You do not need to game the LinkedIn algorithm. You need to understand what it is trying to do, then give it that. At its core, the feed is a machine for predicting one thing: will this post keep people on LinkedIn? Everything below follows from that.
How the LinkedIn algorithm works, in plain English
When you post, LinkedIn shows it to a small sample of your network first. It watches how that sample reacts. If they stop, read, and engage, it shows the post to more people. If they scroll past, distribution quietly stops. Reach is earned in the first hour or two, not decided the moment you hit publish.
The signals it watches most closely:
- Dwell time. How long people stop on your post. This is why the hook and the "see more" click matter so much.
- Meaningful engagement. Comments (especially thoughtful ones) count for more than likes, and replies to those comments count again.
- Early velocity. Engagement in the first hour signals the post is worth spreading.
- Relevance. Content close to your usual topic reaches the people who follow you for it.
What quietly kills your reach
- A weak first line. If nobody clicks "see more", dwell time collapses and distribution stalls.
- Outbound links in the post body. LinkedIn wants to keep people on-platform, so link-heavy posts often see less reach. Put the link in the first comment if you can.
- Posting and ghosting. If you do not reply to early comments, you miss the window that drives velocity.
- Engagement bait. "Comment YES below" is increasingly down-weighted and erodes trust.
- Inconsistency. Sporadic posting means the algorithm never learns who to show you to.
How to write for the algorithm without selling out
The good news: what the algorithm rewards and what humans actually value have converged. Write for the human and you write for the feed.
- Nail the hook. The first two lines are the whole game. See our hook formulas.
- Use short lines and white space. Easy-to-scan posts hold attention on mobile.
- Ask a real question at the end. Invite a comment worth writing, not a one-word reply.
- Reply to every early comment. Ten minutes after posting is prime time.
- Post consistently. Three quality posts a week beats seven rushed ones. See our content strategy guide.
Timing and frequency
Post when your audience is online, usually weekday mornings in their timezone, but do not obsess over the perfect minute. A strong post at an average time beats a weak post at the "ideal" time. Consistency teaches the algorithm your rhythm and teaches your audience to expect you.
The one thing that beats every tactic
Say something worth reading. No hook trick saves a post with nothing behind it, and no algorithm penalty can stop a genuinely useful one from spreading. If writing consistently is the hard part, Loomin helps you turn ideas into on-brand posts in your voice, and schedule them so you actually show up. Start a free trial or try the free post generator.