Over the past 12–18 months, LinkedIn’s algorithm has fundamentally reshaped how content is distributed and how we adapt social media for financial services.

The tactics that once drove reach, such as frequent posting, heavy hashtag use, and engagement bait, have steadily declined in effectiveness. Whereas now, the platform prioritises:

• Relevance
• Authority
• Trust
• Meaningful engagement
  
  

As we move through 2026, it’s clear this is not a temporary adjustment. It’s a structural shift in how visibility is earned.

Below is a breakdown of the most significant changes that defined 2025 and how they’re continuing to evolve this year.

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What defined LinkedIn’s 2025 algorithm shift?

By late 2025, LinkedIn’s feed had become decisively interest-led rather than chronological.

What we saw:

• Content relevance consistently outweighs recency
  
  
• Accounts posting within a defined niche are achieving stronger compounding reach
  
  
• Depth of expertise now outweighs frequency of activity
  
  
• Brands covering too many unrelated topics are experiencing diluted distribution
  
  

So, how’s the algorithm now? Topical consistency is now a long-term growth lever. Accounts that built authority in focused areas last year are seeing sustained visibility, while broad content strategies continue to struggle.

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Dwell time became central to distribution

Throughout 2025, dwell time emerged as one of the most influential ranking signals. This refers to how long someone spends consuming your content. Simply pausing to read, swipe, or watch sends a strong positive signal.

Content, such as carousels, infographics, videos, and structured long-form posts with compelling opening hooks, naturally holds attention and continues to perform the strongest. 

Going forward, design and formatting are now strategic considerations. Posts that occupy more screen space (particularly vertical carousels optimised for mobile) consistently generate stronger distribution. 

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Engagement quality surpassed vanity metrics

One of the clearest shifts last year was how engagement is weighted.

By the end of 2025, comments were significantly more impactful than likes, back-and-forth discussion extended post lifespan, and engagement bait and low-effort comments had diminished impact. What we are seeing now is that conversation depth remains one of the strongest indicators of quality. Reach without discussion rarely compounds.

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Trust & authenticity signals strengthened

LinkedIn continued reinforcing credibility signals throughout 2025, with these trends remaining relevant in 2026: 

• Verified profiles and established pages benefit from stronger baseline trust
• Generic, overly promotional, or repetitive AI-generated content is seeing reduced reach
• First-person expertise outperforms polished but impersonal messaging

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Building on the previous points, elements like hashtags and external links now require a more strategic approach to ensure optimal post performance. 

The impact of heavy hashtag usage declined steadily throughout 2025; current best practices suggest limiting yourself to 1–3 highly relevant tags to avoid being flagged as spam. 

Furthermore, LinkedIn remains focused on user retention, meaning posts containing external links often suffer from reduced initial reach. To protect your engagement, only include a link in the main copy when it is absolutely essential to the user journey, such as directing candidates to a job application page; otherwise, it is best to keep the conversation on-platform.

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Looking to make an impact with your B2B social media marketing? Get in touch with our Head of Digital, Elliot Krieger, or contact us here to find out how we can support you. 

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