The Hidden LinkedIn Strategy Top Founders Use: Automated ICP Commenting

LinkedIn has transformed from a simple networking site into a powerful platform for business growth, thought leadership, and community building. But with millions of voices vying for attention, how do top founders consistently cut through the noise and engage their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) authentically and efficiently? The answer lies in a subtle yet game-changing approach: Automated ICP Commenting.

This strategy isn’t about spamming or robotic responses. Instead, it combines smart automation with deep audience understanding and personalized insight to build relationships, drive meaningful conversations, and ultimately create business opportunities. In this post, we’ll explore what Automated ICP Commenting is, why it works, how founders implement it, and practical steps you can take to adopt this hidden LinkedIn tactic.

What Is Automated ICP Commenting?

Automated ICP Commenting is a strategic approach where founders or marketing teams use tools and frameworks to automatically surface and respond to LinkedIn posts and conversations led by or relevant to their Ideal Customer Profile. Instead of engaging blindly across LinkedIn, the focus is on highly targeted commenting:

• Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): The specific demographic and firmographic characteristics of LinkedIn members that represent your best potential clients or collaborators.
• Automation: Leveraging software to monitor relevant posts, filter ICP-related content, and assist in crafting preliminary comments.
• Strategic Comments: Thoughtful, value-adding insights designed to spark engagement without overwhelming manual effort.

This approach enables founders to appear consistently in front of their ICP, demonstrating authority and interest while building inbound opportunities — all without the time sink of personal manual monitoring.

Why Top Founders Use Automated ICP Commenting

Many founders understand that LinkedIn isn’t just a platform for broadcasting, but one for authentic engagement. However, scaling meaningful conversations without appearing inauthentic is the big challenge:

• Volume meets personalization: Manual commenting is time-consuming and inconsistent. Automated systems allow founders to scale presence without losing the human touch.
• Precision targeting: Automated monitoring ensures founders only interact with content relevant to their ICP, amplifying the ROI of their efforts.
• Consistent visibility: Being present regularly in ICP discussions builds brand familiarity and positioning as a leader.
• Relationship layered marketing: Comments are not just marketing messages; they’re deliberate conversations nurturing trust over time.

By combining automation with keen audience-focused strategy, founders harness LinkedIn as a live marketplace of ideas and opportunities, gaining an edge few competitors realize exists.

How the Automation Works: Tools and Tactics

The technical backbone of Automated ICP Commenting involves tools that help spot ICP conversations, provide comment templates based on context, and sometimes semi-automate the posting — all while keeping founder review in the loop. Here’s how it usually looks in action:

1. Define your ICP: Build a clear profile including job titles, industries, company sizes, geographic regions, pain points, and interests.
2. Set up listening streams: Use tools like LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator, social listening platforms (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social), or specialized LinkedIn automation apps to filter posts and comments created by your ICP.
3. Curate smart comment templates: Develop modular comment frameworks that can be personalized automatically based on detected keywords or post themes.
4. Review and post: Instead of fully automating, many founders use semi-automated workflows where suggested comments require approval, ensuring authenticity.
5. Track engagement and iterate: Monitor likes, replies, and profile visits generated to refine your ICP filters and comment styles over time.

The key is the balance between automation and personal authenticity — too much automation risks a robotic tone, while too little wastes time.

Examples of Effective ICP Comments by Founders

Automated ICP Commenting shines when comments are crafted to encourage discussion, offer insight, or ask clarifying questions relevant to the post. Here are a few stylized examples founders might use:

“Great point on remote-first culture—our team observed a 30% boost in focus during asynchronous deep-work blocks. Curious how your company measures productivity shifts in this setup?”

“Appreciate your take on SaaS pricing transparency. We found that publishing range pricing reduced discount requests by 25%, but the enterprise procurement cycles extended slightly. How have you navigated this tradeoff?”

These comments blend specifics, curiosity, and an open invitation to dialogue, all crafted to build rapport rather than push a hard sale.

Best Practices for Automated ICP Commenting Success

• Focus on value: Every comment should educate, inspire, or spark curiosity, not just advertise.
• Keep comments concise: Aim for 2-3 sentences; too long can feel intrusive or off-putting.
• Personalize dynamically: Use data points from the post or profile to tweak comments automatically and avoid generic copy-paste.
• Respect boundaries: Avoid commenting on sensitive personal topics or controversial threads unrelated to your ICP’s business context.
• Monitor tone: Always err on a respectful, curious voice—founders represent their brand’s credibility.
• Balance automation with authentic touchpoints: Follow up manually on comments that generate replies to build deeper connections.

Potential Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

While automated ICP commenting is powerful, founders should be mindful of these common mistakes:

• Over-automation that sounds robotic: Use automation to assist, not replace genuine voice. Always include a manual review step.
• Targeting too broadly: A loosely defined ICP leads to wasted outreach and spammy perception.
• Ignoring engagement: Momently responding to replies or initiating direct messages where appropriate closes the loop for relationship building.

Remember: Automation is a tool, not a replacement for true leadership and empathy on LinkedIn.

The Bottom Line

Automated ICP Commenting is the hidden weapon top founders use to stay relevant, visible, and valuable on LinkedIn every day. By combining targeted audience filtering, smart automated assistance, and thoughtful commenting, they build a steady pipeline of conversations and opportunities without the burnout.

Whether you’re a founder, marketer, or sales leader, integrating this approach into your LinkedIn strategy can elevate your engagement while freeing up energy for high-impact work. Define your ICP with precision, automate the discovery of relevant LinkedIn dialogues, craft meaningful comments, and engage authentically. Over time, the compound effect of these subtle interactions can open doors to partnerships, clients, and influence that manual outreach alone cannot match.

Start small. Experiment with automation tools that respect LinkedIn’s guidelines and prioritize quality interactions. Build your comment library and refine your ICP filters. The top founders don’t just post content — they spark ongoing conversations. Automated ICP Commenting is your gateway to that next level.