Why I'm a Fan of LinkedIn's Major Algorithm Changes

I know I may ruffle some feathers with this article, but I hope readers will consider my views with an open mind.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's get to the point of this article. Since last fall, I and other avid LinkedIn users have been noticing changes in LinkedIn's algorithm. Specifically, post Impressions had started dipping. This meant some posts just sat in the Activity sections without being seen by others. This was not good! I was so frustrated that in February I expressed my concerns to my LinkedIn contacts and created a LinkedIn Help ticket. In recent months, the discontent of LinkedIn members has become a frequent topic in their posts.

Before going further, I want to share some key definitions to make sure we are all on the same page.

• Algorithm - Algorithms in social media platforms can be defined as technical means of sorting posts based on relevancy instead of publish time, in order to prioritize which content a user sees first according to the likelihood that they will engage with such content.?(Source: Institute of Internet & the Just Society)
• Analytics - Shows key metrics for your organic posts over time and can be filtered by time ranges. (Source: LinkedIn)
• Impressions - The total number of times your post was displayed onscreen. This number is an estimate and may not be precise. (Source: LinkedIn)
• Engagements - The total number of engagements on your posts, including reactions, comments, and reposts. Engagements from organizations aren't included. (Source: LinkedIn)

Tracking my LinkedIn Impressions has long been a part of my routine. Doing so helps me track my content performance and that of the client profiles I manage. The numbers matter! Interestingly, people used to frequently say vanity metrics don't matter. Yet some people are so upset about the dip in LinkedIn Impressions that they are considering spreading their social media time more to other platforms.

Truth be told, all social media platforms make changes to their algorithms on an ongoing basis, including LinkedIn. Through the years, I've advised my clients to focus less on the algorithm, since it is always changing, and more on learning the core components of LinkedIn.

The recent change in the LinkedIn algorithm was more than a routine tweak.

On June 26th, the mystery behind the big LinkedIn algorithm change was revealed in an article by Jason Feifer in Entrepreneurs magazine ( Entrepreneur Media ). In addition to the article, Jason had a very insightful podcast interview with LinkedIn Editor-In-Chief Daniel Roth and Product of Product Alice Xiong . Here are some other key points that Dan and Alice shared during the podcast interview with Jason:

?? Viral content is not rewarded in the LinkedIn system.

?? Because of the algorithm changes, more of our Connections & Followers should see our content.

?? Because of the algorithm changes, our newsfeed should include more content that aligns with our expertise and areas of interest.

??Access to information that is grounded in advice has increased.

??LinkedIn wants members to bring their authentic selves to the platform.

??The goal of content should be to reach the right people, not to reach everyone.

??The algorithm puts content into different categories.

??Quality content starts conversations. This means the posts generate meaningful comments and you reply.

??If you are always selling in your posts, people will begin to tune you out.

??LinkedIn success should not be based on a single post, but on your catalog of content.

??Get knowledge out of your head and onto the platform.

While others are in an uproar about this shift and plotting their exodus from the platform, I welcome this change. Here's why I'm a fan of the new and improved LinkedIn algorithm:

1. LinkedIn is uniquely different from other social media platforms. It is the exclusive one for professional and business networking purposes. I believe this change keeps it centered on its mission to {connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful.}
2. I've seen an increase in what I call 'gimmicks and tricks' content. This is content that is less about the social selling nature of LinkedIn and more about gaming the algorithm to boost their analytics. Yes, the content may have some value, but instead of letting the content stand on its own, gimmicks and tricks are used. This includes:

• Having an opening sentence and then leaving unnecessary blank lines or emoji's before the continuation of the text to force people to click on the 'see more' and increase Impressions.
• Typing the caption as a long column with just a few words on each line to force people to click on the 'see more' and keep scrolling down to read the full message.
• Including an extreme number of hashtags.
• Tagging connections to prompt engagement when the post has no relevance to the connections.
• Stacking the Comments section with their own comments.
• Pitching services in the majority of their posts.

Our focus on the platform shouldn't be on reaching the masses, but on reaching our ideal people.

I would much rather have fewer Impressions with those Impressions mostly being my target demographic than have tons of Impressions that are mostly not my ideal people.        

This reminds me of a scenario I once heard someone say...I would rather be a big fish in a small pond than a little fish in a big pond. The point is, greater opportunities can be gained when you are a big fish in a little pond because more people know you.

Yes, numbers matter on LinkedIn, but high numbers without providing value and community-building will hinder your success on the platform.

Although LinkedIn has changed the criteria for how it distributes content, members can still generate 1K+ Impressions with their content. Here's an example from one of my recent posts.

I made the post on June 29th as a Thursday Throwback post. The post started performing well right away, but I didn't screenshot my post analytics notification until 2 days later. At that time it has reached over 1K Impressions. On the day I published this article, the post Impressions were 2K+. This tells me that the post performed well immediately and continued to gain traction over the span of days.

Beyond the Impressions, the analytics that matters to me the most is the Engagement, specifically the 19 Comments. I also appreciate that the top demographic for this post was Founders because entrepreneurs are

my main business demographic.

Also, that post was my most active content last week (notice the high peak in the graphic to the left). It contributed to my Impressions from the week reaching 11K+.

Maybe the days of viral posts on LinkedIn are gone, but having stand-out posts with a consistent presence is a good combination.

I believe this post performed well because it aligned with LinkedIn's new algorithm criteria.

1. I shared the backstory of why I became an author.
2. I shared knowledge about the steps I took to write and self-publish my book in less than 60 days.
3. The caption provoked Comments which led to Conversations!
4. I provided value and then I authentically asked a question at the end.
5. Nothing in my capture was about me selling my book. Interestingly, the comments included people wanting to buy my book.

I encourage everyone to look at the LinkedIn algorithm change from a different perspective. Usually platform algorithms are a mystery to the users. LinkedIn leadership has given us an in-depth explanation of how it functions now. It has opened the proverbial curtain and explained to us the inner workings of the algorithm. It's up to us how we are going to leverage the information.

Isn't it better to have Impressions that are not artificial?

Isn't it better to have a platform that truly focuses on substance, not fluff content?

I don't agree with every change that LinkedIn makes, but I am team LinkedIn with this one. If I want random content, I can use other platforms. If I want metrics that feed my ego instead of my bank account, I can use other platforms as well. When it comes to what's good for my business interests, I'm sticking with LinkedIn. I appreciated the more sophisticated LinkedIn algorithm.

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Clarene Mitchell is the Founder/CEO of TCM Communications. She changes the trajectory of lives and businesses, one LinkedIn profile at a time. She accomplished this through her results-orientated LinkedIn one-on-one coaching, corporate training, done-for-you services and event speaking. Clarene is also the author of 'Shine Online with LinkedIn.'

She has been creating daily content on LinkedIn since 2016. She's been a beta tester for several of LinkedIn's features and In January 2021, LinkedIn recognized her 'Shine Online Bulletin' as a Top Pick for learning how to enhance your network and online visibility. In the fall of 2023, she was selected by LinkedIn out of thousands of applicants to participate in its inaugural Technology & Innovation cohort of its Creator Accelerator Program (CAP).