Entries by Darren Stevens

How to make the best use of Linkedin in 2025

With over one billion users worldwide and continuous updates to its core features, LinkedIn remains the go-to platform for professionals looking to connect, learn, and grow their businesses. Long gone are the days when it was just a platform to find your next job. But with ever-evolving algorithm updates and shifts in user behaviour, making the best use of LinkedIn in 2025 means more than simply posting an update.

Whether you are a business, brand, or individual, knowing how the platform works – and how to work with it – is key to standing out. This guide breaks down how LinkedIn ranks content in 2025, what it rewards, and how you can tailor your strategy to grow visibility, connections, and authority.

How the LinkedIn algorithm works in 2025

LinkedIn’s algorithm has one mission: deliver the most relevant professional content to each user’s feed. To make that happen, it follows a three-step process:

  1. Quality Filtering

    When a post is published, LinkedIn immediately classifies it as spam, low quality, or high quality. Posts that violate platform rules – clickbait, misleading engagement bait, overuse of emojis, or chain-letter-style prompts – are flagged early and deprioritised.

  2. Engagement Testing

    Once your post passes the quality filter, it enters the engagement testing phase. Here, LinkedIn tests the post on a small sample of your audience to measure how well it performs. If it receives strong engagement (likes, comments, shares) within the first hour, the post will be shown to a broader range of users, expanding beyond your first-degree connections.

  3. Network and Relevance Ranking

    Finally, LinkedIn assesses who should see the post next based on relevance. This includes prior engagement, shared interests, job titles, industries, and the strength of the user’s connection to the author.

What is the Algorithm Looking For?

To successfully navigate the LinkedIn algorithm in 2025, you need to create content that meets its priorities. This means substance, not sensationalism.

LinkedIn now favours posts that spark meaningful discussions and rewards those that spark genuine conversations – not just ones flooded with emojis or single-word replies. While it is still important to encourage interaction, the depth of those interactions matters more.

Posts that demonstrate subject matter expertise will be particularly favoured. Sharing your professional insights, tips, and advice will add value that your audience engages with. Posts that captivate attention for longer periods, even without immediate engagement, will be prioritised by the algorithm.

How to Craft a Quality LinkedIn Post

Creating content that performs well on LinkedIn is not just about what you write – it is also about how you write it and how you optimise it for visibility. These tips will help you create posts that not only engage your pre-existing connections but also draw traction to your page.

● Targeted Posts: Tailor your posts to the audience you want to reach. Speak directly to industry peers, clients, or niche communities rather than trying to appeal to everyone.

● Keyword Optimisation: Like any content strategy, search engine optimisation (SEO) is key on LinkedIn. Conduct keyword research to identify the terms your target audience is searching for and include them strategically in your posts. But beware of not keyword-stuffing, as this can diminish your content’s credibility.

● Original Content: Repurposing is useful, but original posts—especially those rooted in your expertise—build credibility and outperform reshared links. Share insights, case studies, and tops that show the depth of your knowledge and experience.

● Planning Posts: Consistency is key. Use a content calendar to plan your posts ahead of time, ensuring that you are publishing regularly and at strategic times when typically posts have performed best for you.

● Mobile Optimisation: Structure your posts with line breaks and concise paragraphs to improve legibility on mobile.

Resonating with your Audience

The best content on LinkedIn in 2025 goes beyond just being informative. It captures your audience’s attention, engaging them visually, emotionally, and intellectually.

What types of LinkedIn posts perform best?

Some of the top-performing posts include thought leadership pieces, carousels, and short-form videos. Video content, in particular, continues to dominate on LinkedIn. Uploading videos directly to the platform, whether they’re quick tutorials, interviews, or company updates can increase engagement and visibility. Using these visual storytelling devices to address common pain points in your industry or share unique insights will allow your posts to capture users’ attention for long and spark some meaningful discussions.

Another tried-and-tested strategy to diversify the posts on your page is to make use of LinkedIn-specific features, such as LinkedIn Newsletters, LinkedIn Live, and LinkedIn Events. These tools help you engage your audience more effectively and increase the visibility of your content. Looking further afield, keep your content relevant by utilising Google News Alerts to share topical third-party news stories.

Building a LinkedIn Network

LinkedIn is a networking platform at its core – using it that way will let you expand your network and build your brand. The first step to building any network is to make sure you are connected with your customers, current and future so that they can remain updated with any big announcements you are making. Here are some more ways to construct a foundational network and grow your platform:

● Engage your Employees: Make use of the pre-existing network you have already created and encourage employees to be active on LinkedIn. By having your team like, share, and comment on your posts, you increase your visibility and credibility.

● Connect with Intent: Instead of sending generic connection requests, personalise your messages. Mentioning shared interests, mutual connections, or specific reasons why you want to connect will make your outreach more genuine.

● Comment Strategically: Engaging with others’ content, especially with thoughtful, well-crafted comments—helps you build visibility and establish your voice.

● Join Groups: LinkedIn groups that relate to your industry are a great medium for connection building. They provide an opportunity to share expertise, interact with like-minded professionals, and broaden your reach.

