Nick Broekema

Getting you inbound leads through Content Design

I ran an agency for 6 years and invisibility nearly killed it (twice).  

We 100% relied on word-of-mouth marketing:

- Leads from friends and family (not even kidding)
- Leads from former and current clients
- Leads through competitors

We took on what we could get.

Sometimes we skyrocketed. Often we struggled.

The feast and famine cycle was real.

And it was painfully frustrating.

As a business owner, I didn't have:

- Time and focus on growth
- Time to take care of my team
- Time to generate leads myself

I was consistently hustling and putting out fires.

When I pivoted in 2022, I chose a different strategy:

→ Creating content to build a reputation and presence
→ Creating content to show the world my offering
→ Creating content to generate leads every week

At least, that was the plan.

It took me months to do it:

I started with text posts. Then I added visuals. Then I added carousels. Then I 'designed' my content. Every upgrade increased my growth and revenue.

This led me to craft a new solution:

Content Design for LinkedIn. 

Since then, I've helped clients build recognizable brands that attract and sell: 

- Matt Barker 2X’d his post views, attracted higher paying clients, and 2X’d product sales within 2 months of working together.

- Mollie Cox made $16k (next to her full-time job) within 2 months of working together.

- Pascalle Bergman's revenue went up by 73% after working together.

If that sounds good, there 2 ways I help founders, coaches, and creators attract leads on LinkedIn: 

1. Content Design 1:1 coaching to attract your ideal audience
2. My Content Design cohort (see Featured for waitlist)

Check out my Featured section 💪

Brand Scaling Consultant

Important question: 

Do people on Facebook also say

“This isn’t LinkedIn”

When posts are too professional?

Content design to attract your ideal audience on LinkedIn

I'm Dutch and I have 87,100 followers on LinkedIn. 

A few stats I read about Dutch LinkedIn users: 

- 2,582 people have over 5k followers
- 1,179 people have over 10k followers
- 346 people have over 25k followers
- 109 people have over 50k followers
- 47 people have over 100k followers

Last week, I ranked #34 in the Top 50 Most Influential LinkedIn Users in the Netherlands.
 
I also found out I’m ranked #3 in Favikon's list of Top 10 Growth Experts in the Netherlands.
 
This makes me pretty cool Dutch person right? 

Well, last week I was skiing with friends most of whom I’ve known since the age of 12.
 
I got tagged in those two lists in the same week and told a few of them.

Time with friends can be very grounding. 
 
Most smiled but had no idea what I was talking about.
Another friend said "ah ok but can you get beers".
Another friend didn't even hear what I said. 

You see, a mention in these lists is flattering. 

But 99% of all people have no clue what this is all about. 

We're all creating and yapping in our own bubble. 

And that's okay. 

As for my friends: 

They were the first people who supported me back when I had 900 followers. 

Carry on.

Client: "I think we should cancel my group event"

Me: "Why do you want to do that?"

Client: "I'm afraid I won't sell any seats"

Me: "okay let's zoom out" 

The reality was that she had: 

- sent 1 email (with more to go)
- 7 days to go until kick-off
- 500+ people on a waitlist
- Great people in her corner
- Targeted LinkedIn content
- A great email strategy
- A goal of selling 10 seats 

And a massively valuable group program. 

We already got her to €30k-€40k months.

No way we were cancelling. 

So she kept shipping. 

After 1 day: 

"I SOLD ONE"

The day after: 

"I SOLD 8 SEATS". 

Yesterday (kick-off day): 

"I SOLD 31 SEATS"

You see, it’s tempting to give up so you can’t fail.
 
But what if you saw it as a test instead?

Worst case: you learn to improve. 

Best case: you sell out. 

Either way, you win.

LinkedIn in 2026 feels different.

After 3.5+ years of posting, here’s what I’m seeing.
 
1. AI made writing easier but it didn't make it better. My feed is flooded with generic “best practices” and comment sections full of AI summarizing posts. People are tired of polished mediocrity. I think we'll see a silent human-written renaissance: raw experience, bold opinions, real stories. If you’ve been outsourcing your brain to AI, try writing without it. You’ll feel how weak that muscle became (I noticed it and I only used it for proofreading).

2. Pattern interruptors are popular. Short brain dumps. Parody. Rage bait. Random but relatable takes that cut through the noise. People engage because it feels different in a sea of sameness. The problem is you can’t force originality or humor. I'd test these formats but you arguably need to add other formats for positioning and sales.

3. The fundamentals will always win. Tell stories that make the right people think “that’s me.” Show proof so they see you as the go-to. Demonstrate results so they trust you. And learn to convert conversations into revenue. I wasted a lot of time chasing shiny trends before realizing this is the only mix that compounds.

