Why Some LinkedIn Posts Explode (While Others Flop) 🚀💥

How To Hack LinkedIn's Algorithm for Explosive Growth 📈

Martin O'Leary

Aug 13, 2024

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Why Some LinkedIn Posts Explode (While Others Flop) 🚀💥

Ever feel like your posts are shouting into the void?

You're not alone.

Last month, I was averaging a measly 2k views per post.

But yesterday? BAM! 100k+ views (view post).

No tricks. No gimmicks.

How?

I pulled an all-nighter, downed enough coffee to fuel a small nation, and devoured a 123-page LinkedIn algorithm report (details at the end).

Here’s what I learned:

Which content LinkedIn secretly loves
How to make the algorithm your bestie
Engagement hacks that’ll make your posts pop like a TikTok challenge
Why your weekend posts might be the underdog weapon you never saw coming

Plus, a real-life experiment I carried out that proves these tactics work.

1. The Anatomy of a Viral Post

Ever wonder what makes the top 5% of posts so special?

Here’s the recipe:

Be Spikey: Take a stand. Wishy-washy? Invisible.
Scroll-Stopping Opener: Hook 'em fast
Storytelling Power: People love stories
Smart Formatting: Make it scannable
Timing: Ride trending waves
Length: 10 paragraphs max, 15 sentences tops
Readability: 0-7 score—keep it simple

Here’s a killer example of a good viral post by Tom Hunt.

2. What Content Works: Know the Winners

Let’s get one thing straight: Not all content is created equal.

LinkedIn has favorites:

Polls: 2.19x median reach—engagement gold.
Documents: 1.44x—great for deep dives.
Videos: 1.40x—short, impactful, and shareable.
Images: 1.19x—visual appeal counts.
Articles: 0.77x—valuable but underutilised.

Pro Tip: Lead with polls and documents. These formats aren’t just for fun—they’re your ticket to expanded reach. Sprinkle in videos and images to keep your content dynamic and engaging.

3. The Three-Act Engagement Play

LinkedIn's algorithm judges your post in three acts:

Act I (First 60 minutes): The make-or-break period. Engage like your life depends on it.
Act II (6-hour mark): The momentum builder. Share in groups, reply to every. single. comment.
Act III (24-hour mark): The long game. Tag relevant connections, breathe new life into your content.

Hyper-Optimisation Strategy: Adapt your engagement strategies to these acts. In the first hour, engage like your life depends on it. After that, play it cool—group shares and strategic tagging are your friends.

4. Engagement Hierarchy

All engagement Is not created equal.

Comments are the real MVPs.

Here’s how engagement types stack up:

Comments: 15x more impactful than likes. Dive into discussions.
Reposts: 10x more impactful—hello, new audience.
Saves: 8x more impactful—the ultimate vote of confidence.
"See more" clicks: 5x more impactful—because curiosity didn’t kill the cat, it just boosted your reach..

Strategy Shift: Prioritise content that sparks real conversation and is worth bookmarking. Trust me, the algorithm loves it.

Think about your last post.

Did it invite comments, or was it just another like-and-scroll?

5. The "First Action" Golden Rule

Here’s a nugget: The first engagement action on a post is everything. If you 'Like' and then comment, that comment’s basically invisible to the algorithm. So much for multitasking.

6. The Hidden Superpower of 'Saves'

The 'Save' button is LinkedIn's best-kept secret. It's like a standing ovation for your content. If people are saving your posts, the algorithm is doing backflips.

Pro Tip: Next time, end your post with a little nudge: “Planning your content strategy? Save this post to revisit these tips!”

7. The Weekend Warrior Effect

Who knew?

Weekend posts are LinkedIn’s hidden gems, with a 50% increase in reach.

That’s right, while everyone else is sleeping in, you’re dominating the feed.

Pro Tip: Queue up those weekend posts and enjoy your time off while your content does the work.

8. The LinkedIn Live Multiplier

LinkedIn Live is like engagement on steroids—12x more, in fact.

Plan a 25-minute session, hype it up, and interact live.

Your regular posts will be jealous.

9. The Video ViewCount Secret

Did you know LinkedIn counts a video view after just 3 seconds?

Now you do.

Keep those videos short, vertical, and punchy.

10. The Poll Position

Polls are LinkedIn’s secret weapon:

Polls have 1.99 times increase over median reach, even higher (2.16 times) on Company Pages.
One-week polls perform best. One-day polls see an 80% reduction in reach and engagement.
Three answer choices is ideal. Four options may reduce reach by 10%, while two can lead to a 25% drop.

Poll Pro Tip: Run one-week polls with three answer choices, and include an "Other, see comments" option to boost engagement by 25%.

11. The Magic Number for Comments

Comments exceeding 15 words have twice the impact of shorter comments.

However, the impact doesn't increase significantly beyond 30 words. So don’t go overboard—no one likes a ramble.

