The Most Comprehensive Guide for What's Actually Working on LinkedIn in 2025 (Because WTF, Right?)

If you’ve been posting on LinkedIn lately and thinking, “…hello?? Is this thing on?” you’re not alone.

One day you’re vibing, getting great reach, and the next...crickets. Like the algorithm packed its bags, moved to Tulum, and left us all on read.

Same. I’ve been yelling into the void too. Take a look at these two posts. Same copywriting style, same audience, ENTIRELY different results.

And look, I've been doing this for a lonnnnnng time. I started creating content back in 2016, nine whole years ago. I've seen changes in the algorithm, but this? It feels different.

So I did what any mildly-unhinged LinkedIn nerd would do: I started ripping the platform apart to figure out what’s ACTUALLY working right now… because honestly? WTF happened.

And good news, there’s a method to the chaos. It’s just not what people think.

Let’s get into it, and I won't charge you thousands of dollars to take a course 😂. But I WILL ask you, that if you find this guide helpful, share it! I'm about to go on maternity leave in January and would greatly appreciate the love and support in this final work stretch before I'm off!

Ok, let's geek out!

What LinkedIn Isn't Saying:

Months ago, I noticed that LinkedIn started doing these content workshops, inviting me to masterminds, hosting live videos, etc to help people "master their LinkedIn content". Which is super helpful right?

But my spidey senses went off. Why were they pushing so hard? Why were so many people having issues all of sudden being seen in newsfeeds?

When I saw this beta test to start boosting my personal posts, everything started to make more sense.

They are moving to a pay-to-play model.

Now, unfortunately, I don't have the marketing budget that mega enterprises or celebs do, so this could be a problem 😂. You don't either? Ok, cool, so let's run through how to STILL be seen, build your community, and find opportunities in the midst of mega changes on the platform.

What's Actually Working on LinkedIn in 2025:

1) Stop chasing random virality.

Focus on relevant content → for the right people → delivered with the 4 C’s (my own mix that I've been concocting).

Right now, LinkedIn rewards:

• relevant topics
• real relationships
• deeper interactions (comments > likes)

So instead of trying to “blow up,” aim to show up with purpose.

Here’s the easiest way to do that:

The 4 C’s (aka: how to post so people actually care)

1) Connection → “I’ve been where you are.”

What it does: Creates emotional connection, people see themselves in your story.

Looks like:

• Why you started
• A moment that changed you
• Past struggle → lesson

Vibe: “I get you.”

2) Credibility → “Here’s something that actually works.”

What it does: Shows you’re legit, you know what you’re talking about. LinkedIn is loving this right now but just don't go ALL in on credibility because you need the others for long term relationship building.

Looks like:

• Before/after
• A quick tip or process
• Mini case study

Vibe: “Try this, it worked for me.” (Basically like this newsletter!)

3) Conviction → “This is my take.”

What it does: Makes you memorable. People follow and reach out to people whose values align with theirs.

Looks like:

• Hot (but thoughtful) takes
• “Most people do X, here’s why I don’t”
• One rule you stand by
• A story that illustrates where you stand morally/values-wise

Vibe: “This is where I stand, here’s why.”

4) Character → “This is unmistakably me.”

What it does: Your personality becomes the hook. Your content starts to sound like YOU, not AI regurgitated slop. May not be viral, but necessary for networking.

Looks like:

• Humour
• Specific POV
• Personal quirks
• Signature phrases

Vibe: “If you read this without my name, you’d still know it’s mine.”

How to use the 4 C’s (so easy)

Just rotate them:

• Mon: Conviction
• Wed: Credibility
• Thurs: Connection
• Fri: Character

You don’t need all 4 in every post. Just mix them regularly so your audience gets:

• your story
• your proof
• your opinions
• your personality

That combo → relevance + trust.

And that’s what LinkedIn is pushing right now. Play with them to find your sweet spot, some people may prefer more credibility posts, others may want to lean into connection or conviction. Experiment!

