Richard van der Blom

The past days, I had one of the hardest conversations ever with my parents.
Visiting them from 2,000 kilometres to tell them, that they need to move out of their elderly home because they now need special care.

As an only child, this is an emotional rollercoaster like no other.

My mum, in her mind always so strong and independent, now needs constant support in her wheelchair. And my dad, who was her rock—her caregiver, her waiter, her nurse—is now in the first stage of dementia. The roles are slowly reversing.

It’s heartbreaking to witness the shift.

The people who once took care of me, guided me, and were always there as pillars of strength, now need help to navigate daily life.

My dad, who always knew what to do, who was the person-to-go-to for his entire family, now needs my mum’s help to remember things.

It’s the end of an era, where they were the strong, independent ones, and I was the one who needed them.

But this is life, isn’t it? The circle that eventually comes back around.

For all the good care, the love, and the sacrifices they made for me, it’s now my turn to be there for them. It’s not easy, and it’s a decision that weighs heavy on my heart, but it’s also a chance to give back—because they deserve the same care and attention they always gave me.

So the upcoming months I will be travelling a lot, not only for work but also to the Netherlands to guide them through the mental process of moving, and adapting to a new environment.

To anyone going through a similar journey, know this:it's okay to feel the weight of it all.

But remember,
it's also a privilege to give back to the ones who shaped us.

Cherish every moment.

And thank you Evelina Moreno for being at my side all the time to support me with insights, thoughts and love.

Hot 🔥 algorithm NEWS!
Reach is down almost 50% and here is why 👇

1. 6% of your readers have decided to go to the beach today

2. 11% of your audience has swapped consistency in commenting for consistency in drinking cocktails

3. 9% are busy building the perfect sandcastle with their kids

4. 8% are exploring new hiking trails and getting lost in nature

5. 7% are on a road trip, discovering hidden gems and roadside diners

6. 9% are perfecting their BBQ skills and enjoying backyard feasts

Let's face it, folks – it's summer!

Time to embrace the sunshine and let LinkedIn take a backseat for a bit.

Sometimes, the best way to boost your reach is to disconnect and recharge.

Remember, LinkedIn can do without you for a few days.

Your sanity? Not so much.

PS: what’s your non-business plan for today?

October: I poured 3 hours into crafting a carousel post instead of enjoying a drink with friends. My reward? A few nasty comments and a missed gin-tonic

November: I swapped 45 minutes of gym time for commenting on posts daily. The result? Accusations of auto-commenting and 4 kilos added to my belly.

December: I wasted an afternoon locked in a comment argument while my dog waited for a walk. Outcome? Blocked and judged by strangers who don’t know me.

January: Enough is enough. 

First priority: My health, my family, my friends—people who genuinely matter.  
Zero priority: Trolls, negativity, and those who weaponize online interactions for clout. 

My profile.  
My content.  
My network.  
My rules. 

In 2025,
I’m choosing 𝘮𝘦.
I’m reclaiming balance.
Let’s normalize prioritizing 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 over relentless online pressure.

Will you?

AI and Chat/GPT is destroying our reach on LinkedIn.
And here is why!



Over the past few weeks I have been sharing posts on the lost of reach for 99% of content creators on LinkedIn.

To recap, these are the reasons I explained earlier for this decrease:

1️⃣ the increase in our feed of Promoted Company Posts and LinkedIn Ads (from 18% in 2018, to 26% in 2020 and now on 35%, meaning 1 out of each 3 posts is pushed in our feed by money.

2️⃣ since 9 months LinkedIn is boosting heavy content creators by showing multiple posts in our feed in 1 scroll session. For example, last week I saw 4 posts of Jasmin Alić amongst the first 15 organic posts in my feed. Based on +20k connections that's crazy!

3️⃣ LinkedIn reports more content creators, because of the launch of several new features, like easy reposting and various Content Creator Programs.


𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁

Yesterday Kevin D. Turner shared a post about a new feature (currently in BETA), read below the first 2 paragraphs of his post 👇👇

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#NEWLinkedInFeature: [𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘐] 𝘢 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭 (𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘎𝘗𝘛) 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 '𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴' 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵.

𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 '𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳' 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 1 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 30 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 [𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵] 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 (𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 [𝘐𝘯]'𝘴 𝘈𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘴.

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So this is where we want to go LinkedIn?

Providing so called content creators with AI, so everybody is sharing non authentic content? What's next, I writing my comments. What a great network we will have then, my bot speaking with the bot of my client!

We already noticed a serious drop in engagement around the platform because people have the idea they are reading scripted ChatGPT posts.

Don't underestimate your audience! They sense, they feel, they know when your post is written by AI.

Keep it real,
Keep it human,
If not, people will start losing faith in the authenticity of the platform and it's members. And that's a point of no return.

𝗔𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀?
𝗔𝗺 𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵?

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💥 My name is Richard.
🔺Supporting you to master LinkedIn for business growth
🔺Social Selling trainer an international keynote speaker

Liked this post? Want to see more?
Ring the 🔔 on my Profile
🔝 Connect with me
Or subscribe to my email newsletter (link on top of my profile)

#SocialSelling #LinkedIn #contentmarketing

I said no to a 100k annual deal.  And it felt as the right thing to do! Here are 9 type of clients you need to Ditch now, regardless their money 👇


We have all been there: that client who makes you question your life choices every time their name pops up on your phone.

But here's the thing – not all money is good money. Sometimes, the cost of working with a problematic client far outweighs the pay check.

So, let's dive into the 9 types of clients you should consider breaking up with (like, yesterday).

My favourite (in a cynical mode) is on slide 10.

And don't worry, I also share 6 signs that you are working with the right clients.

My favourites are on slide 15.

Useful? [ 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 ] to enable me to share more of these posts
Leave an additional [ 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 ] to deepen the discussuin.

----------------------
💥 My name is Richard.
🔺Social Selling trainer and international keynote speaker

Liked this post? Want to see more?
Ring the 🔔 on my Profile
🔝 Connect with me
Or subscribe to my email newsletter (link on top of my profile)

#SocialSelling #LinkedIn #contentmarketing

I called my dad yesterday for Father's Day. One day too late. He won't mind. In less than 3 months I will be a father myself. Exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Four years. Two lost pregnancies. Medical complications. Conversations late at night about whether to keep going, whether this was still worth it, whether we were still okay.

We kept going.

And now The Netherlands and Argentina are creating a little piece of Spain.

When I shared those experiences publicly, over 200 DMs came in. People I had never met, going through the same thing. Parents growing old and getting dementia. Miscarriages before becoming a father and mother. My wife read them with me. That moment reminded me why I talk about the hard stuff.

Same when I write about my dad's dementia. Him in the Netherlands, with me in Spain as an only child. My mom gone since last summer. It's not easy to put into words, but people care and respond, because they know there words might help to heal.

I was 27 when I met my ex-wife. She had two boys, three and seven years old. For seventeen years I tried to be a good stepfather. They taught me so many valuable lessons. Patience, presence, showing up even when you don't know if you're doing it right.

When I met Evelina in 2021, we knew early on what we both wanted. So we went all-in, but the road was harder than we expected.

September will change everything. Three of us. Four if you count Siena, our thirteen year old labradoodle who has no idea what is coming.

My dad? The thing about dementia nobody tells you, is that it sometimes comes with a laugh. Every time I remind him he is becoming a grandfather at 80, it is the first time he hears it. And every single time, he cannot stop cheering.

I get to give him that moment twice a day.

Life is not clean or linear. But it is worth showing up for.

Don't you think?

PS: We mixed up the football shirts in the photo. I should wear the Dutch one. Evelina the Argentinian. The little one gets the Spanish. We'll get it right in September. That's a promise.

Today marks one year since I lost my mom. August 31st, 2025 a date I will never look at the same way again.

And here’s something I have not really said out loud, on that day I did not just lose my mom, I lost both my parents.

My dad has dementia, and my mom was the one holding him together. She was the reason he got up every morning, the reason he still had a task, a routine, a purpose. She kept his mind working. She kept him trying. The moment she was gone, and he had to stay alone in the elderly home, I watched the spark leave his eyes. We all did. It was one of the hardest things I have ever witnessed.

At 2 years old only, still a baby my mom got a high fever, it was badly diagnosed, resulting in a severe illness and being handicapped for life. For decades she fought through what that illness did to her body, and it was only later, in her late fifties after numerous surgeries (over 18!) that it finally took her ability to walk and put her in a wheelchair.

Yet at no point across that entire journey did she let it define what she was capable of. She was proof that willpower can completely change the shape of a life. People who met her remember a powerful woman, a loving woman, someone who made the absolute most of what she was given, especially when it came to raising me.

I am about to become a father myself. Our baby is due within the next two weeks. And I made her a promise, that I would try to be for my child what she always was for me. Not perfect. Just present. In the quiet, unconditional everyday way she was.

