Content distribution on social networking sites is based on an algorithm. This protects us, the users, from content we might find irrelevant. The LinkedIn business platform works the same way. Those that follow our agency, DIGITAAL, will know that LinkedIn is our favorite social network, and we have been pointing out its business benefits to company CEOs, salesmen and HR departments for many years. Today we will take a look at the results of a large study recently published by Richard van der Blom. The study evaluated the effects an algorithm has on the distribution of user content, analyzing over 10 thousand different posts. The entire paper is around 60 pages long, however, for this article we have picked out the most important parts and will place the data into context.

Do you know which content format is shared most often on LinkedIn? The study showed that single image posts are shared the most throughout the platform. The data also revealed that posts which were ad-supported are given more exposure. Furthermore, posting content containing a document (such as a pdf) or multiple images will also have a positive effect on your post’s reach. This type of post format is worth considering in greater detail. Our client’s data tells us that, regardless of field specialization, posts containing multiple images experience drastically higher user interaction than posts with a single image. This, of course, includes a dramatically higher number of clicks to access the photo gallery, which also has a very positive effect on the parameter LinkedIn calls “dwell time”. “Dwell time” is the time users spend reading or looking at the content of the post. Photo galleries have an engagement rate of over 50%, while regular posts hover around 5%.

“ Direct private communication with other users has a much larger effect than any other interaction."

Something we considered very interesting in the study’s findings was that liking a LinkedIn post increases your chances of seeing other content by the same author by 30%. If you were to comment on  that saidpost, your chances of seeing other posts made by the same author spike to 80% and if you message the author directly, these odds rise to 85%. This means that actively publishing content and interacting with other accounts’ posts is not always necessary. Direct private communication with other users has a much larger effect than any other interaction.

Sharing PDF documents on the platform, which are then displayed on the site as so-called “carousels” are becoming increasingly popular amongst users. The optimal number of slides in these posts is around 7, no less than 4, but no more than 11. What is the takeaway here? Put some creativity in your documents. Have an eye-catching font page, but do not share full-length company magazines in your posts.

“ Did you know that selfies exhibit a threefold increase in user interaction? '”

Did you know that selfies exhibit a threefold increase in user interaction? Do you like emojis? Then listen up, one line of text should contain at most 10 emojis and at least 4 in order to drive interaction up. Do your posts contain multiple languages? The study found that the inclusion of more than one language in a post decreases its reach. It is therefore more beneficial to find out which audience you are reaching and stick to a single language accordingly. Are you posting videos? Share them directly on the platform. If you absolutely have to make use of another video platform, then Vimeo is definitely the way to go, as it is favored in the algorithm, and has a 2.2 times larger reach than YouTube. Interesting, is it not?

You can find further information about LinkedIn on our blog. Visit www.digitaal.cz and under the blog section and you will find case studies and a deeper analysis of the LinkedIn algorithm.