If your LinkedIn engagement plummeted recently, you aren’t alone. The platform has quietly but significantly overhauled its feed ranking signals for 2025, effectively killing the “viral broetry” era.

Gone are the days of single-sentence paragraphs designed to make you click “See More.” LinkedIn is no longer optimizing for clicks; it is optimizing for Knowledge—what the platform officially calls “Knowledge and Advice” in their 2025 Creator Guidelines.

The Death of Empty Engagement

For years, the algorithm rewarded what we call “Engagement Bait”—posts that asked generic questions like “Agree?” just to juice the comment section. In late 2024, the algorithm got smarter. It now actively detects and penalizes these tactics, down-ranking posts with low-value engagement.

Instead, the new “Knowledge-Based” ranking signal (confirmed in LinkedIn’s Oct 2024 algorithm update) looks for:

• Dwell Time: Are people actually reading your long-form post or watching your video? The magic threshold: 30+ seconds. Posts that keep users engaged for this duration see 3-5x higher distribution.
• Defined Audience: Does your network consist of other experts in your niche? LinkedIn’s new “Expertise Score” evaluates whether your connections validate your authority.
• Comment Quality: Are the comments substantive discussions (15+ words), or just “Great post!” bots? Posts with 3%+ comment rates with meaningful replies get prioritized.

Vertical Video Takes Over

The most visible change is the dominance of vertical video. Taking a page from TikTok (and surviving where others failed), LinkedIn’s vertical video feed is now a primary driver of discovery.

For B2B brands, this is a massive opportunity. A 60-second “talking head” video sharing a specific, actionable insight performs significantly better than a text post sharing the same tip. It’s personal, it’s authoritative, and it keeps users on the platform.

The “Niche Authority” Boost

Perhaps the most critical update is the platform’s penalization of generalists. If you post about crypto on Monday, leadership on Tuesday, and baking on Wednesday, the algorithm classifies you as “unfocused” and throttles your reach by up to 60% (per LinkedIn’s Creator Mode analytics).

To win in 2025, you need to pick a lane. Establish “Niche Authority.” If you are a Supply Chain expert, talk about Supply Chain—at least 80% of the time. The algorithm wants to match specific questions with specific answers. LinkedIn is building a knowledge graph, and you need to claim your node.

The Authority Algorithm Formula

Your brand story on LinkedIn can no longer be a series of humble-brags or generic platitudes. It must be Edu-tainment—education meets entertainment.

Use this formula to win:

Authority Score = (Niche Consistency × 0.4) + (Dwell Time × 0.3) + (Comment Quality × 0.2) + (Video Usage × 0.1)

Breakdown:

1. Niche Consistency (40%): Post about ONE topic, 4-5 times per week. Use consistent hashtags and keywords.
2. Dwell Time (30%): Write “hooks” that force the click to “See More.” Use line breaks, bullets, and subheadings. Aim for 30+ second read time.
3. Comment Quality (20%): Ask ONE specific question at the end. Reply to every comment within the first hour to boost engagement velocity.
4. Video Usage (10%): Post at least one vertical video per week. Keep it under 90 seconds. Add captions for accessibility.

Your 30-Day Action Plan

Don’t just read this—implement it:

Week 1: Audit your last 20 posts. What’s your niche? If you can’t answer in 3 words, you’re too broad. Pick one.

Week 2: Create a 60-second talking-head video sharing your best insight from the past month. Post it. Track dwell time in analytics.

Week 3: Write one “knowledge bomb” post with a structure: Hook > Problem > Solution > Specific Example > Question. Aim for 300-500 words.

Week 4: Engage meaningfully with 10 posts per day in your niche. Leave substantive comments (30+ words). Build your network of co-authorities.

Tell stories that teach. Share failures that provided lessons. If the reader doesn’t leave your post smarter than they arrived, the algorithm—and your audience—will move on.

In 2025, your LinkedIn feed is your curriculum vitae. Make every post worthy of the syllabus.