Losing her taught me that some people do not just survive hard circumstances, they become the example everyone around them needed. She was that for me.

Mum, now it’s my turn.

Thanks,
With love ❤️

Sad day for LinkedIn humanity.
This is what my first 10 posts looked like this morning.

Post 1: "this is how 3 Claude Skills can do outreach for you
Post 2: "Yeah, finally we have an "AI Slop button", go get them
Post 3: "Comment "Engine" and get my Lead Engine for free
Post 4: "Using AI in DM's made me $ 50k last month, here is..."
Post 5: LinkedIn Ad
Post 6: "Claude can now completely rewrite your profile"
Post 7: "Why the AI Slop Button is not such a good idea"
Post 8: "I spent 3,000 hours on Claude Skills, so you don't have...."
Post 9: LinkedIn Ad
Post 10: "What if AI could run your first sales discovery call for you?"

Dear LinkedIn fix this fast.

I want to see updates from my clients.
I want to see real content from my connections
Stories and experiences that are unique.
Not an echo chamber....

Am I getting old?
Have I spent too much time here networking with real people?
Does anyone even care?

The algorithm is changing fast, so we stepped up the pace of our research as well. 5 Trends worth knowing, based on +12,000 creators since March.

The first one I noticed myself, down -22% for my own content.

1. Carousels are tanking.

Our analysis of 40,000+ carousel posts shows average reach is down 40%, and engagement has dropped by 30%. LinkedIn is making room for video, and your audience is done swiping through low-value slides.

2. Deleting posts hurts more than it helps.

Got a typo, wrong visual, or just underperforming content? Unless it's truly off-brand, let it live. Try to resuscitate it. Deleting doesn't erase it from your history; it signals instability to the algorithm.

3. Your connections are dragging down your reach.

Want to grow fast? Build followers. But be ruthless about who you connect with. If they don't post, don't engage, and sit outside your topic fingerprint, they'll quietly tank your distribution.

4. Spamming DMs is killing your visibility.

If people keep ignoring your messages, LinkedIn notices. Low response rates on your outbound DMs signal spam behavior, and the platform will suppress your profile and content. Honestly, I'm cheering for this one.

5. Comment-and-run is getting penalized.

Leave 30 comments and disappear? LinkedIn now tracks whether you follow up. If someone replies to your comment and you ghost them, our data shows your comment reach can drop by 35%. Your relevance ranking tanks.

The algorithm rewards behavior that looks like genuine participation.
Performative tactics are quietly dying, and honestly, that's a good thing!

These findings are part of our ongoing research for the Algorithm Insights Report 2026. The next update drops in October, included free for all 4,000+ previous buyers and TRIBE members.

Get your copy in my Featured Section or the profile link at the top of my Profile.

Which of these 5 is hitting your strategy hardest?

I read so many wrong advice on external links on LinkedIn, that I decided to dedicate an entire LinkedIn Newsletter to this topic.

Because external links don't kill your reach. Your strategy does.

I just pulled fresh data from 300,000 posts published between March and June, and one number completely reversed since April. The advice about stacking multiple links to soften the penalty? It's not just outdated now. It's actively backfiring.

I also found out why the "link in the first comment" trick is quietly costing people conversions, not just reach, and what LinkedIn actually does to comments that contain links that almost nobody has noticed yet.

In this week's newsletter I break down:
- The real reach cost of a single link, updated for June
- Why more links used to help and now actively hurts
- What LinkedIn does to links in comments (and the conversion gap it creates)
- The difference between a link that costs you and one that earns its click
- Six ways to convert without paying the reach penalty at all

If you post on LinkedIn and use links, even occasionally, this one will change how you write your next CTA.

Click below to read it.

The LinkedIn algorithm no longer is a black box. 5 Things that are Scaling at the moment vs. 5 that are Tanking.


🔼 WHAT'S SCALING

1. Personal takes with original images: +30% reach.
Your story, your photo, your perspective. The algorithm is rewarding what AI can't fake.

2. Saves are the sleeper metric.
In our Algorithm Insights Report 2026, saves already outperformed every other signal. That lead just grew even further. Under 3% of posts earn even one. That's your opening.

3. Network size no longer caps your reach.
Posts now travel to people with zero connection to you, purely on topic match. A 500-connection account can out-distribute a 50K one when the topic fingerprint is strong.

4. Comments that spark replies: +25%.
Single comments are losing ground. But a comment triggering 2+ replies? That's what the algorithm is counting now. Not comments. Conversations.

5. External links to in-depth content: +21%.
Checkout pages? +3%. The algorithm rewards depth, not sales pages.

🔽 WHAT'S TANKING

1. Comments overall: −9%.
A flat "great post!" barely registers anymore.

2. Topic inconsistency.
Authors posting on-topic 8/10 times outperform those at 6/10 by 30%. Drifting off your lane isn't neutral; it actively costs you.

3. Carousels: −40% reach, −30% engagement.
Across 40,000+ posts we analyzed. LinkedIn is making room for video, and slides aren't it anymore.

4. Plain reshares: −20 to −30% extended reach.
The "share this" ask that used to work? Dead weight now.

5. Off-topic comments.
A flood of comments from the wrong audience can actively suppress your post. Not just fail to help—actively hurt.

The algorithm rewards genuine participation.
Performative and manipulative tactics are being weeded out.

These findings are part of our ongoing research for the Algorithm Insights Report 2026. The October update drops with dedicated sections for Job Seekers and Lead Generation—included free for all 4,000+ previous buyers and TRIBE members. [ see profile link & Featured Section for more info ]

Which of these is hitting your strategy hardest?

I can’t, not today.
The platform I value so much has turned into an echo chamber of experts asking me to comment to get a copied-paste clickbait document.

Where people who discovered LinkedIn last year are ruining the credibility by selling stolen inspiration.

Not this Monday

LinkedIn can I have the good old you back please?

Finally, the Algorithm Insights Report 2026 is LIVE.
+200 Pages. 6 Chapters. +100 tactics and strategies.

Built on 1.3 million posts. 1,400 hours of research. 7th edition.

Six insights from the new edition — one per chapter — in the carousel below ↓

Here's what you'll find inside this year's report:

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗺 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 LinkedIn shifted from a Relationship Graph to an Interest Graph. Your follower count no longer predicts your reach. This chapter explains the structural change that everything else flows from.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮 — 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 How topic authority works in 2026. The Creator Classification System. How to build consistent reach — without chasing trends. Best performing content Pillars and audience behaviour.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟯 — 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Every format ranked by reach and engagement multiplier. What happened to video? Why documents are holding strong? How to use each format in the best possible way.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟰 — 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘆 & 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 Hooks, structure, keywords. The optimal posting window. All presented in 4 phases: writing, publishing, nurturing and re-purposing.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟱 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 Company page reach grew 33% while personal profiles fell. Content Pillars, best performing formats and topics. How to engage from a Page. Employee advocacy done right. LinkedIn paid strategy in 2026.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟲 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 AI-assisted content. Influencer marketing. Groups. Conversion strategy. Unconventional tactics, and 20 LinkedIn myths — debunked by data.

And each Chapter comes this year with a One Page Checklist to pin at your wall!

What readers of the 2025 editions said:

⭐ "My impressions tripled in 6 weeks — I stopped guessing and started applying." — Sarah M., Content Strategist

⭐ "The only LinkedIn resource I've ever recommended to my entire marketing team." — Jonas K., Head of Marketing

⭐ "Worth 10x the price. I restructured our entire LinkedIn strategy around Chapter 4 alone." — Priya D., B2B Consultant


€ 199,- | Free update October 2026 included.
Get your copy now: https://lnkd.in/eZMq8w_F

Corporate branded version available → send me a DM

Special thanks to our sponsors AuthoredUp, BlissPoint Consulting, Narify, Stanley and Sales Automation Labs

One of the most suprising findings in our +200 Page Algorithm Report? Half your LinkedIn™ reach is decided before you hit "post." Say what?

Across 1.3 million posts, we modelled exactly what drives impressions on LinkedIn™ in 2026.

The result will reframe how to think about reach growth entirely:

🔵 𝟱𝟬.𝟭% — your Profile Baseline
Followers, history, past engagement, topic consistency. Built over months. Decided before you publish.

🟦 𝟮𝟵.𝟱% — the Post Performance
Reactions, comments, reposts. The lever everyone obsesses over — and the smallest of the three you actually control.

⚫ 𝟮𝟬.𝟱% — Outside your Control
Competition in the feed, timing, trending topics. Noise.

Most creators spend 90% of their effort on the 29.5%.
Then wonder why "great hooks" stop working.

The 50.1% is where compounding lives.
It's also where the Interest Graph quietly decides who you are before any single post is judged.

The Algorithm Report 2026 — out now.
Chapter 1 unpacks how that 50.1% is actually built.
Get your copy here: https://lnkd.in/eZMq8w_F

PS: Starting today we will share 2 insights per chapter per week. Don't want freebies, or don't want to wait? Get your copy now, as the October update will be included free of additional charge.