Comment Length Strategy: Aim for comments between 20-25 words to maximise engagement impact without diminishing returns.

12. The Profile View Velocity

Your profile isn't just a digital resume — it's the nerve center of your personal brand.

Keep it fresh, especially your headline and About section. Watch your content visibility skyrocket.

Profile Boost Hack: Update something small every week. The algorithm loves a go-getter.

13. Impact of AI Detection

LinkedIn's getting wise to AI-generated content.

If it sniffs out a robot, expect a 30% drop in reach.

Use AI tools for research, brainstorming and grammer, but ensure the final content has your unique voice and insights.

The human touch is more critical than ever.

14. The Post-Editing Minefield

Editing after publishing?

That’s a risky game, my friend.

Change more than 15% of your content, and the algorithm will slap you with a reach reduction.

Keep edits minimal.

If you need to make big changes, repost instead.

Trust me, it’s less painful.

15. The Silent Audience Factor

Turns out, 57% of LinkedIn users are ‘silent readers.’

They see your posts but won’t engage.

Don’t underestimate these lurking ninjas—they’re more valuable than you think.

16. The Tagging Tactic

Tagging can backfire if you overdo it.

More than eight tags, and the algorithm says, “No thanks.” Stick to tagging 4 relevant profiles and encourage them to engage.

17. The Employee Advocacy Shift

Employee shares are so last year.

Engagement from employees has about 40% less impact on reach compared to external engagement.

Focus on external networks for maximum impact.

18. The External Link Tightrope

LinkedIn's not a fan of you leading traffic off-platform.

Including an external link can cut your reach in half.

If you must include a link, consider putting it in the comments or editing the post to add the link after it's been published to avoid a 50% reduction in reach.

19. Groups: The Forgotten Goldmine

LinkedIn Groups are making a comeback:

Group engagement is up 9%
Active participation can boost your profile views by 15%
Great place to establish thought leadership

20. The Company Page Puzzle

Company Pages are tricky and have their own set of rules:

Content Type Performance: Polls (2.19x median reach) and Documents (1.44x) significantly outperform other content types.
Timing Twist: Weekend posts see a 50% increase in reach and engagement, despite only accounting for 8% of content.
Multilingual Advantage: Pages with multilingual setup see 20-30% better reach and up to 25% higher engagement. Spanish and French are LinkedIn’s favorite sidekicks after English.

Company Page Hack: Diversify your content, don't shy away from weekend posts, and set up your page in multiple languages if relevant.

My Experiment

So, enough of the theory.

Check out this LinkedIn post I crafted to put this research to the test.

Notice the following:

Scroll Stopper: Let's be real - I picked a topic that'd ruffle some feathers. Nothing gets LinkedIn fired up like a spikey take - but this was my genuine position on the topic. I knew half of my followers would be itching to tell me I'm dead wrong. It turned in to a really interesting debate in the comments.

And guess what? Disagreements in the comments are pure algorithm gold.

Cheap trick? Maybe. Effective? You bet.

Eye-Catching Image: Yep, that's a kangaroo strike a pose. Hard to ignore, right?

Martin O'Leary Viral Linkedin Post RayGun

Results: 100k+ Views, 120+ comments and 150+ likes (view post)

Here you can see how my last three posts have grown from 244 impressions to over 80k impressions (in one day). Not bad for 15 mins work.

Martin O'Leary Viral Linkedin Posts — View My Posts

Practical Takeaways:

Engage with Purpose: Start conversations, don’t just fish for likes.
Maximise Your Reach: Use LinkedIn’s favorite content types and post at peak times.
Stay Authentic: Keep it real, and your audience will stick around.
Social Selling Index (SSI): Keep it above 70 for about a 10% boost in reach. Check your SSI score here.

My Final Thoughts

So there you have it!

Remember, these are tools, not rules.

Be genuinely helpful and uniquely you.

At the end of the day, nothing beats consistently sharing valuable insights and building genuine connections. Use these strategies to amplify your voice, but don't lose sight of what really matters – your unique perspective and the value you bring to your audience.

After all, the best 'hack' is simply being authentically helpful.

P.S. If you need me, I’ll be over here trying to turn my dog into a LinkedIn influencer. Wish me luck! 😸

The Rabbit Hole - For the True LinkedIn Alchemists

Check out these hand-picked resources:

Good Reads:

Harvard Business Review: How to Use Your LinkedIn Profile to Power a Career Transition
Harvard Business Review: Research: Can a More Detailed LinkedIn Profile Boost Your Salary?
Go Viral: Here is a good article covering 5 different types of viral posts

Recommended Book

Want to stand out in your field? Mark Schaefer's book “Known“ is your roadmap. He breaks down how to build a killer personal brand, backed by real-world examples. It's practical, actionable, and perfect for anyone looking to level up their career in the digital age.