LinkedIn’s Best Posting Practices: How to post for optimal performance.

Having good content is one thing. Knowing how to post it is another.

In this article, we’ll dive into the best posting practices on LinkedIn. From best posting times to frequency, links, and hashtags, you will learn how to strategically post your content for optimal performance.

1. Best Posting Time on LinkedIn

Your best posting time varies based on your audience's behavior, but LinkedIn sees a general spike in activity between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM. For the best posting time, shoot between 8:00 and 11:00 AM in your time zone.

Posting in the mornings generally offers a full day of exposure. Consistency is key here! Stick to your posting schedule to train the algorithm to deliver your content right on cue to your engaged audience. BUT keep in mind that casual posts perform better in non-working hours.

2. The Best Posting Frequency on LinkedIn

Consistency is key to winning on LinkedIn. It's better to stick to a sustainable posting schedule than to go all out for a while just to slack afterward.

Additionally, avoid posting twice within 24 hours, as your reach can get split between the two posts. This also counts for "reposts with thoughts," as LinkedIn views this as a brand-new post.

When it comes to content formats, LinkedIn prefers you switch it up. Avoid posting one content format more than three times in a row to maintain reach.

While your ideal posting frequency depends on your resources, I’ve gathered my advice for company pages below.

3. How to Use Links in Your LinkedIn Posts

Adding links to your LinkedIn posts might seem like a no-brainer, but posts that include external links have recently seen a decrease in reach.

Often, the goal of your content is to drive conversions, which is challenging without links. So, what now? How do we include links without sacrificing reach?

Let's explore four ways to use links in your LinkedIn posts.

1. Directly Adding the Link in Your Post Caption: This is the easiest method, but expect a drop in reach. LinkedIn deprioritizes posts with external links. If your goal is instant conversions (e.g., event sign-ups), this is okay. But if reach is your goal, it’s better to avoid this method.

2. Including the Link in Your Post Comments: This used to be a clever workaround, but LinkedIn has updated its algorithm. Now, links in comments are harder to see, especially when your post is shared (since comments don’t get shared). It's best not to use conversion links in your post comments.

3. Editing Your Post to Add the Link Later: Worried that editing your post will hurt its performance? Not anymore! As long as you change less than 15% of the original caption, LinkedIn won’t penalize you. You can add the link after your post gains traction. Just make sure to include an image initially, as adding a link later won’t give you a clickable preview.

4. Including a Non-Clickable Link in Your Post Caption: This strategy cleverly allows you to guide those who are genuinely interested in your content to the right link without triggering the algorithm and sacrificing your post's reach. This could look like the link below.

3. How to Use Hashtags in Your LinkedIn Posts

LinkedIn hashtags no longer play a big role in increasing reach, but they do help topic association and discoverability. Here are four things to keep in mind when using hashtags.

1. Choose your first 2–3 hashtags wisely: These hashtags will be included in your post URL, leading search engines to your post and helping users find your content.

2. Only use 3–5 relevant hashtags: It is best to stick to 3, as going beyond 5 could raise some spam flags.

3. Always include hashtags right into your post: Whether you drop them in your text or at the end doesn't matter. But don't use hashtags in comments, as this has no effect.

4. Avoid using similar hashtags: LinkedIn has your back with its nifty database of associated hashtags, so avoid using two closely related hashtags for optimal use of your 3-5 hashtags.

If you like this article, you will love my free LinkedIn guide👇