I used to think more posts = more clicks = more leads.
That formula worked… until it didn’t.
In the past year, I’ve watched post performance drop across multiple brands, even though the content kept improving.
The difference? LinkedIn changed the game.
This blog breaks down what’s happening with LinkedIn’s algorithm, why meaningful engagement now matters more than ever, and what your business and team can do to stay ahead. By prioritizing conversations over clicks, you can build a stronger, more connected community around your brand—and actually get better results.
LinkedIn is redefining its community dynamics by shifting focus from the sheer volume of posts and clicks to rewarding meaningful interactions. The platform’s continuous algorithm updates emphasize the importance of genuine engagement, ensuring that content that sparks real conversations is prioritized in users’ feeds.
What counts as engagement on LinkedIn—and what matters most?
LinkedIn tracks several types of engagement on your posts, but not all are weighted equally.
Here’s what counts as an engagement:
- Video views: Duration of time someone watches your video
- Clicks: On links, profile names, hashtags, or any action buttons
- Likes and reactions: Quick responses that show initial interest
- Comments: A high-value interaction indicating deeper engagement
- Reposts (Shares): Signals that your content is valuable enough to share with others
What counts as a “meaningful engagement”: Comments and reposts are considered the strongest indicators of meaningful engagement and are prioritized by LinkedIn’s algorithm.
Why Meaningful Actions Matter
The shift towards meaningful actions aligns with social media’s foundational goal: building a community.
In recent years, tactics like purchasing followers or using bots to inflate engagement metrics have become a go to for quick growth. These artificial methods are easily recognizable and detract from authentic interactions.
LinkedIn’s algorithm change is a return to fostering genuine community connections, with a focus on meaningful conversations as the most valuable form of engagement.
LinkedIn prioritizes content based on several factors:
- Engagement: This includes how long users spend reading the post (“dwell time”) and the frequency of views and interactions.
- Relevance: The topic’s suitability for the user is considered.
- Value: Content offering knowledge or professional advice is favored.
- Language: The language of the post is taken into account.
- Community: The professionalism and constructiveness of the comment section are assessed.
- Entities: Mentions of companies, people, and topics within the content are noted.
Implications for Business Pages and Your Team
For businesses, this algorithm update calls for a strategic shift in how you engage on LinkedIn. The focus should move away from merely chasing numbers to emphasizing the value your content brings to the conversation.
It’s crucial to recognize that interactions initiated by you and your team, rather than solely through the business page, are critical. People tend to trust and engage more with individuals than with an anonymous business entity. By encouraging your team to actively participate in discussions, you can foster genuine connections and conversations.
This person-to-person interaction not only enhances trust but also positions your team higher in the buyer’s funnel, giving them a head start in building relationships and positions them as thought leaders.
Make sure your team is ready to make a great first impression with our LinkedIn Profile Best Practices Part 1 and Part 2.
Interested in learning how we can better track LinkedIn activities? Let’s talk about HubSpot and Surfe.
Measuring What Matters Beyond The Numbers
As we adapt to this new focus on meaningful engagement, it’s essential to reassess which metrics truly matter. Is the overall reach of a post significant if it doesn’t inspire any action? Does a simple “like” genuinely indicate that the content resonated with someone? By shifting our focus from superficial metrics to those that reflect genuine engagement, such as comments and shares, we can better gauge the impact of our content.
While this approach may initially result in a temporary dip in traditional metrics like reach and impressions, the long-term benefits of increased brand recognition, trust, and loyalty are invaluable. By prioritizing meaningful interactions, you can cultivate a more connected and trusted community around your brand.
Say Goodbye To Clickbait…
Businesses can no longer rely solely on a set it and forget it approach. While scheduling ahead of time remains a useful strategy, it should be used as one of the many tools in your LinkedIn toolbox. LinkedIn is prioritizing its own content formats, such as polls, carousels, and videos, and is giving them more visibility than text posts that direct users to external websites. This means you can expect less external link clicks overall. At the end of the day, LinkedIn is just like any other business and they want its users to stay on their platform using their features.
…And Hello To Zero Click Content
The emphasis should be on active participation in the conversations your posts generate. So how do you spark conversation? By sharing comprehensive thought leadership content for free to expand your reach versus the outdated expected exchange of email address and contact information for everything. The key here is to gain visibility by being helpful, relatable, and timely.
You’re Going to Have to Put Some Effort In
The next step is to join in the conversation once it takes off. Consider integrating engagement into your daily routine, perhaps as part of your morning activities alongside checking emails and feeds. Some scheduling tools now offer features that allow you to comment and react directly within the platform, streamlining this personalized engagement process.
The Role of Scheduled Content and Boosting in Your Strategy
It’s still true that consistent posting helps maintain your brand’s authority and ensures a steady flow of information to your audience. However, to maximize the reach of your scheduled content, especially on those posts that aren’t driving conversations organically, you may want to consider leveraging LinkedIn’s boosting options.
Because this algorithm isn’t focused on volume, reaching new audiences at a massive scale will require a competitive “pay-to-play” approach. By strategically boosting your posts, you can extend your reach beyond your immediate network, attracting new eyes to your content. This approach complements organic engagement by amplifying your message and increasing the likelihood of sparking meaningful interactions.
So What Do You Do Now
LinkedIn’s algorithm update is a call to action for businesses to engage more authentically with their audience. By prioritizing meaningful interactions, you can build a stronger, more connected community around your brand.
At Intuitive Websites, we’ll help you cut through the noise on LinkedIn. Our team can work with you to balance your strategy—combining scheduled posts that have boosting potential and guidance on what actions you can take regularly to make sure your most valuable content gets seen. We’ll identify the pieces that align with your thought leadership goals, optimize them for reach and engagement, and help you grow your audience with a mix of organic and paid tactics.
Not sure how to adjust your LinkedIn strategy? Let’s talk. We’ll show you how to boost the posts that matter.