— 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦: 𝘈𝘭𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘮 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 2026 / 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘮.𝘊𝘰𝘮 𝘉𝘝 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘜𝘱. 𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘵: 1.3𝘔+ 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴, 80,000+ 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 2025 – 𝘍𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 2026.

I never shared how much money I make. Not a single Stripe payout screenshot. Am I doing LinkedIn wrong?

Maybe it's my Dutch heritage.
We're the people who split restaurant bills down to the cent, but would rather die than tell you our salary.

Or maybe it's how I was raised.
I didn't know what my dad earned until I left the house at 23.
Money was discussed the same way we discussed feelings.
We didn't.

But apparently "sharing what you earn" is the new social proof.

Coaches flexing cohort sign-ups.
Screenshots of Stripe dashboards.
"How I made $847,293 in Q2" (oddly specific numbers = more believable, right?)

And here I am, still thinking social proof comes from clients and your network.
Like a caveman.

Then last month I lost a community member.
His reason, and I quote:

"The other guy made millions last year and can show me how to do it too."

My first instinct? Tell him what I earned.
My second instinct? Let him go find out what "made millions" actually means.

Maybe I'm old-fashioned.
Maybe I should start posting income screenshots.
Maybe I should buy a Lamborghini and pose next to it.

Or maybe I'll just keep building things that work.

What's your take, does talking money prove success?
Or just prove you talk about money?

PS: Don't worry about me. I'm fine financially.
I just can't prove it with a screenshot.

My 2025 in 10 highs and 10 lows.
No filter. No fake positivity. Just real.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘀:

1. Travelled to 12+ countries for keynotes
2. Made enough money to support friends and family (nothing spectacular, but meaningful)
3. Travelled to Argentina, met my family in law and bought a plot for my retirement
4. Reached 25M+ impressions with organic content
5. Became advisor/investor in 3 startups (AI and LinkedIn related)
6. Launched the Algorithm Insights Report subscription — 3,000+ clients
7. Exchanged football for padel (my knees thank me)
8. Had 32 new ducklings, geese and chickens on the farm
9. Finally stopped checking LinkedIn during bath room visits (most days)
10. Blocked 200+ troll accounts and felt zero guilt

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘄𝘀:

1. Lost my mother in this life
2. Lost my dad to dementia
3. Had anxiety spells from carrying too much responsibility
4. Got my website hacked and email flooded by spam accounts
5. Was gossiped about by people who pretended to be friends
6. Lost 7 ducks to a fox
7. Spent hours reporting fake profiles — LinkedIn found "nothing wrong"
8. Watched AI comments flood my posts with "Great insights, Richard! 🔥"
9. Received 47 InMails offering to "scale my agency" — I don't have an agency
10. Realized some connections only engage when they need something

𝗠𝘆 𝟯 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲:

↳ Trying to get keynote bookings in Kazakhstan, Singapore and Canada
↳ Launching two new products including a VIP Program that will rock
↳ Spending more time offline

2025 taught me this:
Success and grief can exist in the same year.
Growth and loss can share the same breath.

And blocking toxic people is not weakness — it's wisdom.

What was your biggest high or low this year?

I was going to take this new button apart. "Seems like AI slop." Then I saw Hari Srinivasan update, and it changed some of what I wanted to say.

Sorry to be number 803,512 to talk about this, but LinkedIn and I have a difficult marriage. Whenever there's a new feature, I'm end of the line. Didn't even have this one when it took over my feed yesterday.

My first reaction: LinkedIn is turning members into AI-slop hunters, armed with a trigger happy mouse click. Substack built its own detection system instead of outsourcing the job to users. I tested it myself. Six out of ten times it got the answer wrong. Flagged 95% human writing as 100% AI, missed real AI writing entirely. And that's a dedicated system built by engineers.

LinkedIn handed a report button to 1.3 billion members.
My first thought was: and walked away.

Turns out that's not the full picture. LinkedIn's Chief Product Officer, posted an update this morning. Credit where it's due, some of it answers my concerns directly.

LinkedIn is already catching +100,000 of automated comment attempts daily, and has blocked billions of automation attempts in recent months. They're rolling out their own classifiers to catch slop and low quality content, exactly what I said they should be doing instead of leaving it to us.

But luckily the public report button isn't the only mechanism. LinkedIn is testing a private flag, visible only in your own analytics, telling you if people felt your post seemed inauthentic. Not a public pile-on. A private signal from real humans, meant to help you adjust.

I still don't know what happens when 5 or 100 people hit the public button on one post. LinkedIn hasn't spelled that out. But they clearly get that slop and AI aren't the same thing, and that an algorithm alone getting it wrong is a real risk.

Take myself as an example. I build content around real data and real observations. English isn't my first language, and I use AI to phrase things clearly, the way a native copywriter would. The thinking and angle are mine. The tool just helps me say it well.

Turns out LinkedIn heard that concern too. They're killing "enhance your post" and replacing it with something that proofreads without changing your voice. Exactly the use case I described.

So if someone reports that, are they judging the substance or just the phrasing?

Don't get me wrong, I'm sick of the obvious stuff too. Content that so clearly follows the same AI patterns. Posts that all sound like the same machine wrote them. Comments nobody actually wrote. Lazy, copy-pasted, zero point of view. I want that gone as much as anyone.

I just didn't think handing 1.3 billion people an unaudited weapon was the full solution.
Glad to see it isn't the only one.

Hey LinkedIn, could we at least name the button like it wasn't designed by an intern?

Oh, the irony
Draft written 100% by Richard
Final post, AI assisted (killed 4 grammatical errors).
You're call!

The reach crash is over. If yours isn’t recovering, that’s not the algorithm.
360Brew isn't just another algorithm update.

It's the first one that actually rewards quality over hacks.
Let me show you the numbers.

First 9 months of 2025 (for 96% of creators):
↳ Reach: -40%
↳ Engagement: -35%
↳ Follower Growth: -25%

Combined with the April 2024 crash, a post that got 10,000 views back then would barely hit 3,000 by September 2025. Brutal.

Everyone complained. Many gave up.

Last 3 months (my account):
↳ Reach: +12%
↳ Engagement: +26%
↳ Follower Growth: +8%

But the numbers aren't even the interesting part.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁:

60% of my engagement now comes from ICP, industry peers, or relevant influencers.
Three months ago? That was 35%.

My feed changed too. More posts from 2nd connections who actually talk about topics I care about. Less random viral nonsense from outside my professional bubble.

𝟯 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗜'𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴:

↳ Saves per post: +45%. People are bookmarking content again. 360Brew weights saves 5x higher than likes, and even higher than single comments.
↳ Comment quality: Average comment length up 30%. Fewer "Great post!" replies. More actual conversations. Bye bye bots, you're exposed.
↳ Post longevity: Content resurfaces 5-7 days after publishing. The old algorithm killed posts after 48 hours.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳...

The reach drop wasn't a bug. Maybe it was a filter.
LinkedIn deliberately crushed generic content to make room for topical expertise. If your metrics tanked in 2025, the algorithm was telling you something: your content wasn't differentiated enough. Harsh. But probably accurate.

The "LinkedIn is dead" crowd got it backwards.
LinkedIn isn't dying. It's becoming harder to game. And that's exactly what serious professionals wanted. The people leaving? Mostly those who relied on hacks, pods, and templated content. Move on, please!

360Brew reads your posts like a human. It understands meaning, not just keywords. It matches content to people based on semantic relevance, not just who you're connected to.

For the first time, LinkedIn actually rewards depth over frequency.

If your metrics are still dropping — your positioning might be the problem, not the platform.

Are your numbers recovering too? Or still sliding?

"Post daily and your reach will die." Not true!
Here is al you need to know on frequency and timing of your next post.

This week my comment on a post that stated that posting daily is bad for your visibility reached 24,000 comments and over 150 likes.

The mistake everybody makes:
People compare average reach per post instead of total reach.

Post once a week at 5,000 reach = 5,000 total views
Post 5x a week at 3,500 reach = 17,500 total views

You're not "hurting your reach."
You're 3.5x-ing your visibility.
You're getting seen 3x more by your ICP.

What our Algorithm Report says:

The sweet spot isn't a number. It's a pattern.

For Global Audiences:
• Post 3-5x weekly
• Rotate your timing every 4 weeks
• Hit different time zones deliberately
• Why? LinkedIn's 360Brew clusters audiences by activity patterns

You're not diluting reach.
You're accessing new audiences.

For Local (or Niche) Audiences:
• Find YOUR golden hour (when your ICP is most active)
• Post same time, consistently
• 2-3x weekly minimum for algorithm recognition
• Quality + consistency > quantity

The Data Nobody Talks About:

From our latest algorithm update (October 2024):
• Posts live up to 6 days with sustained engagement
• First 2 days counts for 69% of total reach (used to be 85%)
• Comment velocity after hour 4 extends life by 4x
  
You need to train the algorithm:

Post sporadically? Algorithm doesn't know who you serve.
Post consistently? Algorithm learns your audience DNA.

