How to Post About Your Startup Without Sounding Salesy
If you've ever cringed while writing a LinkedIn post about your startup, you're not alone. Founders often struggle to share their product without feeling like they're just yelling "Buy my stuff!" into the void. On the flip side, if you're too timid, your audience may not even realize what you're building.
The balance is tricky: how do you talk about your startup in a way that's authentic, engaging, and valuable β without coming across as pushy or salesy? In this article, we'll unpack practical strategies to share your journey, attract attention, and win trust, all while keeping your dignity intact.
Why Founders Struggle With Tone
When you're close to your product, it's hard to talk about it naturally. Common traps include:
Your job is not to be a salesperson β it's to be a storyteller.
Stories > Sales
Humans are wired for stories. Instead of blasting features, frame your posts around real experiences:
Example: Instead of posting "Our tool saves time," you might write:
"Last month, one of our customers was manually posting to 6 platforms every day. They were ready to quit. After switching to our tool, they cut that time by 80% and used it to close two new clients."
That's not salesy β it's a relatable story.
Share Behind-the-Scenes
One of your biggest advantages as a founder is that you're small and real. People love seeing the messy middle.
This builds trust. Audiences root for builders who show the process, not just the polished outcome.
Teach, Don't Pitch
Another way to avoid sounding salesy is to focus on teaching. Share insights you've learned building your startup that others can benefit from.
At the end, you can add a soft CTA: "This is exactly why we're building [startup name]." It feels natural, because you led with value.
Balance Value With Soft CTAs
You don't have to avoid CTAs entirely β you just need to frame them softly.
Examples:
Soft CTAs invite rather than push.
Authenticity Wins
Audiences are savvy. They can smell fake enthusiasm or over-polished PR spin. What resonates is authenticity.
Authenticity builds trust, and trust is what converts followers into users.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with the right mindset, it's easy to stumble. Watch for:
1. Every post is a sales pitch β people unfollow.
2. Hiding behind jargon β confuses instead of connects.
3. Never mentioning your product β people don't realize what you offer.
4. Copying corporate style β startups aren't corporations.
The sweet spot is honest, useful, and clear.
Example: A Non-Salesy Post in Action
Here's how the same idea can look salesy vs non-salesy.
Salesy version:
"Our platform is the #1 solution for social media scheduling. Sign up today and save hours!"
Non-salesy version:
"Last week, I realized I was spending 6 hours a week copy-pasting posts to different platforms. That's time I could have spent coding. So I built a tool that does it automatically. Now I can focus on building features instead of juggling tabs. If you're struggling with the same thing, DM me β happy to share."
Same message, different tone. One feels like an ad. The other feels like a human.
Using Tools to Stay Consistent Without Sounding Salesy
Sometimes founders come across as pushy because they're inconsistent. They disappear for weeks, then show up suddenly with a hard sell. That pattern conditions audiences to expect ads.
Consistency builds trust. And that's easier with tools like Crossly, which let you:
By staying consistent, you reduce the temptation to "hard sell" whenever you do show up.
Final Thoughts
Talking about your startup doesn't have to make you feel like a car salesman. Focus on stories, not sales. Share behind-the-scenes moments. Teach first, then pitch softly. Be authentic, even vulnerable.
The goal isn't to convince everyone in a single post β it's to build trust over time. If you show up consistently with honesty and value, people will root for you. And when they're ready for what you're building, they'll already know where to go.