2) Commenting > Posting

If your posts are falling flat, this is the easiest, fastest fix: Comment. Like… a real human.

Why? Because a great comment:

• Shows your thinking
• Lands you in someone else’s audience
• Builds relevance with new people
• Drives profile views + messages

A single smart comment can outperform your original post. Happens to me all the time.

So instead of thinking,

“I need to post more,” try: “I need to jump into more conversations.”

HOW TO COMMENT WELL

Skip the “Love this! 👏👏” stuff. That’s fluff.

Instead:

• Add context
• Share a quick example
• Disagree kindly
• Add a nuance

Good comment formulas:

“Here’s what most people miss…“

"I tried this and here’s what actually happened.”

" I agree and would add..."

You’re basically writing a mini-post in someone else’s house.

And guess what? If their audience likes your take → they come check you out.

WHO You Should Comment On

1) Your Buyers + Clients

These are your warmest leads + deepest relevance signals.

→ Turn on notifications for:

• Past clients
• Current clients
• People you want as future clients

Why? When they post, their audience = your potential audience. Commenting there is you showing up in the right room at the right time.

Pro tip: Build a Client / Dream Client list (Save it in a doc. Stalk lovingly.)

2) People Your Clients Follow

Ask: Who influences the people I want to work with?

Example: You target HR leaders → comment on creators talking about:

• culture
• hiring
• leadership

Borrow their audience.

3) Bigger Creators in Your Lane

People with large, active audiences = exposure accelerators.

Choose creators who:

• Post about topics relevant to YOUR audience
• Get thoughtful comments (not just likes)
• Spark conversation

You’re essentially placing mini-ads for free. (Ads wish they could do this.)

4) Community Builders / Conversation Starters

These are people whose posts ALWAYS pop off.

They create:

• Debates
• Vulnerable stories
• Industry critiques

Even if they’re not in your exact niche, this helps you get seen.

5) 2nd-degree connections doing cool stuff

If someone you’re connected to comments on a great post, click through → join that thread.

2nd-degree networks = MAJOR growth surface.

HOW to Find Posts Worth Commenting On

Method #1: Turn On Notifications

Do this for:

• Clients
• Dream clients
• Strategic creators

This makes it effortless — you only comment when they post.

Method #2: The “Search + Filter” Trick

Search for topics your audience cares about:

“personal branding” “sales enablement” “leadership” “career transitions”

Filter → Posts Boom. Fresh conversations.

Method #3: Create a “Shortlist”

Bookmark 10–20 people who consistently post quality content. Check their profiles 3–4x/week.

This kills the “I don’t know what to comment on” excuse.

Method #4: Follow Target Hashtags

(#linkedinlearning, #hr, #leadership, #careers)

Not because hashtags matter (they barely do), but they surface relevant creators + conversations.

Method #5: Look at Comments, Not Just Posts

Sometimes the real action is in the comments.

If someone drops a take you disagree with or want to build on → reply directly.

This is how you join mid-conversation.

WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE WEEKLY

10–15 minutes a day:

• Find 5 posts in your niche
• Leave 1 thoughtful comment on each

That’s it. Ok, let's keep geeking out.

3) Network Density > Network Size (THIS ONE'S IMPORTANT IF YOU'VE BEEN ON LINKEDIN FOR MORE THAN A FEW YEARS!)

(Your 35K “meh” followers are NOT better than 3,500 active ones.)

Here’s the deal: LinkedIn does not reward you for having a big audience. It rewards you for having a relevant audience.

If most of your connections are:

• from old industries
• from 2016 when you posted totally different stuff (this is my current problem)
• inactive ghosts (another issue for me)
• random “growth hackers” (sigh, another issue of mine)
• people who never engage (actually this one too!)

…your content gets stuck.

Like yelling into a pillow.

Because LinkedIn tests your post with a small sample of your network first. If they don’t engage → your post basically dies right there.

