Oct 16 • LinkedIn Tips
LinkedIn Algorithm Report: Q3 2025 Breakdown
See attached PDF for more details.
🚀 The Ultimate LinkedIn Algorithm Report: Q3 2025 Breakdown
Chris Donnelly & Will McTighe just dropped the most comprehensive LinkedIn algorithm analysis of 2025 - and if you're serious about growing on LinkedIn, this is required reading.
They analyzed 318,842 LinkedIn posts to figure out exactly what's working right now. Let me break down the key insights so you can start implementing them TODAY.
📉 The Reality Check: Reach is Declining (But Don't Panic)
The Bad News:
- Median impressions are down 65% from the 2023 peak
- Down 18% since Q3 2024
- Down 3% since Q2 2025
Why This is Happening: LinkedIn is maturing. More people are posting + more ads = less organic reach per post. It's the natural lifecycle of a social platform.
The Good News: The gap between top performers and average creators is 237x. Quality content still dominates. If you learn what works, you'll stand out even more.
🎯 The #1 Thing You Need to Know
Average creators: Bottom 80% of posts get only 10% of impressions Top 1% creators: Have more winning posts AND a higher baseline
The takeaway? Consistency alone isn't enough. You need to study what works and adapt.
📊 What's Working on LinkedIn Right Now
1. Post Format Rankings (By Median Impressions)
🏆 Winner: Carousels (5+ images)
- Get 4.0x more reach than text posts
- Educational content in carousel format dominates
- The new winning formula: Education + storytelling in slides
🥈 Second Place: Infographics
- 3.0x better reach than text
- People save and share them like crazy
- Must be actionable, not just pretty
🥉 Third Place: Personal Images
- Build trust even if reach isn't highest
- People want to see real humans, not stock photos
- Use for middle-of-funnel content
⚠️ Videos:
- Lower reach BUT excellent for trust-building
- Horizontal performs slightly better than vertical (work context matters)
- Use when you're featured in it
2. Post Length: Longer is Better
Optimal length: 1,250-3,000 characters
- Performs 38% better than short posts
- Why? People want authentic human connection, not corporate-speak
- This is NOT an excuse to ramble - be conversational
Critical formatting rules:
- Use 14+ short paragraphs (avoid walls of text)
- Write at a grade 5-7 reading level
- Posts with simple language perform 35% better
Pro tip from Will: Paste your post into ChatGPT and say "Rewrite this at a grade 5-7 reading level"
3. Topics That Perform Best
Top performers:
- Career Development (median 1,360 impressions)
- Leadership & Management (median 1,333 impressions)
The Golden Rule: Every post should answer "How does this help the reader level up?"
If it doesn't help them get ahead in their career, expect half the reach.
Rising star: Content diversity is increasing - funny, unique angles are breaking through more than ever.
4. Content Styles That Win
🔥 Frameworks - 1,955 median impressions
- People want structured, actionable information
📚 How-To Content - 1,358 median impressions
- Step-by-step beats vague inspiration every time
❌ What Doesn't Work:
- Question/Discussion prompts - People are busy, they want value, not homework
- Generic motivational quotes without substance
5. Hook Patterns: What Stops the Scroll
Best performing hooks:
- Personal Story Introduction - "I got fired..." / "Last week I..."
- Unexpected Statements - Challenge common beliefs
- Authority/Expertise - Show real credentials
Worst performing:
- "Surprising statistics" (overused)
- Generic questions
- Clickbait without substance
6. The External Links Myth: BUSTED
Conventional wisdom: External links kill your reach
The data says:
- Posts with 1-3 links: 71% higher reach
- Posts with >3 links: 236% higher reach
- Link-heavy posts = high-value content people actually want
How to use links strategically:
- Option 1: Add links after the post has been live for a while (LinkedIn confirmed this doesn't hurt reach)
- Option 2: Put links in first comment
- Option 3: Just add them in the post (YOLO it)
7. When to Post
Best Days:
- Sunday: 1,522 median impressions (highest!)
- Saturday: 1,320 median impressions
- Why? Less competition from corporate content + more leisure browsing time
Best Times (GMT):
- 5-7 AM GMT: Morning sweet spot (~1,500 views)
- 11 AM-1 PM GMT: Lunchtime win (~2,000 views)
- Avoid: 4 PM-1 AM GMT (lowest engagement)
Most important: Post when YOUR ideal customers are online!
8. Image Format Matters
Portrait images perform 106% better than landscape
Why?
- Takes up more screen real estate
- Mobile-optimized
- Fills phone screens better
Optimal specs:
- 1200x1500 pixels (4:5 ratio)
- Design for mobile first
- Put key info in center (edges get cropped)
💬 The Commenting Secret
Top 5% creators comment 499% more than average (150+ comments/week vs 25)
T
op 5% creators reply 500% more (90+ replies/week vs 15)
Strong correlation: More comments = faster follower growth (0.545 correlation)
What Makes a Good Comment?
✅ Do:
- Share personal experiences and results
- Include a picture (even AI-generated!)
- Show personality and authentic voice
- Tag relevant people
- Be an expert in the topic
❌ Don't:
- Use AI-sounding language
- Generic one-liners like "Great post!"
- Obvious self-promotion
- Vague reactions without substance
Why commenting matters:
- For potential clients: More likely to notice you than cold outreach
- For peers: Builds reciprocity - they'll engage with your content
- For your posts: LinkedIn rewards quality conversations
🆕 Rising Format: Spectacles & Challenges
Example: RB2B let AI run their entire company for 7 days
What makes it work:
- Outcome is unclear
- High stakes
- People get excited to follow along
- Builds your "1,000 true fans"
- Incredibly authentic
This is the future of LinkedIn content - think reality TV meets professional development.
