David Bridges
LinkedIn has recently provided valuable insights on the types of content you should focus on sharing within the platform, as well as highlighting specific content practices that could lead to penalties from its feed algorithm. This guidance is designed to help you enhance your content effectiveness and ensure that your posts resonate and engage your audience efficiently.
While the posting recommendations offered by LinkedIn may not be groundbreaking, they do emphasize the importance of sharing authentic insights and original perspectives while avoiding spammy or manipulative content that seeks merely to bait engagement.
One notable aspect is the glaring misspelling of “streer,” but overall, LinkedIn’s content guidelines align with common best practices for social media engagement: prioritize sharing original thoughts, insights, and valuable information while steering clear of spam and misleading engagement tactics.
LinkedIn’s advice on what to avoid posting is particularly insightful, as it sheds light on the types of content that its feed algorithm actively seeks to limit. These guidelines are essential for anyone looking to optimize their presence on the platform and maintain a professional atmosphere.
One quote that stands out in this context states:
“Refrain from posts that create negativity and discourage<em> </em>engagement – While members value diverse opinions and perspectives that encourage healthy debates, it’s important to keep the conversations professional and civil. Content that fosters dismissive, derisive, and unconstructive conversations damage relationships, stifle dialogue and makes it harder for our members to have meaningful discussions.”
Specifically, LinkedIn identifies three categories of negative posts that users should avoid:
- Dismissive: content that shuts down or dismisses others’ opinions, experiences, or identities, making them feel like their perspective doesn’t matter.
- Derisive: content that mocks or makes fun of people or groups, often using sarcasm or talking down to others.
- <em><span><span>Unconstructive: </span></span></em>content that disrupts conversations, like shouting, using swear words, provoking arguments, or exaggerating to create fear or upset others. Humor is welcome, but avoid jokes at others’ expense, corporate memes, viral videos, or mocking.
This guidance acts almost like a playbook for success on LinkedIn, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining a respectful and constructive tone in your posts. LinkedIn’s algorithm is programmed to penalize users who engage in negative interactions, reinforcing the need for civility and professionalism.
But how does LinkedIn actually identify posts that breach these guidelines, aside from user reports? It is likely a combination of negative keywords (such as profanity) and the analysis of interactions within the comments. LinkedIn has noted that content which does not meet its community standards “may not get shared beyond your connections and followers.”
LinkedIn also advises users to steer clear of the following content types:
- Content that solely attempts to promote or sell products, services, or events without also offering useful insights, news, or advice.
- Irrelevant or off-topic comments on another piece of content, including comments made just to promote unrelated products, services, or links are also discouraged (this also includes engagement pods).
- Images with text meant for humor or commentary on culture or world events without added professional context or value.
- Content or actions that explicitly ask for likes, shares, comments, or follows.
- Copying and posting someone else’s content.
- Adult content (LinkedIn states that it’s best to avoid content that includes non-sexual nudity, while sexual nudity is definitely a no-go).
- Content that may be sensitive or unsettling, such as images related to injuries and death (including of animals).
The majority of these guidelines are fairly straightforward, aligning with common practices across social media platforms. However, the emphasis on sharing content “without added professional value” is an intriguing point that underscores the shift in LinkedIn’s content strategy.
LinkedIn has been actively working to decrease the prevalence of overly personal posts that lack professional relevance. This trend became especially pronounced during the pandemic, as more individuals began sharing personal anecdotes, leading to increased engagement and a shift towards a Facebook-like environment on LinkedIn.
However, in response to this, LinkedIn implemented an algorithm update last year that places greater emphasis on professional expertise and insights. This indicates that while personal sharing may have been popular, the platform is more focused on encouraging users to share substantial business knowledge and insights instead.
These insights are incredibly useful, and when combined with LinkedIn’s other notes regarding its algorithm’s focus on promoting professional content, they can significantly enhance your LinkedIn strategy and optimize your engagement on the platform as we move into 2025.
Additionally, incorporating video content into your posts will greatly benefit your engagement rates. LinkedIn recently reported that “immersive video views” have increased 6x quarter-over-quarter, while total video viewership in the app is up 36% year-over-year.
In summary, these strategies and insights are crucial for maximizing your effectiveness on LinkedIn and enhancing your overall approach to the platform.
Ivy Caldwell
Tessa Everly
