Getting the hang of what the algorithms on social media like and don’t like is key to getting the most out of your posts. What makes it trickier is that the algorithms are always changing.

A recent study by Metricool has looked into 41,170 LinkedIn business pages and over 1.5 million organic posts from October 2023 to January 2024 to find out what the LinkedIn algorithm likes best. But don’t worry, you don’t need to read through the whole report. We’ve done that for you. Here’s the highlights…

 

Posting frequency and impressions

One of the questions addressed by the study was the correlation between posting more frequently and impressions (the number of times a post is displayed). Interestingly, posting frequency had no significant impact on impressions. This is because impressions are influenced by various factors beyond just how often you post, such as the size of your follower base and how frequently your content gets shared, all contributing to a wider audience reach.

Want to know if your post performed well or not? Below are the mean averages for impressions depending on follower size. If your post received more then it’s done well (you’ve created a post the algorithm likes), if less then you may need to keep reading this blog.

• 0-500 followers – 67.8 impressions.
• 500-2k followers – 260.98 impressions.
• 2k-10k followers – 612.92 impressions.
• 10k-50k followers – 1,690.33 impressions.
• 50k-55 million followers – 6,484.42 impressions.

 

Formats and impressions

Carousels emerged as the undisputed champion compared to image, text, and video posts, commanding a staggering 1,387.2 impressions on average. Image posts came second with 703.3 impressions, then video, then text-only posts. Despite being less utilised compared to other formats, using them more often will amplify your post reach.

Looking at the video stats, the average video watch time is between 13 and 15 seconds. Proving that concise yet compelling video content works best on LinkedIn.

 

Formats and engagements

Carousels once again stole the spotlight, boasting the highest engagement rate of 32.02%. Image posts came next, then video and then text-only posts. However, video outperforms images in shares. The reason carousels gain more engagement than other formats could be because it gains the most impressions.

Hashtags can help improve impressions, clicks, comments, likes, and shares but if you put too many it can reduce the success of your post. 1 to 3 hashtags are the optimal amount. The study showed that no hashtags at all can be better than too many.

 

Timing is everything

The study pinpointed 10am (regardless of the time zone) as the prime posting hour as most people are active then and you’ll gain the maximum impressions. Wednesday is the best day for posting, closely followed by Thursday and Friday.

 

This study provides useful insights to enable businesses to fine-tune their LinkedIn strategy. It’s worth pointing out that you should test using the above results as it may be different for your specific target audience. However, by embracing data-driven strategies and keeping up with trends, businesses can use LinkedIn to its full potential.

Want to know more about creating an effective social media strategy? Get in touch!

Download the full report here.