With more than one billion users and 67 million company profiles, LinkedIn is where social interaction and professional goals come together. Individuals use it to uncover job opportunities, share thought leadership in LinkedIn posts, and connect with industry peers. Meanwhile, organizations use it to attract talent and showcase their work culture.
Brands can also use LinkedIn to find their target audience and reach new customers. By understanding the LinkedIn algorithm and publishing content that appears in users’ feeds, you can grow brand awareness and expand your customer base.
What is the LinkedIn algorithm?
The LinkedIn algorithm is a system that decides what content appears in users’ feeds. Like a curator, the LinkedIn algorithm determines content visibility based on engagement signals, user actions, and connection strength, filtering out low-quality posts so LinkedIn users see only the most valuable and relevant content.
The LinkedIn algorithm’s purpose is to create a feed that balances trending professional conversations with personal network updates. It does this by evaluating signals like comments, shares, and the professional relevance of each piece of content.
How does the LinkedIn algorithm work?
In 2023, LinkedIn shifted away from viral content after users complained they were seeing too many personal posts from people trying to go viral that didn’t serve their professional needs.
Now, LinkedIn’s algorithm works by prioritizing knowledge and advice content, particularly from first-degree connections. It evaluates LinkedIn posts based on author expertise, audience relevance, and quality of engagement.
Also in 2023, LinkedIn’s engineering team shared more about its AI-driven content evaluation system, which analyzes:
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Post features. LinkedIn’s algorithm works by assessing whether content is text, image, video, or an article. It also evaluates content polarity and scans for spam indicators, including user reports about similar content.
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Member features. LinkedIn’s algorithm considers your network’s characteristics, including your follower count, connection diversity across industries, and your account’s activity level. It also evaluates the influence and engagement of members who interact with your content.
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Engagement metrics. LinkedIn tracks both the total number of interactions with your content—views, shares, reactions, and comments—and the velocity at which your post accumulates them.
While LinkedIn isn’t designed for virality, this evaluation system ensures high-quality content can still gain visibility through human exchange rather than artificial amplification.
7 strategies for using the LinkedIn algorithm
- Share expertise, not sales pitches
- Focus on value over viral reach
- Maintain a regular post cadence
- Diversify with multimedia content
- Lead with human-centered content
- Keep hashtags strategic and minimal
- Empower employees to build their LinkedIn presence
If you want to succeed within LinkedIn’s algorithm, focus on attracting new followers by publishing industry insights and people-first high-quality content. Here’s how:
1. Share expertise, not sales pitches
Constant sales pitches and promotional content can overwhelm your audience and limit meaningful engagement on LinkedIn. While sales-oriented posts have their place, devote some of your content to establishing authority—highlighting industry challenges and offering helpful solutions.
Here are ways a brand could disseminate valuable insights to its LinkedIn audience:
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A sustainable sneaker brand might share waste statistics and the environmental impact of footwear production.
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A beauty brand could discuss clean beauty standards and ingredient transparency.
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A pet food company might post about animal nutrition research and wellness trends.
In this LinkedIn post, fine jewelry brand Mejuri balances education and promotion by explaining its sustainability initiative—restoring legacy mines and traceable gold sourcing—while introducing its new collection.
The post promotes the brand’s new Salmon Gold jewelry while also discussing environmental consciousness.
2. Focus on value over viral reach
In LinkedIn users’ feeds, crowded as they are with promotional messages and job updates, a value-driven LinkedIn post stands out by offering real solutions to an audience’s pain points. Consider sharing data-rich infographics, trend analyses, expert interviews, or behind-the-scenes peeks into your business operations.
Success comes from sharing expert knowledge about your product category—fabric technology for an apparel brand, coffee sourcing for a specialty roaster, or sleep science for a mattress company.
For instance, Warby Parker, a direct-to-consumer (DTC) eyewear brand, created an informative infographic post detailing times for viewing a solar eclipse from major US cities. Sharing eclipse-viewing information on LinkedIn aligned with the brand’s values of eye safety and vision care.
3. Maintain a regular post cadence
Many companies only post sporadic corporate announcements and job listings, missing the opportunity to regularly connect with their immediate and extended networks. A steady LinkedIn presence goes beyond merely posting press mentions and “We’re Hiring” updates every few weeks. Aim for three to four posts per week, mixing quick company updates with longer thought pieces.
This regular rhythm helps you stay visible and encourages stronger connections. Additionally, think about timing: data shows that the best time to post on LinkedIn is Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.—when LinkedIn users are most active online.
4. Diversify with multimedia content
According to LinkedIn’s own data, video posts drive five times more engagement than static posts, while live video generates a staggering 24 times more. Going beyond text and links, your post format can include everything from eye-catching product photos and behind-the-scenes videos to interactive polls that pull in user feedback.
Live video offers unique opportunities to connect with your audience in real time—whether you’re launching a new product, hosting a Q&A session, or giving an unfiltered look into your operations. You can also create blog posts and newsletters, or host events directly on LinkedIn.
Olipop, a beverage company making prebiotic sodas with natural ingredients, shared a video about its mission to disrupt the traditional soda industry.
The LinkedIn post generated more than 1,000 engagements as its founder and team discussed building a healthier soda alternative.
5. Lead with human-centered content
Creating valuable content on LinkedIn and other social media platforms means putting people at the center of your brand’s story. Your content strategy should highlight employee stories, celebrate customer wins, and engage with other LinkedIn users through thoughtful comments.
A Christmas jumper post by Gymshark that summarizes the team’s participation in a hospital fundraiser earned more than 5,000 engagements. The post demonstrates how to blend company culture with community impact in a meaningful way.
6. Keep hashtags strategic and minimal
Filling your post on LinkedIn with excessive hashtags can look spammy and cause LinkedIn’s algorithm to deprioritize it. A smart LinkedIn strategy sticks to one or two well-chosen hashtags with relevant keywords for your content and target audience, rather than chasing viral content through hashtag stuffing.
When selecting hashtags, mix industry-specific terms with broader relevant topics. For example, a sustainable fashion business might combine #sustainablefashion with #circularfashion.
7. Empower employees to build their LinkedIn presence
Establishing yourself as a brand on LinkedIn doesn’t always require an active corporate page. Some brands thrive by leveraging their team members’ individual profiles. Members of your team—and you—can create quality content that reaches their first-degree connections, naturally extending your brand’s reach to more relevant users.
SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch took this approach in her post about empowering women entrepreneurs through the brand’s Bold Beginnings initiative, which she posted from her personal account rather than her brand’s. Her personal story about building SmartSweets cuts through the noise of corporate announcements, appealing to fellow entrepreneurs and potential customers alike.
Encourage your team to develop their LinkedIn presence by providing basic guidelines but also allowing them the freedom to share authentic experiences and perspectives.
LinkedIn algorithm FAQ
What are recent updates to the LinkedIn algorithm?
In 2023, LinkedIn shifted away from viral and low-quality content to favor “knowledge and advice” from users’ direct connections after many LinkedIn users complained about seeing too many personal posts.
What is the 4-1-1 rule on LinkedIn?
The 4-1-1 rule suggests that for every promotional post from your LinkedIn profile, you should share four pieces of relevant content from others and one piece of original, non-promotional content.
Why do ecommerce businesses use LinkedIn?
Ecommerce businesses typically use LinkedIn for recruitment and employer branding, but increasingly also use the platform to share product updates, industry insights, and category discussions that build their reputation with potential customers.
