How to Increase Your LinkedIn Reach and Engagement in 2025

Keeping up with LinkedIn's ever-evolving algorithm can feel like chasing a moving target. What worked last year might not work today — and 2025 has brought some notable changes.

As the world's largest professional networking platform, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for building your personal brand, connecting with industry leaders and expanding your network. It also serves as an extension of your resume where you can showcase skills, accomplishments and industry knowledge. Whether you’re actively job hunting or simply trying to boost your visibility, understanding how the algorithm works is essential to making LinkedIn work for you.

At Altis, we've been tracking these shifts and fine-tuning our strategy. Here’s what you need to know to stay ahead of the game.

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What’s Changed in 2025?

• Organic reach has declined: LinkedIn’s feed is now crowded with 16% more ads than last year, giving organic posts less space to shine (LinkedIn).

• Video reach has plummeted: If you’re relying heavily on videos, it’s time to rethink your content mix. Reach has dropped a shocking 200% compared to last year (Social Pilot).

• PDFs, carousels and polls are crushing it: These formats are performing twice as well as the average post. Why? They encourage people to dwell, engage and save. (LinkedIn)

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Format Matters (More Than Ever)

The algorithm isn’t just about what you post — it’s about how you post. Here’s what’s working:

• Carousels: Perfect for delivering value-rich content. Think checklists, infographics and step-by-step guides.

• Polls: Interactive and easy for your audience to engage with.

• Short sentences and bullet points: Make your content skimmable. Posts with lists get 30% more engagement. (LinkedIn)

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Timing & Best Days to Post

• The first 90 minutes matter: Posts get tested on a small audience first. If early engagement is high, LinkedIn will push your content to more people.

• Optimal posting frequency: Aim for 3-4 posts per week for best results. Posting more than once daily can actually hurt your reach by splitting engagement across your posts.

• Best days to post: Midweek is your sweet spot—ideally Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings, especially between 8–10 a.m. or early afternoons. ‍
  • Avoid Fridays and weekends. Engagement tends to drop significantly during these times. ‍
  • Test for yourself: Every account is different. Try posting at various times and days to discover what works best for your audience.

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Engagement Signals That Matter Most

Not all interactions are created equal. Here’s what LinkedIn places the highest value on, in order from highest to lowest:

1. Reposts/Shares (with a comment)

2. Thoughtful Comments (15+ words)

3. Dwell Time (how long someone spends reading your post)

4. Saves

5. Reactions (The ‘Insightful’ and ‘Support’ reactions are more valued than a Like)

6. Likes

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Writing LinkedIn Posts That Actually Work

• Character count sweet spot: 800–1,000 characters tend to perform best, with 26% better engagement than shorter posts. (Orbital Sling)

• Hooks matter: The first 3 lines of your post are critical. Make them count with a bold statement, question or stat.

• Use emojis wisely: 1–3 emojis can enhance your post. More than 5? That’s when the algorithm starts flagging it as low-quality.

• Tell a story: Social media posts with storytelling components (beginning → middle → end) received 83% more shares, likes, and comments than those without. (Digital Confex)

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Hashtag Strategy: Less is More

Hashtags are basically mini search engines for your posts—and when used correctly, they can boost your reach by roughly 30% (LinkedIn). But more isn’t always better. Here’s how to do it right:

• Stick to 3–8 hashtags per post. LinkedIn actually penalizes posts a little if you overload them — it's best to choose the strongest, most relevant ones.

• Mix it up. Use a blend of broad, niche and branded hashtags for the best results.  
  • Broad = good for visibility (high search volume)
  • Niche = still popular, but more targeted
  • Branded = community building

• Pro Tip: Order your hashtags from broadest to most specific. This makes your post look more intentional and helps LinkedIn's algorithm categorize it properly.

• Rotate your hashtags based on the topic you’re posting about. Repeating the same set of hashtags too often can hurt your visibility.

• Place hashtags at the end of your post for better readability and flow.

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Commenting Strategy: Engagement is Key

Commenting on other people’s posts is just as important as posting your own content. Thoughtful commenting boosts your visibility and authority.

• Aim for 10–20 comments per day. This can increase your profile views by up to 50% (Social Pilot).

• Make your comments meaningful. A good comment is at least 15 words long and adds value to the conversation.

• Don’t rely on AI-generated comments. They receive 5x less response from post authors and 7x less response from audiences. (Chris Donnelly)

• Revisit old posts. Even if a post is 2–3 days old, starting a discussion can revive its visibility.

• Reply to every comment on your own posts. This practice can double your engagement rate. (Social Insider)

Analytics & Tracking

Understanding what’s working and what’s not is crucial to your LinkedIn strategy. Here’s how to do it:

• How to access your analytics:
  • Go to your LinkedIn homepage and click “Me” (your profile picture).
  • Select “View Profile.”
  • Scroll to the “Activity” section and click “See all activity.”
  • Click the “Posts” tab to view your posts and metrics.
  • Click “View analytics” for deeper insights, including audience demographics.

• Key metrics to watch: ‍
  • Impressions: A good visibility indicator that tells you how many times your post has been seen. ‍
  • Engagement rate: (Likes + Comments + Shares) ÷ Impressions. ‍
  • Comments: The most valuable type of engagement. ‍
  • Dwell Time: Not directly shown but inferred from long-form content. ‍
  • Profile Views: Reflects audience interest and curiosity. ‍
  • Members Reached: How many people saw your post.

• Create a simple tracking tool:
  • Use a simple Google Sheet or Excel spreadsheet to log your performance over time, including:
    • Date of post
    • Topic or format
    • Character count
    • Impressions
    • Comments
    • Reactions
    • Saves/Shares
    • Engagement rate
  • Review your progress over several months to identify patterns and fine-tune your strategy.

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Key Takeaways

• Stick to what’s working: Carousels, PDFs, polls and storytelling posts.

• Timing and consistency matter: Post 3–4 times a week and engage often.

• Focus on quality engagement: Thoughtful comments, shares and saves beat generic likes every time.

• Track your progress: Adjust your strategy based on what’s resonating with your audience.

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