LinkedIn, are the tips worth your time, or are they just another way to waste money?
Many of us have followed LinkedIn’s advice only to struggle with low engagement and minimal followers.
But here’s the truth: LinkedIn’s recommendations work, but only if you know how to adapt them for your audience.
With the right approach, you can grow your presence without burning a hole in your pocket.
Before we begin, you need to ask yourself: What do you want to gain from LinkedIn? A new job, more clients, greater presence, or recognition of your skills?
What is your driving force?
Why is this important? Because it will determine how much effort you put into this platform and others.
And it’s true of you are committed, one day people will nominate you a authority in a particular field and then is capitalise on it.
As adept at detecting patterns, we are always looking for the best strategies to overcome our challenges. Sometimes, a perfect solution exists, but most of the time, it just ends up wasting our time.
Do LinkedIn’s Recommendations Actually Work?
You’ve probably seen countless articles from LinkedIn experts claiming that professional photos, polished profiles, and frequent posts will increase followers, improve engagement, and maybe even attract clients.
Perhaps, but even people with 7000 followers have just about 5 to 10 likes per post, which is nothing.
These recommendations follow LinkedIn’s best practices and reflect how the platform is designed to work. But does following these tips guarantee success?
The short answer is yes, LinkedIn’s tips can be practical. They give you a solid foundation, but like anything in life, they’re not magic. You might upload a polished professional photo, hire a copywriter to refine your profile, and still find little improvement.
Why? Because LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards consistent, engaging content and genuine interaction, not just surface-level polish.
You need to think beyond just looking good. Engagement is key to making LinkedIn’s advice work in your favour.
And How Does the LinkedIn Algorithm Work?
The LinkedIn algorithm is designed to prioritize relevance and engagement over virality. Unlike social platforms that often promote content based on entertainment value, LinkedIn focuses on showing users the most meaningful and professionally relevant content. The algorithm achieves this by analyzing three key factors:
- Identity Signals
LinkedIn prioritizes content from people you are closely connected with, especially your first-degree connections. It takes into account your profile information, including your skills, industry, location, and past interactions, to determine the relevance of posts. This ensures that the content you see is aligned with your professional interests and network. - Content Quality
The algorithm evaluates the quality of content based on engagement levels and the nature of interactions. Posts that share valuable insights, professional advice, or industry-specific knowledge are more likely to be prioritized. Meaningful engagement, such as thoughtful comments or discussion, boosts a post’s visibility far more than simple likes or reactions. Posts that contain images, videos, or other rich media also tend to perform better. - User Activity
LinkedIn tracks users’ behavior, such as the types of posts they interact with, the groups they join, and the hashtags they follow. By monitoring these actions, the algorithm tailors the feed to display content that is most relevant to a user’s specific interests. For example, if someone frequently engages with content related to leadership or project management, they will see more posts related to these topics.
Now that you have a bit of how it works, let’s proceed.
Why Content Matters More Than Profile Perfection
The temptation to focus heavily on perfecting your LinkedIn profile is understandable.
After all, first impressions count, right? But if you’ve optimised your profile and are still struggling with low engagement, the issue could lie in your posting content.
With tools like ChatGPT and Hootsuite making it easier than ever to generate content, competition is fierce.
Trust me, most of the high-profile LinkedIn profiles use a lot of automation to streamline their business. This is because of their volume, and they earn enough to cover the expenses.
Think about it—how many posts do you see in your feed that look well-formatted but lack real substance?
The truth is that quality trumps aesthetics. No amount of profile tweaking will change if your content doesn’t resonate with your audience.
Side note: On my site, I used to have pictures generated by AI, but then I decided to use real photos, which is not my current thing.
It’s easy to mimic popular posts that seem to gain traction, but authenticity wins in the long run. People follow, engage with, and trust those who offer genuine value.
Rather than worrying too much about your profile picture or headline, focus on sharing insights, stories, and solutions your target audience cares about.
Don’t Fall for the Trap of Buying Followers and Engagement
In a moment of frustration, you might consider shortcuts like buying followers, clicks, or engagement. And why not? It can seem tempting if someone shows you a graph with skyrocketing engagement. But don’t be fooled by sudden spikes in traffic. These quick fixes often do more harm than good.
