How to Dominate the New LinkedIn Algorithm in 19 Minutes
Understanding the New LinkedIn Algorithm
Introduction to Changes in LinkedIn
- LinkedIn's reach has significantly changed over the past six months, with many users still employing outdated strategies that no longer yield results.
- Chris Donley introduces himself as a successful entrepreneur with three eight-figure businesses and 1.2 million followers on LinkedIn, offering a step-by-step guide for success in 2026.
Key Changes in the Algorithm
- The new algorithm, named 360 Brew, replaces the previous ranking system and focuses on semantic understanding of content rather than mere engagement metrics.
- Relevance is now paramount; content must align with individual user profiles for effective visibility, making profile optimization crucial.
Content Strategy Adjustments
- Users should concentrate their posts around three core topics relevant to their expertise to maximize engagement and relevance.
- The first one or two sentences of posts receive increased attention from the algorithm, emphasizing the importance of strong hooks.
Creating Valuable Content
- Posts should be educational and useful to audiences; prioritizing saves over likes is essential under the new algorithm.
- Depth in both content and comments is critical; superficial interactions are less valuable than meaningful discussions.
Profile Optimization Essentials
- Optimizing your profile is vital for clarity about what you do and who your target audience is (Ideal Customer Profile - ICP).
- Clearly define your offerings and pain points addressed by your services to attract your ideal customers effectively.
Tailoring Content to Audience Interests
- Content must resonate with your ICP’s interests; specific topics related to their needs will enhance engagement.
- Use examples from personal experience or industry standards that align with audience expectations while ensuring they perform well within the algorithm's framework.
Understanding LinkedIn Content Strategies
Current Trends in LinkedIn Content
- The best-performing topics on LinkedIn can be identified through data analysis, which helps in building an effective profile.
- Infographics and carousels are currently the highest performing content formats on LinkedIn, suggesting that creators should adapt their presentations to these successful formats.
- Many creators struggle with transforming complex educational content into visual formats; mastering this skill is essential for success.
Importance of Format and Adaptability
- Infographics and carousels not only engage users longer but also convert viewers into followers more effectively than videos.
- Creators must remain adaptable to changing platform trends; when a format's popularity shifts, so should the content strategy to maintain relevance.
Educational Content as a Growth Driver
- Educational content tends to drive more followers and views compared to personal stories or self-focused posts.
- Packaging knowledge in an easily digestible format allows audiences to gain immediate value from the content shared.
Branding Through Frameworks
- Successful examples like James Clear’s "Atomic Habits" illustrate how clear frameworks can make concepts memorable and branded effectively.
- Education-based content, when branded properly, is scalable and leads to higher engagement than purely personal narratives.
Consistency in Posting
- Regular posting (ideally daily) is crucial for satisfying algorithms across platforms; having defined frameworks makes this process easier for teams.
- Creating actionable guides rather than relying solely on personal storytelling enhances both clarity and audience retention.
The Importance of Educational Content on LinkedIn
Creating Effective Frameworks and Guides
- Education content is proven to be effective based on statistics, making it essential for success on platforms like LinkedIn.
- The algorithm favors deeper and longer posts, as they indicate value when users spend more time engaging with the content.
- Engagement signals to the algorithm that content is valuable, regardless of likes or comments; time spent is a key metric.
- Pre-validating content by identifying outliers—posts that receive significantly more engagement than usual—is crucial for creating high-performing material.
- Focus on studying creators with similar target audiences rather than large accounts to find successful content strategies.
Learning from Successful Content
- An example of effective strategy: researching well-performing content in your niche (e.g., delegation) can provide frameworks for your own posts.
- Adapting successful ideas into unique formats helps ensure your content resonates with audiences while maintaining originality.
- Many concepts are not new; they have been explored in various forms. For instance, "Atomic Habits" builds upon existing ideas about incremental improvement.
- Strategic planning involves analyzing what has worked before rather than reinventing the wheel when creating new business models or concepts.
Converting Attention into Revenue
- After gaining views and followers, the next step is converting this attention into revenue through clear sales funnels on LinkedIn.
- Recognition requires repeated exposure; individuals need to see a brand five to seven times before they consider purchasing from it.
Structuring Your Content Funnel
- The top of the funnel consists of awareness content that introduces who you are and what you offer in an easily digestible format.
- Middle-of-funnel content focuses on education and consideration, providing frameworks and guides that help potential customers understand your offerings better.
How to Create Effective Conversion Content
Understanding Conversion Content
- Conversion content is crucial at the bottom of the marketing funnel, serving as a signal and call to action for potential customers already engaged in the process.
- This type of content is niche-focused, often including case studies or testimonials that showcase specific results achieved for clients.
- While conversion content may not perform well on its own, it capitalizes on previously established awareness and education content to convert followers into customers.
The Importance of High-Quality Lead Magnets
- In a saturated market, creating high-quality lead magnets is essential; these should provide immediate value to potential customers, increasing their likelihood of choosing your service over competitors.
- An example provided is "Creator OS," a Notion template designed to help creators produce content efficiently while also building an email list for future sales.
Navigating Algorithm Changes
- With significant changes in social media algorithms over 16 years, it's vital not to rely solely on these platforms for audience engagement.
Deplatforming Your Audience
- Deplatforming involves encouraging your audience to leave social media by offering valuable resources through newsletters or downloadable templates.
- Establishing a value exchange is key; ensure that free offerings feel valuable enough that users would consider paying for them. If charging, ensure perceived value exceeds the cost significantly.