Do it in a way that feels like you and eventually you’ll start to enjoy it because you’ll see the results.”

Amelia’s 7 Step LinkedIn Playbook: How to Win Without LinkedIn Recruiter

Step 1: Nail Your Niche & Build a Relevant Network

When Amelia stopped being a generalist and went all-in on sports tech, her LinkedIn became a live business development tool.

• Connect intentionally – use your weekly 100 connection limit only on relevant prospects, talent, and industry voices.
  

• Once you’re in their network, LinkedIn’s People Also Viewed becomes a goldmine for more leads.
  

• The more relevant your network, the more your feed shows the intel you need for BD — investment news, job changes, and hiring triggers.
  

Step 2: Post With a Purpose — Not Just Selfies

Amelia’s content mix:

• Industry insight – hiring trends, tech launches, investment news.
  

• Market moves – acquisitions, M&A, standout success stories.
  

• Human post – a personal take or story that shows you’re more than a recruiter.
  

💡 Pro tip: If you’ve got a pitch with a company next week, post content relevant to their industry a few days before. It builds credibility before the call.

Step 3: Share Insider Intel Regularly

• Use conversations with clients/candidates as content — trends, challenges, common questions.
  

• Share your wins and lessons (without breaking confidentiality).
  

• Avoid posting external links — instead summarise the key points in your own words to maximise reach.
  

Step 4: Leverage Mutual Connections as Warm Intros

• Highlight mutuals in your outreach (“We share 200+ industry connections — clearly in the same space”).
  

• Name-drop trusted contacts who can vouch for you.
  

• Ask for an intro — people like to do favours and it strengthens relationships.
  

Step 5: Track Daily BD Signals

Check these every day:

• Job Changes – new hires = potential backfills & future hiring needs.
  

• Funding & M&A – likely to drive team expansion.
  

• Company growth data – target outreach by function (sales, product, engineering).
  

Step 6: Make Consistency Easy

• Keep an “ideas log” in your phone — jot down concepts as they come.
  

• Save relevant posts on LinkedIn for later inspiration.
  

• Use AI to spark ideas, but write in your own voice.
  

Step 7: Make LinkedIn a Daily BD Habit

• Treat posting and engaging like calling or emailing — it’s a non-negotiable BD activity.
  

• Be yourself. The more authentic your content, the easier it is to stick with.
  

Two BD Wins That Prove It Works

1. The Podcast Post to Closed Deal

• Amelia spotted a sports tech company featured on a podcast video in her feed.
  

• She emailed their C-level team the same day with a short, relevant message about her work in their space.
  

• By Monday, she was pitching to their execs. Mid-week, she posted content specific to their tech vertical — a passive “reminder” of her expertise.
  

• By Friday, the deal was closed: a high-value Recruitment-as-a-Service project.
  

2. Tagging a CEO for Future Business

• She posted about a sports technology company, tagging the CEO.
  

• Followed up with a congratulatory message (no pitch).
  

• That led to a warm discovery call and a relationship that could convert to retained work in the future.

🎯 Action Points – Amelia’s LinkedIn Playbook

1. Use your full 100 weekly connection requests on relevant prospects & talent.

2. Post 3x weekly (industry insight, market news, human post).

3. Share insider intel from daily calls — no external links.

4. Check mutual connections & ask for warm intros.

5. Track job changes, funding, M&A daily.

6. Keep a running content ideas log.

7. Show up on LinkedIn daily as part of your BD.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:

#1: Do you listen to my podcast? I release a weekly episode with either a top-performing recruiter or recruitment entrepreneur to find out how they achieved their success so you can learn directly from their journey Check out my latest episode and subscribe to the show.

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