LinkedIn: What you need to know this month - May
- OneFifty Consultancy
- 4 hours ago
- 8 min read
What’s shifting on LinkedIn
Last month, we covered LinkedIn's feed ranking overhaul: the platform now uses LLMs to match profiles to content semantically. New benchmark data suggests the shift is already changing what formats get rewarded.
Socialinsider's 2026 benchmarks report analysed 1.3 million LinkedIn posts across 16,645 business pages (Jan 2024–Dec 2025). Three findings stand out:
1.Native document posts (PDFs uploaded as carousels) now lead engagement at 7.00%, a 14% year-on-year increase. They outperform video, image, and text posts. This mirrors what's working on other platforms: carousels give the algorithm strong interest signals (each swipe is a fresh engagement) and a second chance to hook the reader if the opening frame doesn't land
2.Video views have dropped 36% year-on-year across every page size. One caveat: this is brand-page data, individual execs with authority on a topic can still travel well on video. But the broader signal stands. LinkedIn is not a video-first platform
3.Overall engagement is up 8% to an average of 5.20%, with gains across all formats except polls and links
The picture for exec-level posting is clear: original, structured, information-rich content is being rewarded. This aligns with the feed changes from last month, the algorithm is matching content to audience intent, and document posts deliver the kind of specific, quotable value it's looking for.
Implication: Execs who default to short text posts or reshared links are leaving reach on the table. The feed is rewarding depth and specificity.
Action: Test a monthly document post, a framework, a set of principles, a data-backed perspective on an industry shift. These don't need to be designed. A clean PDF with a clear point will outperform a polished video with a generic one.
LinkedIn has expanded AI-powered people search to all US members, moving it beyond the Premium tier where it launched last year. The search now uses natural language, members describe who they're looking for the way they'd say it out loud, and the system matches on intent rather than exact keywords.
Alongside this, LinkedIn is rolling out AI-generated profile summaries in search results. These show why a person appeared in results, drawing on their experience and any shared history with the searcher (previous company, school, mutual connections). Verification badges now also appear directly in search results.
This matters because it extends the same logic we flagged last month: LinkedIn's systems are now reading profiles semantically, not literally. Last month it was the feed doing this for content distribution. Now it's search doing it for people discovery.
Implication: Your exec's profile is now working in two directions, determining what content reaches which audience and determining whether they show up when someone searches for expertise in their space. A vague or outdated profile costs them on both fronts.
Action: Revisit the profile audit from last month with search in mind. The headline, About section, and skills fields now need to work for two systems, not one. If your exec is a CFO who talks about capital allocation, their profile should say that, not just "Finance Leader | Driving Growth."
LinkedIn has launched CTV (Connected TV) Ads, extending its professional targeting to streaming platforms. Advertisers can now reach LinkedIn audiences while they watch content on services including NBCUniversal.
The relevant data point: LinkedIn reported that its CTV ads were 11x more cost-effective than linear TV at reaching B2B audiences, and extended unique campaign reach by more than 70% beyond linear TV in a Salesforce case study.
This is primarily an advertising product, but it signals where LinkedIn is heading, professional identity as a cross-platform targeting layer, not just an on-platform content feed.
Implication: This is also where video earns its place. The brand-page data shows declining video views on the feed, but CTV is a video-first environment by definition. For B2B campaigns, the strategic split is becoming clearer, text and document posts for organic feed reach, video for paid distribution across CTV and other screens.
Action: For exec comms specifically, no immediate action, but worth tracking as LinkedIn's identity graph expands beyond the platform.
GOOD POSTS
THIS MONTH
Name the uncomfortable truth, then give the playbook.
Eva takes the Fast Company report on AI sabotage, 29% of workers actively undermining their company's AI strategy, and does something most commentators didn't: she explains why it's happening and what to do about it.
She reframes the story away from employee blame and toward a leadership failure. Workers aren't resisting because they don't understand AI. They're resisting because they don't trust how it's being implemented. From there she gives four specific actions: remove ambiguity, make incentives explicit, invest in real enablement, measure behaviour not rollout.
198 reactions, 73 comments, 36 reposts. The comment-to-reaction ratio is the standout, more than one comment for every three reactions. That signals genuine debate, not passive scrolling.
What they did: Took a headline stat and reframed it as a leadership problem with a concrete response.
Why it worked: She has direct credibility (security at Microsoft), the post has a clear point of view without being inflammatory, and the four actions give readers something to take away. It's also perfectly timed against the AI backlash theme running through LinkedIn News this month.
What they did: When a provocative stat lands, don't just react to it, reframe who it's really about and give your audience a short, action list. The structure is: here's the headline, here's what's actually driving it, here's what to do.
Correct the headline. Show your working.
A Cochrane review generated headlines claiming Alzheimer's drugs "don't work." Susan pushes back, carefully. She explains the methodological issue (pooling failed drugs with newer treatments that show modest benefit dilutes the signal), flags where the review's conclusions go further than the evidence, and then does something rare: she acknowledges the limitations honestly. These treatments aren't a cure. They offer modest benefits with real risks. But that's not the same as saying they don't work.
321 reactions, 50 comments, 54 reposts. The repost number is telling, people wanted to amplify this, not just agree with it.
What they did: Took a misleading headline, broke down exactly where it went wrong, and offered a nuanced correction without overclaiming.