4. LinkedIn behaves like the stock market. You see others win, you take the plunge, results don’t come instantly, you quit. But time in the market beats timing the market. I needed 12 months to hit 10k, another 12 to hit 30k, and after 3.5 years I’m at 87k. Profit followed the same curve. Treat it like "Dollar Cost Averaging": small consistent contributions until momentum kicks in. 

5. Smaller accounts are thriving while bigger ones feel the squeeze. I remember when 500-700 likes per post felt normal. After crossing 50k, volatility kicked in and reach became less predictable. Many large accounts struggled or disappeared, while 1k-20k accounts grew fast. My assumption: platforms reward beginners first, then make you earn it. If you’re "smaller", ride that wave. 

6. The growth you see around you isn’t representative of your own. Bigger accounts have different goals: audience growth, newsletter subs, content partnerships, launching communities and consulting offers. Most spend their entire day here (even though they say they don't). Most entrepreneurs and solopreneurs here sell services. Don’t compare your account growth to theirs.

This is not a statement against AI, the algorithm, or trends.

They CAN be your ally. 

It's about staying in the game even when it sucks.

I gave Claude access to my Gmail and created a client deck in 2 minutes.

I'm an AI newbie but this was really easy. 

How it works:

1. Open Claude
2. Click "Connectors" (settings)
3. Connect Gmail + Gamma
4. Prompt Claude: "Find my discovery call notes from [client name]. Create a campaign proposal deck in Gamma."

(Notion = optionally)

Then Claude automatically:

→ Searches your inbox
→ Pulls the meeting notes
→ Builds deck with budget, timeline, deliverables

Finally make it look better: 

→ Open Gamma 
→ Set your fonts, colors, and illustration style
→ Save as Theme
→ Add "use my pre-saved style" to your prompt

Every proposal is targeted, on-brand, and personalized. 

Start building yours here: 

https://lnkd.in/eHzb-FzF

Brand partnership • Content design to attract your ideal audience on LinkedIn

Create personalized sales decks with Gamma

"How can I build a recognizable brand?"

Got that question in a cohort session last week. 

It's a bit of a chicken and the egg situation: 

1. You need a brand that CAN become recognizable
2. You need to share it enough to become recognizable

You see, people who follow me recognize my "green". 

But I initially started with a very ugly orange.

In 2022, I did everything wrong: 

- I tried to create and post a carousel daily
- I color-coded them (like people would care)
- I talked about 10 different topics in my content

Result: 

Zero clients and zero brand recognition. 

A lot happened since then. 

Jeremy Bennett invited me on his podcast show. 

We talked about how content design generated over 25 million impressions (and more). 

Go check it out ↓

Your brand isn't memorable.

Nick Broekema shows you how to fix it.

You're posting. 
You're showing up. 
But people scroll right past you.

You need to:

Pick your style. 
Stop chasing trends. 
Stop reinventing every quarter.

But!

There is a correct way to do this!
Don't take this part for granted.
You need a professional.

You can't just watch a YouTube video and figure this out.
It takes someone who understands the psychology. 
Someone who's devoted their life to this craft.

In this episode, Nick shares what works. 

Absolute must-watch!

Do you do your own design? 
Let us know in the comments.

Mixing digital marketing, design thinking, and entrepreneurship. 

Building STOICA.CO, a B2B marketing agency part of BBN International. We help companies develop their online presence as an asset to generate revenue and growth for their business. We help our clients clarify their marketing strategy, create a clear plan, and execute to get results fast. 

I tried a few projects over time, bootstraped, raised money, and mostly learned a lot: an advertising agency, a graduation albums business, a photo studio, a software as a service platform, a web3 products studio, and a few communities. 

Do you think I can help? 

Schedule a call here: https://stoica.co/andrei

Andrei Stoica

A second opinion can save your business. 

It's like going to a doctor. Would you trust the first one? 

What if she says you have a big problem and only they can fix it?

Same with B2B marketing. 

You're not dying, but your business might. 

One call with another marketing expert can save you another year of frustration. Nobody holds the golden goose, but they might share a pertinent perspective that can make all the difference. 

We have a growing base of marketing experts at STOICA.CO and through BBN - The World's B2B Agency, with 10, 20, 40+ years of experience across a wide range of industries, all eager to help.

How confident are you that your current marketing strategy and plan will take your business to the next level this year? 

Would it help to get a second opinion?

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stoicaandco

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STOICA.CO

BBN - The World's B2B Agency

CEO, STOICA.CO — B2B marketing for growth

I don’t recommend many events, but this one is worth sharing.

