AI Won't Help on LinkedIn

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LinkedIn’s algorithm is a mystery Richard van der Blom tries to decipher every year. 

He dropped a teaser from his upcoming 2023 report this week and it’s a bombshell.

Van der Blom said that AI-generated content performs poorly. Very poorly.

Specifically, content created with AI gets 30 percent less reach, while AI-written comments get 55 percent less traction and AI-produced images receive 60 percent fewer clicks.

It’s a remarkable observation that suggests AI won’t be the cheap and easy solution to create winning content on social media. 

Van der Blom didn’t explain how he knew content was AI generated. This is Van der Blom’s first report that includes a full year of activity since OpenAI launched ChatGPT. 

He also didn’t say whether the poor performance was due to a change in the algorithm i.e. LinkedIn was underweighting it or because readers found it unattractive. 

We’ll have to wait for the full report in February to get all the details.

LinkedIn has reasons to discourage people from using AI. Scripts could let people automate replies, allowing them to spend less time on the platform.

But it’s also possible that AI content feels less authentic and gets less engagement.

LinkedIn recently surpassed 1 billion users. It remains an extraordinarily underutilized opportunity to connect with clients and colleagues and stakeholders. That’s especially true since only 5% post actively. Another 19% engage via comments and likes and two thirds lurk.  

This will be Van der Blom’s fifth annual report. Among the highlights from last year’s report was a breakdown of the popular style of posts: 

–One fifth tend to be single image posts.

–One fifth are promoted posts, up from 13% the year before.

–One sixth are document posts like slide decks used in carousels. 

–One tenth are text-only posts 

Van der Blom, who runs an agency called Just Connecting that provides LinkedIn marketing and consultancy, highlighted some other interesting conclusions. 

The trick to see more content from someone insightful is to engage. That means liking (30% increase), commenting (70% increase), sharing (80% increase) or sending a direct message (85% increase).

In previous years, Van der Blom has noted that including polls helps and including external links hurts reach. The best time to post is between 8 am and 11 am. The ideal length is 1,470 characters. Avoid stock images.

Don’t overuse emojis or hashtags because you will be penalized.

Tagging individuals in posts can be a two-edged sword. If the people respond, it’s beneficial. If they don’t, the algorithm assumes you are spamming them and reduces your reach. 

Publishing multiple posts that get low engagement will reduce the reach of your following posts.

In that and other ways, LinkedIn is encouraging human-written, higher-quality content.

That makes it harder for writers, especially anyone using AI to pump and dump. 

But it should mean readers’ benefit. 

BRIEF OBSERVATIONS

JARGON: Eliminating jargon is writing is one of the things they teach you working in a newsroom. It’s a good idea in general.

SAM ALTMAN: We now live in the Sam Altman era so it’s worth reading to some of his aphorisms and quotes and sayings.

MOST POPULAR BOOKS: It’s Colleen Hoover’s world. We just live in it.

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MATT DAMON: If you haven’t heard Matt Damon, tell a story you are missing out. Google him or search YouTube. He’s terrific.