The Quality Paradox:
Yes, quality matters. But not how you think.

Bad post + good timing + audience match = 2,000 reach
Great post + wrong timing + no pattern = 500 reach

The algorithm rewards predictability over perfection.

The 360Brew Game-Changer:
LinkedIn's new clustering system rewards multi-timezone (re)posting.

Your 9am post enters Cluster A.
Your 2pm repost enters Cluster B.

Zero cannibalization.
Double the opportunity.

But only if you understand the pattern.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻:

1. Stop comparing per-post averages
2. Track total monthly reach instead
3. Test your golden hours (use the data, not guesses)
4. Maintain quality baseline (no spam)
5. Post minimum 3x weekly for algorithm training

Want the complete breakdown? The Algorithm Insights Reports contains +320 pages of actual data — not opinions. Including optimal formats, structures, frequency and posting schedules, dwell time vs. consumption rate, and the 360Brew explanation.

Grab it now and secure your free 2026 edition:
Link on top of my profile and in my Featured Section!

Because while everyone else debates frequency, you'll be dominating feed visibility.

What's your current posting frequency — and more importantly, share your total monthly reach?

Last Saturday, someone said I don't know what I'm doing. I published my frustrations on how my LinkedIn feed looks and for this guy that was not okay.

"You are selling algorithm reports, yet apparently you don't know how to manage your own feed".

Didn't understand the reason of my post, as I am perfectly aware how to manage it, yet I wanted LinkedIn to read, see and feel what so many of us think right now.

Still to counter the criticism.
10 ways to actually curate your feed.
And sir. You could have asked. I deliver.

 1. Unfollow before you unconnect.
    Keep the relationship. Remove the noise. You can stay connected to someone without giving their posts front-row seats in your feed.
 2. Use “I don’t want to see this.”
    Don’t just scroll past irrelevant content. Hit the three dots and tell LinkedIn you want less from that author or on that topic.
 3. Engage with 3–5 people deliberately each day.
    Comment on the people whose thinking you want more of—not whoever happened to post first. Your engagement history helps shape what LinkedIn considers professionally relevant to you.
 4. Follow people 𝘢𝘯𝘥 companies you genuinely want to learn from.
    Your feed is not only a reflection of your network. It is a reflection of your attention.
 5. Subscribe to the newsletters worth reading.
    If someone consistently gives you useful ideas, don’t hope the algorithm serves them to you. Subscribe.
 6. Stop hate-engaging.
    A sarcastic comment is still a comment. A “this is nonsense” reaction is still attention. Don’t train your feed to deliver more of the content you claim to hate.
 7. Use “Not interested” for topics, not just people.
    One irrelevant creator is a people problem. Fifty posts about a subject you do not care about is a topic problem. Treat them differently.
 8. Report actual spam.
    Report scams, impersonation, fake engagement, and genuinely unsafe content. Don’t use reporting as a disagreement button. I agree, LinkedIn could do a better job handling these, but the signal to the algorithm stays.
 9. Build a short list of must-read voices.
    Turn on notifications for the few people you never want to miss: clients, prospects, peers, industry analysts, or the creators who consistently make you better.
10. Audit your feed once a month.
    Ask: 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘵? Your feed is not broken. It is being trained—by you.

What about the button "Seems like AI Slop"?
Until I know what exactly happens when using it, I won't.

And back to the critics.

Knowing what the algorithm favors, supports, declines and boosts is one skill.
Living by it every single day is another.

My dad was an accountant. He understood money for a living. Yet my mum did our home administration, because he was too busy managing it for everyone else.

How are you managing your feed?

Deleting 50'% of my profile content resulted in 2x more relevant profile viewers within 3 weeks. Here's why!

For years I treated my LinkedIn profile like an archive.

French profile.
Dutch profile.
German profile.
Spanish profile.

Old services.
Outdated achievements.
Topics of my previous life that I no longer wanted to be known for.

With the introduction of LinkedIn's Interest Graph I realized something.
My profile was attracting confusion instead of clients.

So I made 3 instant changes.

• I deleted all second-language profiles and kept one English version.
• I removed roughly 50% of my old content and experience.
• I rewrote my headline, About section and work descriptions fully from the client perspective.

Not “what I did.”
But “how I help.”

Within 3 weeks my profile attracted far more relevant visitors and my content reach increased by 20-30%.

LinkedIn rewards clarity.
So does your human audience.

Most profiles don’t need more information.
They need less noise.

PS: When was the last time you really restructured your profile?

What if I told you some of my algo assumptions are challenged?

I've started to analyze the first batch of data (400,000 posts)
And discovered something uncomfortable:
Some of my own posting habits were wrong.

Four habits I was convinced worked—didn't.

𝟭. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆
For years I published between 8:00 and 9:00am. Religiously.
A few months ago I started experimenting outside that window.

Result? Less reach.
But wait—more engagement from new people.

I even received DMs saying "Haven't seen you for a while."
Turns out I was invisible to part of my audience for years, that are active outside my fixed posting times.

𝗧𝗶𝗽: Test posting 2-3 hours outside your usual window for a week. Track who engages. You might be reaching the same people over and over.

𝟮. 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴
360Brew now recognizes AI-style hooks and hooks you keep re-using.
Same patterns. Same structures. Flagged.

"Not this, but this" → doesn't work anymore.
"I used to think X, then Y" → algorithm sees it coming.

Make your hook human and creative again.
Write like you talk, not like a template.

𝟯. 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀
I compared three types of creators:
A. Publish + engage before and after posting
B. Publish + respond only to comments on their own post
C. Publish and run (aka Post & Ghost)

The surprise?
No difference in reach between B and C.

Nurturing your own comments doesn't boost performance.
It builds relationships—but not reach.

Those in group A? 25-35% more reach.
Play part of the ecosystem, or get left behind.

𝟰. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲
Same format. Same topics. Same structure.
I optimized for what worked - I was a Carousel addict - until it stopped working.

The algorithm rewards creativity now.
Predictable creators become invisible creators.

This is what happens when you stop questioning your own playbook.

The Algorithm Insights Report 2026 drops April 29th.
100+ pages of what's actually working—not what worked two years ago.
Including some great interviews with successful creators.

What's one LinkedIn habit you've never questioned?

Finally LinkedIn in 2026 is punishing lazy virality. I remember a quickly shot video in my feed with close to no value reaching half a million views. Bye bye.

Your follower count is becoming irrelevant.
Your engagement is quietly collapsing.
And your workload keeps growing.

You know me, I've been tracking this shift:

Most entrepreneurs on LinkedIn are burning out because they're still optimizing for visibility, not results.

You never have an algorithm problem, it's always about intention.

LinkedIn has shifted from professional social network to intent graph. The platform now rewards invisible interactions (like clicks, saves, profile visits, DMs) far more than performative engagement.

The more you chase likes, the more you train the algorithm (and your audience) to see you as free entertainment instead of a decision partner.

If you're building a business here, that's lethal.

3 moves to stop burning out while LinkedIn gets stricter:

→ 1. Stop feeding the feed. Build assets instead.
Treat each post as a reusable knowledge object, not a one-off opinion. Carousels, frameworks and checklists that people can save and apply will outperform hot takes over time. If a post wouldn't belong in your playbook, don't publish it.

→ 2. Measure silent intent as your primary KPI.
Start tracking what actually moves the business: clicks to your site, DM replies, call bookings, profile visits from your ICP. If a post explodes in likes but generates zero intent, declare it a failure. The algorithm already does.

→ 3. Design a sustainable rhythm, not a heroic sprint.
Pick a narrow promise for your audience (aka one problem, one transformation) and show up consistently in that lane. Build recurring formats you can execute on autopilot instead of reinventing yourself every day for the feed.

LinkedIn 2027 will be brutal on people who still act like creators instead of operators.

The platform is evolving into a work operating system, not a vanity arena.

Your job is no longer to win the feed.
Your job is to turn attention into outcomes, without living on the platform or copying the wrong strategies.

Which of these 3 shifts is hardest for you to make?

Most B2B professionals treat LinkedIn like a billboard.
Post. Hope. Wait. Just buy a lottery ticket if you want to gamble.

I've been building authority on this platform since 2005.
Back when LinkedIn had 4 million users and "social selling" wasn't even a term.

I've watched every algorithm shift, every format change, every new feature roll out and one thing has never changed:

The people winning on LinkedIn all have a systematic approach!

Right now, 78% of B2B buyers check a seller's LinkedIn profile before ever responding to an outreach. And 91% of decision-makers say thought leadership content influences their purchasing decisions. So how to deal with that?

As thought leadership without a system is just noise.

