LinkedIn algorithm secrets (updated)

All you need to know and what I didn't

Getting reach on LI is an algorithm game. And that changes every few weeks. What was hot and happening then is the opposite right now (almost April 2023).

Since my last post in February, here are some updates from my own experience flirting and playing with the algorithm.

Update April

LinkedIn still hates it if you post twice in 18h
LinkedIn still loves it if you engage with others; it's a social platform, not a one-way stuff-the-timeline channel
Videos and external links are still not favored by the algorithm
Documents and native, including those annoying look-at-me selfies, still rank high
The reach of the newsletter in the timeline declines superfast: therefore, I focus more on the email you get and not the (obligated) post. And this email is also due to changes by LinkedIn

Honestly, I was absolutely ignorant about using an external link or posting twice within 18h. Wrong. And that so much-loved video content is the worst. And I thought I boosted my reach and favored the algorithm by immediately posting a comment. Wrong again.

A collection of three amazing sources in a simple bullet list. Please check the sources for all details before jumping to conclusions.

Do, to favor the LI algorithm

Use 1200-1600 characters for your post; that's about ~170 to 400 words
With the ‘catch’ at the start, before the ‘read more’ cut-off after three lines
Use three to five #. Check the sources for all details to balance between the big trending # and more personal ones. No dependency on where in your post you use the #; it can be anywhere
Personal stories and employer branding work best
Emoticons rock; maximum ten in total, with a maximum of four per line
Use selfies (yes, ugh) (+80 to 90% reach)
If you tag and it's a company, make sure the company reacts within one hour (2x the reach as when a person is tagged and reacts). This is especially relevant for recruiters and employees who (re)post a job vacancy
For companies: use the option: ‘notify employees' or ‘recommend to employees’ via the three dots. If they share within four hours, you have +30% growth

Don't annoy the LI algorithm

Don't edit within the first ten minutes after posting; this destroys your reach
Don't comment on your own post within the first two hours (-20% reach if it’s within)
Don't post twice in 18h (-15%) or three times in 18h (-30%)
Don't add a link in the comment after one hour (-20%) or edit a post after one hour (-10%). If you need to, wait a bit longer

What about LI engagement?

Engagement and reach of your post are defined in the first 90 minutes; a comment within two hours is 7x the value of a like (after two hours is 4x)
So, your timing matters. Indication; Monday 10 am to 1 pm, Tuesday to Wednesday 8 am to 11 am, Friday 1 pm to 3 pm, Saturday 10 am to 1 pm, and Sunday 1 pm to 3 pm. This can vary per market
If you comment, use five or twelve words (+4% reach). The opinions differ if it's five or twelve; at least make sure it is two lines
Reply to comments by others within one hour after publishing (+20%)
Relaunch your post by commenting two to four times on your own post after 24h (+25%)
After posting, engage with three other posts before you post again (+20% reach)

Video posts are the worst; documents are the best, and no external links

Best posts: documents (2.2 - 3.4 x reach), polls (2.1 - 2.9x), carousel (1.8 – 2.3x), or a text with several visuals (1.2 - 1.6x)
Adding one external link equals -40% reach (or 0.4 – 0.5x); adding two external links is even worse (0.2 – 0.4x)
Worst posts: video (0.5 – 0.8x)
If you do a video: add a caption (+25%), native upload, square, people in video, 30 to 60 sec, don’t start with the logo
Good to know: people who like your post have +30% more visibility on your next post; if they comment, it's +70%, and if they share or repost, it's +80%

Nobody said LI content was easy. Give your content some love and care, and LI will reward it.

LI expells the lazy ones who simply drop the content and never look back. The days are over for those who copy-paste an URL (external link) without sharing why it matters. Or they who simply repost without framing and sharing their own thoughts in 170+ words and tagging the OP (original poster).