📋 Your Action Checklist (Copy & Paste This)
✍️ Written Content
- Post length: 1,250-3,000 characters
- Use 14+ short paragraphs
- Write at grade 5-7 reading level
- Create contrarian/unexpected hook
- End with specific, easy-to-answer question
- Add career development angle
- Include external links if valuable
🖼️ Visual Content
- Use carousels (2.8x higher reach)
- Create actionable infographics
- Use 1200x1500 pixels for images
- Share 1 personal photo weekly
- Use videos with captions
⏰ Timing & Engagement
- Post on Sundays or Saturdays
- Optimal times: 4-5AM GMT or 11AM-1PM GMT
- Leave 10-20 thoughtful comments daily
- Focus on creators in your niche
- Comments >9 words with personal experience
- Respond quickly to your post comments
🎓 Key Lessons from the Report
1. Quality Over Quantity
The performance gap between top and average content is massive. One great post beats ten mediocre ones.
2. Education Still Dominates
But now it needs personality. The "corporate speak" era is over. Write like you talk.
3. Build in Public
Spectacles, challenges, and real stories are breaking through the noise.
4. Engagement is Currency
Commenting isn't optional anymore - it's how you grow.
5. Test and Adapt
LinkedIn's algorithm changes constantly. What worked in Q1 2025 might not work in Q4. Stay flexible.
💡 Advanced Insights
The Link Clicks Revolution
New data shows different content types drive different actions:
Educational content:
- 558 link clicks from 104K impressions
- Best for driving traffic
Personal stories:
- 125 link clicks from 49K impressions
- Best for building trust
Inspirational quotes:
- 96 link clicks from 356K impressions
- Best for engagement, not conversions
Your playbook:
- Lead with educational content for growth
- Use personal stories as your second strategy
- Save inspirational content for engagement only
Follower Growth vs Impressions
Mind-blowing finding: Impressions ≠ Followers
Example comparison:
- Post A: 1.6M views, 39K likes → 853 new followers
- Post B: 3.7M views, 15K likes → 3,962 new followers
The lesson: Educational content drives follower growth. Inspirational content drives likes.
Saves and Shares (Hidden Metrics That Matter)
Practical content example:
- 133K views → 1,872 saves, 231 sends
Motivational content example:
- 136K views → 211 saves, 45 sends
Different content = different engagement patterns
Create content worth referencing later if you want saves. Create content that makes people look smart if you want shares.
🚨 Critical Don'ts
What NOT to Do:
1. Long blocks of text Posts with fewer than 7 paragraphs performed 74% worse than posts with 14+ paragraphs
2. Complicated language Words averaging >5 letters performed 35% worse
3. Generic questions at the end Posts ending with questions performed slightly worse
4. Billboard-style quote graphics Oversaturated format - use varied backgrounds instead
5. Excessive selfies Can signal low status - use sparingly and with purpose
🎯 The Steven Bartlett Blueprint
What makes his LinkedIn content work:
✅ Signature phrases ("I am at absolute war", "fancy negotiation skills") ✅ Personal stories that teach business lessons ✅ Conversational tone that feels unscripted ✅ Writes exactly like he talks on his podcast
Key takeaway: If you wouldn't say it out loud, don't post it on LinkedIn.
📈 Growth Reality Check
Top creators dominate:
- 154x weekly follower growth vs median
- Growth for average creator down 20% since Q2
- Clear brands stand out - audiences follow creators, not just posts
What this means for you:
- Study top-performing content in your niche
- Develop a clear voice and visual style
- Be known for something specific
- Get your face out there
🔬 Behind the Scenes: The Data
This report analyzed:
- 318,842 LinkedIn posts
- Posted through September 2025
- From Saywhat and Creator Accelerator users
- Using ML models and statistical analysis
- Median data (not averages) to avoid viral outliers
Why trust it?
- Will McTighe: 4K to 347K followers in 13 months
- Chris Donnelly: 0 to 2.4M followers, built £7.5M business
- These aren't theories - they're battle-tested strategies
🎁 Bonus: AI Prompts to Level Up Your Posts
Optimize post length:
"Optimize this post, targeting 1,500-3,000 characters"
Make it conversational:
"This should sound like I'm talking. I often use words like..."
Fix formatting:
"Restructure this with more paragraph breaks"
Simplify language:
"Rewrite this at a grade 5-7 reading level"
Create better hooks:
"Create 5 contrarian/unhinged hooks for this LinkedIn post"
Add engagement:
"Add a specific easy to answer ending question to my post"
Career angle:
"Reframe this around career development"
🚀 Your Next Steps
Today:
- Review your last 5 posts - how many follow these principles?
- Find 3 high-performing posts in your niche on LinkedIn
- Analyze what made them work using this framework
This Week:
- Create 1 carousel post using the education + story formula
- Leave 10 thoughtful comments on posts from creators in your niche
- Post on Sunday at 5-7 AM GMT or 11 AM-1 PM GMT
This Month:
- Build your commenting habit (10-20 per day)
- Develop your signature phrases and voice
- Track which of your posts perform best and double down
💭 Final Thoughts
The opportunity on LinkedIn is still massive. We're in the "YouTube circa 2009" phase of LinkedIn content.
But here's the thing: most people will read this report and do nothing.
The ones who actually implement these strategies? They'll be the ones with 100K+ followers a year from now, with inbound leads flooding their DMs.
The algorithm rewards quality, consistency, and authentic human connection.
Give the platform what it wants, and it will reward you.
Now go create something amazing. 🚀
Have questions about any of these insights? Drop them in the comments below!
Found this valuable? Hit that like button and share it with someone who's serious about growing on LinkedIn.
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LinkedIn Algorithm Report: Q3 2025 Breakdown
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