Build your LinkedIn growth plan: optimised profile, content calendar, and outreach system
The capstone project for LinkedIn Growth for Business Owners — a free Marketing course. Pass it and you earn a certificate anyone can verify.
- Free
- 6 steps
- Pass mark 65%
- Graded within minutes
- Beginner-friendly
The project unlocks once you complete the lessons. The workbook is free to download now so you can see exactly what is expected.
What you will submit
A single document or shared link containing your optimised profile write-up + live profile link, target buyer/niche, a 4-week content calendar with 8+ post ideas (2 fully written), a four-beat outreach script with follow-up, and a 20-person lead list.
What to do, step by step
- Optimise your personal profile and document it: write your new buyer-focused headline (using the 'I help [buyer] achieve [result]' formula), a rewritten About section that opens with your buyer's problem and includes at least one real number, and a list of the skills, banner text and Featured items you added. Include a link to your live profile.
- Define your target buyer and niche in a short paragraph: who exactly you serve, the one topic you will be known for, and your buyer's top five pains.
- Create a 4-week content calendar with at least 8 post ideas (2 per week), each showing the content type (how-to, case study, myth-buster, behind-the-scenes, or opinion), a strong first-line hook, and which buyer pain it addresses. Fully write out at least 2 of the posts.
- Write your outreach script with all four beats (opener, bridge, soft question, ask) plus a one-week follow-up message, all phrased to be personalised — about the buyer, never a copy-paste pitch.
- Build a lead list of 20 real, relevant people or companies in a table (Name, Company, Role, why they fit, and how you will personalise the first line to each).
- Combine everything into one document or shared link (Google Doc/Sheet) and submit the link.
Files to work with
Project workbook (fill in, then submit)The whole brief, an evidence checklist, the grading rubric as a self-check and the link-sharing steps in one file. Opens in Word, Google Docs or WPS.Word · 6 KBHow it is graded
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Profile is genuinely optimised and buyer-focused — strong headline using the formula, problem-led About with a real number, and proof added (Featured/skills/banner), with a working profile link | 30% |
| Clear target buyer and niche defined, with the buyer's top five pains identified | 15% |
| 4-week content calendar with 8+ ideas across varied types, each with a hook and the buyer pain it addresses, and at least 2 posts fully written | 25% |
| Outreach script has all four beats plus a follow-up, is about the buyer (not a copy-paste pitch), and is genuinely personalisable | 20% |
| Lead list of 20 real, relevant targets with role and a personalisation note for each | 10% |
You need 65% overall to pass. A failed submission comes back with feedback and can be revised and resubmitted.
Before you submit: make your link public
If your work lives in Google Drive or Google Docs, open Share → General access and change “Restricted” to “Anyone with the link” (Viewer). Then paste the link into a private browser window: if it opens without sign-in, you are ready. A private link cannot be graded — it is the single most common reason a good project fails.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to finish LinkedIn Growth for Business Owners before submitting the project?
Yes. The submission screen opens once every lesson in LinkedIn Growth for Business Owners is marked complete. The lessons are where the methods, the Nigerian context and the worked examples the project depends on are taught.
How is the project graded?
An examiner scores each rubric criterion from 0 to 100 and weights them as shown on this page; you need 65% overall to pass. Most submissions are graded within minutes and you get written feedback on what was strong and what to improve.
Can I resubmit if I fail?
Yes. A failed project comes back with feedback; revise the weak parts and resubmit. A passed project is final — the certificate is issued and cannot be re-rolled.
What do I actually submit?
A write-up of what you did (under 5,000 characters) plus a public link to your work — a Google Drive folder, Google Doc, spreadsheet, GitHub repository or video. The link must open without sign-in; a private link cannot be graded. The free project workbook on this page walks you through all 6 steps.
Is the certificate real?
Yes. Passing this project issues a certificate with a unique verification code. Anyone — an employer, a client, a school — can open the verification page and see that the certificate is genuine and which project earned it.
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Ready to earn this certificate?
LinkedIn Growth for Business Owners is free and self-paced. Finish the lessons, complete this project, and the certificate is yours to share.
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