Several LinkedIn observers have recently noticed a “drastic drop” in the reach of posts shared from company pages. The reason is simple: LinkedIn wants businesses to pay to be seen. Here’s how to work around this algorithmic issue.
A Confirmed Trend
Renaud Margairaz, founder and president of the agency Éminence Branding, confirms the trend that many have suspected and discussed in their news feeds:
“We are indeed seeing a drastic decline in the visibility of LinkedIn business pages, and this change is causing a lot of stress for our clients,” he says.
Éminence Branding helps companies position their employer brand on LinkedIn through employee ambassador programs. Margairaz reminds us of a fundamental rule that applies to most Silicon Valley social media platforms:
“Keep in mind that a platform like LinkedIn survives through paid advertising. When a business page creates a post, it gets very little organic reach. Only the page’s followers will mainly see it. If a company wants to increase traffic to its page, it simply has to pay for ads.”
The Importance of Employee Ambassadors
Until recently, companies could “bypass” LinkedIn’s algorithm by asking employees to share company content from their personal accounts. However, it seems that LinkedIn has detected this positioning hack and has decided to limit its reach.
As a result, the role of employee ambassadors is now even more crucial, explains Margairaz:
“When an employee posts content on their personal profile, it’s perceived as a more engaging piece of content. It has a higher chance of keeping people on the platform longer, which means more ad consumption for LinkedIn.”
Since personal profiles are now much more visible than business pages, Margairaz suggests viewing them as media channels themselves:
“The key is to identify the best people to share specific content. As a result, we start considering our CEO or each vice president as individual communication mediums, each with their own editorial angle, way of speaking, and dedicated topics.”
A Strategic Approach to Employer Branding
Of course, this strategy requires careful planning and internal development, ideally managed by the company’s communication lead. This person must orchestrate the overall message of the company through these different channels.
“The company’s page should serve to engage the community and showcase the corporate culture,” explains the strategist. “Then, multiple other channels need to be carefully thought out and mobilized for specific topics. That’s how you truly maximize your employer brand’s reach on LinkedIn.”
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