Best Practices for What's Working on LinkedIn Now

What’s Working on LinkedIn in 2025: A Practical Guide for Women Who Want to Stand Out

Let’s be real, LinkedIn isn’t the same platform it was a year ago.

If your reach has dropped or your content just isn’t landing the way it used to, you’re not imagining things.

I’ve spent years working in corporate marketing, building thought leadership strategies, and coaching women on how to elevate their careers through personal branding. As someone who lives and breathes this space, and teaches women how to confidently show up, speak out, and stand out, I wanted to break down what’s actually working on LinkedIn right now, based on the latest research from the Q1 2025 State of the Algorithm report by Saywhat and The Creator Accelerator. and my own insights from helping professionals build magnetic profiles and content.

Let’s dive in.

The State of LinkedIn in 2025: What’s Changed?

LinkedIn's reach has dropped significantly over the past year, down 25% on average, due to increased competition from both creators and advertisers. But here’s the thing: exceptional content still wins. In fact, the gap between average and top-performing posts is bigger than ever. The platform is rewarding relevance, originality, and authority.

If you want to grow your presence, attract opportunities, or be recognized as a leader in your field, your strategy must evolve.

What’s Performing (And What’s Not)

Based on the State of the Algorithm Q1 2025 report and what I’m seeing across my clients’ and peers’ content, here’s the breakdown:

Career Development Content Leads the Pack

People log into LinkedIn to get ahead. If your content helps them do that, whether it's interview tips, leadership insights, or frameworks they can apply immediately, it tends to outperform. Think: templates, scripts, or step-by-step guides.

Work-Life Balance Is Still Winning

Posts about burnout, rest, and boundary-setting continue to resonate, especially when they’re human, relatable, and tied to your personal experience.

Industry Trends? Mixed Bag

If you’re sharing industry news or forecasts, make sure you tie it back to actionable takeaways and show how it affects real people, not just companies.

Formats That Boost Visibility

Format	Impact
Carousels	11x higher reach than plain text
Infographics	5x more impressions
Vertical Videos	70% more visibility
Text-Only Posts	Lowest performance unless exceptional

As someone who creates executive brand strategies, I’ve seen firsthand how mixing formats—not just sticking with one approach—can dramatically expand your audience.

What the Algorithm Really Wants

You don’t need to post every day or become a video content machine. You need to signal authority, optimize for engagement, and make your content easy to consume.

Here’s how:

✔️ Write for humans

Short paragraphs. Conversational tone. No jargon.

✔️ Nail the hook

The first line of your post determines if someone keeps reading. Go bold, go specific, and ditch the “What do you think?” intros.

✔️ Use smart structure

14+ short paragraphs. Add white space. Keep posts under 2,500 characters.

✔️ Include a clear CTA or question

Specificity beats generality every time. Ask questions that invite a real answer.

✔️ Limit hashtags

Using more than 3 hashtags actually hurts performance. LinkedIn already understands your content through context.

Build Your Reputation Before You Post

This is something I teach all my 2B Bolder clients and community members: your content won’t convert if your profile doesn’t signal value. Before you worry about what to post, update your profile to reflect:

• Who you help

• How you help them

• Proof that you know what you're doing (interviews, case studies, etc.)

  
  

If your profile reads like a résumé and not a reputation builder, it’s time for a refresh.

Timing and Engagement Tips

• Best days to post? Sunday and Saturday.

• Best time? 4–5AM GMT or 11AM–1PM GMT.

• Most effective growth tactic? Thoughtful, 9+ word comments on others’ posts (not just “Great post!”). Commenting is underrated and builds visibility fast.

  
  

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn is still the most powerful platform for growing your professional influence, especially for ambitious women in business and tech. But the rules have changed. It’s not about shouting louder. It’s about showing up with clarity, consistency, and a clear point of view.

You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be strategic, visible, and bold—and that’s what I help women do every day.

If you’re ready to refresh your LinkedIn strategy or start building a personal brand that opens doors, I’m here to help.

Let’s get you seen and start to attract new and exciting opportunities.

I'm Mary Killelea, Founder of 2B Bolder, “I help professional women show up, speak out, and stand out on LinkedIn.”