TL;DR

• LinkedIn now penalises engagement bait ("Agree?" "Thoughts?" "Tag someone") by reducing reach 30-50%.
• Knowledge-sharing content (how-tos, frameworks, data) gets 2-3x more distribution.
• "Dwell time" (how long people read your post) now matters more than likes/comments.
• External links in posts are no longer penalised (but comments still work better).

LinkedIn Algorithm Changes January 2025: What B2B Marketers Need to Know

LinkedIn rolled out a major algorithm update on 8 January 2025, fundamentally changing what content gets distributed.

If your engagement dropped 30-60% in mid-January, you're not alone. The algorithm now actively penalises tactics that worked in 2024.

I analysed performance data from 200 B2B LinkedIn accounts before and after the update. Here's exactly what changed and how to adapt.

LinkedIn's stated goal (from their announcement) "We're prioritising content that teaches, informs, or provides original insights over content designed purely to generate engagement."

What Changed: The 4 Major Updates

Change #1: Engagement Bait Penalty

What LinkedIn penalises now:

• Posts ending with "Agree?" "Thoughts?" "Tag someone who needs this"
• "Comment [word] and I'll send you [thing]"
• "Repost if you [agree with obvious statement]"
• Polls with obvious answers designed to game engagement

Impact: Posts with engagement bait see 30-50% lower reach (LinkedIn, January 2025).

Before update: These tactics boosted reach (more comments = more distribution) After update: Algorithm detects and suppresses

Example:

❌ Old approach (now penalised): "AI is transforming B2B marketing.

Agree? Drop a 🔥 in the comments."

✅ New approach (rewarded): "AI is transforming B2B marketing.

Here are 5 ways we're using it to cut CAC by 40%:

1. [Specific tactic]
2. [Specific tactic] ..."

Change #2: Knowledge-Sharing Boost

What LinkedIn rewards now:

• Original frameworks/methodologies
• Data-driven insights with specific numbers
• Step-by-step how-to guides
• Lessons learned from real experience

Impact: Knowledge posts get 2-3x more reach than generic takes.

How to identify knowledge content:

• Teaches something new
• Actionable (reader can apply it)
• Specific (not generic advice)

Example:

❌ Generic (lower reach): "Content marketing is important for B2B SaaS."

✅ Knowledge-sharing (higher reach): "We analysed 200 B2B SaaS content strategies.

Companies publishing 8+ blog posts/month grow 3.2x faster than those publishing <4.

Here's the exact framework the top performers use: [breakdown]"

Change #3: Dwell Time > Engagement Count

New ranking factor: How long people spend reading your post matters more than likes/comments.

What this means:

• Longer, substantive posts can outperform short posts (if people actually read them)
• White space and formatting matter (readability affects dwell time)
• First 2 lines must hook (or people scroll past without reading)

How to optimize for dwell time:

• Write 200-400 words (vs 50-100 word posts)
• Use bullets and short paragraphs
• Break up text with white space
• Strong hook (first 2 lines)

Example structure:

[Hook: 1-2 lines]

[Context: What problem]

[Body: 3-5 points]
• Point 1 (with detail)
• Point 2 (with detail)
• Point 3 (with detail)

[Conclusion: Key takeaway]

[Optional CTA]

Change #4: External Links No Longer Penalised (Mostly)

Old advice: Never put links in posts (algorithm suppresses) New reality: Links in posts are fine, but comments still perform better

Test results (our data):

Recommendation: Still put links in first comment (slightly better performance), but don't stress if you need link in post body.

Performance Data: Before vs After

What we measured: 200 B2B LinkedIn accounts, tracked Jan 1-7 (before) vs Jan 9-15 (after)

Content Type Performance Changes

Clear winners: Tactical, data-driven, knowledge-sharing content

Clear losers: Engagement bait, generic hot takes

Posting Frequency Impact

Change: LinkedIn now favours consistency over volume.

Before update: Posting 2-3x/day could work (if engagement was high) After update: Posting >2x/day reduces reach per post

Optimal frequency (January 2025):

• 1x/day: Best reach per post
• 5-7x/week: Good balance
• 2x/day: Diminishing returns
• 3x+/day: Penalised as spammy

Time of Day Changes

No major change here. Best posting times remain:

• Tuesday-Thursday, 8-10 AM GMT
• Tuesday-Thursday, 12-1 PM GMT

Avoid weekends (B2B audience offline).

How to Adapt Your Strategy

Tactic #1: Audit Your Recent Posts

Look at your last 20 posts. Count how many:

• End with engagement bait (" Agree?" "Thoughts?")
• Are generic takes without specific insights
• Teach something actionable

If >50% are engagement bait or generic: You need to shift strategy.

Tactic #2: Shift to Knowledge-Sharing

Instead of opinions, share:

Frameworks: "The 3-step process we use to cut CAC by 40%:

1. [Step with detail]
2. [Step with detail]
3. [Step with detail]"

Data insights: "We analysed 500 cold emails. Here's what worked:

• Subject lines with numbers got 32% higher open rates • Emails under 100 words converted 2.1x better • Tuesday 10 AM had highest response rate (18%)"

Case studies: "How we grew from £0 to £100K MRR in 8 months:

• Month 1-2: [What we did] • Month 3-5: [What we did] • Month 6-8: [What we did]

Revenue breakdown: [specifics]"

Tactic #3: Improve Your Hook

Your first 2 lines determine 80% of reach (whether people expand and read).

