Have you ever wondered what and how the LinkedIn algorithm works?
With 2 million posts, articles and videos published on LinkedIn every day, learning how to make sure your content has the best chance of engagement should be a priority. That’s where understanding the latest algorithm – a formula that determines which content gets seen by certain users on the platform – is so important.
LinkedIn specialist, Richard Van Der Blom recently published his Algorithm Insights 2024 5th Edition report which takes a deep dive into how content on LinkedIn performs in line with the current algorithm.
The report, which stands at a whopping 123 pages is compiled from “an analysis of over 1.5 million posts, from 34,000 individual profiles, and over 26,000 company pages, spanning 50 countries and 25 languages.”
It is packed with useful and informative insight. However, as not many people have time to read a 123-page report, we’ve summarised some of the top tips on how to make your LinkedIn content perform harder for you.
The full report is available to download from Richard’s LinkedIn article
The Power of Polls
LinkedIn Polls recorded the highest reach of all post formats (polls, PDF carousels, text + image, text only and video). Polls were found to generate nearly double the average reach, increasing even further on Company Pages. What’s more interesting is that only 1.2% of all LinkedIn posts were Polls, meaning there is an opportunity for brands to exploit this largely untapped resource.
When it comes to creating your poll, simplicity is key in both the questions and answers. Questions should be broad, not promotional and steer clear of religion or politics. For answers, three options yield the best results, and leaving one option as ‘Other – see comments’ can lead to a 25% increase in engagement.
Once the poll is live, it’s important not to ignore it. Engaging with comments was shown to boost reach by an additional 25%.
LinkedIn Polls are one of our favourite content types. Not only do they give great insight into audience thinking and behaviour, but they can also be used to inform future content. For example, ask your audience what they believe will be the biggest hurdle they will need to overcome this year (outdated tech, supply chain issues, economic crisis, etc). Once the results are in and the biggest hurdle has been revealed, you can create content to help your customers overcome it.
PDF Carousels
PDF Carousels are another post format shown to generate decent reach. These posts are 1.6 more effective in terms of reach than text + image posts. Stats from the report showed that to get the best out of your PDF Carousel post, you should keep to less than 500 characters in the post copy (that precedes the PDF), use 25-50 words per slide and the ideal number of slides per carousel is 12.4.
In our opinion, these posts are great for engagement. If used cleverly, they can be a creative way of telling a story and keeping the audience’s interest by teasing the next slide. They are also a great way of combining text and visuals into something relevant and informative, but also visually appealing enough to maintain interest. Consider using PDF carousels for content like ‘A Day in the Life Of’ or an instructional post, for example how to maintain a piece of equipment, how to craft your CV, or how to adopt a new piece of technology for your business.
Boost Engagement with Videos
Video posts are the best performing content format in terms of engagement, though their reach is typically lower. When it comes to video, the crucial thing to get right is the length. According to Van Der Blom’s research, the optimal length for a video is between 1-2 minutes. Anything over 3 minutes experiences a 15% decline in engagement. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, and the general consensus is as long as your video is relevant and engaging, a longer running time is fine.
35% of video viewers watch without sound, so adding captions to video content will make it more accessible and potentially increase viewership by 40%.
It is also preferrable to upload video directly to LinkedIn rather than linking to YouTube or Vimeo (LinkedIn does not usually favour posts that direct away from the platform, and posts that link to these video networks suffer with reduced reach).
Lots of people shy away from using video, but it’s a format that isn’t going away. Long gone are the days when audiences expect polished, produced videos. The rawer and more authentic a piece of video content is, the better.
It’s All in the Timing (Or Is It?)
For years there has been a debate on whether the time of day you publish content has an impact on its performance. According to Van Der Blom’s report, there are general rules to follow. For example, it’s best to post a work-related poll on a weekday between 8-11am, and it’s advised to avoid publishing PDF carousels on Sundays.
We would always recommend you do your own research when it comes to determining the best time to post. Every business has a different audience with different messaging, so it’s only by analysing your own data that you will find out what’s working for you.
That advice can be applied to all aspects of your social media programme and ultimately, only by testing and refining will you find out what is working for you. However, the algorithm can have a significant impact on performance, so this kind of research is useful to keep in mind when creating your own content.
If you need help strengthening your LinkedIn engagement, get in touch with us today – twist@limegreencommunications.com
