Hacking the Algorithm: Boosting the Reach of Your LinkedIn Posts

Trying to maintain consistent engagement on LinkedIn can be frustrating, but it's not impossible, with the right approach. You should aim to create posts that resonate with your audience and foster strong connections that turn a professional network into an engaged community. After a combination of deep research, using our own audience analysis tools and trial and error we’ve come up with this list of guidelines that can help your LinkedIn content shine - from telling compelling brand stories to understanding the platform’s algorithm.

Creating Genuine Connections Through Brand Stories

Your brand is more than just a letterhead or a sign on the gate – it's values, people, products and culture. It's how people perceive your business. When crafting LinkedIn posts, your goal is to convey this comprehensive brand image to spark interest and inspire people to share your story.

For instance, let's say you've launched a new environmentally friendly product line. Your LinkedIn post could tell the story behind this initiative, detailing the challenges you overcame sourcing sustainable materials and include an image of your team at work. Posts from your employees describing their daily experiences at work also help create an authentic picture of your brand.

The trick is to ensure that the post is more than a brief statement; it should ideally be above 12 words to catch the algorithm's attention. Additionally, encouraging your team members to comment on your post (after a few initial interactions have taken place) will boost visibility. Just make sure not to edit the post within the first ten minutes of publishing to keep LinkedIn's algorithm happy.

Promoting Conversations, Not Monologues

LinkedIn is a platform for dialogue, not a one-way broadcasting system. It's crucial to truly grasp what your audience requires, respond to their queries, and foster real dialogues. So, when you're excited about a new product feature, go beyond merely announcing it. Show, rather than just tell, showing the development process and asking for input on future innovations.

And when a follower comments on your post, take the time to reply thoughtfully, showing your brand's personality and demonstrating empathy. An important note here – don't rush to be the first one to comment, or LinkedIn might suspect bot activity.

Hashtags: Navigating Your Content to the Right Audience

Think of hashtags as a GPS for your content, guiding it towards the audience that would most appreciate it. Our research recommends using between three to ten relevant hashtags per post to ensure optimal reach. If your post revolves around an environmentally conscious product line you've recently launched. Hashtags like #sustainability, #consciousbusiness, or #ecofriendlygoods will make it more discoverable.

Understanding Timing and LinkedIn's Algorithm

Learning about your audience's activity on LinkedIn can help you pick the best time to post. Additionally, understanding LinkedIn's algorithm - how it prioritizes individual posts and encourages quick engagement - can significantly expand your content's reach.

Let's break it down:

- Close Connections: LinkedIn prioritizes content from users you interact with frequently.
- Quality Content: LinkedIn prefers content that is valuable and relevant to your audience.
- Quick Reactions: Early engagement with your posts is a positive signal to LinkedIn.
- Regular Activity: LinkedIn favors active users who regularly post and interact with their audience.

Knowing when your audience is most active on LinkedIn can help determine the best times to post.

According to our research, the peak times are:

Monday: 9.30-1
Tuesday: 8-11
Wednesday: 9-11.30
Thursday: 8-11
Friday: 1-3
Saturday: 10-12
Sunday: 12.30-3

Furthermore, LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes content based on factors like user engagement, connection strength, and content relevancy. It's important to note that engagement on older posts can positively impact the reach of newer ones, which further underscores the need for consistent, regular posting. Ideally, you should be publishing 1-3 posts per week, with at least 18 hours between each post.

Including Visuals in Your Posts

Including appropriate visuals can greatly enhance your posts. Our research shows that documents perform best, followed by native video and then text. However, be mindful of including link-heavy short text and YouTube embeds, as these tend to perform worse. A snapshot of your team bringing the new product line to life, or a behind-the-scenes video of a day at your office, can add value and capture attention.

Linking Posts to Current Topics

Connecting your LinkedIn posts to trending topics can make them more appealing. However, these trending topics should align with your brand message. For example, if your brand is in the sustainability industry, a trending discussion on renewable energy could be a perfect opportunity for a post. Be careful to avoid sounding like clickbait or obviously AI-generated content, as this can significantly reduce your reach. There’s a big difference between good quality content that is clickable, and obvious clickbait.

Consistency Is Key

Posting regularly on LinkedIn sends a signal to your audience (and to LinkedIn's algorithm) that you're actively engaged. However, remember to maintain a balance - the quality of your posts should never be compromised for frequency. If you stop posting regularly, your reach may drop, so consistency is vital.

Success on LinkedIn comes from creating meaningful content that resonates with your audience and builds genuine connections. By telling authentic brand stories, promoting dialogue, using hashtags effectively, understanding the platform's algorithm, adding visuals, linking to relevant topics, and maintaining consistency, you can make your LinkedIn posts go viral. To further boost your reach, consider enabling 'Creator Mode,' which our data suggests could increase your reach by 15 to 35%.

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