Why it worked: This is the Julia Crosby model from last month, don't reshare the news, translate it. Susan goes one step further by tagging the specific researchers worth listening to, positioning herself as a connector, not just a commentator. Her profile aligns exactly with her content, which is what the current feed rewards.
What to steal: When a headline misrepresents something in your exec's domain, the post writes itself: here's what the headline says → here's what the evidence actually shows → here's what still matters. Close by tagging the voices worth following. It builds authority and earns reposts.
The acquisition post that earns reactions but misses conversation.
Andy announces Standard Life's acquisition of Aegon UK, a major deal giving the combined business £480bn in assets and 16 million customers. It's clearly significant. He includes a personal line ("this long-term savings challenge is something I've cared deeply about throughout my career") and welcomes colleagues from Aegon.
1,366 reactions, 20 comments, 24 reposts. The reaction count is strong. But 20 comments on a post with that many reactions is a ratio of roughly 1:68, compared to Eva Benn's 1:3 and Susan Kohlhaas's 1:6. The audience acknowledged it, but they didn't engage with it.
What they did: Announced a major acquisition with a clear strategic rationale and a personal note.
Why it fell short of its potential: The structure reads like a press release with a personal paragraph grafted on. The strategic rationale is there, but the human layer, the story of why this moment matters to him specifically, what the journey looked like, what was hard, is thin.
What to steal: When your exec has a major announcement, the press release will already be public. The LinkedIn post needs to be the version only they can write. Lead with the personal, explain the "why" through their eyes, name people. The information will reach the audience anyway, the post's job is to make them feel something about it.
WHAT LINKEDIN NEWS IS PRIORITISING (AND WHAT'S NEXT)
Economic pressure is hardening
The cautious mood we flagged last month has sharpened. Through April, LinkedIn News has consistently surfaced stories on UK food inflation reaching 9%, the IMF warning of global recession risk, further inflation warnings, BBC cutting 2,000 jobs, and the EU relaxing competition rules. This isn't a single news cycle, it's a sustained editorial thread.
Implication: LinkedIn's audience is reading this backdrop every day. Exec content that ignores it or defaults to optimism will feel disconnected.
Action: Execs in finance, advisory, and leadership roles should be grounding their content in this reality. Practical perspectives on navigating cost pressure, workforce planning under uncertainty, or what a tighter environment actually means for their sector will resonate. Abstract commentary won't.
AI backlash has overtaken AI curiosity
Last month we noted the shift from hype to anxiety. In April, it's gone further, LinkedIn News is now running stories about active resistance: "one in three sabotage AI at work," "workers complain of AI workslop," "white-collar risks need humans," "when AI is not the answer," "a chatbot is not a doctor."
Implication: The audience mood around AI has moved from curiosity through concern into scepticism. Pure AI enthusiasm from execs will land poorly.
Action: Posts that acknowledge the tension, opportunity alongside genuine risk, will outperform those
that pick a side. Execs with direct experience implementing AI responsibly have the strongest angle here. Those without specific expertise should be cautious about wading in.
Energy disruption is building quietly
Jet fuel shortages, flight delays across Europe, and a scramble to avert a broader fuel crisis have appeared repeatedly through April. These aren't headline-dominating yet, but they're accumulating.
With summer approaching and oil prices under pressure from ongoing US/Iran tensions, this is likely to sharpen. Flight costs, supply chain stress, and cost-of-living knock-ons will all become more visible.
Implication: This is an emerging story, not a current one. But for execs in energy, logistics, travel, or consumer-facing sectors, it's about to become their audience's primary concern.
Action: No need to post reactively now. But if your exec operates in an affected sector, start preparing a perspective for late May or June when the story matures.
THE MONTH AHEAD
CALENDAR WINDOWS
May 4 - Early May Bank Holiday.
Lower posting volume, lower engagement. Post either side, not during.
May 7 - Local, Scottish Parliament, Senedd, and mayoral elections.
A major moment across the UK. LinkedIn News will cover it. For execs in policy-adjacent sectors (property, infrastructure, public services, devolved industries), there's a content window around what results mean for their space. For everyone else, stay out unless there's a direct connection.
May 11–17 - Mental Health Awareness Week.
This is a high-volume posting period on LinkedIn. The risk is performative content that adds nothing. Execs should only post here if they have something specific to say, a policy their company has implemented, a personal experience, a concrete commitment. Generic "mental health matters" posts will be lost in the noise.
May 25 - Spring Bank Holiday.
Same as May 4 - reduced attention. Plan around it.
THE MONTH AHEAD
BUILDING THEMES
US/Iran tensions will keep running.
Even with the two-week ceasefire in early April, the downstream effects, energy prices, supply chain disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, will persist. This story isn't going away in May. Execs in energy, defence, logistics, and financial services should be prepared for it to escalate.
AI regulation will intensify.
If regulators are already responding to capability claims in April, expect legislative and institutional noise to pick up through May. This favours execs who can speak to governance, responsible implementation, or sector-specific implications, not general AI commentary.
The economic mood won't lighten.
Inflation, recession risk, and workforce restructuring will remain the backdrop. Content that is practical, specific, and grounded in real operational experience will continue to outperform aspirational or abstract takes.
Summer travel costs will sharpen.
As booking season peaks, the energy disruption story from this month will become a consumer-facing one. Travel, hospitality, and consumer-sector execs have a natural content window opening.
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