Trends in Linkedin Content Recognition

“insightful” and “curious” reactions now matter more than likes on LinkedIn. That’s straight from their own spring algorithm update. Comments, thoughtful replies, and meaningful interactions now drive reach—while passive metrics like likes or impressions are being quietly deprioritized. But that’s only half the story. According to LinkedIn’s Head of News, the platform is also heavily favoring timely, news-driven content. Think: hot takes, fast POVs, story-driven posts tied to current headlines. In short, LinkedIn is trying to become the new home for real-time conversation—filling the gap left by Twitter (X). Those two signals—depth vs. speed—feel contradictory. And yet they’re both true. Here’s my theory: LinkedIn isn’t confused. It’s running multiple plays at once—because different teams have different KPIs. The News team wants immediacy and trend velocity. The Engagement team wants time-on-platform and quality conversation. The Trust team wants credible, topic-aligned expertise. The Design team wants minimalist, professional posts (no emojis, no hashtags, no clickbait aesthetics). If you’ve ever felt like LinkedIn’s “best practices” contradict each other—this is why. And it’s exactly why you and your brand need to adapt across multiple fronts: What’s Working Right Now: 1) Timely POVs. Posts that react to real-world news and industry trends get fast distribution—especially in verticals where trust is key and conversation is happening in the moment. 2) Topic Authority. LinkedIn’s system now elevates content from users it associates with specific expertise. Consistency in what you talk about matters more than ever. 3) Meaningful Interactions. “Insightful” and “Curious” reactions carry significantly more algorithmic weight than a like. Thoughtful comment threads are the new currency of reach. 4) Longer Shelf Life for High-Quality Posts. Good content doesn’t just peak and die anymore. If it performs well, it can resurface weeks or even months later through the “Suggested for You” feature. 5) Native > External. Posts that simply link out or repost without commentary are downranked. Originality, context, and adding your take are table stakes now. 6) Video + Substance. Short, vertical, subtitled videos (30–90 seconds) perform best when paired with a full multi-paragraph text post. The format is evolving, not replacing. So what do you do with all this? Stop trying to reverse-engineer one tidy strategy. You’re not optimizing for a single algorithm—you’re navigating a platform with layered incentives and competing internal agendas. Instead, play multi-dimensional content chess: Mix formats: short, long, video, reposts Balance immediacy with depth Build topic authority over time Engineer conversations, not just visibility Relevance isn’t static. And on LinkedIn in 2025, movement is the strategy. Curious—have you seen a shift in your own content performance lately?

3 reasons I like the new LinkedIn changes: (especially if you’re a coach or creator) 1) How the Algorithm Evaluates Content LinkedIn’s feed is no longer about what’s newest—it’s about what’s most useful. The algorithm now prioritizes content based on who you are, what you talk about, and who engages with it. Expertise, not virality, is the new currency. Pay attention here: This means your content gets rewarded for consistency and clarity on a specific topic—not for being trendy. 2) Analytics that Tell a Better Story LinkedIn now gives creators deeper insights into what actually drives results. You’re no longer guessing which post moved the needle—now you can see how many people visited your profile, followed you, or clicked your link (at the top of your post). Your KPI is measure this on a per-post basis. The obvious: If you have a certain style of post that brings more profile views and clicks, then do more of those posts. It’s not just about likes anymore.  It’s about leverage. 3) Long-term Content Relevance The feed now shows valuable posts from days—even weeks—ago. That means your best content has a longer shelf life. You’re not shouting into the void anymore. You’re building a body of work that compounds over time. This makes it critical to have a strong library of long-form, portfolio-style content—posts that go deep and show your thinking. If a potential buyer sees even one of your posts, will they want to binge the rest? Become Netflix with your content-1 episode is never enough. And for coaches: This is your signal to trust your expertise, showcase it, and stop second-guessing yourself. Now is the best time to double down on what you know—and become a master at communicating that knowledge clearly and consistently. Pick your lane. Speak from it boldly. You don’t need mass attention. You just need to be valuable. (Link to article in comments)