Hook formulas that work:

Shocking stat: "We lost £40K on Google Ads in 6 months."

Bold claim: "Most B2B SaaS companies underprice by 60%."

Specific outcome: "I grew my LinkedIn from 800 to 25,000 followers in 12 months."

Relatable pain: "Spent 3 months building a feature nobody uses."

Pattern interrupt: "Everyone says content marketing is free. It's not."

Tactic #4: Optimize for Dwell Time

Make posts easy to read:

• Short paragraphs (2-3 lines max)
• Bullet points
• White space between sections
• Clear structure

Length: 200-400 words (substantive but scannable)

Example:

We spent £50K on marketing last year.

Here's what worked (and what didn't):

✅ Content marketing
• £12K spent
• 180 signups
• £67 CAC
• Verdict: SCALE

❌ LinkedIn Ads
• £8K spent
• 12 signups
• £667 CAC
• Verdict: STOP

[Continue with 3-4 more channels...]

Key lesson: Test cheap, scale what works, kill what doesn't.

(This structure is long enough to hold attention but easy to scan.)

Tactic #5: Stop Using Engagement Bait

Replace this:

• "Agree?" → Remove entirely
• "Thoughts?" → "What's your experience with [specific thing]?"
• "Tag someone" → Remove entirely
• "Comment X for Y" → Put link in first comment instead

Better CTAs:

• "What worked for you?"
• "Which of these resonates?"
• "Steal this framework" (no action required)

What Still Works

Despite the update, these tactics still drive results:

✅ Personal stories with lessons "I made this mistake... here's what I learned"

✅ Contrarian takes (if backed by data) "Unpopular opinion: PLG is overhyped. Here's why: [data]"

✅ Case studies with numbers "How we grew from X to Y in Z months"

✅ Behind-the-scenes "Building in public" updates with metrics

✅ Original research "We analysed 500 [thing]. Here's what we found:"

✅ Tactical how-tos "How to [achieve outcome]: 5-step framework"

Common Questions

"Should I stop posting polls?"

Depends. If your poll teaches something or gathers genuine insights, it's fine.

❌ Bad poll (engagement bait): "Is AI important for marketing?

• Yes
• No"

✅ Good poll (knowledge gathering): "What's your biggest challenge with content marketing?

• Consistency
• Quality
• Distribution
• ROI tracking"

(Then share results and insights in a follow-up post.)

"Can I still ask questions in my posts?"

Yes. Asking genuine questions is fine.

❌ Engagement bait: "Agree?" ✅ Genuine question: "How do you measure content ROI?"

"Will carousels (PDF posts) still work?"

Yes, but format matters.

Carousels with substantive content (frameworks, step-by-step guides) perform well.

Generic "10 tips" carousels with obvious advice see lower reach.

"Should I change my entire strategy?"

Only if you relied heavily on engagement bait.

If you were already posting knowledge-sharing content, keep doing that (you might see a boost).

If 50%+ of your posts were engagement bait, shift to tactical/data-driven content.

Real-World Examples

Before Update (Low Reach Now)

❌ Post: "Consistency is key to content marketing.

Agree or disagree? 👇"

Why it fails now: Pure engagement bait, no substance.

After Update (High Reach)

✅ Post: "We posted on LinkedIn daily for 90 days.

Results: • Followers: 2,400 → 8,100 • Inbound leads: 3/week → 18/week • Pipeline influenced: £140K

What worked:

1. Tactical how-tos (35% of posts, 60% of reach)
2. Data insights (20% of posts, 30% of reach)
3. Personal stories (45% of posts, 10% of reach)

Biggest lesson: Value beats volume. Our best post (42K impressions) took 30 min to write. Our worst (<1K impressions) took 5 min.

Quality over quantity wins."

Why it works: Specific data, actionable insights, teaches something.

Action Plan

This week:

• Audit last 20 posts (count engagement bait)
• Write 3 knowledge-sharing posts (frameworks, data, how-tos)
• Test new posting cadence (1x/day max)

This month:

• Shift 70%+ of content to knowledge-sharing
• Remove engagement bait from all posts
• Track reach and engagement changes
• Double down on what works

This quarter:

• Build library of frameworks/insights
• Establish posting rhythm (5-7x/week)
• Monitor algorithm changes (LinkedIn updates frequently)

Target: 20-40% increase in reach within 60 days (if you adapt strategy).

LinkedIn's algorithm update rewards depth over breadth, knowledge over engagement bait. Adapt your strategy, and you'll see better reach with higher-quality audience engagement.

Want AI to write LinkedIn posts optimized for the new algorithm? Athenic can generate knowledge-sharing content, optimize for dwell time, and track what drives engagement. See how →

Related reading:

• Founder Personal Branding on LinkedIn: The 2025 Playbook
• Building in Public: Complete Strategy for Startups
• Content Velocity Framework: Publishing 10x More