Your LinkedIn company page is often the first touchpoint for potential clients, partners, or employees – so it needs to be strong. Start by ensuring the page is fully optimised: include a clear, keyword-rich “About” section, relevant industry tags, and up-to-date contact details. A polished logo and banner add credibility, while consistent, engaging content—shared in a mix of formats—keeps your audience informed and coming back for more.

Measuring Success: Analytics and Iteration

Posting is just the beginning – refining your strategy through data is where the real growth happens.

Tracking key metrics including likes, comments, shares profile views, and follower growth will allow you to evaluate the performance of your content. This is not only helpful to see what is working, but also to inspire your future posts.
Using tools like Google Analytics will show you how much traffic comes from LinkedIn and whether it leads to high-quality engagement with your site. Once you know which posts are doing the work for you, replicate these formats and topics to maintain the momentum.

Whether your goals are lead generation, personal branding, or community building – tracking your progress and adapting accordingly is key to refining your content strategy.

Remember to ring the bell and ask people to ring yours

There was a time when if you were connected with a person or followed a company you would see everything they posted. This is no longer the case – to see everything that a connection posts or see everything that a company you follow posts, you need to visit their profile and click on the bell. A pop up menu will then appear with all as an option that you need to click. What was a single bell now becomes two and you will see all their content in your timeline. This also means that you need to ask your connections and company followers to do the same.

Winning on LinkedIn in 2025 isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about aligning your content with the algorithm’s deeper priorities: relevance, expertise, and authentic engagement. When your strategy focuses on value, consistency, and connection, LinkedIn becomes more than just a professional network—it becomes a growth engine for your brand.

And if you are looking for a little extra help with your LinkedIn strategy, then why not get us to manage your profile for you. For more tips on how to build a social media presence and branding, contact Prestbury Marketing & Consulting.

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The Challenges of Managing a Marketer When You Are Not a Marketer – And How to Overcome Them

Running a successful business requires bringing in diverse talent with expertise in various fields, and marketing is definitely no exception. For many business owners or managers, however, managing a marketer can be daunting, especially when marketing isn’t your forte. From understanding technical jargon to setting realistic expectations, navigating this relationship can be tricky. In this […]

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Why Your Google Business Listing is an Essential Marketing Tool

In today’s digital age, where your online presence is absolutely crucial, your Google Business listing is one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal. It’s more than just a simple directory listing—it’s a gateway for potential customers to find, learn about, and engage with your business. Here’s why maintaining an optimised Google Business […]

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Clean Air Cheltenham seeking a volunteer to be their Publicity Co-ordinator

We are helping Clean Air Cheltenham spread the word about a volunteer position to become their Publicity Co-ordinator. The position would obviously be ideal for anybody who can share the organisation’s passion for the subject. The opportunity would enable somebody to gain practical experience in this field and demonstrate a track record of achievement. More details including how to apply can be found below.

The role of Voluntary Publicity Coordinator requires:

  • A friendly confident manner
  • The ability to think fast, laterally and creatively
  • A capacity to take the initiative, as well as collaborate
  • Experience of using Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Work will entail:

  • Creating, maintaining and updating a media list
  • Establishing named contacts at as many local media outlets as possible
  • Setting up Google Alerts and other means for receiving relevant breaking news
  • Networking relevant news stories as they arise
  • Publicising Clean Air Cheltenham events
  • Seeking interviews with local media
  • Pitching, and writing, features for local publications e.g. Cotswold Life
  • Keeping interested colleagues in Cheltenham’s twin towns informed of activities

Time commitment: In the short-term this will require approximately 2 hours per week which will increase at times of special events.

Future plans/events: The kinds of events they would like the Coordinator to promote will range from online poetry workshops, interdisciplinary webinars (linking air quality, health, transport and technology), as well as events with a national outreach, such as Clean Air Day (June 2021) and Car Free Day (September 2021).

To apply, please email: Caroline Sherwood [email protected] with a short explanation of why you would like this voluntary position, and details of relevant experience.

Closing date: 10th February 2021

Background to Clean Air Cheltenham

Clean Air Cheltenham aims to improve the air quality in Cheltenham by:

  1. Raising awareness through an annual Multimedia Celebration of Clean Air
  2. Liaising with groups pursuing similar aims, such as cycling and environmental groups, tree planting organisations, residents’ associations, and schools
  3. Encouraging collaborative action between all agencies concerned with the quality of air in the town, principally those responsible for transport and health care
  4. Raising funds to support relevant projects

Clean Air Cheltenham recognises the critical role air quality plays in physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. The quality of the air is of central importance to the well-being of all, as well as being of particular concern to those who suffer from respiratory disease, to parents and children and to the elderly.

Membership is open to anyone over 16 years old who supports the aims of Clean Air Cheltenham. There is no charge for membership and members join through the website by opting in to receive newsletters and updates.

