Did you know that LinkedIn changed its algorithm in May of this year? What does it mean for content you post - particularly on your company page?
As always, the algorithm is looking for posts that will have good engagement. It does this by assessing not only the post itself, but also what happens to it once it's live.
Here are some things you can do to make sure you're working with the algorithm, not against it:
Share company posts to individual pages
The LinkedIn algorithm prioritises people over businesses, so the best way to get a quick boost on your content is for your employees (or you if you're a solopreneur) to share the post.
Remember, people deal with people!
Off-platform links on LinkedIn posts
Like all social media algorithms, its aim is for you to stay on the platform as long as possible - in other words, LinkedIn wants you to stay on LinkedIn.
What that means is that posts that link to EXTERNAL pages will be prioritised lower in the feed.
That doesn't mean don't share the link - but you will need to counteract the 'negative' rating by sharing on individual pages as described above - with comments that are more likely to get engagement.
Don't ask for likes
As tempting as it may be to expressly ask people to like a post, LinkedIn will penalise you for it - because they think it's 'spammy'. LinkedIn's update notes said:
"We won’t be promoting this type of content and we encourage everyone in the community to focus on delivering reliable, credible and authentic content.”
When should you post on LinkedIn?
The LinkedIn algorithm looks at the engagement that any post gets in its first hour or two before deciding on how to prioritise it.
Initially, it will be shown to a proportion of your audience. Only if they engage with it will it be shown to more of your audience... But it's judging that in the early stages of the post's life.
So what does that mean?
Simple... You want to post when your audience is online.
Think about it - if you post when your audience is not active on the platform, the algorithm won't be able to see lots of engagement and interest... And will tend to de-prioritise your post.
Is it a fundamental change?
Not really - it's all about sharing engaging content... And that means posting things that your connections are likely to be interested in.
The fundamentals are the same - educate, entertain or inspire in your content and the algorithm will still reward you!
PS. You can read LinkedIn's own update notes here: https://blog.linkedin.com/2022/may/5/keeping-your-feed-relevant-and-productive