I analyzed 1.3 million posts across 50,000 profiles for my 2026 Algorithm Insights Report. The gap between people who generate pipeline on LinkedIn and people who just generate likes?

It comes down to 5 systems.
Not followers or posting frequency. Not trying to go viral. Systems.

Let me give you the first two for free.

→ SYSTEM 1: Profile Optimization Your profile is a landing page, not a CV. The algorithm classifies your niche in 2 seconds. So does your ideal client. If it can't place you instantly (your headline, your About section, your Featured) you're invisible. Fix this first. Profile views converting to inbound inquiries increased 4.2x when this system is properly installed.

→ SYSTEM 2: The 90-Day Authority System Stop posting about everything. The algorithm needs 90 consistent days on 1-2 topics before it starts distributing you automatically. Document one real client win per week. Specific numbers. Real context. Tag the company. Let the result speak. This system alone generated €600k in referrals for me last year.

Systems 3, 4 and 5?
→ Slide through the carousel.

They cover commenting strategy, DM conversion, and weekly auditing and honestly, they're where most people leave serious money on the table.

You don't need 10K followers.
You don't need daily content.
You don't need to go viral.
You need systems that compound over time.

I've been proving that since 2005.
Now be honest. Which of these 5 systems are you currently missing?

I almost made a huge mistake in this year's Algorithm Report. I was ready to write : "Comments are king. Earn the comment, win the reach."

Then the data forced a rewrite.

The engagement hierarchy on LinkedIn has been quietly rebuilt, but most creators are still optimising for the version that died in late 2024.

The changes? All included in chapter 3

1. Comments got devalued
Not all of them. But enough that the category itself lost trust with the algorithm. Pods, automation tools, and AI-generated replies flooded the platform — and LinkedIn's classification systems caught up. Hard.

2. Likes came back from the dead.
Not all likes. A very specific kind, under very specific conditions. Most creators are still treating them as a vanity metric and missing the most underused reach lever on the platform.

3. Saves and reposts are now the only signals that resurface a post days after publication.
Everything else dies inside the 48-hour window. These two don't.

And the biggest mistake creators are still making in 2026? Asking for engagement out loud. The "comment GUIDE and I'll DM you" playbook isn't just dated it's actively suppressing the accounts that use it.

The carousel breaks the new hierarchy down: what to engineer for, what to stop doing, and the one writing shift that quietly does what comments used to do.

If you only read the first slide, take this with you:

→ Likes are velocity.
→ Saves and reposts are durability.
→ Comments (when they're real) are still the spark.

The full mechanics, the 97% accuracy stat, and the implicit-invite formulas are inside the carousel.

You can find the complete Algorithm Insights Report 2026 in my Featured Section or my profile link (Top of my Profile)

PS: What's the last post you saved on LinkedIn and what made it worth keeping?

Yesterday: 10K impressions. Today: 200. Sound familiar?
Introducing the Loop Strategy to create synergy between your posts.

Most creators treat every post as a one-shot.
Hit publish. Wait. Refresh. Repeat.

The creators quietly growing reach in 2026 don't think that way.

They post in 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀: sequenced micro-content where each post does a specific job, builds on the last one, and trains LinkedIn™'s Interest Graph on a single, sharper topic signal.

The framework, in 4 posts:

🔹 Hook Post — a sharp take, a question, one data point.
Goal: stop the scroll, enter new interest clusters.

🔹 Depth Post — a document, a structured text post, a video.
Goal: deliver on the hook. Earn saves.

🔹 Conversation Post — a poll, a question, a follow-up.
Goal: activate the audience the first two built.

🔹 Bridge Post — a newsletter, a DM prompt, an offer.
Goal: keep the audience moving — to action, not exit.

Run this across 1–2 weeks. Then reset on a new subtopic or extend the same one deeper.

The cumulative effect isn't four post performances.

It's a topic fingerprint LinkedIn™ can categorise clearly which expands distribution into interest clusters far beyond your existing network.

This is one of the frameworks in Chapter 2 of the Algorithm Report 2026: Visibility by Design.

If you want the full breakdown (plus 200+ pages of tactics) grab your copy on my profile
(link on top of my profile or in Featured Section)

PS: What loop are you currently building?

I miss the LinkedIn feed from 5 years ago.
Back then, 80% of what I saw came from my actual network.

My clients. My peers. My colleagues.
People I chose to connect with.

It made engaging easy. It made relationships real.

𝟱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝟱 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼:

1️⃣ Posts from people you actually know
Your feed was your network. Not a recommendation engine.

2️⃣ Industry conversations that mattered
Real discussions between professionals in your field.

3️⃣ Client updates you could engage with
You saw their wins. You commented. You stayed top of mind.

4️⃣ Content diversity
Different voices. Different perspectives. Different industries.

5️⃣ Serendipity
You discovered people through mutual connections — not because an algorithm decided you'd "like" them.

𝟱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘄:

1️⃣ The same 20 creators on repeat
LinkedIn found your "interest." Now it feeds you the same voices until you're sick of them.

2️⃣ Rage bait and hot takes
Controversy gets clicks. Nuance gets buried.

3️⃣ Templated "value" posts
"5 things I learned about leadership." Copy. Paste. Repeat.

4️⃣ Content from people you've never met
Strangers with viral posts pushed into your feed while your clients stay invisible.

5️⃣ Echo chambers on steroids
You're not discovering new ideas. You're being fed what you already believe — over and over.

The irony?

LinkedIn moved to an "interest-based" feed to increase engagement.
But they killed the one thing that made engagement meaningful: relationships.

I don't want to see what LinkedIn thinks I'll like.
I want to see what my network is actually doing.

My clients are posting. I'm missing it.
My peers are sharing insights. I'm not seeing them.
My network is active. But my feed is full of strangers.

LinkedIn turned a relationship platform into a content platform.

And in doing so, they forgot why most of us showed up in the first place.

Am I the only one who misses the old feed?

My Algorithm Insights Report shows 3,000+ clients made this same mistake.

They thought posting more would fix their reach problem.

It didn't.
It accelerated the decline.

Here's what the data actually shows:

Creators who increased posting frequency from 5x to 7x per week during the 2025 reach crash saw:

↳ –27% average reach per post
↳ –23% engagement rate
↳ +31% content fatigue signals (lower dwell time, fewer saves)

More posts ≠ more visibility.
More posts = weaker signals.

Meanwhile, creators who stayed within 3–5 posts per week and invested in structured engagement:

↳ Recovered reach 38–42% faster after the 360Brew rollout
↳ Generated 2.1× more saves per post
↳ Maintained a stable authority score instead of dilution

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆:

↳ 7x/week + low engagement → –41% reach per post
↳ 5x/week + weak engagement → –35% reach
↳ 3–5x/week + 30 min/day strategic engagement → +18–24% reach

Now here's the nuance most people miss:

Publishing more than once per day does increase your total weekly reach.
That part is true.

But it harms your average reach per post — especially when posts target different interest clusters.

The algorithm resets relevance signals per cluster.
When you publish multiple unrelated topics in short succession, you:

↳ Split audience affinity
↳ Reduce follow-up distribution
↳ Weaken post-to-post momentum

Result?
Higher total impressions. Lower authority. Lower compounding reach.

LinkedIn no longer rewards volume.
It rewards coherent relevance signals over time.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂:

1. Stop chasing daily frequency
Aim for 3–5 posts per week. That's the current performance sweet spot.

2. Spend 2× more time engaging than creating
For every 30 minutes writing, spend 60 minutes in meaningful conversations.

3. Optimize for saves, not likes
360Brew weights saves ~5× heavier than likes. Create content people want to return to.

"Post more" worked until mid 2025.
In 2026, it's quietly sabotaging reach.

Be honest 👇
How many posts a week do you publish?

PS: Get your copy (and all future updates) of the Algorithm Insights Report now. Check out my profile link & Featured Section. Price will go to € 199,- for the 2026 edition (+200 Pages)

For years I’ve been almost 100% LinkedIn‑focused. Starting september 2026 that changes.

The easy part of going multi‑platform (Substack, X, YouTube and maybe even Instagram) is “post everywhere”.

The hard part for me is keeping:
• one strategy across channels
• smart repurposing, not copy‑paste spam
• clear analytics without five tools and ten spreadsheets

That “hard part” is why I’ve joined DemandBird as ambassador and shareholder.
It’s a B2B‑focused social operating system built by Alex Boyd and Mac M. to fix exactly this multi‑channel chaos many businesses are experiencing.

Three reasons I think DemandBird has huge potential, and yes I'm biased:
• Write once, adapt for every platform in your own voice.
• Plan, schedule and publish across channels from one shared calendar.
• See performance across all socials – including compliant LinkedIn profile analytics – in one dashboard.

I’m still LinkedIn‑first today, but I’m building my 2027 multi‑platform strategy with DemandBird in mind.

And since I’m officially on board now…
Hit me with your wishlist.

