LinkedIn Algorithm Explained: How to Network on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most extensive social network for professionals. It has over 738 million users worldwide. Over the past year, the platform has grown in popularity. It’s the ideal place to grow a business, increase sales, or find a job. But if you want to get the most out of it, you have to know how to network on LinkedIn.

Understanding the LinkedIn Algorithm

Like any other social network, such as Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn operates using an algorithm. This determines what people see on the platform. Your goal is to be visible on the platform and connect to as many people as possible.

There’s no such thing as being too visible on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn’s Algorithm Shows Your Post to a Limited Number of Connections

If you have over 500 connections on the platform, this doesn’t mean all of your connections will see your post.

For example, you posted your company’s latest blog post. And of course, you want your post viewed by as many of your connections as possible. If you have 500 connections, do you think LinkedIn will show your post to all 500 of them? The correct answer is no.

LinkedIn will show your post to a certain percentage of your connections. No one knows the exact rate. Social networks always keep their algorithms a big secret. But you can assume that not everyone will see it.

Let’s assume that this number is 10%.

If LinkedIn shows your post to 10% of your 500 connections, then only 50 people are going to see your content.

However, those 50 people are probably not online at the same time. It is unlikely that they are online when you publish your post. This means that out of the 50, maybe 10 or 20 people will see your post. The rest will miss your post as it gets buried under other content people are posting and sharing.

Engagement from the First Group Will Determine If It’s Relevant for More People in Your Network

The first 50 people who LinkedIn served the post to will act as a focus group. Depending on how they engage with your post, LinkedIn will determine if your post is relevant. If it performs well, they will show it to another group of your connections.

Their interactions are another test for the relevance of your post. Relevance is based on how people engage with your post. Engagement includes how many people like, comment on, or share your post. Depending on these metrics, LinkedIn will cast a more expansive and broader net and determine who to show your post to.

Make Sure Other People Engage with Your Post

Get your team members, other colleagues, or even friends to like, comment on, and share your post. The more people engage with your post, the more LinkedIn will show it to people.

LinkedIn wants to keep pushing content that is good and relevant. Like any other social network, they don’t want to push content that is irrelevant or annoying to the viewer.

The more engagement your post gets, the more LinkedIn learns about your network. The more people that find your post relevant, LinkedIn will show more people post the post. This is a cycle that continues on and on. In other words, the higher the engagement, the more successful the post.

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Create Good Content and Post Frequently

Don’t create content just for the sake of creating content. It has to be relevant, useful, and interesting for your network. This is the best way for people to engage with your content.

You don’t have to be an award-winning writer to create content that will encourage engagement. Think of articles and posts that you would like to see on your feed and use that as your guide. LinkedIn is not the platform you used to post about what you ate for dinner last night.

Write B2B relevant articles, helpful guides, and the industry or company news. Research what you think your network will appreciate.

You also need to post frequently. If you only post once a week, think about how big or small your audience will be for that one post. You don’t know when that small percentage of your connections will be online on LinkedIn.

Post as frequently as you can so that there’s a bigger chance of more people on your network seeing your post.

You Have to Engage on LinkedIn Every Single Day

At first glance, everyday engagement may seem like a lot, but this is something you need to do. You don’t know when your possible prospects, or the people you are trying to prospect, are online.

Maybe they only go online once a week, and you don’t post anything or engage with the network that day. You need to show LinkedIn that you are consistent.

Pro Tip: Consistency helps build your LinkedIn network strategically.

Commit for the Next 30 days to Engage with People on LinkedIn

Spend 60 minutes on LinkedIn for the next 30 days engaging with people. Like, share, comment on other people’s posts. And watch yourself get noticed.

Don’t forget that LinkedIn offers you easy access to people and prospects that you usually may not be able to contact. There are numerous stories of people being able to set meetings faster via LinkedIn.

Imagine having that kind of direct access to a prospect you’ve been trying to arrange a meeting with for the past year.

When you think of how many emails one person can get in a day, your one email can quickly get buried in the clutter.

Connect Directly to Start Conversations

LinkedIn offers you a chance to connect directly and message prospects for your industry. Give connections a good impression. Show what you can offer based on your LinkedIn profile, posts, and other content you share. It makes your ideal client even more accessible.

It’s no wonder that LinkedIn has hundreds of millions of users all around the world. The social platform fulfills its goal of connecting professionals from all industries wherever they may be. Make sure you make the most out of this opportunity and start taking your LinkedIn networking seriously today. You might land your next big sale thanks to LinkedIn.

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