LinkedIn: What you need to know this month
- OneFifty Consultancy
- 13 hours ago
- 4 min read
What comes next for communications is people > pages.
LinkedIn is where that happens for corporate reputation and B2B.
The Feed has changed. Your exec profile now determines reach.
LinkedIn has quietly rebuilt how distribution works, and it changes where you should focus.
Your profile is now the targeting layer
On March 12, LinkedIn confirmed it has overhauled Feed ranking using LLMs and generative recommenders.
The system now reads profile fields (headline, About, skills, industry) and matches them semantically to content. Not keywords, meaning it understands that “supply chain resilience” and “operational risk” are related.
It also adapts in real time. If an exec starts posting on a new topic, distribution adjusts within the same session.
Implication: Your profile is no longer a shopfront. It’s infrastructure. If your exec’s About section is vague or misaligned with what they post, reach will suffer, even if the content is strong.
Action: Audit profiles and align them tightly to content themes.
Engagement bait is being actively filtered out
LinkedIn is now suppressing:
“Comment YES if you agree” prompts
Posts with mismatched video/text designed to game reach
Generic, low-substance thought leadership
This builds on last month’s crackdown on automated comments. Now, the posts themselves are being filtered.
Implication: Formulaic engagement tactics don’t just underperform; they may be actively limited.
Action: Review recent posts. Keep CTAs, but remove anything that feels templated or manipulative.
Links aren’t penalised (officially), but behaviour says otherwise
LinkedIn has stated that:
External links
Hashtags
Scheduling tools do not reduce reach.
Their position is clear: the Feed rewards value, not tactics. However, third-party data still shows posts with links underperforming.
Implication: There is a gap between what LinkedIn says and what the Feed does.
Action: Use links, but don’t rely on them. The post itself needs to carry the value.
LinkedIn is now optimising for AI visibility
LinkedIn has published guidance on getting cited by AI tools.
Key points:
Articles drive ~60% of citations
Posts account for ~40%
800–1,200-word articles perform best
Structure matters: clear, quotable, specific
Implication: If your exec only posts short-form content, you are missing discoverability outside LinkedIn.
Action: Introduce a monthly article or newsletter focused on core expertise.
GOOD POSTS
THIS MONTH
Same news. Two posts. Completely different outcomes.
When Danone acquired Huel, both CEOs posted within hours. The contrast is instructive.
James McMaster (Huel)
Personal, narrative-driven, specific. He tells the nine-year story, explains why Danone, credits people by name, and writes like someone reflecting on a defining moment.
Antoine de Saint-Affrique (Danone)
Clear but corporate. Reads like a press release. Strategic rationale is there, but the human layer is missing.
McMaster had ~1.6x the followers, but nearly 6x the comments.
What this shows: The algorithm changes in Section One are already visible in outcomes.
Posts that:
Sounds like a person
Show context and journey
Carry emotional weight
are outperforming those that simply communicate information.
Action: When your exec has a major announcement, resist the instinct to formalise. That’s exactly where performance is lost.
Don’t share the news. Translate it.
Julie Crosby, Indie Producer
Julie takes a Ted Sarandos interview and does something simple but powerful: she explains what it actually means for her audience.
Opens with curiosity (“Wait — what did he just say?”)
Pulls out the key shift
Breaks it into three clear takeaways
Adds her own interpretation
The numbers are modest. The engagement quality isn’t.
More than one comment for every two reactions signals real conversation, not passive engagement.
What this shows: Relevance beats reach.
Her profile aligns perfectly with her content, exactly what the new Feed rewards.
Action: When a major voice says something, don’t reshare it. Answer: What does this mean for my audience?
Add one layer of context that others miss
Raynor de Best, Financial Industry Expert
On Revolut’s UK banking licence, Raynor does three things well:
Adds overlooked context
ties it to Barclays’ earlier criticism
Structures his take
three short, specific points
Uses a visual that does the work
Revolut’s scale vs competitors is instantly clear
This is content designed to be saved and shared, which is exactly what the algorithm now prioritises.
What this shows: You don’t need a hot take. You need a useful one.
Action:
For reactive content:
State the fact
Add one new angle
Structure the insight
Include a visual that earns attention
WHAT LINKEDIN NEWS IS PRIORITISING (AND WHAT'S NEXT)
AI has shifted from hype to anxiety
Early March focused on funding and deals.
By mid-month, the narrative changed:
AI-linked layoffs
workforce disruption
job risk (especially for women)
Implication: The audience is no longer just curious about AI. They are concerned about it.
Action: Posts that acknowledge both opportunity and disruption will land better than pure optimism.
Gender didn’t stop at International Women’s Day
Coverage extended well beyond IWD:
workplace culture
AI impact on women
representation and leadership
Implication: This is a sustained editorial theme, not a calendar moment.
Action: Don’t confine this content to March. There is space for it year-round.
Economic pressure remains the backdrop
Recurring themes:
weak UK growth
hiring slowdown
rate uncertainty
Alongside:
restructuring
workforce cuts
shifting investment strategies
Implication: The mood is cautious.
Action: Content that is practical, grounded, and forward-looking will outperform abstract commentary.
WHAT TO WATCH: APRIL
Tax changes create a short window of attention
From 6 April:
dividend tax increases
IHT reform
Making Tax Digital expansion
National Living Wage rise
Implication: There will be a brief surge in demand for clarity.
Action: For finance and advisory leaders, early April is the moment to post practical guidance.
Easter will reduce competition and attention
The long weekend (Good Friday–Easter Monday) will:
Lower posting volume
Reduce engagement overall
Action: Post just before or just after, not during.
AI + workforce stories will accelerate
Action: Leaders in tech, finance, and professional services should be ready to contribute, with nuance.
Middle East tensions may reshape the agenda
If energy prices rise, expect:
Inflation
Supply chains
Cost pressures to dominate coverage
Action: Only contribute where there is genuine expertise. Otherwise, stay out.
Employment rights changes will surface
New policies (e.g. day-one rights) are expected to gain traction.
Action: Strong opportunity for HR and people leaders to provide clarity and interpretation.
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