How the LinkedIn Algorithm Works
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2024 5:26 am
How the LinkedIn Algorithm Works
How does the LinkedIn algorithm decide what content to show to the user? At what time?
LinkedIn is a social network. And like most social networks today , its business is based on advertising.
The advertising business model is about selling users' attention to brands that want to promote their services, products, or content.
We can therefore imagine that if they sell attention, the more of it they have, the greater their potential earnings.
This is the whole model of social networks new zealand whatsapp number data 5 million like LinkedIn : get more attention to make money.
A social network must therefore make you spend as much time as possible on its site or application.
To do this, they implement several mechanisms:
Trigger
These are web mechanisms, especially present in social networks, which are defined as “action triggers”.
That is, the user will be asked to perform an action on LinkedIn : read his notifications, reply to a message…. etc..
External triggers
They announce to the user the action to be performed by placing the information in his field of vision.
Often associated with calls to action , the messages are direct, the words are used like this: do this + now.
Example: a “download the application now” or “watch the demo” button
We find these types of triggers for example on LinkedIn Ads.
The purpose of external triggers is to lead the user somewhere, such as to a particular page.
Internal triggers
Internal triggers are habitual triggers, meaning the user is already active on LinkedIn and scrolls through their news feed or visits their notifications.
The purpose of the internal trigger is to keep the user on the professional social network longer .
Notifications and emails to get you back online
Email notifications are very powerful.
When you sign up to LinkedIn, the network asks you to accept a small number of settings, all of which are verified in advance, one of which is the acceptance of receiving notifications via email.
Everyone checks their email several times a day.
So, if you are not on LinkedIn, the network will write you, several times a day, a small automatic email telling you that you missed some key information about your day, that “Mister X” commented on your post or that “Mister Y” changed jobs…
This will pique your curiosity and make you want to click.
Cognitive biases
Cognitive biases are psychological deviations. They lead to a distorted perception of reality. This form of thinking influences our actions, because it transforms our thoughts, judgments and appreciations.
Here are two examples of cognitive biases to help you understand
Fad = A number of people performing a behavior encourages you to do it.
Everyone went to see the latest TOP GUN at the cinema and loved it, so you'll see it even if you don't care, and you'll end up loving it even without knowing why, it's the group effect or the fashion effect.
In marketing strategies, this type of technique is widely used to make a product very popular, quickly.
Belief bias = We define something as true, because it aligns with our beliefs, without really knowing why
80% of LinkedIn users believe that the network contains relevant and truthful information. In other words, they trust LinkedIn because, in their belief, it is a professional social network, and professional = relevant
The biases that LinkedIn uses are well known, such as the “Fear Of Missing Out” or “Fear of missing out” that encourages us to come back to see what we might have missed.
The random reward
This is my favorite brain hack.
Or at least, that's what I find most interesting.
You never know what you're going to find when you scroll through your LinkedIn news feed . Every now and then, a particularly relevant post sends a rush of dopamine (the happy hormone) through us.
Like any good primate, we seek that dopamine rush in other content, scrolling even further.
It's the random reward that keeps us scrolling. In other words, we never know if we'll find an interesting post on LinkedIn while scrolling, and it's precisely this not knowing, hence the term "random," that makes us addicted to the endless news feed.
I won't go into the details of these psychological mechanisms. I invite you to read "Hooked" by Nir Eyal, a best seller on the subject.
What interests us in particular is the following and how the LinkedIn algorithm shows us relevant posts
Emotions and engagement rate in a post
[ back to index ]
Most of the social media audience is silent.
This is one of Twitter’s major turning points: they initially thought that everyone was on Twitter. When they looked at their data, they realized that most people were trying to follow content without creating or interacting with it.
However, it is worth noting that the number of people posting on networks is still growing, there is and will always be a majority of “content consumers” and a minority of “content creators”
Looking at viral posts on social networks we notice two things:
They often have a strong emotional impact (that's why kitten videos are always so popular on the web).
They have a high engagement rate (comments + likes / views ratio).
They are well made, or well written, or well illustrated.
These three observations are directly connected: content with a strong emotional impact is more likely to make us react (whether the impact is negative or positive).
However, as we said before, LinkedIn (and other social networks in general) aims to make you experience intense emotions, which will release hormones in your body.
But the LinkedIn algorithm , being (still today) incapable of feeling these emotions and determining the quality of content, will rely on the emotions felt by the people who preceded you.
And how is it measured? Through engagement rate , of course!
How to Engage on LinkedIn: I Like
To measure your performance, we will rely on the engagement of your community.
Ok, you got it right. But did you know that each action carries a different score?
The person reading it will be able to choose the reaction they want.
You can choose between 6 icons (or emojis). But know that the algorithm will give you a +2% reach and a 3% to those who click on one of the reactions (yes, it is also advantageous for you to “like” the content of other creators on LinkedIn).
You can also find the content you are interested in by typing your keywords directly into the search bar).
Share a post
This is an interaction that is used a little less than the others. However, if you want to share a post that you liked, there are some rules to follow. In fact, you will have to add a little of your personal branding . What do we mean by this? It's pretty simple.
To personalize a bit the content you want to share, feel free to:
Add value. Write at least 150 words, so the algorithm knows you took the time to add content.
Mention the name of the person who wrote the post. This will also allow them to respond to you and improve your exchanges.
Don't hesitate to add hashtags.
Consistently respond within the first hour if you receive comments
Understanding the LinkedIn Algorithm: Comments
It is undeniable that comments will get you the most points on your post.