The Small Giants Community Summit brings together some of the most thoughtful, values-driven leaders I’ve met — people who genuinely care about how business impacts employees, communities, and the world.

They’re gathering again April 28–30, 2026, in Detroit, and if you believe business can be a force for good and perform at a high level, this is a room where you’ll feel at home.

My reasons for joining the summit:

🎯  *Deep conversations with people who get it* — not just networking, but real dialogue with leaders who share similar values

🎯  *Learning from companies that prove profit and purpose aren't mutually exclusive* — practical examples, not theory

🎯  *Coming back energized and equipped* — not just inspired, but with actual tools and ideas I can implement

Let me know if you want to find out more!

Small Giants Community

Most B2B teams have plans.

But it's not the same ONE PLAN for everyone. 

If you get the marketing manager, sales manager, and the CEO to the same table, you might get three different answers for a few basic questions: 

Who's your ideal customer? 
How do you bring in new customers? 
Why should they buy from you? 

The CEO needs revenue, the marketing manager generates leads, and the sales manager builds "relationships". So you end up with bad leads, relationships with the wrong people, and a frustrated CEO. 

No one's "wrong". 

They're just not rowing in the same direction. 

That's something a good workshop can fix in a few hours. It might take a few days sometimes with interviews and research, but it's way better than one more year of frustration. WE CAN HELP. 

Do you feel like your team rows in the same direction?

Most B2B websites are expensive business cards.

Nice to have. Rarely doing anything.

It takes a few hours and a few hundred dollars to build a website with a solution like Lovable or Framer. Genuinely impressive. But the main problem remains the same. 

Does it really support your business growth? 

A website that drives growth isn't a design and development project.

It's a strategy project first.

Your website talks to every buyer before you do; it positions your company so it's hard to ignore; it guides buyers through the journey, so your sales team can focus on properly interested leads. 

What's your website doing between sales calls?

Team alignment brings better results. 

And a lot less stress. 

We started running team alignment workshops last year, and the feedback has been great. We start with many ideas and a world of possibilities, and finish with a clear plan and a team ready for the win. 

Real progress starts when everyone moves in the same direction. 🎯

If you need a plan everyone believes in, let's talk.

Clarity creates momentum.

Natalia and Andrei facilitated a team alignment workshop with the MarCom and BD team at Forvis Mazars in Romania to bring structure to priorities and define a clear marketing action plan for the year.

We debated, challenged ideas, and built together.

The outcome: 4 OKRs with measurable results and clear ownership. 💪🏻

Thank you, Emilia Popa, ACIM, for trusting us with this challenge. 

Well done to the entire team for the openness and contribution that made it happen. 👏🏻

At STOICA.CO, we believe real progress starts when everyone moves in the same direction.

If your team needs clarity, focus, and a plan everyone believes in, let’s talk.

#B2BGrowth #StrategyWorkshop

You can always find someone cheaper. 

But that's not the point.

Can you trust them to get the job done? 

That's the real question.

Cheaper and gets the job done?

Please share the link. We're hiring. 😀

Stop adding.

When something isn't working in a B2B business, the instinct is always to add. More channels. More content. More tools. More people.

But most of the time, the answer is the opposite.

Cut the service line nobody buys. 
Drop the channel that's never converted. 
Stop attending the events that feel productive but aren't.

Subtraction is hard because it looks like giving up. 
It's not.

The clearest businesses I know — the ones that grow quietly and consistently — all made a version of the same decision: fewer things, done well, for the right people.

More doesn't compound. Clarity does.

Cybersecurity is a business problem. 

Not an IT problem.

If you're using Microsoft 365 and you're still thinking whether you should invest in cybersecurity this year, think no more. Backbone can help you activate, configure, and manage Microsoft 365 properly, for stronger security and fewer tools to juggle.

What do many finance leaders in growing SMBs get wrong about their cybersecurity?

"They think it's an IT problem - but in fact, Finance Directors need to reframe it. Cybersecurity is, in fact, a huge enabler for the business and a great foundation to build your business on." is what our CEO David McLeod believes.
 
👉 If you're an FD and would like to stay up to date with how cybersecurity shifts in 2026, discover our Guide to Cyber Security for Finance Directors ( ⬇️ check the link in the first comment).

Or if you'd like to talk to us about your cybersecurity and how it can propel your growth, we're happy to have a conversation 👋

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The Battle

Nick Broekema

Andrei Stoica

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The Battle

Nick Broekema

Andrei Stoica

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Nick Broekema's LinkedIn Performance

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Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreNick Broekema's LinkedIn Performance