Why LinkedIn reach is down again
Three things I'll tell myself if I go back the time.
Is your LinkedIn reach down? I've been writing unique LinkedIn posts daily for two years. No automation, pods, or AI. Just pure content. Here's how I do it.
Why reach is down
It's true. LinkedIn reach is down, and it's backed by data from credible parties studying the platform. According to AuthoredUp:
- Reach is down for 95% of LinkedIn members.
- Median reach is down 47% over 365 days.
- Every post category is affected.
The reason?
- Competition is up.
- LinkedIn is better at optimizing for relevance.
How can you stay ahead?
Automation, pods and grey hat tricks
But first, we need to talk about the use of automation, pods, and various grey hat tricks. Because it's one key reason why competition is up.
Sure, there are more creators on LinkedIn than before. Some of them put out fantastic content too. But the platform's also inundated with people gaming it.
Some common techniques:
- Manual pods: Private chat groups.
- Auto pods: Browser extension to "like" and comment.
- Automation: 50+ comments daily with AI bots.
There's one problem here. These techniques skew LinkedIn's understanding of your audience segment. I'll explain why it's important below.
Another takeaway: Don't be fooled by metrics and attempt to emulate their content. Because it's a fake veneer like the swanky office of a bankrupt firm.
How I do it: Forge your path
This is where it gets confusing. There are so many guidelines and "rules" out there. Who is right, and what should you do?
Here's what I'll tell myself 2 years ago.
- What do you want?
The perennial mistake I see is attempting to copy someone else's strategy. But everyone is different; our objectives and skills differ. And these will inform what we do.
For example, I took to posting in the evenings, not as part of any grand strategy but because I have to prioritise my (paid) writing work first.
Take the time to think through what you really want to get from LinkedIn.
- It's your brand
Everything you put online forms another shard of your brand. This means what you write and do will inform others' opinions of you. For me, this means being candid, fair reporting, and quality insights.
- Don't mind the metrics
As I noted earlier, metrics are easily inflated by various tricks. I've always used a purely organic approach for a simple reason - it's just not me to fake it.
However, an organic approach offers another benefit: It allows the powerful LinkedIn algorithm to properly match you with like-minded people or those with similar interests.
And that's the real power of LinkedIn for me.