Bought followers rarely engage with your content meaningfully, and engagement pods (groups where members agree to like and comment on each other’s posts) may boost your numbers temporarily but don’t build genuine relationships. Worse, LinkedIn’s algorithm can detect inauthentic engagement and penalise your account by reducing your post visibility.
Instead of resorting to these methods, take the time to cultivate real connections. Join relevant groups, comment thoughtfully on posts, and attend or host live events. LinkedIn is a platform built around relationships, not just numbers. Real, organic growth takes time, but it’s far more rewarding and sustainable.
Engagement Over Quantity – Quality Interactions Are What Count
It’s easy to think that you must post daily to stay relevant on LinkedIn. But here’s the truth: you don’t. Posting too often can dilute the quality of your content, making it harder to stand out in an already crowded space. Instead, focus on quality over quantity.
You don’t have to overwhelm yourself by creating daily posts. Start small. Posting once or twice a week is more than enough, especially if you share valuable insights, answer questions, or solve real problems. The key is to create content that inspires interaction—this is what LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards.
LinkedIn engagement isn’t just about your posts. It’s about how you engage with others. Spend time interacting with your third-degree connections, join conversations, ask questions, and offer your opinions. Every like, comment, and share you contribute helps build your visibility and credibility in your network.
Hosting LinkedIn Live Events – The Underrated Strategy for Growth
Live events are among the most effective yet underused ways to build engagement on LinkedIn. You’ve probably seen others host live sessions, and maybe it’s crossed your mind to try it yourself. But perhaps you’ve hesitated, unsure whether it’s worth the effort or how to get started.
Here’s why LinkedIn live events can work wonders for your visibility. First, they offer a direct, real-time way to engage with your audience. Unlike written posts or pre-recorded videos, live sessions allow you to answer questions on the spot, share your expertise, and build a deeper connection with your viewers.
You don’t need to host hour-long webinars to be effective. Start small, with a 30-minute session discussing a topic that’s relevant to your network. Encourage interaction by taking questions; as you grow more comfortable, you can gradually increase the length and frequency of your events.
Start with audio shows and then go to video live shows. Get your phone or laptop for the first sessions, and then maybe you need something like SmallRig to start your mini-filming studio.
Then you are off.
Hosting live events can quickly position you as an expert in your field and help you build a loyal following.
Plus, LinkedIn loves live content—its algorithm prioritises it, boosting your visibility across the platform.
Building Your Own Website – Why It’s Crucial Alongside LinkedIn
While LinkedIn is a fantastic tool for building connections and engagement, it shouldn’t be the only place where your brand lives. One of the most common mistakes people make is relying solely on social media platforms for their online presence. Your website is where your brand should shine.
Unlike LinkedIn, which can change its algorithms and policies or even disappear in the future, your website is under your control. It’s where you can truly showcase your expertise, create long-form content, and establish authority without worrying about platform limitations.
The good news is that you don’t need a flashy, over-the-top website to succeed. Today, simpler websites often perform better on search engines like Google because they’re easier to navigate and quicker to load. Focus on keeping your site user-friendly and rich with valuable content that complements your LinkedIn share.
By driving traffic from LinkedIn to your website, you can fully own your audience and lead them through a funnel that builds trust and, ultimately, converts them into clients.
Conclusion
So, do LinkedIn tips really work? Absolutely—but only when used strategically.
Getting caught up in the idea that professional photos and perfectly curated profiles will bring immediate success is easy. Still, the reality is that engaging content, consistent interaction, and some experimentation genuinely drive growth on the platform.
Instead of following the same old strategies and expecting different results, take time to experiment.
Test out different types of content, engage with new connections, and host live events. And remember, LinkedIn is a powerful tool, but it’s not the only one you have. Your website is just as important—if not more so—in building your brand.
Don’t lose heart if you’ve tried everything and aren’t seeing the desired results. Sometimes the key to success is making a few mistakes, learning from them, and returning with a smarter strategy.
Give LinkedIn a month of dedicated focus, and see how things evolve. You might be surprised at what happens when combining best practices with a personal touch.