Over the past two years, with several updates, the LinkedIn algorithm has spurred a more than 50 percent increase in viral activity. This means more than two billion videos, articles and posts are now filtered, ranked, and displayed in LinkedIn feeds of over 650+ million users. Understanding the LinkedIn algorithm isn’t as hard as you might think. So how exactly does the LinkedIn algorithm work? It basically trends the post based on relevance and engagement. Now, how do you make your post relevant? Here are four ways to master the LinkedIn algorithm in 2022:
Choose the Right Time to Post
Choosing the right time to post is the most critical step in acing the LinkedIn algorithm. For example, if you are posting at 3 am, when most of your network is asleep (time-zone nuances aside), regardless of how good it is, your post will be up for hours before it starts receiving likes or comments. According to research conducted by LinkedIn experts, the best time to post depends on your time zone, location, and your target audience's active hours.
Based on yet another study, 50% of LinkedIn users check their accounts through smartphones, which means you have a much greater chance of reaching people after work hours. Some important pointers are as follows:
The best time to post is from 7 to 8 am or 5 to 6 pm.
The most clicks and shares are recorded on Tuesdays between 11 am to 12 pm.
The peak time of use is 12 pm and between 5 to 6 pm.
The worst time for LinkedIn posts is between 10 pm to 6 am or right after Friday night or before Monday morning.
Be Relevant
When it comes to posting relevant content to rank at the top of the LinkedIn algorithm, the rule of thumb is: Know your target audience. Start this by conducting thorough audience research. Use intel from other platforms, analytics, and your top competitor’s profile to get an idea of building an effective persona. Another easy way to do this is by posting interactive and eye-catching content such as videos, graphical posts, and text posts. In short, by incorporating formats that are popular with the LinkedIn algorithm, you are likely to check both the boxes; engagement probability and interest relevance.
Promote Your Posts
Promotion of your post is one of the easiest ways to beat the LinkedIn algorithm. In today’s world, content creators have several ways to reach more people. These include; using keywords strategically, incorporating relevant hashtags, and tagging relevant companies and members. Using branded hashtags is another simple way to get your post trending.
Encourage Engagement
One thing about the LinkedIn algorithm is simple, and that is: The more the likes and comments on your post, the higher is your profile’s rank. In other words, the LinkedIn algorithm rewards engagement, especially the posts that start a conversation. One of the most effective ways to do that is by asking a question or starting a poll. Posting the right question will not only get you a larger audience, but as a business leader, it will help you in getting more insight and understanding your audience better.
Wrapping It Up!
Now that you know how the LinkedIn algorithm works and the expert-advised ways to beat it, you will understand why posts that once collected hundreds of likes and comments are now just generating a handful. This is primarily because the strategies and tactics that they were using are now defunct. Engagement is critical for the LinkedIn algorithm, and it directly depends upon your reach, network, and relevance. Therefore, be creative and post original and engaging content to stay on top of the LinkedIn algorithm.
If you are interested in learning more about how to navigate the LinkedIn platform, book a call today!