LinkedIn is one of the most important social platforms for many professionals and digital marketers. The first thing you see when you log in are trending articles that have generated a lot of engagement. How are these items displayed? Thanks to the LinkedIn algorithm that determines the visibility of posts on the platform! First, we will explain how the LinkedIn algorithm works, and then we will give 6 tips to make the most of it.

The principle of the LinkedIn algorithm

Social media algorithms sort posts in the user’s feed based on relevance, not time of publication. Social networks prioritize the content a user sees first in their feed based on the likelihood that they will actually want to see it. Before the use of algorithms, users only saw posts in chronological order, from the most recent to the oldest: this is no longer the case today.

LinkedIn’s algorithm has two main purposes:

• Prioritize relevant content
• Promoting engagement

Relevance prevails, which is why the homepage feed is set by default to the “best” posts and not the “recent” posts. We will see the 3 main ranking factors of the algorithm.

1) Personal connections

Linkedin aims to give more and more weight to personal connections! To differentiate the people you really know, from public figures for example, the algorithm uses several indicators. It takes into account people you have interacted with directly (comments, shares, reactions) and those with whom you share common interests, skills or colleagues.

2) The relevance of interests

You should know that the LinkedIn algorithm is largely interest-based: it prioritizes personal connections based on what interests you. This way, you will see more often in your feed people talking about subjects you like, while some people you really know will never appear … because their interests are too far from yours!

3) The commitment

The Linkedin algorithm will seek to create interaction between the members of the platform. That’s why it tries to share with you posts on topics related to the ones you’ve reacted to recently. If your post gets a lot of interactions quickly, the algorithm will include it in the feed of many other people.

To wit: the algorithm favors comments first, then likes, and finally shares.

4) The Dwell Time

90% of users consume content on Linkedin without interacting. To continue to offer relevant content when there is no engagement, we had to find another type of interaction … and it is the time spent on a post (or Dwell Time). So, LinkedIn will determine how likely you are to read a post and then prioritize those with the highest probability of you reading them. So the more time a user spends reading a post, the more the algorithm increases its relevance.

6 tips for making the most of LinkedIn’s algorithm

Now that you know how the algorithm works, let’s see how you can exploit it to gain visibility on the platform!

1) Be relevant

The first rule is fundamental: you must know your audience! Conduct market research and try to analyze data from your other social networks to find out what the people you are targeting like. You will know on which topics to base your marketing strategy on Linkedin.

Then, adopt dynamic formats: putting images or videos in your posts allows to create much more interactions. Be careful, you still have to write more precise and longer texts than on other social networks! If you follow these tips your formats will become popular on Linkedin through interest relevance and engagement!

2) Promote yourself

Several techniques exist if you want to gain visibility. Tag influential businesses and members, use keywords strategically and include relevant hashtags. Share your Linkedin posts with your community on your other networks, or within your company! The more your posts are seen, the more lenient the algorithm will be with your content.

3) Encourage commitment

The LinkedIn algorithm rewards engagement and, comments, are the most highlighted interactions. For example, start by asking questions to open a conversation. Asking your audience to share their opinions or ideas with you is a great way to start. By asking the right questions, you can kill two birds with one stone because it gives you the opportunity to learn more about your audience’s interests. Of course, if you want LinkedIn members to engage with you, don’t forget to do the same on some of their posts.

4) Publish at the right time

The faster the likes and comments come in, the higher the LinkedIn algorithm will rank your post. One of the best ways to maximize interaction is to post at times when LinkedIn members are online. To access this data, you can use specialized online tools. In most cases, it is advisable to mail Tuesday through Thursday during business hours. Weekend posts have much less impact on Linkedin.

5) Build your network strategically

As we’ve explained, the LinkedIn algorithm favors “real” relationships and relevant posts. Therefore, care must be taken to develop a healthy and active network. Whether you have a personal profile or a page on LinkedIn, make sure to:

• Fill out your personal profile and your company page and keep them up to date,
• Put your profile in public,
• Encourage employees to indicate that they work at your company,
• Encourage employees to share your posts,
• Join LinkedIn groups,
• Participate in conversations and be active on the network in general,
• Promote your LinkedIn pages on your website and in other appropriate spaces (business cards, newsletters, email signatures, etc.)

To create an effective Linkedin profile, find detailed tips in this article.

6) Be authentic

The most important thing is to convey an authentic and accessible image. If you are friendly and engage in conversation easily, your audience will be more likely to offer you the same in return. Now that you know a little more about this famous LinkedIn algorithm, you have all the keys in hand to get started and start gaining visibility on the network!