You have probably experienced that your organic posts do not receive as many views and as much engagement as you would wish. This is most likely because of LinkedIn’s algorithms. The algorithms change constantly and can be a jungle to navigate in. Therefore we, in this article, present you with valuable pieces of advice on how to challenge them.
LinkedIn continuously optimizes its algorithms, which means that millions of posts are filtered and ranked on users’ feed every day. According to LinkedIn’s Senior Director, Pete Davies, LinkedIn’s algorithms are based on “people you know, who talk about things of your interest.” In other words, the algorithms favour personal connections and interests.
How does LinkedIn’s algorithms work?
LinkedIn has two general purposes; prioritize relevant content and promote engagement. These purposes are pursued through the process of filtering and ranking users’ posts according to 3 methods in the algorithm.
Personal connections
One of LinkedIn’s priorities is personal connections. LinkedIn has established its algorithm based on who you have directly interacted with through likes, comments, and sharing activities. The algorithm also considers the information that you have presented on your profile, including your interests, skills, and workplace.
Relevance of interests
You might have several different types of connections, including family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues. But who says that these connections have the same interests as you? One of your colleagues, who you are connected with, might not share content that is of interest to you. This is one reason why LinkedIn measures your affiliation with different content. The algorithm measures this based on the interests that you have stated on your profile, the groups you follow or are a member of, and the people and hashtags you follow. The language and company mentioned in the posts are also of relevance.
Engagement
Interaction is the key to success concerning LinkedIn’s algorithms, which is divided into two steps. First, LinkedIn’s algorithms evaluate the probability that you will like, comment, or share the content. Second, LinkedIn keeps track of how fast a post receives engagement after being published. The faster a post receives likes, comments, or is shared, the more likely LinkedIn’s algorithms are to favour the post.
6 ways to challenge LinkedIn’s algorithm as a user and as a company
1. Be relevant
Being relevant might be easier said than done. Put shortly, it is about understanding who your audience is. Do research and divide them into groups accordingly. This will increase your comprehension of what interests your audience and what they would like to be exposed to in their feed. The results will also be applicable in your future LinkedIn strategy.
Furthermore, it can be a good idea to use pictures and videos in the content you share. Posts with photos receive twice as many comments when compared to regular posts with text, and posts with video receive 5 times more comments and 3 times more engagement than regular posts with text.
2. Promote your posts
The best way to increase engagement on your posts is to make sure that they are seen as many times as possible. There are several tactics to ensure this. Firstly, tagging relevant people and companies can be a good idea. This includes using relevant keywords and hashtags. Secondly, sharing your content on other platforms than LinkedIn can also be beneficial as this might reach inactive LinkedIn users and draw them to the platform. This will also increase your ranking in LinkedIn’s algorithm.
3. Encourage others to engage
LinkedIn’s algorithm favours posts that create debate and conversation. Thus, it can be a good idea to start your post with a question to increase your chance of getting responses. This can also affect your knowledge of your network and their interests positively – a win-win situation. Here, it is important that you take the time to reply to the comments you receive.
4. Consider the right time to post content
The best way to optimize engagement on your posts is to post when your connections and followers are online. Then you ask yourself, when is this?
According to Hootsuite, the best time to post content is in the morning from 7.45-10.45 am, at lunchtime between 12-12.45 pm, and just after work between 5-5.45 pm. Furthermore, the best days for B2B brands are Tuesday and Wednesday, and for B2C brands, it is Monday and Wednesday.
However, consider your statistics and data when choosing the time to post.
5. Optimize your post with LinkedIn Analytics
Do not be afraid to re-use your posts. LinkedIn Analytics is an excellent tool to get an overview over which posts perform best. There can be several different reasons why your specific post performs better than others. LinkedIn Analytics can give you valuable insights regarding your posts that you can use in your future strategy. However, be aware of the fact that it is not possible to use LinkedIn analytics through your private profile but is only applicable if you have a Company Page.
6. Build your network strategically
Connections and their relevance are essential in relation to LinkedIn’s algorithms. There is great potential in having a healthy and active network that engages. I relation to this, we now present some advice on how to build your network strategically both as a private person or as a company.
- Fill out your personal information on your profile or Company Page, and make sure that they are always updated.
- Add connections. Both people you know but also people who you find inspiring and share interests with.
- Encourage your employees to add the company as a workplace, and to use company hashtags in their posts.
- Follow people you find interesting. It is not the same as being connected with them.
- Participate in different groups that share enriching content in accordance with your interests. You also have the option to create your own group and invite people to join.
- Make sure that your profile is public so other LinkedIn users can find and add you and engage in your posts.
- Engage with your connections’ posts. Like, comment and share posts that you find enriching.
- Consider creating a LinkedIn Showcase Page for your own Company Page.
- Advertise your LinkedIn page on your website, newsletter, business card, etc.