So your job is to make sure the people seeing your posts are the RIGHT people.

That’s network density → your % of active + aligned connections.

What To Do

Spend this time while things are quiet as the holidays approach cleaning up your connections list. I'm doing this daily and it's helping!

Step 1: Audit Your Audience

This is a pain because it has to be done manually with my 30,000 connections! But worth it.

Signs they’re safe to remove:

• Never engage
• Not in your niche
• You don’t remember who they are
• No activity in forever

What I'm doing is checking their contact info to see when we connected (2016 was a wild year for me and many people are no longer even using LinkedIn.

And then I check recent activity to see if they're active at all. If I see no activity at all, or it's been months, I'm removing them.

Step 2: Add 3–5 Relevant People/Day

Curate your ecosystem like a garden.

Add people who:

• Work in your niche
• Could be clients/collaborators
• Post actively
• Think like you / follow people your audience follows

Better inputs → better outputs.

Step 3: Build Relationship Loops

Engagement > follows.

The loop: Comment → DM → support → maybe collaborate

Just one loop a week compounds like crazy.

Step 4: Reconnect With Warm People

Reach out to people who engaged with you:

• years ago
• during certain seasons
• during different topics

A simple:

“Hey! Loved your take on ___ last week. What’s new on your end?”

Boom...you’re back on their radar.

Why This Works

Because LinkedIn’s feed is based on:

• relationship strength
• shared interests
• recent interactions

If you tighten your circle, you train the algorithm on who your content belongs to.

Your content stops getting wasted on people who don’t care or aren't even using LinkedIn anymore → and starts getting pushed to people who actually do.

4) Newsletters = Algorithm-Proof

They’re the ONLY format on LinkedIn that doesn’t fully rely on the feed. And when the feed is being a drama queen, that matters.

Here’s why newsletters are winning right now:

• They get delivered directly to someone’s inbox
• They build trust over time
• They keep you top-of-mind even when your posts flop (we all need this, right?!)
• They position you as someone with an actual point of view

And here’s the big one:

A newsletter subscriber is WAY more valuable than a follower. They’ve raised their hand and said, “Yes, I want more from you.”

“But I don’t have time to write a newsletter.”

I actually really hate the word newsletter because it sounds like it takes forever. If you already post on social, you already have a newsletter.

Just repurpose.

It takes 5 minutes:

1. Copy your post
2. Paste it into your newsletter
3. Add a 2-sentence intro + 1 CTA
4. Copy and paste it into Chat GPT and prompt it to generate an SEO title and description so your newsletter shows up on Google (BONUS)
5. Send

DONE.

Word “newsletter” sounds like you need:

• a whole publication
• 3,000 words
• graphs + charts

You don’t. It’s just CONTENT…it can be whatever you want. Suck at writing? I have good news for you! You get advanced analytics when you publish newsletters, my favourite being. the open rate. Your stats will train you how to write better titles and intros, and make sure you're reaching the RIGHT audience. It's a goldmine of info!

Newsletter Content Ideas (Plug + Play)

Use the 4 C’s I mentioned earlier to plan what you send:

Connection

Personal story → takeaway

• “What I wish I knew 5 years ago…”
• “A failure that changed how I work…”

Credibility

Teach me something quickly

• “3 things I learned about interviewing this month”
• “One template I use every week”

Conviction

Your stance

• “The LinkedIn advice I’m done giving”
• “Unpopular truth about job searching…”

Character

Let your personality + voice show

• Rants (kind ones)
• The way YOU see the world
• Humor / quirks

How Often Should You Post?

Minimum: monthly

Ideal: every 2 weeks

Overachiever gremlin mode (LOL): weekly

Consistency > frequency. Choose a cadence that works for you.

Your goal is simply to stay top-of-mind.

5) Private Message Loop Strategy

This is the simplest way to turn content into actual business right now in 2025.

