LinkedIn Best Practices: Actionable Tips to Build Influence

Back by popular demand, our annual LinkedIn algorithm update is here, just in time for you to implement changes before the new year. In this blog, I share actionable tips that you can take to see your LinkedIn metrics skyrocket in 2026.

TLDR:

1. Build a posting schedule and stick to it: 2–3 posts per week, ideally Tue–Thu during working hours.
2. Stick to your expertise: choose a topic and tie each post back to it, always including a nugget of value for your audience.
3. Mix up the format of your posts: personal stories, insights, lessons, carousels, videos, etc.
4. Each post should have: a compelling hook, short sentences, relevant hashtags and tags, minimal external links.
5. Immediately engage after publishing: share with your network, respond to comments, and comment on others’ posts to encourage reciprocal engagement.

How Often You Should Post

If you want to build influence on LinkedIn, consistency is key. Posting two to three times per week gives you enough presence to stay top-of-mind without overwhelming your audience. Over time, a steady cadence helps the algorithm recognize you as a creator who regularly contributes value, not just someone chasing likes.

But timing matters too. According to recent data, the best window to post on LinkedIn is Tuesday–Thursday during working hours, with 8:00–9:00 AM, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM, and 1:00–4:00 PM in your time zone serving as engagement sweet spots. If you can’t pause your workday to draft a carefully curated post, LinkedIn offers in-platform scheduling that makes hitting these time frames doable.

What LinkedIn’s Algorithm Actually Rewards

Have you ever noticed that a post from two or three weeks prior shows up at the top of your LinkedIn feed when you open the platform? That’s because the algorithm doesn’t prioritize recency, but rather relevance, expertise, and engagement that lasts. Posts that genuinely offer insight, share real-world experiences, or deliver practical value tend to perform better, maintaining presence that can last weeks, months, and even years.

What this means in practice:

• Choose an area of expertise and share insights or advice on that topic. That helps you position yourself as a thought-leader and attract a relevant, engaged audience.
• Tie personal experiences back to a clear lesson, insight, or underlying message aligned with your expertise.
• Avoid over-relying on AI-generated content. The more authentic and human your voice, the better, especially when sharing personal stories or professional lessons.

How you start a post can make or break engagement. So, consider strong hooks such as:

• Questions: “Ever wondered why some LinkedIn posts perform better than others?”
• Bold claims: “This LinkedIn post helped make my business $20,000 in one month.”
• Curiosity-gaps: “3 mistakes that cost me 10,00 followers over the last 2 years.”

LinkedIn’s algorithm is nuanced, to say the least. Here’s a final checklist to review before you click post:

• Keep your post length to about 700–900 characters, with short sentences for readability
• Use 3–5 relevant hashtags.
• Tag other accounts when possible.
• Avoid external links, as LinkedIn tends to deprioritize content that pushes people off-platform.

Types of Content That Work Best

Not all LinkedIn posts are created equal. In 2025, some formats stood out more than others for engagement:

• Multi-image posts — these are among the highest-performing
• Native document posts / PDF carousels — especially valuable for sharing guides, checklists, lessons, or data-driven insights
• Video posts — camera-facing, authentic video content is holding its own

Try to post a mix of these three types of content to keep the algorithm and your audience interested.

What to Do After You Hit “Post”

No more posting and ghosting if you want to see results. The first 30–60 minutes after publishing are critical in determining how far your post will go.

To give your post the best shot at long-term reach:

• Share the post immediately with your network to kick off early engagement.
• Reply to every comment you receive with a meaningful 15+ words response. Comments can boost a post’s reach by up to 15 times more than a like or reaction.
• Engage on other people’s content too, especially other creators in your niche. Thoughtful comments often lead to reciprocal engagement.
• Ask questions or prompt feedback in your posts: “What do you think about…?” or “Has anyone experienced this too?”

The goal is to build momentum fast. When the algorithm sees early activity, it gives your post a stronger boost.

Turn Strategy Into Action

These simple steps can make a big difference in your LinkedIn post performance if you remain consistent. If it seems like a lot to remember, you can always refer to this blog as a checklist while you’re drafting a post or as a refresher every now and then. Soon enough, these tactics will become second nature, and you’ll become a LinkedIn pro.