Welcome to the first issue of LinkedIn Heroes.
Let's start with the truth nobody wants to hear:
Organic reach on LinkedIn dropped by 50% in the past year.
Engagement is down 25%. Follower growth is down 59%.
These aren't random numbers. They come from Richard van der Blom's Algorithm Insights Report 2025 - the largest independent study of LinkedIn, analyzing over 1.8 million posts.
So is LinkedIn dead? Far from it.
The platform isn't dying. It's evolving. And the creators who understand the new rules are thriving while everyone else wonders why their posts disappeared.
Today, I'm breaking down exactly how the LinkedIn algorithm works in 2026 - no fluff, no guesswork, just what the data shows.
Key Takeaways (Read This First)
If you only have 60 seconds, here's what matters:
- Dwell time is the new king - How long people read your post matters more than likes
- The first 90 minutes decide everything - Early engagement determines your fate
- Saves beat likes 4:1 - 200 saves outperform 1,000 likes in reach
- Comments create compound growth - One comment = 80% higher chance to see that person's next post
- Post 2-3x per week - More than that gives diminishing returns
- Authenticity wins - Personal stories get 8.5x more engagement than polished content
Now let's dig deeper.
How LinkedIn Decides Who Sees Your Content
LinkedIn's algorithm evaluates every post through three core signals:
1. Initial Engagement Quality (First 90 Minutes)
When you hit "Post," LinkedIn shows your content to a small test audience - roughly 8-12% of your followers.
What happens in the next 90 minutes determines everything.
If people engage meaningfully (comments, saves, long reads), LinkedIn expands distribution. If they scroll past, your post dies quietly.
This is why timing matters. Post when your audience is active, not when it's convenient for you.
Pro tip: Engage with other posts 15-30 minutes before and after you publish. Data shows this can improve your reach by up to 20%.
2. Dwell Time (The Hidden Metric)
Here's what most creators miss: LinkedIn tracks how long people spend reading your content - even if they don't click anything.
This is called "dwell time," and it's become the most important quality signal in 2026.
Posts that keep people reading for 30+ seconds get classified as "high-quality" and receive distribution boosts. Posts people scroll past in 2 seconds get buried.
What this means for you:
- • Write content worth reading, not just skimming
- • Use formatting that encourages people to stay (line breaks, bold text, lists)
- • Optimal length: 300-400 words, 20+ sentences
- • Hook them in the first 3 lines or lose them forever
3. Creator Authenticity Signals
LinkedIn now validates genuine expertise over polished marketing.
The data is clear:
- • Employee posts outperform company pages by 6-8x in reach
- • Personal, behind-the-scenes content performs 3x better than corporate messaging
- • "Vulnerable" posts (sharing failures, lessons learned) attract 8.5x more engagement
Be human. Share your actual experience. Stop writing like a press release.
The New Engagement Hierarchy
Not all engagement is equal. Here's how LinkedIn weighs different signals in 2026:
When someone saves your post, they're telling LinkedIn: "This is reference-worthy content."
The algorithm responds accordingly. 200 saves generate roughly 3.9x more impressions than 1,000 likes.
Create content people want to return to: frameworks, checklists, data, templates.
Meaningful comments - especially back-and-forth discussions - signal that your content sparked genuine conversation.
One quality comment from a new connection can boost your post reach by up to 40%.
Even better: when you comment on someone's post, you're 80% more likely to see their next post. Comments create compound visibility over time.
Shares extend your reach to new networks, but they're less weighted than saves or comments.
Likes and reactions still matter, but they're the weakest signal. A post with 500 likes and 2 comments will underperform a post with 50 likes and 20 comments.
What Gets Penalized
LinkedIn actively suppresses certain content types:
External Links
Posts that drive people off-platform (links to your website, YouTube, etc.) get significantly reduced reach. The algorithm wants to keep users on LinkedIn.
If you must share a link, put it in the first comment - though even this workaround is less effective than it used to be.
Engagement Bait
"Comment YES if you agree" - LinkedIn's algorithm now recognizes these patterns and penalizes them.
Genuine questions that spark discussion are fine. Manufactured engagement is not.
Excessive Posting
Posting more than 3 times per week yields diminishing returns unless your content is exceptional.
The sweet spot: 2-3 quality posts per week, same time, same days.
Richard van der Blom's research confirms this: consistency beats volume.
Heavy Edits After Posting
Making significant edits in the first hour can reset your algorithm test. Small typo fixes are fine - restructuring your post is not.
The 2026 Playbook: What Actually Works
Based on all this data, here's the practical playbook:
Content Strategy
- • Lead with your most powerful insight (inverted pyramid)
- • Write for dwell time: 300-400 words, scannable format
- • Share real experiences - failures perform better than humble brags
- • Create "save-worthy" content: frameworks, templates, data
- • End with a genuine question (not engagement bait)
Publishing Strategy
- • Post 2-3x per week maximum
- • Same time, same days (train your audience)
- • Engage 15-30 min before and after posting
- • Reply to every comment quickly - especially in the first hour
Engagement Strategy
- • Comment on others' posts daily (10-15 meaningful comments)
- • Build relationships, not just reach
- • Quality of connections matters more than quantity
Format Strategy
- • Text posts still perform well when written properly
- • Carousels (document posts) get high dwell time
- • Video works but requires more effort for similar results
- • Newsletters reach subscribers directly - bypass the algorithm
The Uncomfortable Truth
Here it is: LinkedIn is harder than it used to be.
Organic reach is down. Competition is up. The bar for quality keeps rising.
But here's what the data also shows: the creators who adapt are winning bigger than ever.
Lower reach means less noise. More meaningful engagement means better opportunities. Quality connections beat vanity metrics.
The algorithm isn't your enemy. It's a filter. It rewards content that genuinely helps people and punishes content that wastes their time.
That's actually a good thing - if you're willing to do the work.
Your Action Items This Week
- Audit your recent posts - Which ones got saves and comments vs. just likes?
- Check your posting schedule - Are you posting consistently at the same times?
- Track your first-hour engagement - Are you responding to comments quickly?
- Create one "save-worthy" piece - A framework, checklist, or template someone would bookmark
What's Next
In the next issue of LinkedIn Heroes, we'll break down the anatomy of a perfect LinkedIn post - the exact structure that captures attention and drives engagement.
Until then, focus on one thing: create content worth someone's time.
That's what the algorithm actually rewards.
— Co.Actor Team
P.S. Found this valuable? Share it with one person who's struggling with LinkedIn reach. The best way to grow is to help others grow with you.