How to get reach and free advertising on LinkedIn

In short, you don't. You'll have to make an effort now.

The common mistake by management and leadership teams is that they see LinkedIn as a free advertising and distribution channel. Commonly heard: ‘Let’s put it on our LinkedIn page. I’ll give it a like and hit repost’ to distribute our message to the business network.?

Well, that’s maybe how it used to be, not anymore.?

My 3 quick and easy tips to get free reach for your business content

1. Post from a personal account as well, not only the business page
2. Make an effort to write your caption for your personal post; a summary of what the post is about will not do. Give an insight or be a bit provocative
3. Comment with at least 15 words on the business post or post by a coworker. Comment first, like second

There's a lot more to nailing the algorithm; check out my complete LinkedIn algorithm secrets page or give Richard van der Blom a follow.

Let's dive into some details.

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The algorithm loves active and social people

Time to wake up and realize that LinkedIn is moving in two directions. One is paid; that’s traditional plain advertising, not the topic of this month’s update. The other is social and active engagement that’s rewarded with reach for your content.?

Small note: What I write below is independent of the quality of the content, yet that’s a whole other topic. If your content quality s*cks, you can comment and engage what you want. However, it will still be held back by the algorithm.?

Let’s get some things simplified and explained on how your behavior influences the reach of your content.?

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Who’s pushed up by the algorithm

With the ongoing changes in the algorithm, LinkedIn is pushing content from those who are active and interact with others by engaging with and commenting on their content. The more time and effort you put into your presence on LinkedIn, the more reach your content will get.?

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Who’s pushed down by the algorithm

And the algorithm is holding back on content that is aimed at one-way communication and not at social interaction. So, logging in, hitting ‘like’ and ‘repost’ without any other significant active behavior doesn’t do the job of getting reach.

It makes sense as people will continue to use a (social) platform like LinkedIn when it remains social, and there’s something to gain, like connections, insights, and information.?

Once a platform becomes less social and more advertising, the users will eventually stop using it.?

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How to get reach for your business page content?

For the management and leadership team in the C-suite, if you want to push the business page content, first, write a comment of at least 15 words, and second, hit like; the LinkedIn algorithm uses your first interaction to define the push, and a comment is 15x worth a like.?

If you really want to boost the reach, give the business post a like to show that you care and create your own post, or repost with your own thoughts in the caption.?

Make an effort and make it personal.?

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Don't engage with content that you don't like

Refuse to spread content that’s not of high quality, doesn’t add value to your network, or your engagement or reposting is an annoying obligation made by management. Only engage with content that you value, like, and that's worth spreading to your network.?

A mass distribution of business page content by its employees is not appreciated by LinkedIn. They are not stupid, and they know this trick.?

For example, imagine Bacardi launches a new flavor for the summer and asks all its employees to post about it on launch day. Whether it’s a repost of a curated post, LinkedIn will find out and will hold back on this content. Remember, LinkedIn is not a free advertising channel.?

If you want to advertise, you have to pay. Otherwise, please keep the spirit of social connection in mind, behave accordingly, and make an effort. The algorithm will reward you.?

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More updates and insights with LinkedIn's algorithm secrets?

This is April's update on the LinkedIn algorithm. The dos and don'ts, what works and what doesn't.?More topics:

1. LinkedIn as a distribution channel, not a content platform
2. It's all about the ‘comment’, which has 15x the importance of a ‘like’
3. Why video is not the best content format for your LinkedIn post
4. Reposting on LinkedIn
5. How the algorithm pushes your content (2023)
6. Dark reach; it's still reach even if it can't be tracked
7. How to favor or annoy the LinkedIn algorithm (2023)
8. Sources and who to follow

?And please, before jumping to any conclusions, check the original sources for all insights and details.?

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