If you’re an agency, B2B team or creator juggling several socials, what problems do you want a tool like this to solve for you?

Do you find yourself in a content bubble lately? Your feed showing you the same topics, the same faces, the same takes — on repeat?

I was there too. And I spent weeks thinking it was just LinkedIn doing LinkedIn things.

But It wasn't. It was me and it's probably also you.

Our LinkedIn feed is no longer a reflection of our network. It's a reflection of our behaviour.

Every like. Every scroll-past. Every time you ghost a post after 3 seconds — that's a signal. And LinkedIn's Interest Graph is building a profile of you based entirely on what you do, not what you intend.

So what's happening now? Most people are accidentally training their feed to show them mediocre content — because they engage with mediocre content.

Here are 5 ways to start taking back control:

1. Comment with substance, not courtesy
2. Use saves intentionally
3. Build consistent engagement clusters
4. Switch between Top and Recent with purpose
5. Clean your feed regularly

Check the carousel for the ins and outs of each one.

Ways 6 to 10 are inside the Algorithm Insights Report 2026 — dropping April 29th, built on 1.3 million posts and 6 months of data.

Early access at €150. Closes on launch day.
See my Featured Section to grab your copy

But before you go — answer me this:

𝗜𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 — 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱?

Most people wouldn't.

That's the real problem. And it's entirely fixable.

Drop your honest answer below. 👇

Attacked again. By trolls who build their "following" by baiting others, then pouncing the moment you slip. Vultures that hunt in packs. I was drafting a comeback then I found this. Nuff said.

LinkedIn owes you an explanation. Your follower count went up. Your reach went down. And nobody at LinkedIn is talking about it honestly.

So what's happening?

In March 2026, LinkedIn's own engineering team published how the new feed works. Buried inside that technical document is the reason your growing audience is seeing less of your content, not more.

The data from 1.3 million posts makes it impossible to ignore:

Follower counts grew 31%.
Impressions fell.

Not optimization. It's a deliberate architectural decision.

In today's newsletter I break down:

→ Why follower count no longer guarantees your reach
→ What LinkedIn's new system actually evaluates before distributing your post
→ The 3 signals that predict reach in 2026 (likes aren't one of them)
Click below 👇

PS: Next week's edition I reveal why people are getting restricted for using an engagement manipulation tactic

What style works best for outreach? Provocative and direct, or helpful and curious? This style resulted for me in +70% acceptance rate from potential clients...

I tested this across my own client base for over 5 years. Not theory but real send data.

I've built and refined outreach sequences for over 300 B2B sales teams. The goal of a connection request isn't a meeting. It's just a connection. Treat it like a meeting ask and you'll lose the person before you've even started.

You know what most people get backwards about the request itself, before they even pick a style?

Timing isn't optional. Over 60% of accepted requests happen within 24 hours. By day 14, that number hits 91%. If someone hasn't accepted in two weeks, they're not "still thinking about it." Withdraw it. A stale request sitting in your pending list does nothing but eat into your invite cap.

The note matters more than people think, and less than they hope. Free accounts get 200 characters, spaces included. That's roughly two short sentences. Not enough for a pitch, and you shouldn't try to fit one in. Its only job is giving someone one specific, genuine reason to say yes.

Now one of my frustrations. You only get a small handful of personalized notes per month on a free account, somewhere between three and five, LinkedIn's own numbers don't even agree on the exact figure. My honest opinion: the moment LinkedIn limited personal notes for free members, they put revenue before trust. That's the opposite of what relationship building on this platform is supposed to be about.

Which means the few notes you do have need to go to the people you've actually done the work to warm up first, not the first ten names on your list.

And once someone accepts, the ask that follows matters just as much. A 15-minute call request books 8 times more meetings than a 60-minute one. Less commitment, more yes'es.

None of this touches the four outreach styles I broke down in the carousel above, the one where the most-used style turned out to be the weakest performer. Swipe through it if you haven't yet.

This is one small piece of what's inside The Revenue Engine Playbook. Full TRUST method, tested with 200+ B2B sales teams across 80+ companies, average results of 60% more pipeline and 40% more meetings.

Waitlist is open now. Join it and lock in €50 off before the September 28 launch.

Let's do a fun check and share some numbers.
How many pending invites do you have? And how many outstanding ones?
Me? 2,645 vs. 4

PS:
Post 99% ideas and experience from Richard - 1% AI assisted writing
Design 100% Nurjesa

Car accident. Who do we blame? The car? No. The driver.
So why are we blaming AI for everything wrong on LinkedIn?

"LinkedIn lost all its value"
"Every post sounds the same"
"It's bots talking to bots"
People voting for an "AI slop" emoji to be added....

Really? Is that what we need? More people acting as a LinkedIn Cop?

It looks like the last week this debate exploded. And of course I did some digging.

80%+ of people complaining about AI ruining LinkedIn are native English speakers.

Meanwhile:
→ 70% of content creators are NOT native English speakers
→ 35% of those post in English as their default language
→ 99.9% of us were not born copywriters
→ 99.99% are not visual designers

I use AI. There, I'll say it openly, not ashamed at all.

To fix grammar and to structure my thoughts.
To brainstorm hooks and CTAs.
Not to think for me, for now I can still manage that process myself.

So, don't blame me, blame the ones below:

1. Creator tools selling "we analyzed 1M viral posts so you can copy them." That's why your feed looks like a cloning factory.

2. Growth hackers pushing automated outreach scripts. That's why my inbox has 5 identical pitches today (screen shots available if you don't believe me)

3. People outsourcing the entire process. "Write me a post about what a koala taught me about sales." Zero thought = Zero value, always has been. Always will be, with or without AI.

4. Engagement pods gaming every metric. 200 people liking each other's posts within 3 minutes. Some audience still falls for it, the algorithm sees through it. Eventually.

5. Comment-bait factories. "Type DRAGON for my secret playbook 🐉" flooding every feed with hollow interaction.

LinkedIn should really get a grip on this:

Right now they don't distinguish between how AI was used.

An expert with 20 years of knowledge, finally able to scale their insights with AI assistance? Treated the same as someone who typed "write me something viral" and hit post.

One adds value while the other one pollutes.

Please judge the content, not the process or tool.

The em-dash won't tell you if a post is worth reading.
The insight will.

In case you hadn't noticed: I'm team "use AI wisely".
Are you team "AI should be banned from LinkedIn" or team "The more AI the better"?

LinkedIn just made a small but smart change. In your feed, engagement numbers now show as symbols instead of text.

👍 180 💬 144 🔁 2

Clean. Fast. Less cluttered.
So? Good move.

But since we're already tweaking the engagement experience...
LinkedIn, I have a wishlist.

You have the data. You just need the UI.

Here are 5 features that would actually change how creators use this platform:

1. Show me who saved my post
↳ Saves are your strongest reach signal. A post with 10+ saves reaches a median of 2,085% more than one with zero. Yet you hide who saved it completely. Give me names. Let me start a real conversation.

2. Show me engagement streaks
↳ Who has liked, commented or shared 3, 5, 10 of my posts in a row? That person is not a passive follower. That's a warm lead. Possibly a buyer. Flag them. Make them visible.

3. Show me multiple-action engagers
↳ Who liked AND commented AND shared the same post? That triple signal is the highest intent a follower can show without sending a DM. I want to know who they are.

4. Suggest connections based on the above
↳ You already recommend people I might know. Start recommending people who have been quietly telling me they're interested. Turn the algorithm into a sales assistant.

5. Show me which companies are engaging repeatedly
↳ Not just individuals. Which organisations are sending multiple people to my content? That's account-level intent data sitting unused. B2B creators would pay for that insight alone.

Bonus 6. Let me see engagement trends over time per follower
↳ Did someone go from liking one post a month to three a week? Warming up. Show me the trajectory, not just the snapshot.

LinkedIn already has this data.

The gap between what they track and what they share with creators is still huge.

Which of these 6 would you use most?

My reach dropped. Then I found out why. It wasn't the ads. It wasn't the pods. It was something most people haven't even heard of yet — and once I understood it, my reach went up 30% again.

The reason? LinkedIn quietly rebuilt how it decides who gets seen. From the ground up.

And the element sitting at the center of that shift is called 360Brew.

Most entrepreneurs are still fighting the old algorithm. Meanwhile the platform already moved on — and it's now rewarding a completely different set of behaviors.

I broke down exactly what changed, and what to do about it, in the carousel above.
Swipe through it.

And if you want the full picture:

The Algorithm Insights Report 2026 is coming — the most comprehensive breakdown of LinkedIn's biggest algorithmic shift since the platform launched.

Not trends. Not tips. Facts and stats. Over 1.3M posts.
The actual mechanics, and what they mean for your content strategy.

🔒 Now still access for: €150 — price goes up to €199 at launch.
https://lnkd.in/eZMq8w_F

And you get the +320 Pages of 2025 (still relevant for 90%)
Make sure you'll be amongst the first who gets all the new data, April 29th.

