Last month I read a post by social media expert Richard van der Blom which pointed out that because the LinkedIn algorithm is constantly evolving, you need to keep updating the way you do things on the platform.
Richard notes that 87% of LinkedIn posts die within the first hour, while the remaining 13% go on to do very well, some will even go viral.
One of his key insights? A backlink can be dangerous territory. Just one link and your reach can drop by 68%. Conversely, posts with three or more links tend to perform better, perhaps because the algorithm sees them as valuable resources.
With this in mind, I decided to run a little LinkedIn experiment. One Monday morning, I posted about one of my new blogs and included a backlink to my website where the full article could be found. The following day, I shared the full blog directly on LinkedIn with no backlink.
The results were striking: the first post secured 9 likes, one comment, and just over 800 impressions, while the second received 19 likes, three comments, and over 1,500 impressions despite being essentially the same content.
Here are a few other key things law firms should bear in mind:
1. Hashtags are no longer your friend
Once upon a time, hashtags were essential. But now, the data tells a different story. Posts with 3–5 hashtags get 29% less reach than those with none. The algorithm now sees them as spammy. So use them sparingly – or better yet, not at all.
2. The five-minute rule
Want more visibility? Focus on the first five minutes. A quick like or comment from a colleague during that window can boost your post’s reach by 4.2x. Consider sharing it in your team’s WhatsApp group or setting up a routine to drive instant traction.
3. Keep video short and snappy
Video still works – but brevity is everything. Videos under 30 seconds get an 89% completion rate, while anything over a minute quickly loses viewers. If your firm is creating thought leadership content, consider short teaser clips or repackaging insights into under-30-second videos.
4. Smaller networks, stronger engagement
Users with 500–999 connections see 2.3x more engagement than those with 10,000+. Why? Because LinkedIn rewards engagement density – the proportion of your audience that interacts, rather than sheer volume. This is great news for law firms focused on building high-quality relationships.
5. LinkedIn articles still have a place
While regular posts get more initial reach, LinkedIn articles offer long-term credibility, visibility, and searchability. They’re perfect for deeper thought leadership. Just remember to repurpose them into shorter posts to spark conversation.
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