LinkedIn changed
Yo! Welcome to the next episode of The Content Strategy Reeder. Today you're discovering how LinkedIn has changed dramatically and what it means for you.
And quick shout out to everyone who used last week’s LinkedIn template! I see you out there, postin’, taggin' me, gettin' all types of reactions. Go on with your bad self 🕺🏻.
If this episode was forwarded to you or you found it online, you can get your own by subscribing here.
My success has always come down to one thing: knowing my audience better than my competition.
Not just who they are, but what they want, feel, and need. It’s the “secret weapon” behind my content strategy and growth.
If you want direct insight into what YOUR audience cares about, you can use Vouch to collect short, personal videos that surface insights that inform your marketing strategy, then share the content as social proof.
You can get started here for free.
A whole mess of you replied to my offer last week! My phone was jumpin’ like double dutch all weekend, I loved it.
Looks like you want to know more about how my audience is changing and my observations on how the LinkedIn playing field has shifted.
So let’s do this: today, LinkedIn. Next week, audience. Cool? Cool.
Let’s get right friggin’ to it. Here’s the huge change:
LinkedIn has stopped being a networking site and started being a true social media platform.
LI now cares less about your follower count (network), and values your content engagement way, way more.
This might seem obvious.
But it’s a fundamental shift that is changing the platform entirely — and how it interacts with you.
Here are the observations I’ve noticed over the past few months to back up that big green sentence:
Your content is being scored differently
The “golden hour” — the high-value hour right after you post something where engagement is weighed heavily and decides who sees your content (or doesn’t) — has dwindled. That hour used to decide if you went viral or not.
Now the golden hour is still important, but instead of spring-boarding you into a pool of reactions, it’s a slow, steady wave throughout the day.
But this also means…
Bad posts die faster
Even “meh” posts used to get 24 hours or so to breathe. Not anymore.
Because LI’s trying to improve the quality of the feed, the algo is suppressing “bad” posts faster to make room for more engaging content. The intent is to motivate you to publish better content. Or as I say, feed the feed.
And if you get that right…
“Good” content now has a longer shelf life
Posts used to live for ~48 hours. But now I’m seeing engagement continue 1-2 weeks later.
Again, LinkedIn is rewarding creators who produce “good” content. I’m putting air quotes there because we’re talking about an algorithm deciding quality based on engagement not quality of the content itself. Big. Ass. Difference.
Speaking of big…
Larger profiles are getting suppressed
This is where I might sound a little conspiracy-y. You’ve been warned.
Motivating more users to start creating content will (in theory) help increase the volume of quality content on the feed. That will bring in more users and increase platform usage — both are surely growth goals for LinkedIn since they sell licenses and ads.
So leveling the playing field to help smaller profiles makes perfect sense.
BTW I confirmed this with multiple folks with larger followings and they all replied, “You noticed it too?! I thought it was just me. Thought I was going crazy.” ’
Here’s what this means for you, dear Reeder
Because creators have realized engagement is being increasingly rewarded, it’s changing the type of content being created. You’re probably seeing posts like these more often (if not every day):
“Shortcut” guarantees
I can’t honestly say the claim is a lie, but it just feels like a leap design to get my attention (which, it is).
Overpromises
Respectfully, no it won’t. Lol.
Platitudes & obvious content
I mean c’moooon Gary. Duhhh.
To be fair, these types of posts have been around, but now they’re like… errywhere.
Let me be clear: I’m not hating, just stating. This is where the platform is heading.
But just because a post gets engagement does not mean it’s quality content.
Be careful not to mistake attention for reputation. Attention is fleeting. Reputation lasts a lifetime.
Which brings us to our final point…
What do you want to be known for?
It comes down to what you value and what your goals are.
If you want to build a big ol’ following by any means, chase engagement. It won’t fail.
But if you want to build a solid reputation, niche down. Provide immense value using original ideas and experiences on a specific topic, and be intentional with your output.
That’s how you use content to grow your career, income, sales, marketing, and brand.
Alright y’all, that’s it for now. Next week I’m going to share how my audience has changed because, well, you asked for it! I’m excited. Hope you are too.
Now go show your weekend who’s boss.
Holler at you next week,
Devin
PS: If you want to start, or scale, your LinkedIn game…
You need a strategy that can’t be copied and tactics that are proven to work.
Otherwise you’ll get frustrated and dejected when your posts don’t perform like you wanted.
That’s exactly why I created my Content Strategy for LinkedIn course.
Along with the ~1 hour video course overfilling with tips and advice, you’ll also get 3 PDFs:
- 10 LinkedIn writing prompts for creating content your audience loves
- My 6-point checklist for building a memorable profile that drives action
- The Goals and Milestones framework for sparking unrelenting focus and momentum
I used all these to build my LinkedIn following. You can too.
If you’re ready, you can join hundreds of students who are winning on Linkedin every day:
https://www.LinkedInStrategy.co