I bring you a gift in the form of a series of posts with a very special guest: Álex Morán Navia. Álex has a master’s degree in marketing and business management, as well as certifications in digital marketing and branding. In addition, he is a specialist in personal branding on LinkedIn. His main focus is people and that is why he has in his platform’s headline “more human marketing”. If you want to strengthen your digital presence on the web, you can write to him at contacto@alexmorannavia.com or visit his website alexmorannavia.com. In this first post, Alex talks about content creation on LinkedIn in times of the algorithm.
Writing content on the world’s largest professional network presents challenges, but also opportunities that are often overlooked. In a hyper-connected world where distances have shortened significantly and are now subject to a couple of clicks, one question often arises: is it necessary to be on social networks?
The short answer is “yes” and the strongest support is that whoever is not in digital is missing out on valuable opportunities, both for professional and personal growth. And, speaking of professional growth, LinkedIn cannot be left out of the equation.
Content creation on LinkedIn in times of the algorithm
The world’s largest social network has already surpassed 1 billion users since November 2023. It is an ideal platform to grow and one of the ways to do so is through content creation.
According to estimates by LinkedIn Sales Navigator, around 3% of total users do create content, leaving 97% who do not, who are simply spectators.
There are many reasons for not creating, and talking to clients and colleagues in the network, they could be summarized in these 5:
- Fear of what others will say.
- It is seen as a waste of time.
- Believe that experience is required.
- Feel there are no opportunities.
- Think they are not as good as others.
The goal of this article is to show you that there are more reasons to try than to stay static.
What if the algorithm doesn’t like it? Well, we’ll also talk about it and how creating content doesn’t have to become a headache by its presence alone.
LinkedIn indicators in 2024
I like to analyze data and so I have compiled the most recent ones regarding the platform, so that we can appreciate the magnitude of its reach in the professional world.
According to the “Digital 2024 April Global Statshot Report”, jointly prepared by Meltwater and We Are Social and disseminated by DataReportal, LinkedIn currently has 1.07 billion users worldwide.
How are your age groups distributed? This is sure to get a lot of attention. Let’s take a look at the following graph:
What strikes me most is the number of young people in the network. Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) and Gen Y or millenials (born between 1982 and 1994) represent more than 75% of all members of the network.
Taking into account that we are already more than 8.10 billion people on Earth, LinkedIn’s “population” is no less than 13%. By now you’ve surely realized the incredible potential of the platform, haven’t you?
Well, the race has already started and just 3% of the participants are already running, but the rest – maybe you’re here – haven’t even put on their shoes yet. But you already have them in your hand, so put them on, stretch a little and start your way.
Now I’m sure you’ll say to me, “Alex, I know it’s a good network to be on, but I’ve heard that the algorithm is really bad. What happens if I post and it doesn’t help me, making my post go into oblivion?”
What is an algorithm?
Much is read and heard about algorithms and we even tend to fear them a lot, because those friends tend to change the rules of the game a lot, driving more than one person crazy. But what are they leaving?
I will quote a definition from Metricool, one of the great social media managers: “It is a set of programming keys with an objective. In the case of social networks, the algorithms focus on ordering the content that is shown to users, according to various parameters.”
Basically, they are responsible for showing each user valuable information in their feed, according to their tastes, preferences and consumer behavior.
Therefore, every action you take on the network, be it a comment, a like, a view or a share, gives information to the algorithm about what type of content is your favorite. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
In the next post of the series we will talk about what is new that the LinkedIn algorithm will bring in 2024.
Photo credit: CV
