LinkedIn is quickly becoming one of the most used platforms for B2B marketing and recruiting. To use the site as effectively as possible, it’s important to fully understand the LinkedIn algorithm. This article will tell you all you need to know.
The Spam Filter
The first thing you’ll want to be aware of is the LinkedIn spam filter. This filter will determine the usefulness of any content posted and take this information to see how the content will show up in the newsfeed and the amount of people it will reach. If it determines any content is outright spam the site may take the publisher off as a user.
The three categories of content will fall into include spam, low quality and clear. You always want your content to fall into the ‘clear’ category.
Reaction
Once your content passes the spam filter stage, it will be observed further based on the reaction it’s getting. Getting a lot of likes and comments will help your post to remain on the top of newsfeeds. On the other hand, if it doesn’t get a big reaction, it may fall to the bottom.
Users may also report the post as spam which will not be good for your future postings and ranking on LinkedIn in general. To keep this from happening, ask yourself if your post is annoying or offensive, if you are over posting and if you are creating content people will care about. Rework your content if necessary.
Profile Analysis
One of the last steps the algorithm will take in determining whether or not your post is spam is to look at your profile to make sure you’re a credible user. If the site is unable to make a determination, it may just decide to leave your post but keep it lower in newsfeeds.
The Human Element
The final step, and one that is unique to LinkedIn, is a human analysis of the content. LinkedIn is one of the few sites that use an actual human to determine the quality of the content.
One advantage the human element may provide users is that If they really like your content, they may boost it to a point where it can go viral on the web site.
How to Beat the LinkedIn Algorithm
While all this can be very useful information, putting it to practical use will provide the results you are looking for. Here are some steps you can take to make sure your content is likely to remain on top of the newsfeed.
Provide the Right Content: No matter what type of content you post, its important to make sure it has value for your readers. Users on LinkedIn will enjoy job related information that will bring value to their career, offer tips related to business growth or inspire them in their professional source.
Including information that comes from a credible source and is relevant to the industry you operate in will provide an added bonus.
Build Your Audience Strategically: To ensure your content is reaching users that will find it relevant, it’s important to build the right audience. To do this, start by creating a personal profile and company page that will really tell users about you and your business. Make sure your profile is set to public so more people can find you.
Add connections with similar interests and encourage employees who are on LinkedIn to indicate they work at your company.
Become active in the community by giving and receiving recommendations, participating in groups, joining in conversations and promoting your profile.
Try to be an Influencer: Influencer marketing is very powerful in the digital marketing world. Receiving this status on LinkedIn will give you a badge that will appear next to every post, ensuring that more people will tune in to what you have to say.
Unfortunately, becoming a LinkedIn influencer is only possible if the site awards you this position. However, it does provide articles that inform users on how they can earn this title. You are advised to read more about it here.
Post at the Right Time: No matter what social media platform you are using, it is always a good idea to make sure you are posting when at a time when most users are online. For LinkedIn users, there is some discrepancy on when this time will be.
Some say most are online during 9-5 business hours while others think users are more likely to be online after the workday is done. Finding out for yourself when most users are online may be a matter of trial and error. Try posting at different times to find out when you are getting the biggest response.
Use the LinkedIn Publisher Tool: The LinkedIn Publisher tool is like a blogging platform for the website. You can post blogs on this platform and share it through your networks. Be sure to follow the tips above for ultimate engagement and proper timing as Publisher posts will show up in newsfeeds accordingly.
Articles written through Publisher will get maximum exposure since they are boosted through LinkedIn. These articles will end up showing up on your profile and connections and followers who are signed up for notifications will receive them each time these articles are published.
Be sure to actively promote your Publisher articles by hashtagging them, using @ symbols where relevant and following common SEO practices.
LinkedIn is a great platform to use to promote yourself in your professional career. Understanding the algorithm will help you get optimal results from using this platform. Be sure to do all you can to get yourself out there and make this valuable social media tool work for you.
