How long does a LinkedIn post ACTUALLY last?

Does a LinkedIn post last a few hours? A day? A week?

What if I told you it could last forever?

I’ve been posting on LinkedIn for 10+ years. For so long in fact that when I tried going back as far as I could in my post history LinkedIn crashed.

Also, during my time at LinkedIn as a Senior and Managing Editor from 2020 to 2021, I gained a unique insight into how the platform works, and more importantly, how long posts truly “live” on LinkedIn. From there I've continued to build both personal and brand presence on LinkedIn while at Gong and GreenSlate .

Here’s what I’ve learned about the lifespan of LinkedIn posts, how to maximize engagement, and why your content can have a lasting impact far beyond what you might expect.

The LinkedIn algorithm and post longevity

At its core, LinkedIn’s algorithm gives a post a window of reach for about a week. But here's the catch: while the post’s visibility will gradually taper off after the initial few hours, it doesn't mean the post is gone forever.

The most significant engagement on any post typically occurs in the first two to four hours, after which the post’s reach starts to decline.

However, if you manage to catch the attention of the LinkedIn News Team or the post becomes part of a trending story, or gets pushed in "suggested for you" notification, the lifespan can extend beyond the norm.

This is also particularly true of video posts since LinkedIn has really started pushing promoting video in the news feed. They have an engagement team dedicated to highlighting quality posts, and videos are currently a priority. But the competition is also high.

Post formats come in and out of style and popularity over time as LinkedIn tweaks their algo and people hop on different trends.

Here's how I'd currently rank the reach and effectiveness of common post format types:

1️⃣ Post text with single image (or gif) - Easily the best pairing currently. But only IF the text and image is compelling. Even selfies (in the right context and not overly staged) work great. LinkedIn is a professional social network, so the people factor is high here, meaning photos of yourself doing what you do, meeting people, etc., is both easy and effective on a consistent basis.

2️⃣ Vertical video short - This is really hit or miss. But when it hits, it really hits. So it has to be high.

Here's an example of me talking about this exact topic.

Landscape oriented videos are great as well, they just don't have the option of getting promoted into the video tab on the app that the vertical videos do. But they still very much have their place because of the flexibility.

3️⃣ Polls - Polls are the easiest to interact with and start a conversation. If you know how to write around a poll that's engaging, and then follow up on the results, they can be huge and get fantastic reach. I absolutely love polls. They're easy, fun, and great conversation starters that help you generate more content.

4️⃣ Newsletter article - Because of subscriptions and notifications that go out when you publish. I'd put this higher, but it takes more effort. But if you can focus on this, then I'd probably put them at the top.

5️⃣ Photo gallery - If you're doing events of any kind, you should be doing photo galleries. They're the best for tagging people and boosting engagement. Natural reach drivers because of the visual element and potential engagement when people focused. Here's an event photo gallery, and here's one highlighting employee interests.

6️⃣ Document aka carousel - These come and go as trends. They can either be really compelling or really annoying and the reach can be fantastic when they're compelling.

7️⃣ Post text with no image - Why so low? Look, these can be great and get a ton of reach with the right hook. But unless you're great with hooks then they can fall flat when lacking a visual element. Even with a good hook, they might not work and it would have had a better chance with a visual attached.

8️⃣ Article - Without a newsletter tied to it, articles tend to fall flat. They just don't do well in the feed for whatever reason.

9️⃣ Repost without thoughts - No idea because it doesn't show reach. But worth it to fill out your feed and highlight others with no expectations.

1️⃣0️⃣ Repost WITH thoughts - The second to worst reach of any post type. It just doesn't go anywhere, no matter how much thought you put into the text. I still do it from time to time though if I want to highlight something, have something to say about it, and don't care about the engagement. For example, here. The only "repost with thoughts" post type that got 6k+ impressions reach for me ever was this one.

1️⃣1️⃣ Text with direct hyperlink - Yeah, these have historically not performed well. That said, there is still definitely value be had here when you want people to specifically click out to something, just don't expect anything to go crazy, because it won't.

I'd add Live Video Events as well, but that's less of a "post type" and more of a "post that's related to a Live Video Event." I know quite a few people who do these on the regular with great results.

That's my take, but the effectiveness of each of these can - and will - vary depending on how you use each type, which ones click for you and your purposes the most. So use the above as a reference, not a bible.

But that's still thinking short term and more around immediate impact.

There's more to it than that.

Maximizing the impact of your LinkedIn posts

When you post on LinkedIn, it’s essential to think beyond that initial engagement window. Here are three critical angles to consider for every piece of content you share:

1️⃣ Immediate Impact

As mentioned, immediate impact is a factor. The first few hours for a post are crucial. Most engagement happens during this time, so it’s important to stay present. Respond to comments, tag relevant people (but not too many!), and keep the conversation flowing around timely and relevant topics. Engaging in real time with your audience signals to LinkedIn that your post is valuable, which helps increase its reach.

A post that engages actively with its audience is more likely to get picked up by the LinkedIn News Team, or even promoted into the main feed, giving it that extra visibility. Your goal should be to contribute thoughtfully to the ongoing conversation, making your post a valuable resource rather than just another update.