1) Post

Share something useful/interesting/real.

2) Reply to comments

Don’t just “like” them, talk back. This warms the connection and shows you’re, you know… alive.

3) DM someone their own comment

This is the magic move, I love when people do this with my comment or post.

Example:

“Loved what you said about ___ , curious how you’re thinking about ___?”

It signals:

• I saw you
• I cared
• I want to go deeper

4) Have a real convo

Ask questions. Listen. Add context.

Just be a human. No pitch yet.

5) IFFFFFF there’s alignment, then offer help

NOT:

“Book a call!! Here’s my link!!”

More:

“If you want, I’m happy to share what’s worked for me / walk you through it.”

You’re offering support, not shoving an invoice in their face.

If it fits, it fits. If not, great, you made a new friend and maybe somebody that might refer business to you down the road.

That’s the whole game.

Why this works

Because most decisions start in private… not public posts.

This loop creates:

• trust
• familiarity
• lowered pressure

No funnel. No fancy tech. Just conversation.

The Private Message Loop is how most people are quietly winning on LinkedIn, even with “meh” reach.

6) Your Profile!!!!!

Hot take: You don’t need more content, you need a profile that catches people when they do notice you.

Most people won’t:

• like your post
• comment
• follow

They’ll quietly click your profile, then decide if you’re relevant, and either leave… or reach out.

So if your profile isn’t dialled in, you’re leaking opportunities. This is why I always start LinkedIn coaching with profile optimization.

Here’s how to fix it, fast.

The 5 Elements of a High-Converting LinkedIn Profile

1) Headline: Make it stupid obvious

I recommend the PPP formula, which is POSITION | PASSION | PURPOSE (This is your “explain it to a 5-year-old” sentence)

Say:

• who you help
• the result they get
• your credibility

Format: I help ___ do ___ → ___

Example: I help entrepreneurs turn LinkedIn content → clients

If someone has to try and figure out how you can help them, they bounce.

I can help you rewrite yours, keep reading for my booking link!

2) Banner: Your billboard

Most people waste this space. Use it to reinforce your ONE thing.

Include:

• what you do
• who you help
• how to work with you

Think: “Understand me instantly.”

If you do 1:1 work, say it. If you have a newsletter, plug it.

3) About Section

This is NOT your resume. It should NOT be in 3rd person perspective. This is your POV + proof.

Simple structure:

1. Who you help and why
2. The problem they have
3. How you solve it (your services/expertise)
4. Why your approach works
5. Proof (examples / outcomes)
6. CTA: what they should do next

Keep it skimmable. Short paragraphs. Bullet points. No fluff.

People aren’t reading your whole life story, they’re scanning for relevance.

4) Featured Section: The action zone

This is PRIME real estate. If you sell anything, it goes here. SO many people don't even know that this section exists!

Order:

1. Your paid offer / booking link
2. Newsletter or lead magnet
3. Credibility piece (top post, case study, podcast, etc.)

Don’t make people hunt for how to work with you. Put the next step in their lap.

I could write an entire book about optimizing your profile alone, but I want you to put some of this stuff into action ASAP.

So if you’re reading this thinking, “Honestly… my profile could use a glow-up,”, and you need some help growing your visibility, I’ve got you.

I’m offering a one-time holiday rate for a 1:1 LinkedIn profile + positioning review, so you can start 2026 with clarity, confidence, and a profile that actually converts eyeballs into opportunities.

We’ll tighten your headline, banners, Featured section, and messaging so when the right people land on your page, they instantly get what you're all about and what you want more of.

Grab a spot here before the year wraps, once I go on mat leave, I’m offline for a while: https://calendly.com/mickalexis/linkedin-pages-personal-branding-session-hohoho

And like I said, if you found this newsletter helpful, I would absolutely love it if you'd share it and help your connections also win on LinkedIn WITHOUT spending a fortune to boost posts.

Love and coffee, Mick