LinkedIn keeps its algorithm a guarded secret. However, you tend to notice recurring patterns if you’re in the marketing industry and regularly post on the platform. Through consistent experimentation, marketers such as ourselves inevitably gather insights into how the algorithm functions and adapt their social media planning accordingly.
Luckily, you won’t have to worry about it if you found this article, because here we summarize the most important ones. The ones that are true for all industries.
Shorter is better (when it comes to the caption length)
There are platforms specifically focused on short content (Twitter) and others where you can get away with longer content (Facebook). LinkedIn was one of those where you could have gotten away with longer captions. But not anymore! LinkedIn’s all about keeping it short and snappy now. Forget the essay-length posts, when was the last time you read one yourself?
It’s also important to note that it’s ok to post a long caption if it’s filled with relevant info that couldn’t be shared in a short copy. Otherwise, it’s time to get to the point in fewer words.
Maybe slow down with the carousel posts
Remember when carousel posts were the bomb? Those times are long gone. We noticed less and less engagement on carousel posts. It’s also important to note that carousel posts can’t be sponsored. So if you have a budget to spend on social media boosts, carousels weren’t the best option to begin with. We used to get amazing organic results, but now most carousels perform worse compared to single-image posts.
Humanize your feed
People, people, people! That’s what LinkedIn wants to see. That’s what people on LinkedIn also like to see. We tested this both on our client’s pages and our personal LinkedIn profiles. Group pics, selfies, anything with faces gets the algorithm’s stamp of approval. So, next time you’re out with the team, or participating in a conference, take a picture and watch that engagement soar!
Keep it real: the more authentic and human your content, the better (especially in the age of ChatGPT). Whether it’s a goofy selfie or an apparently random shot, give your audience what it wants: genuine, relatable content.
Disclaimer: you’re writing for an AUDIENCE, not for an ALGORITHM
LinkedIn’s algorithm doesn’t like carousels anymore but your audience does? Ok, keep posting carousels. Your audience is what matters the most. When you have a solid base of followers who engage with your content, the algorithm becomes less scary. These “hacks” work best if you’re growing a LinkedIn page. Ride the “algorithm-pleasing” wave until you get to a satisfying audience size. Then, just keep doing what you notice to work best.
The only tip we can 100% swear by for every business is posting authentic content. This is appreciated by both people (regardless of audience) and algorithms. You can’t go wrong with being authentic these days when most companies’ content sounds so sterile, so “humanless”.
Other recommendations may vary depending on your audience specifics and industry. We recommend checking with your agency to make sure they know your audience almost as well as you do. Or help your marketing team by sharing with them all you know about your clients. This is essential for them to be able to create content that resonates deeply with your audience.
Additional sources to check:
Richard Van Der Blom’s LinkedIn profile
Ebook Algorithm Insights 2024 – 5th Edition V.1.1
