# LinkedIn Algorithm & Content Strategy

## Ranking Signals

LinkedIn uses a quality-first algorithm with human review for top content:

### Primary Signals
1. **Dwell time** — how long viewers spend reading (highest weight)
2. **Engagement rate** — comments > shares > reactions (comments are king)
3. **Network relevance** — 1st-degree connections see content first
4. **Content credibility** — profile completeness, posting history, expertise signals
5. **Conversation depth** — multi-reply comment threads boost distribution

### Content Distribution Tiers
- **Tier 1** (0-1 hour): Shown to ~10% of connections
- **Tier 2** (1-4 hours): If engagement exceeds threshold, pushed to more connections + followers
- **Tier 3** (4-24 hours): High-quality content gets pushed to 2nd-degree network
- **Tier 4** (editorial): Top content reviewed by humans for broader distribution

## Content Type Performance

| Type | Reach multiplier | Best for |
|------|-----------------|----------|
| Carousel (PDF document) | 3-5x | Thought leadership, tutorials |
| Poll | 2-3x | Engagement, audience research |
| Image post | 2x | Announcements, milestones |
| Video (native) | 1.5-2x | Personal stories, demos |
| Text-only | 1x (baseline) | Quick insights, conversations |
| Link posts | 0.5-0.7x | Traffic (but lower reach) |

**Key insight**: LinkedIn actively suppresses external links. If driving traffic, put the link in the first comment, not the post body.

## Carousel Strategy (Highest ROI)

- **Slide count**: 8-15 slides optimal (under 6 feels thin, over 20 loses attention)
- **Slide 1**: Hook — bold title, no subtitle clutter
- **Slides 2-N**: One idea per slide, large text, supporting visual
- **Last slide**: CTA + author info + "Follow for more"
- **File format**: PDF upload (not image carousel), 1200x627 per page
- **Dwell time boost**: Users swiping through slides = extended dwell time = algorithm reward

## Comment Strategy

Comments are the #1 engagement signal:
- **Ask a question in the post**: Drives comment volume
- **Reply to every comment** within first 2 hours: Boosts thread depth
- **Seed the conversation**: Have 2-3 people ready to comment early
- **Avoid "Great post!" type comments**: Substantive replies weight more

## B2B Content Angles

| Angle | Example | Why it works |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| Contrarian take | "Cold outreach is dead. Here's what works." | Triggers debate |
| Behind-the-scenes | "Here's what our board meeting looked like" | Authenticity |
| Data + insight | "We analyzed 10K deals. The #1 factor was..." | Authority |
| Personal story | "I got fired. Best thing that happened." | Vulnerability |
| Framework / Model | "My 3-step hiring framework" | Actionable value |

## Suppression Triggers

Avoid:
- **External links in post body** — Put links in first comment
- **Engagement pods** — LinkedIn detects coordinated engagement
- **Excessive hashtags** — Max 3-5 relevant hashtags
- **Tagging many people** — Feels spammy, reduce distribution
- **Editing post after publishing** — Resets distribution momentum
- **Posting frequency > 1/day** — Posts compete with each other

## Posting Schedule

- **Optimal**: Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9am or 12-1pm (viewer's timezone)
- **Frequency**: 3-5 posts per week max
- **Carousel days**: Tuesday or Wednesday (highest engagement for long-form)
- **Avoid**: Weekends (low activity), Friday afternoon (check-out mode)