Activating leaders on LinkedIn isn’t about publishing posts alone.
It’s about building influence and trust at scale.
And to do that well, you need to understand two things equally: the people you’re trying to reach and how the platform decides what they see.
That’s why our executive branding team, which works with executives from global B2B brands, focuses on two things: continually deepening our understanding of your audience and staying on top of LinkedIn’s algorithm changes.
This article specifically looks at the latest findings and what LinkedIn is currently rewarding.
When you know what the platform prioritises, what it suppresses and why, you can design content strategies that help executives gain visibility instead of getting filtered out.
And this matters more than ever, because according to Golin’s CEO Impact Index, while LinkedIn remains the platform of choice for senior leaders, only 18% of CEOs fully leverage it. Yet, those who do see record levels of engagement. That gap shows both the scale of the opportunity and the urgency to adapt. Leaders who evolve their approach now will be the ones who build lasting influence and trust.
What’s changing in LinkedIn’s algorithm
LinkedIn’s algorithm decides how content is distributed and who gets to see it. Recently the platform has shifted toward expertise, depth and meaningful engagement, deprioritising viral click-bait and rewarding professional value-driven content and authentic conversation.
For those supporting executives, understanding these changes is essential. Visibility is no longer about quick fixes or hashtags.
So, what should the focus be on?
1. Prioritise quality content that sparks real conversation
The algorithm rewards posts that generate meaningful engagement – the kind rooted in niche expertise, real industry questions, insight and tangible examples. Strong opening lines, useful takeaways, clear structure and content that invites discussion will always outperform broad “viral” posts. When supporting leaders, focus on helping them shape posts that start conversations rather than simply broadcast messages.
2. Build in the right keywords
Hashtags are no longer the primary content discovery tool. Instead, help executives identify three to five core terms that reflect their themes (for example, “digital transformation”, “organisational culture” or “sustainability”) and weave these naturally into the copy. This makes their posts easier to find in the right LinkedIn conversations and strengthens their presence in search engines and LLMs (large language models) such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews – where LinkedIn is now one of the top cited sources (Semrush).
3. Use hashtags sparingly and strategically
Hashtags aren’t completely redundant; their role has evolved. They are now more useful for indexing and community signalling than broad discoverability. Encourage executives to use organisational and niche hashtags that connect to campaigns and events such as #EarthDay, or branded themes and launches like Ericsson’s #TeamEricsson. One to three relevant hashtags per post (of needed!) is enough to create a bridge between the leader’s post and a wider professional dialogue.
4. Tag colleagues with intention
When others are genuinely part of the story, tag them. Thoughtful tagging makes posts more relevant and increases the chances of natural engagement and extended reach. Avoid tagging long lists of people simply to game visibility – the algorithm is increasingly good at spotting inauthentic tactics.
5. Optimise profiles for discovery and credibility
Beyond post copy, make the profile work harder. Use role- and industry-specific keywords in the headline and summary, keep experience concise and outcome-focused, and ensure the “About” section clearly reflects the themes your executives want to be known for. A strong profile helps the algorithm understand who their content is relevant to – and reassures decision-makers who click through.
6. Track what lands – and refine
Finally, keep an eye on what resonates. Look for patterns in engagement around certain topics, formats or opening lines, and use that insight to sharpen future posts. Small, regular adjustments based on performance will do more for executive visibility than any one-off “hack”.
What’s no longer working on LinkedIn
- Click-bait hooks and “like-for-like” tactics - these create shallow, low-quality engagement that the algorithm increasingly filters out and that erodes trust with the audience.
- Engagement pods and excessive tagging - artificial engagement and tagging people who aren’t truly involved signal spammy behaviour, which can limit reach and frustrate the very people you want to build relationships with.
- Posts that rely on external links in the main body as a reach strategy - LinkedIn tends to deprioritise posts that push people off-platform, so link-heavy posts often see reduced distribution and weaker engagement.
If you are using a link, try posting it in the comments or using additional media (like photos or video content) to accompany the post. This means the link is not the main feature, but is still easily accessible to those who want to use it. - High post frequency without clear relevance or quality - posting for the sake of it trains the algorithm (and your audience) to expect low-value content, which depresses engagement over time.
- Company page content without employee amplification - company posts alone have limited organic reach, while content backed by employees’ own voices and networks carries more trust and travels much further.
Together, these tactics have one thing in common: they prioritise volume and vanity metrics over real value and LinkedIn’s algorithm (and your audience) are getting much better at ignoring them.
Staying visible as the algorithm changes
Ultimately, helping executives stay visible on LinkedIn isn’t about gaming the algorithm. It’s about pairing distinctive, high-quality content with smart distribution, grounded in a deep understanding of their audience.
When you combine thoughtful storytelling, useful insight, consistent posting and ongoing refinement, you help leaders build visible and trusted presence, even as the platform continues to evolve.