2️⃣ Long-Term Reusability

While the first few hours matter, don’t forget the power of evergreen content. Some posts should be crafted to provide value long after the initial engagement spike. Think industry insights, timeless frameworks, or foundational knowledge that remains relevant for months or even years. These types of posts can be repurposed, reshared, or revisited over time.

For example, some of my newsletter editions from years ago continue to drive new subscribers, as their content remains just as relevant today.

A well-crafted post with long-term value doesn’t just serve you in the moment, it continues to pay dividends over time as people discover it, reshare it, and engage with it anew.

3️⃣ Your Overall Narrative

Each post contributes to your broader narrative on LinkedIn. Whether you’re sharing a selfie, a video, a poll, or a text-based post, everything you put out reinforces the story you're building around your personal or even company brand.

Consider the broader picture of your LinkedIn activity. When recruiters, hiring managers, or potential clients visit your profile, they’ll see your post history. What does it tell them about you or your company as a whole?

This is why every post should support the story you want to tell. If you’re simply posting for the sake of gaining likes or making a fleeting splash, that narrative might be minimized or become lost in the chase for reach and engagement.

This is why it is also OK to delete posts from time to time if they don't fit the overall narrative upon reflection.

The most successful LinkedIn creators understand that it's not just about going viral or showcasing your latest achievement. It’s about building a consistent, thoughtful presence that resonates over time.

Beyond the 'viral moment'

The key takeaway here is that LinkedIn posts can live much longer than you might think. Some can stick around for months or even years, continuing to bring value to your network. The most successful creators think beyond the immediate "viral moment." They approach each post with a larger strategy in mind, considering its long-term value, reusability, and how it contributes to the ongoing narrative they’re building.

So next time you hit "Post," remember: the impact of your content isn’t measured just by the first few hours or days. It can last much longer than that, like forever, if you approach your LinkedIn posts with clear intention and strategy.

Content news and views

META testing AI generated comments on Insta 💬

They're going to just keep trying aren't they? After getting crushed for creating fake AI profiles, they've moved on to testing the waters with AI generated comment suggestions. LinkedIn has this functionality already with Premium membership, and so far I'm not a fan at all.

Yahoo sold TechCrunch 💵

...to investment firm Regent. TC has recently had a rough time of it with layoffs and staff leaving, and this is just another sign of the struggles of digital news media.

Fake Semrush ads on Google 💀

Scammers suck. We can all agree on that. Now there's a new Google ad scam emerging of fake Semrush ads being used to steal SEO professional's Google accounts. Just one more reason why it's almost never worth clicking on the ads at the top of Google.

Apple losing $1 billion 🍎

...per year on streaming. Ouch. Tim Apple, what do you have to say about this?

For the Gemini AI users

Google introduced Gemini 2.5 and calls it their "most powerful thinking model" yet.

Thou pod shall pass! 🧙♂️

Damion Taylor (He/Him) writes for Forbes on how podcasts are becoming Hollywood's new development pipeline with the popular format, "positioning itself as Hollywood's latest testing ground for fresh content."

Video branding guidelines matter 📃

Alexandra Rynne put together a nice piece for the LinkedIn Marketing blog on how to create and implement video brand guidelines.

Comedy gold ✅

Wanted to recommend a few people and one brand in particular that "gets" humor on LinkedIn. Not everything has to be promotional or braggy to win here.

😂 If you haven't seen comedian Ken Cheng on LinkedIn yet, go over and check out his post history. You won't be disappointed. Unless you're my wife, as she found him unfunny. She's a tough crowd though.

😂 Also Duolingo . Oh Duolingo, how I love thee content. The only company I know of that can make birds and butts work in their favor on LinkedIn.

😂 Amanda Nielsen over at Box is forever entertaining and her content rarely misses a beat.

😂 Ashley Amber Sava is a Senior Writer at Manychat with a gift for the irreverent and biting commentary.

New AI tools I've tried this month 🤖

Dreamwriter - Founded by Evan James , Dreamwriter isn't trying to take on Canva. Instead it focuses on using AI to help create lead magnet assets such as eBooks, whitepapers, and decks at scale. This is still an early stage startup but I like the potential to fill a really niche space instead of trying to do everything only moderately well.

Captions - You'll see below that I used Captions to create an "AI advocate" avatar for fun. But then started playing around with and using it for it's AI video editing and captioning functionality. It works really well. I've found the caption creator to be flexible and easy to use without being very buggy. The video editing timeline could use some improvements though. At $9.95 for basic functionality along with avatar creation it is reasonably priced.

Just for fun...

I recently dug up 40+ old LIFE Magazines from the 30s and 40s at my parent's house and the ads from back then are a real trip. I mean look at this:

And this...

It's always worth looking back as we look forward at new ways of doing content. You also never know where you'll find inspiration.

Speaking of new ways of doing content...

The other week I tried using an AI avatar I created with Captions to read off one of my old recommendations on LinkedIn because why not.

Did it work? Sort of. Still very much uncanny valley territory and definitely not the use case for these AI avatars, but experimentation is the spice of life.

And the fun thing about experimenting is that it creates conversation. In this particular case, the result was that I was able to get more milage out of an old rec through an experiment along with learning how to create an AI avatar and using it in a way that could benefit my purposes.

Have an idea for a new way of doing something? Try it!

That's it 👋

Happy to be back with this edition.

➡️ Next up: The no-BS guide to executive thought leadership.

Subscribe so you don't miss it.