What I learned from testing the LinkedIn algorithm

I tried an experiment the other day.

I researched the LinkedIn algorithm and learned it doesn’t like links that take you off LinkedIn. It makes sense they prefer you death scroll LinkedIn and not use LinkedIn as a gateway to the internet.

So I tried to work the algorithm to my advantage. I posted part of an article in the feed, included a picture (another way to boost on LinkedIn), and added a “link in comments” closing line. I even included a question to try and drive engagement.

I put the link in the comments and waited.

So what happened.

It worked. I got a lot more impressions than usual. But there was a problem.

Fewer people clicked the link, which means fewer people read the content. A typical post gets fewer impressions but 50% more clicks to the article.

A congratulations, I am sorry moment.

More impressions but fewer clicks means I failed. I hate failing, but I am reflective in my failure. So not a total loss.

If I got more impressions, why do I consider it a failure?

I write content to be helpful. I have experienced a lot of life. I want part of my legacy to be sharing what those experiences have taught me so that others can benefit from my successes and failures. Hopefully, while amassing fewer bruises than I did along the way.

So if no one reads the content, then I have failed. That is the impression that I get.

So what

A definition of success is hugely important in ensuring you are moving in a meaningful direction toward an intentional future. A measurement showing movement is hugely important in helping show what progress is being made and in reassuring you along the journey.

But neither how you define success nor what you measure matters if the result you are chasing is the wrong one. You must get the “what” right before you worry about the “how” or the “how much.”

For me, I don’t care how many people see my post. I care about people reading the content. Helping others succeed is what matters. Viewing a picture, an article tease, and an impression on LinkedIn isn’t helpful. Those are cheap tricks. I am going for making an impact.

Conclusion

Make sure when you set out to do something, you have the right something in mind. Identifying the right problem to solve or the impact to make is the most important thing. Get the what wrong, and everything else will be wrong too. Even when everything else looks like it is succeeding. Get the what right, and then you can move on to figuring out the how and how much. All three matter, but the order you address them matters too