I'm on the phone with senior marketers all day long and based on those calls, here are the top things that are working/ where they're investing right now... 1) Linkedin Thought Leadership: Having execs and high level VPs posting consistently reaching unique ICPs. Many have actually baked out entire strategies where they meet weekly to align on the high level posting topics for that week. Many have seen millions of impressions and pipe generated just by posting. Seeing a lot of folks utilizing tools like Supergrow for this. 2) Linkedin Ad Experimentation: Lots of marketers are experimenting with LI ads, including promoting posts that are the above thought leadership ads. Apparently CTRs for the thought leader ads are off the charts. 3) Study Halls/ In person private events: Many saw a big appetite for in-person gatherings/education and creating community amongst the their existing customer base. Many have rolled this out as a major part of their events strategy this year. Some have a three pronged approach where some are formal education and workshops, others are dinners, and some are "forums" where they get groups of people together, community style, to discuss 4) Email newsletters: Newsletters and segmentation remain a huge focus for investment. Seeing integration of more timely event based news topics vs just using it to send updates about product/ PR/ blog posts etc... looks like more are focusing on making it timely and useful and it's really having a solid impact on open rates and engagement. Segmentation and hyper-personalization is very much in focus. 5) Email marketing and campaigns: Continue to be a huge focus. seeing a lot of folks go the route of ActiveCampaign. Sounds like their AI-powered automations are powerful + the # of integrations make it the right choice for most. 6) SEO: Still investment here but every marketer I've spoken with is increasingly pessimistic about the investment vs the future ROI. Many are looking at different ways of tackling SEO in the future include more formats and much more interactive styles of content. 7) Thought Leadership: BIG push here. Elevating both relevant parties in existing customer base and prospects as well as elevating individuals within the company. Some companies have hired entire small teams to tackle this understanding how important it is and will be in the future. 

LinkedIn wants you to know it's not Facebook. Here are 5 takeaways from its recent algo changes and how you can adapt: 1️⃣ LinkedIn doesn't want you to go viral. The LinkedIn team views viral posts as anomalies that should be investigated, not celebrated. So the name of the game is quality over quantity. 👉 Time to ditch those clickbait hooks, off-topic selfies, and engagement thirsty polls. 2️⃣ The algorithm prioritizes posts that share "knowledge and advice." Impressions from followers are up 10%, and impressions from out-of-network people are up 40% for knowledge-sharing posts. 👉 If your posts aren't designed to educate or inspire, this probably isn't the right platform for you. 3️⃣ It's important to have a clear POV. LinkedIn uses AI to distinguish between posts that share generic information vs. unique insights from the writer's perspective and experience. 👉 Hit people with the 'Why' and 'So What.' Explain why your post is relevant to your audience and industry. 4️⃣ LinkedIn also evaluates the author's credibility. The algorithm analyzes your profile and past posts to determine your authority on a given topic, which impacts the reach of your post. 👉 Forget 'fake it 'til you make it.' Write what you know! 5️⃣ LinkedIn values "meaningful comments." The platform cracked down on engagement pods trying to artificially boost posts with generic comments like "great stuff" or "thanks for sharing." Instead, it rewards posts that spark substantive conversations. 👉 Encourage your audience to participate in the discussion and make sure to reply to your comments. TL/DR: LinkedIn wants to be a daily content destination for expert analysis and thought leadership, not your wedding and baby photos. What do you think of the algorithm updates? Have you noticed an improvement in the quality of your feed? ___ 👋 I'm James Creech, a 3x entrepreneur who helps founders build their personal brand, accelerate their growth, & sell their businesses. 👍 Liked this post? Click my name + follow + 🔔 #socialmedia #creatoreconomy #linkedinalgorithm #linkedinforcreators https://lnkd.in/dPEXfAMx

