LINKEDIN ALGORITHM EMBRACING EXTERNAL LINKS?

LinkedIn has gone and changed its algorithm but not sure if this is for a period of time or a permanent change.

If this change does stick around, I can’t say one of my favourite sayings I use with clients anymore which is:

"Linkydinky-no-likey-linkies" 

I feel a great sense of loss as it was the perfect mixture of sound advice, silliness and my branding! But never fear, there is light from this loss, because LinkedIn no longer penalises your content if you add external links - meaning more views on your posts? (possibly!)

But what are external links?  Anytime there is a link in your content to click - which takes the reader away from LinkedIn and to a new site or resource.

Here’s some examples of links you could use in your content

• Driving potential clients to your website to view services or products
• Steering profiles to sign up links on landing pages or your website
• Signposting your latest blog or article on your website or another site
• An article posted on a website that you find interesting (and your audience would find interesting)
• Pointing towards an online calendar to set up calls eg Calendly or Acuity.
• Promoting events maybe using Eventbrite or another resource (check out LinkedIn’s native Events feature – you can read my article on this here)

So what is so good about not being penalised for posting content with external links?

• More views of your content in the Newsfeed?
• Easier to sell your services and help people find what they need?
• Make decision-making process easier when buying?
• Increase in direct selling?

I wonder if these changes will mean less time on conversational posts? I remember thinking that the addition of “Reactions” on LinkedIn might reduce the interaction, but that didn’t happen! It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

How will the Linkydinking-liking-Linkies affect the way content is published?

• Increase in content being scheduled using social media software
• More content circulating in the newsfeed of a purely promotional nature
• Pre-prepared content scheduled may be less informal or interactive

How will we interact with content with links?

• Will conversational posts still attract the comments and discussion (imagine so)
• Pods will support each other’s promotional content more so than general networks will
• Less engagement but attracting more targeting profiles using targeting content

What I don’t want to happen..

Lose the heart felt content

Lose the ‘posting here and now’ vibe with emotions, celebrations and questionings

Keep the community, keep the conversations, and keep the human to human networking that makes LinkedIn so special!

What kind of links do you include in your current content?  Will you schedule content to your profile now that the algorithm has changed?

Let's see how it all unfolds on Linkydink...

Get a 30 minute value LinkedIn, branding or social media session with me through my Calendly (online diary) here

Jessica

#LinkedIn #Linkydink #Thlinking #Algorithmijig