LinkedIn has a billion users. Only 1 percent write regularly, which means the platform offers an opportunity to share ideas and build a personal brand. 

That and other insights come from the just-published LinkedIn Algorithm Insights 2024, an annual report by consultant Richard van der Blom. It is his first report to include comprehensive stats on how AI is impacted the platform. 

Here are some of the most interesting observations:

THE LANDSCAPE: 

–The platform has 1 billion users, up 120 million in the past year. 

–1.1% users post weekly; 7% post every three months. The rest lurk. 

–About half of the posts have text and a single image. 

–16% of posts on LinkedIn are text only 

–Only 1.2% of posts include polls.

–8.2% of posts are videos. 

ANALYTICS ON LINKEDIN PERFORMANCE: 

–The most effective length is from 900 to 1,200 characters.

–Promotional posts see a 75% decrease in performance.

–Posts with short sentences (under 12 words) perform 20% better.

–Personal images boost reach by 15-20%; selfies, up to 30%.

–Personalized images boost engagement by 45%. 

–Photos with people can lead to a 50% boost in engagement.

–Carousel Posts, initially popular, have seen a 45% reduction in reach.

–Polls are top performers, with a 1.99 times increase over median reach.

–Text-only posts perform surprisingly well at 1.17 times median reach.

–Videos are gaining more traction in the algorithm since September.

–Successful videos are less than 1 to 2 minutes. 

–Ending with a question can boost engagement 20% to 40%.

–Adding links in the post decreases reach by 40-50% 

–”Top Voices” get 25% and 40% more profile views and larger reach.

–AI tools have encouraged 16 million users to create their first post.

–AI has prompted 15% of users to post more often.

–AI has driven a 28% increase in the length of text posts.

–AI content sees a 30% drop in reach, 55% decrease in engagement, and 60% decline in clickthrough rate versus original content.

TED’S LINKEDIN WRITING TAKEAWAYS:  

Be informational. 

Never be promotional 

Don’t write too short or too long 

Don’t use AI for posts or comments 

Use your own photos, not stock images 

Start to experiment with videos to tell your story 

Most posts should have a single photo; some only text.

Don’t end with a question (in spite of what the analytics say). It’s hokey.