Why Gymshark's founder wins on LinkedIn and how to copy his playbook

TLDR

• Gymshark has a massive B2B layer of suppliers and partners that lives on LinkedIn

• Founder profiles consistently generate higher engagement than brand pages

• Sharing company news directly builds a trust insurance policy for the future

• You need to post 2 to 3 times a week to trigger algorithmic growth

• Use behind the scenes content to prove you have momentum

There is a video on LinkedIn where Ben Francis says Gymshark would not exist without Pizza Hut. It is a great hook. It stops the scroll.

But it begs a question. Why is the founder of a £500M+ consumer fitness brand treating LinkedIn like his main job?

Most people think Gymshark is purely B2C. They sell leggings and hoodies. But Ben Francis has built a content engine that B2B founders should study closely. He is not just posting for clout. He is running a sophisticated B2B strategy disguised as personal branding.

Here is the breakdown of why he does it and how you can steal the playbook for your SaaS or service business.

Why is a consumer brand founder on LinkedIn?

Gymshark looks like a direct to consumer brand on the surface. But under the hood it relies heavily on B2B relationships. To keep the machine running, Ben needs to maintain strong ties with:

• Suppliers and factories across the globe

• Retail partners and distributors

• Investors and strategic partners

• Executive talent

LinkedIn is the only platform where all these people hang out. Ben uses his profile to influence the people who build his product and the people who fund his growth. The takeaway for B2B founders

Your business likely has a similar layer. You have channel partners, enterprise stakeholders, and future hires watching you. When you treat LinkedIn as an ecosystem building tool rather than just a lead gen channel, you open up massive opportunities.

If you want a step by step guide on turning this activity into actual deals, check out our 60 day LinkedIn pipeline playbook.

Why do founder profiles perform better than company pages?

The data from Gymshark is clear.

The Gymshark company page usually sees around 100 to 500 engagements per post. Ben Francis routinely gets 1,000 to 2,000+ engagements on his personal posts.

This happens for a few reasons:

1. Trust. Humans trust other humans more than they trust logos.

2. Algorithms. Platforms prioritize conversations and personal stories over broadcast updates.

3. Narrative. A founder can share an opinion or a struggle. A brand page usually just shares an announcement.

The takeaway for B2B founders Your personal profile is likely the highest leverage asset in your marketing mix. You should treat the founder profile as the primary distribution engine and the company page as a support channel.

What does it mean to own the narrative?

Ben Francis uses a strategy called "going direct." This means he communicates directly with the market instead of relying on PR firms or news outlets to tell his story.

For example, he posts videos breaking down Gymshark's financial results the moment they are ready. He frames the narrative before anyone else can spin it.

This approach acts as a communications insurance policy. By sharing the wins and the strategy now, you build a reservoir of trust. If a crisis hits later, you have already established credibility.

The takeaway for B2B founders Use LinkedIn to announce your funding, revenue milestones, and product launches in your own voice. Explain the "why" behind your decisions. This helps you build brand moats that competitors cannot copy.

How to execute the Gymshark strategy

You do not need a massive media team to get started. You just need a system. Here are the core tactical elements you can replicate.

1. Commit to a consistent cadence

Ben posts multiple times a week. Usually 2 or 3 times.

Inconsistency kills momentum. The algorithm needs to see regular activity to understand who your audience is.

The fix: Aim for 2 to 3 posts per week. Treat it like a mandatory operational meeting.

2. Show the work behind the scenes

One of Ben's best content pillars is operational access. He shares photos from factory visits in Vietnam or store openings in London.

This creates a perception of non stop momentum. It proves the company is winning without him having to say "we are winning."

The fix: Share photos from your product planning sessions. Post a picture from your customer onsite visits. Show your team building the thing. Make your progress visible.

3. Use stories to teach lessons

Stories stick because they are emotional and specific. Ben’s Pizza Hut story worked because it was vulnerable and relatable. The fix: Build a story bank. Write down the early struggles of your company. Document the first big failure. Structure your posts to show the context, the decision you made, and the lesson you learned.

4. Embrace short form video

LinkedIn is pushing video content hard right now. Ben mixes high production clips with simple talking head videos. The fix: Record 30 to 90 second videos answering one specific question. You can also repurpose clips from your webinars or podcasts. If you need help setting up a repurposing system, look at how Slash built their content multiplication engine.

Summary

The best B2B brands of the future will look more like media companies. They will use storytelling and founder led distribution to capture attention.

You have the expertise. You just need to package it correctly. Start by showing up this week.

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