Our own research has confirmed that LinkedIn is often the first port of call for business owners and investors meeting a GP for the first time. In financial services and related advisory fields, it is, without doubt, one of the most valuable and versatile tools available. Used properly, the platform can help a business establish a credible and wide-reaching online presence and raise brand awareness in very targeted communities at low (or even no) cost. Through regular, scheduled content, fund managers can stay front-of-mind and provide an easy way for their investors and business partners to stay up-to-date with their latest activities.

So, what's all this about a new algorithm?

In October of last year, LinkedIn made significant changes to its algorithm, overhauling the factors that cause a post to appear (or not appear) in a user's feed. Principally, the changes were made to provide more exposure to content created by smaller firms. Businesses unaware of the specific changes may have been affected negatively. Did you notice a drop in impressions around that time? This could be why.

In this short piece, we highlight a few ways to respond to LinkedIn's new algorithm and achieve better visibility for your posts.

1. Use built in analytics features to identify what's working

LinkedIn used to promote more active posters, encouraging its users to fill the stream with content. But the new algorithm has put the brakes on that, somewhat, preferring consistently "engaging" (garnering likes, shares, comments etc.) content and rewarding publishers of such content

Using LinkedIn's built-in analytics features, you can very easily see which topics and content styles resonate with your audience – and this is what you should be focusing on. Produce more of this kind of content and you may find your numbers are on the rise. If you can increase the engagement of your content, in general, LinkedIn will reward you with more views.

2. Put your internal network to work

Put simply, encourage your team to like, comment on and share your posts. Active team members will typically, in aggregate, have more connections than your corporate account has followers, so encourage them to engage (there's that word, again...) with the content you post. Email your team with links to the post on LinkedIn and tell them what you want them to do. The sooner your team engages, the better, as the first hours after a post go live are crucial to the algorithm.

As well as liking posts, and sharing to their own connections, it is extremely helpful if your team members leave a comment on your post. LinkedIn keeps posts with comments on in the stream for longer, giving your potential partners longer to find and see your updates.

3. Link out to reputable sources

Linking through to your own website through a clear call-to-action is an obvious thing to do, but have you thought about providing links out to other sites? Perhaps a news outlet or other very reputable source?

The new algorithm recognises trusted sources and places higher value on businesses that share links to a variety of these reputable sites. There are some natural opportunities to link to other websites. For example, if your business or an employee of your business has been featured in the press, stick up a post that links to the article – even if it is behind a pay wall.

Following these easy steps could give you just the boost to your LinkedIn presence that you have been looking for.

Of course, there is much more to tell...

Over the coming months, MJ Hudson will be publishing a guide to LinkedIn mastery, which will be made available online for free. To request a copy of this guide upon release, please fill out the form here: https://www.mjhudson.com/newsletter/linkedin-three-ways-to-thrive-in-the-era-of-the-new-algorithm/

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.