2024 LinkedIn Algorithm Report Takeaways

In February 2024, LinkedIn expert Richard van der Blom and Just Connecting released their 5th edition of the Algorithm Insights Report. 

Download the full report here. 

View a visual cheat sheet here.

We’ve been following each report throughout the years, and have tracked updates and adjusted our LinkedIn marketing strategy accordingly. We have noted key takeaways in this blog post that mark significant changes on the platform since the last report was released in 2023. Significant changes from past guidance are bolded.

We’ll be updating our free e-book on LinkedIn marketing, “What, When, & How To Post on LinkedIn”, in the coming months with these new insights.

Trends

LinkedIn Ads Are On The Rise

It’s a growing challenge to have a presence in the feed without paying: 

From Dec. 2021–Dec. 2023, posts from Company Pages dropped from 7% of posts in the feed to a mere 2%. Promoted Company Content grew from 16% to 25% of content in the feed and Ads grew from 5% to 11% in the same period. 40% of the feed is now advertisements. However, average conversion rates for Ads is 0.61%. Active Ad campaigns can increase organic content reach and engagement by 10–20%.

Organic Content Post Frequency Trends

Companies large and small are posting content weekly on LinkedIn:

81% of large companies (500+ employees) share weekly content. 62% of small companies (less than 500 employees) share weekly content.

Who Sees Posts?

A typical post will be seen by about 10–15% of your connections. Up to 25–30% of your followers may see it. 

40% of your post views will most likely come from second- and third-degree connections.

Content

Ensure your content is mobile-friendly. 88% of users browse the feed on a mobile device. Key change: convert images, videos, and PDFs to vertical format for 2024+.

Post Types

• Polls: 1% of posts, 1st in reach
  • 3 answers
  • 1 week duration
  • Less than 500 characters for post text
  • State what you’ll do with the results, consider a follow up post to share the results
• PDFs: 8% of all posts, 2nd in reach
  • 5–12 slides
  • Less than 500 characters for post text
  • 25–50 words per slide, at least 2 sentences
  • Mix of text and images
  • Vertical layout/mobile optimized is best
• Text + Image: 48% of all posts; 3rd in reach for personal profiles, 4th in reach for Company Pages
  • 900–1,200 characters ideal, keep sentences short (less than 12 words)
  • Photos of people can lead to 20% increase in reach, Selfies can boost reach up to 30%
  • Don’t use more than 5 images
  • Vertical photos are best due to mobile viewing
• Videos: 8.2% of all posts; 4th in reach for personal profiles, 3rd in reach for Company Pages
  • Length between 1–2 minutes, no longer than 3 minutes
  • Include subtitles
  • Pair with text of no more than 500 characters
  • Vertical format is best
  • Native uploads are crucial (external YouTube or other linked videos can cut reach by 50%)
  • Ensure first 8 seconds capture attention
• Text Only: 16% of all posts; 5th in reach for personal profiles, 8th in reach for Company Pages
  • Character length at least 1,000 characters, between 1,800 and 2,100 characters ideal
  • End with a question
• Articles & Newsletters: 4% of all posts; 6th in reach for personal profiles, 5th in reach for Company Pages
  • Great for SEO
  • Word count between 800–1,200
  • Publish no more than 2 per month
  • Include 1 video if possible 

Mix up your post types! Consecutive posts of the same post type result in reach reduction.

Incorporating Links

Incorporating links in your post, while necessary to drive conversions, does substantially decrease the reach of your post. Here are 3 approaches:

1. Include the link directly, which will provide the preview image
2. Add a link in the comments IF you don’t get so many comments that it would become buried
3. Edit your post to include the link after publishing (be sure to include the preview image in your original post)

LinkedIn™ Live Video Events

LinkedIn Live is a feature where members with Creator Mode and Company Pages that meet specific criteria can host live video events.

• Average engagement is around 12x higher than standard video posts
• Optimal length is 15–25 minutes
• Successful content include interviews with thought leaders, live event coverage, and employer branding content
• Other content ideas include product or service launches, expert interviews, trend showcases, and interactive workshops
• Promote your Live event 1 month in advance
• Incorporate interactive features such as polls, Q&As, and encourage comments during the event
• Cut the video recording into smaller sections and post them after the event

LinkedIn™ Audio Events

LinkedIn Audio Events is a feature where members with Creator Mode and a follower base of 150+ can host a audio-only event. 

• Aim for 30–60 minutes

When To Post

Time

Aim for 8–11 a.m.

Consistency of timing conditions the algorithm to serve your content reliably to your audience

Frequency

Post 3–4 times per week for personal profiles

Post 3 times/week max for smaller Company Pages (1–50 employees), daily for large Company Pages (51+ employees)

Posting more than once every 24 hours may cause your posts to compete—Company Pages and personal profiles alike!

Day of Week

For Personal Profiles: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday

For Company Pages: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, plus Saturday 

Engagement

Focus on engagement in the first hour of posting. Engagement in the first 6 hours will still help. 

Types of Engagement

Comments are still the #1 way to increase post visibility.

1. Comment
2. Repost Instantly (with no commentary)
3. Save
4. Click “see more”
5. Repost with Thoughts
6. Like

For the commenter, posting 10 quality comments daily for a month will lead to a 40% increase in profiles views, 25% more engagement on your own content, and 20% follower/connection growth.

As a Company Page, engage with 3-6 other posts per day to increase your own posts’ reach by up to 18%.

Employee Advocacy Program

We’ve always paired our content strategy with a directed employee engagement strategy. This year’s report has a comprehensive section all about developing an employee advocacy program and why it’s important. See pages 94–96 of the report.