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The 10 things to do, to get your business in the best possible shape for recovery from Coronavirus

Many businesses are quieter than they would ordinarily be at the moment. Some are laying off staff, others are furloughing employees. But in our view this is a golden opportunity for many to do what they ordinarily might struggle to – work on the business, rather than in the business (to be clear though you cannot do this if you have been furloughed). We have put together this check list of 10 things to do, to put your business in the best possible shape for recovery from Coronavirus. Not all of these will be applicable to all businesses and they are not in any particular order but we hope that there will be plenty that will apply to you.

1. Survey your customers.

When did you last survey your customers, to gauge their level of satisfaction, discover what about your products or services they would like to change and anything that you can do to improve? Such a survey can also be a great way to capture testimonials for use in marketing or on your website. Our survey tool of choice is the Gloucestershire survey company SmartSurvey. The chances are are that you will get a better response to your survey now than in more normal circumstances (not least because of less cluttered email boxes and some people having more time), but if you are concerned about take up, then why not pledge a charitable donation for each survey completed?

2. Claim your Google My Business listing.

Hopefully most reading this will have already done this, but if in doubt do a google search for your own business and see if the listing top right has an option to “claim this business”. These listings are becoming increasingly important for all businesses, but most particularly those that attract business from the local area. For a vaguely light hearted look at the consequences of not claiming your Google My Business listing read our blog from last year. Once you have claimed your Google listing, then do the same with Bing.

3. Check how you rank against your competitors on Google My Business.

Check out Google’s own tips on improving your ranking here but in our experience we have also found it to be highly beneficial to have more reviews and a higher score. Ideally you want to be in the top three of the most relevant category for your business in local searches.

4. Consider registering your Trademark

If your brand is important to you (and who isn’t it for) then consider protecting your name by registering it as a trademark. There are other defences if people start using a name that is a bit too close for comfort, but prior registration of your trademark is likely to be one of the most effective. You may want to take legal advice on this. Our trademark was registered for us by our Solcitor clients Hughes Paddison.

5. Review your websites Google Analytics

We are going to assume for now that you will have Google Analytics on your website – in our experience most do. Equally though in our experience, far too many organisations then don’t look at these figures to benefit from the invaluable insight they offer. Where are your visitors coming from, what pages are most popular, what goals are being triggered and what traffic sources led to these – there are just some of the insights that you will glean.

6. Carry out a brand/proposition review

In this day and age, your organisation can be found in lots of different places – your own website, generally online, social media, business directories and of course your own literature. But when did you last review how consistent these are and whether they present you in the best possible light? How likely is that they way you describe yourself will resonate with potential customers. We can help with this, by giving an impartial viewpoint and an exercise we can carry out with you, can help create what we like to call a “hierarchy of messages”, that will make it much more likely that you use the most important points first going forward.

7. Review your GDPR policy

It might seem longer ago, but GDPR was introduced nearly two years ago in the UK. Most organisations at the time wrote GDPR policies to help ensure their compliance with the information requirements at the time. But how many of those organisations have reviewed their policy since – despite the fact that the data they hold and what they use it for may well have changed. Also ask yourself when your company last did any GDPR training. One of the activities you can ask furloughed employees to do is take part in training.

8. Keep prospects warm

This is particularly relevant to those businesses that are fully closed currently. Ask yourself how are you maintaining contact with people that were in your pipeline at the time you mothballed your business? Also what about new enquiries you have received whilst you are closed. Perhaps you can give those people priority when your business starts to get going again. As a minimum are you getting people to opt in to future marketing.

9. Ensure that you don’t go silent on social media

These are challenging times and it would not be appropriate to simply post the same content that you would ordinarily. You need be sensitive to the general mood, but equally now is not a time to go silent on social media. It can play a vital role in re-enforcing your businesses presence (reminding people you are there). Think about how you can use your social media to help others whether that be sharing freely expertise like we are doing here or simply being supporting of other organisations in your local area. Incidentally remember to check what percentage of your website traffic comes from social media, this will differ for each business, but as a rough rule of thumb we would say you should be getting at least 5% of your website traffic from social media.

10. Form a recovery plan

It is difficult for us all to envisage what recovery will look like, when it will happen, how fast will it be? But this is one thing you don’t want to make up as you go along. Think – what will you do first, how much will you spend and where will you spend it. What steps do you need to take to get your business fully up and running and how do you make sure that business does not fall through your grasp in the process. The businesses that come out of this the best, will be those that have spent the time creating a recovery plan that ensures they maximise the benefits of the recovery when it comes.

We hope that you have found this part one of our list of 10 things you should do to put your business in the best possible position for recovery, useful. If we can help with any of the elements of these ten steps, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Marketing in uncertain times

We are most definitely living and working in a period of unprecedented change, where almost everything that we have accepted to be normal is changed for the forseeable future, “thanks” to Coronavirus. Here at Prestbury Marketing we come into daily “virtual” contact with many businesses and it has been both heartening and quite remarkable the […]

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How do you know your website is working?

This is one of the most common questions we are asked. To be clear this is not usually in the context of whether or not the site is down, but more a matter of, is it being found as well as it should be and is it making the most of the visitors it does […]

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