How LinkedIn’s Algorithm Changes Are Challenging Everything We Thought We Knew According To New Study.
LinkedIn has been undergoing significant transformations in how its algorithm prioritizes content, challenging many fundamental marketing beliefs we’ve held for years. One of the most surprising revelations comes from a recent study analyzing 577,000 LinkedIn posts, which found that posts containing links actually perform better than those without—receiving 13.5% more interactions and 4.9% more views. This completely contradicts previous conventional wisdom that adding links would damage your post’s reach and engagement.
The Shift
This shift in LinkedIn’s approach to external links resembles the constantly changing health advice we receive about foods like eggs—one day they’re bad for you, the next day they’re recommended as a protein source. With approximately 31% of LinkedIn posts now containing links to external websites, content creators shouldn’t shy away from including relevant links when they genuinely add value to the conversation. The key distinction is purpose—make sure your links enhance rather than distract from your message.
It’s Not Business. It’s Personal.
Understanding the difference between personal and business LinkedIn strategies is crucial for effective engagement. While your personal LinkedIn profile functions as your professional online resume, showcasing your expertise and career journey, business pages require more sophisticated tactics to gain visibility. Simply posting content from a company page without actively promoting it and encouraging engagement will likely result in very limited reach. This contrasts sharply with platforms like Facebook, which functions more like a casual “backyard barbecue” where personal expression has fewer professional consequences. However, even on Facebook, business owners should exercise caution since their personal posts may impact how potential customers perceive their brand.
Format Your Post!
Content format significantly impacts LinkedIn engagement rates. Document posts and carousels have emerged as particularly effective formats, with approximately 45% engagement rates as people willingly click through multiple slides. Polls represent another engagement opportunity when used strategically with meaningful questions. Surprisingly, text-only posts without images or links now perform the worst—a complete reversal from previous algorithm preferences. This suggests that longer-form thoughts might be better served on a blog with a link shared to LinkedIn rather than as standalone text posts.
Video content has emerged as a particularly powerful format on LinkedIn, with video content growing by 53% and engagement increasing by 87%—a growth rate that surpasses both TikTok and YouTube. However, successful video content requires planning and strategy rather than spontaneous, unstructured recordings. The key is creating purposeful content that provides value to your professional network while aligning with your broader marketing goals. This doesn’t necessarily mean high production quality, but rather having clarity about the message you want to convey and how it serves your audience.
It’s Not The Same For Everyone
Different industries experience varying levels of engagement on LinkedIn, with education and retail companies typically seeing higher engagement rates than manufacturing and utilities. However, companies in traditionally “less engaging” industries can still find creative approaches by understanding their unique value proposition. For example, manufacturing companies might consider creating “satisfying process videos” that showcase their craftsmanship in ways that resonate with viewers. The number of followers doesn’t always correlate directly with results—content quality and alignment with audience interests remain paramount.
Building a LinkedIn following requires patience and persistence, with only 17.68% of accounts gaining followers in 2024 according to the study. Growing a LinkedIn audience is demonstrably more challenging than on other social platforms, making it essential to approach LinkedIn as a long-term investment rather than seeking quick wins. This mirrors the broader truth about business growth—get-rich-quick marketing strategies typically lead to high burn rates and unsustainable results. The most effective approach combines consistency, quality content, strategic networking with first-degree connections, and thoughtful engagement rather than blanket outreach messages.
