Many B2B companies thrive on LinkedIn by creating new connections, sharing business updates, or discovering new business partners. The algorithm for LinkedIn is unlike Instagram or Facebook in that as soon as you post an update or photo, the algorithm divides your post into one of three categories. LinkedIn has a process for content distribution across the platform to reduce the chances of spam or inappropriate content. To outdo your competition with your content marketing strategy on LinkedIn, take a look at these stages that you should be aware of.
The first thing you should become familiar with is the three categories that LinkedIn will group each post in. These are…
Ideally, you want your posts to be in the clear category, as this is a “go ahead” to keep displaying to users. If your post is NOT being displayed to other users, there is a high chance that it’s been put into the low-quality or spam category and is being investigated by LinkedIn to evaluate its relevance.
The second stage, after your content has been cleared, is that it has to be tested by your target audience. This is LinkedIn’s way of seeing how popular the content is and how interested users are in your post. Any users who flag your content as spam or click the option to hide it from their newsfeed will negatively affect the algorithm, and consequently, cause your post not to be shown to as many users in the future. Before you click publish, ask yourself:
Think of the algorithm as a scoring rubric in school. If you hit the targets, you’ll be rewarded. After your post has been exposed to users, the actions users take will determine the path it takes through the algorithm and the quality (or lack of) that it holds. For example, a share, send, or save earns you the big bucks, whereas likes or comments are less important.
This is because the algorithm takes note of the posts that are shared by users, and so, it deems them credible sources. You should want your post to make enough of an impact on others that they want to share it with their followers, and so on.
So, now you know that beating the LinkedIn algorithm isn’t as hard as you think. In simple terms, posts that gain a lot of engagement are the first posts to show on your feed…
Online engagement is the sole purpose for putting the “social” in “social media.” This is why creating a connection with your audience is the epitome of success in the digital world.
Here are a few ways to engage your followers:
As a digital marketing agency in Halifax, we have discovered from our client work, these helpful suggestions for B2B companies to excel in the LinkedIn algorithm:
1. Post at the right time –Ensure that you are creating and posting content during times when your target audience is most active. For example, LinkedIn is commonly used by businesses to improve their professional presence online, therefore, it may be smart to post between the weekday work hours of 9 AM–5 PM.
2. Post the RIGHT content – Instead of animated graphics or gifs, the LinkedIn algorithm seems to favour educational or newsworthy content. It must be accessible content that is valuable to someone’s career, relevant to their industry, or offer a professional tip related to business growth. LinkedIn users are 20x more likely to share a video on the platform than any other type of post, with again, image posts coming second ahead of plain text, so it’s worth considering your posting practices and the things that make them pop!
3. Keep it short and sweet – Even though LinkedIn allows for a 700-character limit on each post, short and sweet is likely the way to go in terms of length. Your post will get cut off at 140 characters so if you have more content, consider writing a blog post or sharing an article that is on your website (this will also drive more traffic to your website and help people explore your products or services).