LinkedIn is the titan of B2B marketing, with 91% of B2B marketers sharing content and 80% of social media-generated leads originating from the platform.  

‍

However, despite its one billion-strong userbase, and 310 million monthly active users worldwide, there appears to be a disconnect between B2B marketers' desire to get brand messages out there and LinkedIn's algorithmic reality. 

‍

While companies can post multiple times a week, and invest significant time and resources into making content go viral, LinkedIn's algorithms often nip these efforts in the bud; stifling average engagement rates to just 1.1% per post.

‍

So, why doesn't LinkedIn follow the lead of other social media networks and encourage creators to prioritise reaching as many people as possible?

‍

Well, the platform now favours genuine relevance and expertise over superficial engagement metrics and one-dimensional sales pitches. LinkedIn focuses on fostering meaningful professional connections and surfacing high-quality, knowledge-based content. But what does this mean for companies looking to boost organic exposure and attract qualified leads?

‍

This article will help B2B marketers understand the nuances of LinkedIn's algorithms as we move into 2025. It will provide tips on adapting your social posting strategies to deliver high-quality thought leadership content that aligns with LinkedIn's emphasis on professional growth and industry insights. Read on to learn more. 

‍

What B2B Marketers Need to Know about the LinkedIn Algorithm right now

‍

Like Google and all other social media sites, LinkedIn doesn't disclose the full details of its platform updates because it doesn't want users to game the system.

However, many close observers are tracking extensive data sets and testing hypotheses to better understand the platform’s algorithmic changes. 

‍

Many social media experts have discovered the following LinkedIn algorithm secrets: 

‍

• LinkedIn operates as a recommendation engine, selecting relevant posts to display on each user's feed. It will consider your interests, connections, and the types of posts you're more likely to engage with, to encourage more interaction. 

‍

Each time you post the algorithm sorts your content into one of three categories with a corresponding visibility score:

‍

• Great content: This category is defined as posts that are highly relevant, valuable, and engaging — actively holding users' attention (as measured by dwell time). For example, a great post may showcase a user's thought leadership expertise in solving complex audience problems. Posts in this category are ranked for performance against competitors and their ability to generate positive feedback in the form of comments exceeding 15 words.

‍

• Low-quality content: LinkedIn classifies content as 'low quality' if it lacks a relevant or compelling message and doesn't differentiate from like-for-like competitors. While it may still have some redeeming qualities, it falls short of the platform's more strategically optimised material. For instance, the message might be too broad to appeal to a specific audience or too self-promotional. 

‍

• Spam: LinkedIn will filter out content that violates its spam and professional community policies. This can include things like emoji polls, overt attempts to increase connections, sell things, or any content that could be deemed as harassment or abuse etc. 

‍

• Once your post is categorised, LinkedIn performs a 'Golden Hour' test —  showing it to a small group of your first-degree connections for 60 minutes. During that time, it tracks the number of interactions and decides if it's engaging enough to post to more users. Naturally, if it fails the Golden Hour test, the post won't be shared widely. 

‍

• Previously, many B2B marketers believed that asking their connections or employees to like and comment on their posts within the first hour could push them to more users. LinkedIn now discourages these so-called 'engagement pods,' and accounts may be penalised for using this tactic. 

‍

Tips for Adapting B2B Marketing Strategies for LinkedIn

‍

• Short-form video is king: LinkedIn favours native video content over YouTube links, generating five times more engagement and 20x more shares.  Marketing guru Neil Patel, therefore, recommends that brands post 40-46-second-long videos with a one or two-sentence-long caption containing a compelling 'hook' to get the best results. Longer-form videos (3-4 minutes) are also great for educational content. Thus, Neil recommends limiting long-form video captions to 291 characters. 

‍

• Prioritise social search: LinkedIn has improved its semantic search capacity, reducing the need for hashtags to make content discoverable. The algorithm now analyses users' intentions, and personalises its results based on past user engagement. Therefore, B2B marketers should address specific pain points and provide valuable insights, as LinkedIn gives informative, high-quality posts heightened visibility through suggested posts, even months after publication.  Optimising for long-tail keywords can be useful, but it's more important to naturally incorporate industry-specific terminology and offer educational value to audiences. This approach aligns with LinkedIn's emphasis on thought leadership and fostering meaningful professional relationships. 

‍

• Fostering LinkedIn engagement is key: Not all engagement signals are created equal in the LinkedIn algorithm. As mentioned, attempts to artificially boost post engagement will work against you. Instead, brands should engage with niche-specific thought leaders by writing long-form comments, joining relevant groups and connecting with like-minded professionals. From a posting perspective, brands should invite genuine input from readers, ask questions, reply to all comments in detail (no one-word replies), and promote your post on other social media platforms, to drive engagement to your LinkedIn profile. 

‍

• Time your 'Golden Hour' posts perfectly: Your business' LinkedIn Analytics page provides a wealth of data on the best times of day to post, the types of content your audience favours, competitors, and more. You can use third-party tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social to help draw out actionable insights. However, according to  Sprout Social's findings, the best time to post in the UK is Tuesday to Thursday from 10 am to midday (although this may vary depending on your industry). 

‍‍

CopyHouse: Delivering Multichannel Thought Leadership Content to Boost your Online Profile

‍

LinkedIn is reshaping how we find and consume professional content. That's why it's vital to prioritise thought leadership in their social media strategies, providing insightful, relevant content that adds genuine value to your audience's lives. 

‍

CopyHouse applies strategic content marketing to tech-led B2B clients, both domestically and internationally. Find out more about how we can help optimise your use of LinkedIn and align it with your campaigns and content activity - Get in touch today. 

‍