Let's talk cool trips! As I'm about to embark on the coolest trip of my life.
In 5 weeks, I become a dad.

Evelina and I are already dreaming up all the places we want to take him, so he can experience how beautiful some places are

Where I live(d):

🇳🇱 grew up in Maastricht, the most beautiful city of The Netherlands
🇫🇷 spent in total almost a year in France, summer holidays with my parents
🇹🇿 lived in Tanzania for almost 6 months, voluntary work. Njema!
🇪🇸 move to Spain in 2018, impulsively but never had regrets so far

Where I spent my holidays:

🇬🇷 visited Crete several times, as well as Athens. Love the food
🇮🇹 went to Tuscany and Rome to breath some culture and espresso
🇵🇹 roamed in Lisbon and the Algarve to try some pastels
🇧🇷 went to Porto Seguro in Brazil to enjoy a mid-night dance
🇬🇲 enjoyed playing football with locals in the Smiling Coast
🇸🇳 visited a Diola family in Senegal and had a goat for dinner
🇲🇰 weirdest city trip ever. Skopje! Strange but beautiful.
🇮🇩 almost died in a scooter accident on Bali. Totally my fault!

Where my work brought me:

🇺🇸 keynotes on impressive stages in Austin, NY and Washington
🇦🇷 flew in last minute for an executive keynote in Buenos Aires
🇲🇦 Marrakech as the scene of a LinkedIn Masterclass for CEO's
🇩🇰 3 years in a row to share insights with Mette's audience
🇳🇴 co-founded Narify with Norwegian entrepreneurs
🇩🇪 events in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Munich and Cologne
🇦🇪 In-company training sessions in Dubai, amazing
🇸🇮 🇸🇰 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇮🇪 🇭🇷 🇦🇹 and a few more

Places that inspired me as a human being

🇯🇴 Breathtaking. Petra. Wadi Rum, The Death Sea, the people!
🇧🇿 Visited the Mennonites in Belize, coral reefs and tropical forest
🇹🇿 co-founded a diving school in Zanzibar, adopted an animal shelter
🇦🇷 visited my family in law in Mar del Plata. That raw pure ocean!

On my bucketlist:

🇹🇭 Love Thai Food & Culture. Talk about it daily. Never been so far
🇯🇵 A roundtrip, Tokyo, northern island (snow), souther islands
🇨🇦 Into the wild.
🇨🇷 Have this book of eco-lodges, most of them in Costa Rica
🇷🇼 Mountain hiking on the border between Uganda and Rwanda
🇰🇿 4x4 round trip, staying with the locals in Kazakhstan
🇵🇭 visiting Nurjesa for the best seafood and company

For me the core of travelling is meeting locals.
Adapting to the local rhythms, food and habits.
Blend in as much as possible

Don't take pictures
Don't wear white soxs in sandals
Don't expect people to run for me
Just trying to enjoy every single moment of it.

Anything I missed on my bucketlist?
Where should I take the little one and the misses?

Most companies are leaving 80% of their LinkedIn reach on the table. Not because they're inactive, but because they're following outdated rules.

They invest in the Company Page, hire someone to post 3x a week and then wonder why only 200 people see it.

Your Company Page and your personal profile aren't competitors.
You just need to treat them like a system, which most companies don’t understand.

After analysing millions of posts for the Algorithm Insights Report 2026, this is what we see at the moment:

→ 1. Personal profiles get 8x more reach and 12x the engagement of Company Pages
Pages speak into the void. People interact. If your team isn't posting, your brand is invisible.

→ 2. "Resharing with your own thoughts" is a "no-go"
LinkedIn classifies this as low-effort copied content and suppresses it. What works: comment on the Company Page post, or use instant reshare. Two actions. Completely different outcome.

→ 3. Your thought leaders are your highest-value distribution channel
B2B buyers follow people, not logos. Content from C-level profiles reaches a more relevant, more senior audience than brand content ever will.

→ 4. C-level creating original content get up to 5x more views
The algorithm elevates them as high-credibility sources. A single post from your CEO can reach more qualified buyers in 48 hours than a month of Company Page posts.

→ 5. Who engages matters as much as how many
80%+ engagement from internal colleagues is an algorithmic red flag. External engagement from people outside your existing audience is the accelerator.

This is exactly why I co-founded Narify. One system connecting your Page and your people.Ideal for agencies that support multiple clients and Employee Advocacy Programs that need a boost

👉 See how it works: www.narify.com
Or send me a DM to schedule your personal demo

Be honest!
What percentage of your engagement comes from your own colleagues?

Trust isn't a decision your audience makes on purpose. It's a shortcut their brain takes to avoid risk. Understand this and you'll grow your impact.

Most people treat LinkedIn trust like a light switch.

Post → hope people believe you.

Unfortunately that's not how it works. The shortcut to avoid bad decisions fires in milliseconds, long before anyone reads your value proposition.

A few things happening in your reader's head, whether you're aware of it or not:

1. The halo effect.
   means they judge your credibility before they've read a single line, based purely on how your profile looks.

2. Specificity beats vagueness, every time.
   Vague claims trigger skepticism. Specific claims (even small ones) trigger belief, because the brain trusts receipts more than promises.

3. Loss aversion is why a single thoughtful comment does more for your pipeline than five posts.
   Rare reads as valuable, and most engagement on this platform is not rare.

4. And the mere-exposure effect explains why the fifth touchpoint lands and the first one doesn't.
   Your reader isn't more convinced by then. They're just less afraid.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because trust is an integrated system with four moving parts, working in sequence, not in isolation.

I've been on the platform since 2005 and honestly over 95% of people over-invest in just one signle part of that system, ignore the rest, then wonder why visibility never turns into pipeline.

In the Carousel you'll find the 4 pillars to build trust on LinkedIn.
Swipe through it and let me know which one needs more attention!

Seeing a psychologist isn’t a sign of weakness.
It’s the first step to taking control again. Towards healing.

And yet… it’s still taboo to say that out loud.

Especially if you’re known as the “strong one.”
The responsible one.
The effective one.

2025 hit me hard.
The pain of another lost pregnancy.
Loved ones fighting cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s.
The passing of my mother after a few very rough months.

And toxic people and comments that I could no longer process, ignore, or absorb.

Responsibility and effectiveness have always been my strengths.
But last year, I carried too much.

When things slowed down, I didn’t pause — I reacted.
Frustration came faster. Anger too.

I blocked 118 people on LinkedIn.
I should’ve blocked ten times more.
I deleted social media accounts just to create peace.

And eventually, I took the courage to redesign my business for next year.

The real shift however, happened elsewhere.
In conversations with a psychologist.

Not because I was broken.
But because I was stuck inside my own bubble.

The insights were already there.
They were just covered in fog.

2026 is going to be a good year.
I’m not even trying.

I’ll make sure it will be.

8 connection requests I received this week. All terrible. All real.

1️⃣ "Hi Richard, I've been following your content for years and it's truly inspiring!"
(8 Connections. Profile like a Ghost Town. They've never liked, commented, or engaged with anything I've posted. Years?)

2️⃣ "Hey! We should connect—I think there's a lot of synergy between what we do."
(Their profile: crypto day trader. My profile: LinkedIn strategist. The synergy is invisible.)

3️⃣ "Richard, I noticed you're a leader in your space. I'd love to pick your brain over a quick 15-min call."
(Translation: I want free consulting from a stranger.)

4️⃣ "Hi [First Name], I came across your profile and was impressed by your background."
(They didn't even bother to replace the placeholder. Automation at its finest.)

5️⃣ "We've helped 500+ companies like yours achieve 10X growth. Let's chat!"
(My company is me. I'm not 500+ companies. And 10X of what exactly?)

6️⃣ "I see you're connected to [mutual connection]. They speak highly of you!"
(I asked. They've never spoken. Ever.)

7️⃣ "Just wanted to connect with fellow thought leaders in the space 🙌"
(Which space? The internet? Earth?)

8️⃣ "Hi Richard! I'm not trying to sell you anything, I just want to connect."
(Three minutes after I accepted: a pitch for their SaaS tool.)

How I responded to a few of them:

To #3: "Absolutely! My rate for brain-picking is €500 for 15 minutes. Should I send an invoice?"
They didn't reply.

To #6: "That's amazing! What exactly did [mutual connection] say about me? I'd love to hear it."
Silence.

To #8: "You mentioned you weren't selling anything. What changed in the last 3 minutes?"
They are still looking for the right words.

Connection requests aren't cold emails.
They're first impressions.

And most people are making terrible ones.

If you want to actually get accepted—and start conversations that lead somewhere—I've put together a slide deck with connection request templates that work.

Swipe through the carousel below 👇

LinkedIn is at a crossroads — and the next turn will redefine everything.
I'm positive and sceptical at the same time for what's about to happen...