What’s (actually) working right now in B2B social? Here’s a quick trend report based on what I’m seeing across the 150+ pieces of content we push for clients every week: (1) Founder-led content is still the move (shocker). This hasn’t changed. If you want to max out distribution, make your founder a content creator. (2) The short-form video hype has cooled off a bit. There was this weird period in Q4 when short-form video was cracked. Every post as a guaranteed 100K+ impressions if you understood how to formulate a hook. The LinkedIn algo was sending any half-decent video to the moon. I still see those from time to time, but it’s not as crazy as it once was. That said, this isn’t a bad thing. The impressions were cool—but if we’re being honest, low quality (and yes I used an em-dash…sue me). (3) Conversely, text-only is making a comeback. This makes me happy. I’m a writer at heart. I’m seeing more text posts on my feed, and engagement tends to be more relevant than the engagement on short-form videos. (4) Turn the dial up 20%. Safe takes get you nowhere. The middle is no man’s land. Your audience growth will come to a slow, grinding halt in this no man’s land if you are afraid to make a few enemies. I know you have polarizing opinions—let these show through in your content. And to be clear, you can do this without being an extremist or a troll. Just don’t write with the tone of voice of a passive-aggressive corporate HR leader. (5) Narrative content is your moat against AI. The value of basic “how to” content is being driven to zero by AI. This trend will only continue. Your defense is to package those same insights as personal stories and narratives. (6) LinkedIn is still working best for predictable audience growth. X can work well for 1:1 relationship building. That said, if you want to ‘grow’ on X, expect to spend your days deep in the mines as a reply guy. The trade isn’t worth it for most founders IMO. (7) Thought leader ads are promising. Once you’ve built an organic foundation on LinkedIn, take your winners and put spend behind them as thought leader ads. We are going to be expanding here more for Compound clients. I see a lot of people complaining that reach has dipped. I’m not worried about this. But, TLAs can be a good hedge if you want to get more reach (particularly on more product-focused content). (8) Winning startups are pairing foundational content with spiky launches. Your founder needs to be posting almost daily. But once you nail this motion, you should layer in monthly or quarterly ‘launches.’ Think about how Airbnb and Shopify do their releases. Now, what do you notice? This isn’t rocket science. The fundamentals still apply. The REAL edge in 2025 is developing a compelling, unique stance as a company—and remaining consistent for long enough. I wish there was a hack to speedrun growth. I truly do. But there isn’t. Chop wood, carry water. PS: Expanding on these in today's edition of Social Files :)

LinkedIn in 2025 isn’t just networking it’s reputation management. The game has shifted. Organic reach is down. Content noise is up. More paid ads are starting to surface. But the most effective leaders are cutting through not with flash, but with strategy. This isn’t about chasing virality. It’s about strategic visibility. Here’s what’s actually working right now: ✅ Carousels = 11.2x more reach ✅ Long-form comments = 3x better performance ✅ Weekend posts (especially Sunday) = higher impressions ✅ 1,242–2,500 characters = the current sweet spot ✅ 14+ paragraphs = better readability, better engagement ✅ No hashtags = 81% more reach ✅ Ending with a question = +72% performance ✅ Lists, frameworks, spicy takes = clarity and authority The gap between posting content and building credibility is widening. For executives, this is no longer optional. Your digital presence is often your first impression to talent, customers, investors, and peers. The smartest leaders are treating LinkedIn like a modern boardroom. They’re not just showing up they’re leading the conversation. 📌 Save this. Share with your leadership team. And most importantly evolve how you post.

Does your GTM need a mid-year makeover? New research in the "2025 B2B Benchmark Report" from LinkedIn for Marketing highlights 1) video and 2) creators as primary ways to build capital in the biggest currency in B2B, trust. "Marketers who lead with authenticity, invest in credibility, and deliver value through human-centered content are setting themselves apart and seeing the results," identifies Tequia Burt, Editor in Chief @ LinkedIn. "Because when buyers trust your message, they’re more likely to act on it. And when they trust your brand, they come back." Some eye-catching data was previewed in Tequia's article (check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gw3dPX53): For example, 55% of B2B marketers leverage influencer marketing and still partner with classic content creators, but now also select subject matter experts, practitioners, and other trusted industry voices. Why? "Trust is a competitive advantage,” explains Lee Moskowitz 🌈, host of Lee2B. "It's why brands exist," agrees Drew Neisser, CEO of CMO Huddles. He also explains why it's so elusive: "Most companies don’t have the patience and courage to build enduring trust." But is the ROI on "trust" there? Brand plays typically take longer to pay off, but now is the time to invest. The data reveals that companies using influencer marketing are more likely to expect budget increases next year (84% vs. 58% for non-users), suggesting that trust-focused strategies are also gaining leadership support. “Anyone can run an ad to an audience," explains Brendan Gahan, CEO and Co-Founder of Creator Authority, "but getting a positive review from a well-known thought leader in their niche is the best content you can run on social." It's because authenticity matters to balance the AI slop. (Love this term, Lee!) “In B2B, trust isn’t earned in a pitch, it’s built in moments,” Vasileios Mylonas 🤘, Founder & Chief Strategist of The Cool Lion, shares. And beyond the data proving video is the most effective format (it does), it's the HUMAN feeling those moments that matter, or trust-building opportunities, evoke: AJ Wilcox, founder of B2Linked | LinkedIn Ads Performance Agency, confirms, “I feel more trusting of a brand after watching a 1-min clip of their founder talking than if I read five of their blog posts.” What do you think? Are you integrating video, creators, or other trust-building activations into your GTM? Let me know in the comments. I also recommend the LinkedIn for Marketing blog for the latest in B2B marketing news: https://lnkd.in/gFja4maA