How does the LinkedIn algorithm decide what content to show to the user? At what time?
LinkedIn is a social network. And like most social networks today , its business is based on advertising.
The advertising business model is about selling users' attention to brands that want to promote their services, products, or content.
We can therefore imagine that if they sell attention, the more of it they have, the greater their potential earnings.
This is the whole model of social networks new zealand whatsapp number data 5 million like LinkedIn : get more attention to make money.
A social network must therefore make you spend as much time as possible on its site or application.
To do this, they implement several mechanisms:
Trigger
These are web mechanisms, especially present in social networks, which are defined as “action triggers”.
That is, the user will be asked to perform an action on LinkedIn : read his notifications, reply to a message…. etc..
External triggers
They announce to the user the action to be performed by placing the information in his field of vision.
Often associated with calls to action , the messages are direct, the words are used like this: do this + now.
Example: a “download the application now” or “watch the demo” button
We find these types of triggers for example on LinkedIn Ads.
The purpose of external triggers is to lead the user somewhere, such as to a particular page.
Internal triggers
Internal triggers are habitual triggers, meaning the user is already active on LinkedIn and scrolls through their news feed or visits their notifications.
The purpose of the internal trigger is to keep the user on the professional social network longer .
Notifications and emails to get you back online
Email notifications are very powerful.
When you sign up to LinkedIn, the network asks you to accept a small number of settings, all of which are verified in advance, one of which is the acceptance of receiving notifications via email.
Everyone checks their email several times a day.
So, if you are not on LinkedIn, the network will write you, several times a day, a small automatic email telling you that you missed some key information about your day, that “Mister X” commented on your post or that “Mister Y” changed jobs…
This will pique your curiosity and make you want to click.
Cognitive biases
Cognitive biases are psychological deviations. They lead to a distorted perception of reality. This form of thinking influences our actions, because it transforms our thoughts, judgments and appreciations.
Here are two examples of cognitive biases to help you understand
Fad = A number of people performing a behavior encourages you to do it.
Everyone went to see the latest TOP GUN at the cinema and loved it, so you'll see it even if you don't care, and you'll end up loving it even without knowing why, it's the group effect or the fashion effect.
In marketing strategies, this type of technique is widely used to make a product very popular, quickly.
Belief bias = We define something as true, because it aligns with our beliefs, without really knowing why
80% of LinkedIn users believe that the network contains relevant and truthful information. In other words, they trust LinkedIn because, in their belief, it is a professional social network, and professional = relevant
The biases that LinkedIn uses are well known, such as the “Fear Of Missing Out” or “Fear of missing out” that encourages us to come back to see what we might have missed.
The random reward
This is my favorite brain hack.
Or at least, that's what I find most interesting.
You never know what you're going to find when you scroll through your LinkedIn news feed . Every now and then, a particularly relevant post sends a rush of dopamine (the happy hormone) through us.
Like any good primate, we seek that dopamine rush in other content, scrolling even further.
It's the random reward that keeps us scrolling. In other words, we never know if we'll find an interesting post on LinkedIn while scrolling, and it's precisely this not knowing, hence the term "random," that makes us addicted to the endless news feed.
I won't go into the details of these psychological mechanisms. I invite you to read "Hooked" by Nir Eyal, a best seller on the subject.
What interests us in particular is the following and how the LinkedIn algorithm shows us relevant posts
Emotions and engagement rate in a post
[ back to index ]
Most of the social media audience is silent.
This is one of Twitter’s major turning points: they initially thought that everyone was on Twitter. When they looked at their data, they realized that most people were trying to follow content without creating or interacting with it.
However, it is worth noting that the number of people posting on networks is still growing, there is and will always be a majority of “content consumers” and a minority of “content creators”
Looking at viral posts on social networks we notice two things:
They often have a strong emotional impact (that's why kitten videos are always so popular on the web).
They have a high engagement rate (comments + likes / views ratio).
They are well made, or well written, or well illustrated.
These three observations are directly connected: content with a strong emotional impact is more likely to make us react (whether the impact is negative or positive).
However, as we said before, LinkedIn (and other social networks in general) aims to make you experience intense emotions, which will release hormones in your body.
But the LinkedIn algorithm , being (still today) incapable of feeling these emotions and determining the quality of content, will rely on the emotions felt by the people who preceded you.
And how is it measured? Through engagement rate , of course!
How to Engage on LinkedIn: I Like
To measure your performance, we will rely on the engagement of your community.
Ok, you got it right. But did you know that each action carries a different score?
The person reading it will be able to choose the reaction they want.
You can choose between 6 icons (or emojis). But know that the algorithm will give you a +2% reach and a 3% to those who click on one of the reactions (yes, it is also advantageous for you to “like” the content of other creators on LinkedIn).
You can also find the content you are interested in by typing your keywords directly into the search bar).
Share a post
This is an interaction that is used a little less than the others. However, if you want to share a post that you liked, there are some rules to follow. In fact, you will have to add a little of your personal branding . What do we mean by this? It's pretty simple.
To personalize a bit the content you want to share, feel free to:
Add value. Write at least 150 words, so the algorithm knows you took the time to add content.
Mention the name of the person who wrote the post. This will also allow them to respond to you and improve your exchanges.
Don't hesitate to add hashtags.
Consistently respond within the first hour if you receive comments
Understanding the LinkedIn Algorithm: Comments
It is undeniable that comments will get you the most points on your post.