In the last few weeks, we’ve seen:
- a declared war on engagement pods.
- a further collapse in organic reach followed by a shiny new “Boost Post” button.
- a crackdown on AI and scheduling tools that many of us rely on.

Is LinkedIn really fighting for authenticity — or tightening control over what we see, post, and pay for?

In my latest newsletter, I unpack the 3 biggest crossroads LinkedIn is facing right now — and what they mean for you as a creator, marketer, or sales professional.

You’ll also read:
🔹 The story behind my open call to LinkedIn’s VP after being told “no violation found” for reporting an engagement pod.
🔹 Why reach is falling 38% (and how to adapt).
🔹 How AI tools can still help you win — without crossing the new red lines.

Next week we’ll dive further into different elements of 360Brew and my favorite LinkedIn tools for 2025. Don't worry, no automation, no AI comments, but approved tools to leverage LinkedIn in the most efficient way.

But first, read this one — before your feed changes again.
And don't forget to save, repost or leave a comment to show me and 360Brew some weekend love.

I must admit. I failed as an entrepreneur, while things could have been so easy.

"Hi Richard, I was hoping to get in touch regarding Richardvanderblom.Com. We are working with a family office that is considering huge investments in businesses in your space and is actively evaluating companies like Richardvanderblom.Com. Are you available sometime this week to discuss the opportunity?"

𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲.

"We are currently preparing a special global edition titled: “The Most Inspiring Business Leaders Making an Impact, 2026”. After reviewing your professional journey, we were impressed by your experience and accomplishments and believe your story would align beautifully with the theme of this edition. It would be a genuine honor to consider your profile for inclusion, for a small investment".

𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲.

"I noticed your focus on helping entrepreneurs turn visibility into revenue without needing to live on the platform. Open to seeing how we could add 10-15 meetings to your calendar?"

𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀.

"Hey Richard, I saw you helped [ name client ] with a customized presentation and I had a quick question. If I could connect you with 2-3 businesses looking for linkedin consulting every week would you be open to a short call? Best regards, Jessica  P.S. Sent from my phone"

𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲.

"Hi Rich, I saw your latest post on LinkedIn, great engagement. Our new AI solution can bring you +100 new leads every week. When do you have 15 minutes for me to show you?"

𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝘁.

"Richard, I've been following your content on LinkedIn algorithm insights. I run a ghostwriting agency and we guarantee 3 viral posts per month using AI. Want me to send you a sample?"

𝗜'𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗴𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁.

"Hi Richard, I'd love to invite you to our exclusive mastermind for 7-figure LinkedIn coaches. Only 20 spots left, doors close Friday. Based on what I see, a little tweak could make you 6-figures within a month"

𝗜'𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗵.

One week only. I could have been a millionaire by now.

Seven messages. Seven templates.
Maybe next week the right message will come again

How was your week so far?


PS: For the "AI Slop Police"
100% ideas and writing by Richard
0% AI

8 predictions about LinkedIn in 2026.
Half of LinkedIn experts will pretend this post doesn’t exist.

I've watched LinkedIn evolve for almost 20 years.
First for the better. Now? I'm not so sure.

𝟭) 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯.
Functional training dies when AI and AI agents can teach the basics faster than any course. The ones who survive? Those who bring strategy and direction, not just frameworks and templates.

𝟮) 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗜 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Your AI twin booking calls? That bubble will burst. I can spot AI comments in under a minute. So can your prospects. The "scale everything" crowd will learn that automation without authenticity destroys trust faster than it builds pipeline.

𝟯) 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱.
Stop engaging your most interesting followers? Your ambassadors will swap you for someone else within weeks. Attention isn't loyalty. The algorithm doesn't owe you anything. Neither does your audience.

𝟰) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝟲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀" 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱.
Monthly income screenshots. Rags-to-riches stories. Addiction-to-success narratives. People are getting smarter. The BS detector is sharpening.

𝟱) 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲.
Mainstream content slowly dies with AI newsletters like 360Brew. Settle for smaller but more engaged audiences. Stay in your lane instead of being a jack of all trades. Generic advice gets buried. Specific expertise gets rewarded. The algorithm is learning to match depth with intent.

𝟲) 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆.
500k followers with 1,000 "Great post!" comments at the same time? We see through it. The conversations in your comments need to show depth and added value. Buyers now scroll the comments before they scroll your profile. Empty engagement is a red flag, not a badge of honor.

𝟳) 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀.
The ones actually making money are building email lists and growing on other platforms. Treating LinkedIn as a funnel, not a home. The platform will notice too late. When your reach depends on an algorithm you don't control, smart creators diversify. LinkedIn becomes the top of funnel, not the whole funnel.

𝟴) 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲.
People who didn't post 12 months ago are now selling "complete cohort structures." They received a roadmap and now they're teaching it. Will you see through it? Check their track record before you buy. Experience can't be downloaded from a Notion template.

I help people grow on LinkedIn for a living.
And I'm telling you: half this industry won't exist in 12 months.

Which prediction made you most uncomfortable (1-8)? 👇

I said no to a 100k annual deal.  And it felt as the right thing to do! Here are 9 type of clients you need to Ditch now, regardless their money 👇


We have all been there: that client who makes you question your life choices every time their name pops up on your phone.

But not all money is good money.
Sometimes, the cost of working with a problematic client far outweighs the pay check.

So, let's dive into the 9 types of clients you should consider breaking up with (like, yesterday).

My favourite (in a cynical mode) is on slide 10.

And don't worry, I also share 6 signs that you are working with the right clients.

My favourites are on slide 15.

PS: When was the last time you took on a client that was a pain in the *ss?

LinkedIn isn’t broken. Our egos are killing it.
I saw it in my own dashboard when I chased claps.

Comparison became my fuel and my content tanked.
Data snapped me out of it.

Authentic personal stories with one clear lesson drive 280% more comments in my reports.
Educational Carousel Posts get saved 4.7x more than average.
Long-form guides that share process steps get 71% more qualified DMs.

So I stripped every post back to intent.

I add the why, the numbers, the next step.
Followers grow slower, pipeline grows faster.

Those who copy hacks fade fast.
Creators who earn trust stay booked.

Watch this clip from my 2nd episode on the Insights From Top Business Leaders by Jeremy Bennett and make sure to give the guy a follow as he interviews the best of the best.

Question?
For who do you write your content?

After analyzing 500,000+ LinkedIn posts and generating over $4M+ in combined revenue from this platform, we have noticed something disturbing

The correlation between vanity metrics and business results is almost zero.

Most LinkedIn creators are chasing applause. Marina Mogilko and myself? We are chasing clients.

Last quarter alone, I tracked 47 posts that exceeded 1M impressions.

Guess how many of those creators could trace actual revenue back to those viral moments?

3 (aka three)!

That's a 6% conversion rate from "LinkedIn famous" to "actually making money."

Meanwhile, Marina's post about hiring her kids—which "only" got 133K impressions—sparked 100+ meaningful conversations with fellow entrepreneurs. Those relationships? Still generating opportunities 6 months later.

Want to know the truth about metrics?

𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁.
𝗗𝗠𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁.

And revenue? That happens in the invisible layer most people never analyze.

The posts that built my 6-figure consulting pipeline rarely cracked 50K views. But they consistently attracted 5-10 decision-makers who ended up in my inbox within 48 hours.

That's the metric that matters.
Not the screenshot you share in your mastermind group.

Marina and I created a carousel breaking down exactly what we track instead of impressions.

But the real insight we couldn't fit is this:

𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

The algorithm doesn't care about your engagement bait.
Your audience does.

Stop treating this platform like a billboard.
Start treating it like a boardroom.

Document your actual work.
Share your real inbox.
Post the screenshot of the client question you just answered.

That "unpolished" content Marina and I recommend? It consistently outperforms anything a ghostwriter could produce—because genuine beats generic every single time.

Your next viral post won't change your business.

Your next 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 post to the right 100 people?
That might change everything.


What is the most important metric you are actually tracking?

The algorithm you've learned about and optimized for died 18 months ago.
You've been writing letters to a dead address.

For 10+ years, LinkedIn ran on a Relationship Graph.
Bigger network meant wider reach.
Who you knew determined who heard you.

That logic is gone.

Since fall 2025, LinkedIn distributes content through an Interest Graph, the same shift TikTok and Instagram made years ago.

The platform now routes posts based on topic relevance, not connection proximity.

The numbers from our research across 1.3 million posts:
→ 31% of your feed now comes from connections (down from 72% in 2024)
→ 33%+ comes from people you've never followed
→ Creators with strong topic signals sustain post longevity 40% longer

This week's newsletter breaks down some insights from Chapter 1 of the Algorithm Insights Report 2026:

✔️ How topic fingerprinting actually works
✔️ The 4 algorithms running in parallel (most creators only optimise for 1)
✔️ 5 stats that should reshape your 2026 strategy

Has your reach pattern changed in the last 12 months?
What are you seeing?

Read the full edition below 👇