What you should (and shouldn’t) post on social media when fundraising

One of the hardest parts of raising money in public is getting the balance right. You want people to know you’re raising and to feel the momentum building – without sounding desperate. Tip too far the other way, though, and you make everything look so polished that people will start to wonder whether you need the investment at all.

Social media is one of the few tools that lets me broadcast beyond my immediate network. I’ve raised through LinkedIn before, and some of my angels found me through my wider content about what I’m building at Pioneering People, rather than posts directly asking for cash. I think the consistency of my posting really helps with this, too. 

While regularity is important, the real skill is knowing what to actually say. Here’s what I think is worth communicating publicly while you fundraise (and what it’s probably best to leave out of your posting schedule):

1. Signal that you’re raising, and don’t ask for money on a loop: people need to know a round is happening, but a feed that reads like a permanent donation drive will turn people off. Say it once, clearly, then let your ordinary updates carry the message. I’ve found that a single line at the end of a genuine progress post tends to land better than weekly “please invest” broadcasts.
2. Build credibility before you ask for anything: investors do their diligence long before they reply. Customer wins, a lesson from a hard week, a sharp take on your market, or simply how you’re thinking about a problem can all prove that you actually know what you’re doing. I’ve found the credibility you earn from doing this drives inbound messages from investors, rather than hard sells.
3. Show momentum and the bigger opportunity: a milestone on its own is nice, but a milestone tied to where it’s heading is investable. Pair proofs like new contracts, key hires or impressive usage numbers with clear direction. You want people to see that your idea works as it is, but has room to grow.
4. Know the line between transparency and oversharing: Openness builds trust, for sure, but useful honesty and airing absolutely everything aren’t the same thing. Sharing a real challenge and how you’re tackling it is great, whereas broadcasting cash worries constantly isn’t. I think the key thing here is to ask whether a post makes you look self-aware or like you haven’t quite got a handle on things.
5. Be consistent (it’s how the unexpected investors find you): The compounding effect of simply showing up is underestimated. Some of the most useful conversations I’ve had came weeks after a post I’d published on LinkedIn. You rarely know who’s reading, which is exactly why it’s worth getting into the groove of posting regularly. Just make sure you’re not posting for posting’s sake. 

Crucially, none of this works if it isn’t true. The founders who raise well and find leads through their social platforms aren’t just “performing” success in a surface-level, influencer-esque way. 

Instead, they’re letting people follow the journey – which can include the messy and unglamorous bits if framed correctly. Do that consistently and the right people tend to find you, and in my experience, it’s often when you least expect it.

My frontline data this month

• • 📊 LinkedIn posts published: 12
  • 💬 Inbound investor DMs: 5
  • 👀 Silent lurkers who later turned into emails: more than I’d have guessed
  • ☕ Flat whites consumed while rewriting one post nine times: four. It’s still not up.

Rita Kastrati - Founder of Pioneering People

Rita Kastrati grew up in and around the hospitality industry, where she watched restaurants and bars struggle with employee shortages. Then, at university, she worked shifts for agencies, and saw a broken system that sold staff short. Now, Rita's reshaping the gig economy on her own terms as the trailblazing Founder and CEO of Pioneering People, a platform that connects businesses with verified workers instantly, while ensuring workers are paid fairly and on the same day.

Pioneering People

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