How to Grow Your LinkedIn Following With the 360Brew Algorithm (2026)

LinkedIn has 1.3 billion registered members, but only 1% post content regularly. That 1% generates 9 billion impressions per week. If you want more followers in 2026, the math is simple: show up consistently with expertise-driven content and the algorithm will do the rest.

But "show up" means something very different than it did a year ago. LinkedIn's new 360Brew algorithm -- a 150-billion-parameter AI model -- has replaced the old engagement-based ranking with semantic reasoning. It reads your posts, evaluates your expertise, and decides who sees your content based on meaning and relevance, not likes and hashtags.

The results are dramatic. Richard van der Blom's 2025 Algorithm Insights Report (1.8 million posts analyzed) found views down 50%, engagement down 25%, and follower growth down 59% for the average user. Meanwhile, personal profiles generate 561% more reach than company pages, and top creators have more than doubled their visibility since 2022.

The gap between those who understand the new algorithm and those who don't has never been wider. Here are 15 data-backed strategies to land on the right side of it.

How the LinkedIn Algorithm Decides Who Sees Your Content

Before diving into growth tactics, you need to understand the system you're working within. LinkedIn's algorithm now runs on three stages, all powered by the 360Brew AI engine:

Stage 1: Content Quality Classification. Immediately after publishing, LinkedIn's AI classifies your post as spam, low-quality, or high-quality. Posts with genuine expertise and specific details pass through; engagement bait and generic content get filtered.

Stage 2: The Golden Hour Test. Your post is shown to a small sample of your audience for the first 60-90 minutes. If it earns strong engagement -- especially thoughtful, multi-sentence comments -- LinkedIn expands distribution. Weak initial engagement means the post dies in your immediate network.

Stage 3: Personalization and Relevance Scaling. 360Brew evaluates your post against each potential viewer's professional interests, your demonstrated authority in the topic, and the quality of engagement. Posts with original insights and concrete details get 3-4x the reach of generic content.

The key shift: 360Brew introduces a "Depth Score" that measures how long people engage with your content, not just whether they clicked. Dwell time is now a top-tier ranking factor. Quality signals like saves, thoughtful comments, and delayed engagement matter 4-6x more than likes.

For the complete breakdown, read our full guide to how the LinkedIn algorithm works in 2026.

15 Strategies to Get More LinkedIn Followers in 2026

1. Optimize Your Profile for Search and Algorithmic Matching

LinkedIn functions as a search engine -- profiles are crawled by both LinkedIn's internal search and Google. Under 360Brew, your profile directly influences how your content is ranked. Complete profiles get 30% more weekly views according to LinkedIn's own data.

Profile optimization checklist:

• Headline: Replace your generic job title with a keyword-rich value proposition. "B2B SaaS Content Strategist | Helping startups scale through LinkedIn" beats "Marketing Manager" every time
• About section: Use all 2,600 characters. Include target keywords, a compelling hook, short paragraphs, and a clear call to action. 87% of social media marketers say social search is now vital to their strategy
• Featured section: Pin your best-performing posts, articles, or newsletter to give profile visitors immediate proof of expertise
• Custom URL: Claim a clean LinkedIn URL (linkedin.com/in/yourname) for SEO and credibility
• Profile-content alignment: This is critical under 360Brew. Your headline topics, About section keywords, and the content you post must align. The algorithm evaluates whether you are qualified to post about a topic based on your entire profile

Update your profile every 3-6 months to reflect your current focus and expertise.

2. Post Carousels (Document Posts) for Maximum Engagement

Carousels are the highest-performing content format on LinkedIn in 2026. Multi-image carousel posts generate a 6.60% engagement rate -- the highest of any format -- with 2x higher click-through rates than single images.

Each swipe through a carousel counts as an engagement signal, which boosts dwell time. Buffer's data shows users spend 15-20 seconds on carousel posts versus 8-10 seconds on text or image posts. Document carousels average 1,387 impressions compared to 589 for text-only posts.

Best practices for carousels:

• Upload as multi-page PDFs (LinkedIn removed native carousel uploads in late 2023)
• 7-10 slides with a strong hook on the first slide
• 3 core solutions or insights in the middle slides
• A clear CTA on the final slide ("Follow for more [topic] insights")
• Use specific data and real examples -- generic "10 tips" carousels are being penalized

3. Build a LinkedIn Newsletter

LinkedIn newsletters are one of the most powerful growth tools on the platform. Over 184,000 newsletters have been published, with 28 million members subscribing to at least one.

What makes newsletters different: subscribers get push notifications and email alerts, creating a distribution channel that bypasses the feed algorithm entirely. Successful creators report 27% open rates, and 98% of the top 100 newsletters are written by individuals, not companies.

Newsletter growth tactics:

• Publish weekly (45% of all newsletters do; 59% of the top 100 do)
• Keep editions to 600-800 words of genuine insight
• Each newsletter edition doubles as a follower magnet -- when non-followers see it, they can subscribe and follow in one click
• LinkedIn added "email sends" and "email open rates" metrics in February 2025 so you can track performance

4. Use Native Video (Especially Short-Form)

Native LinkedIn videos generate 5x more engagement than text-only posts, and LinkedIn Live sessions achieve 24x more. Video impressions increased 73% year-over-year, and usage is up 69%.

The key word is "native." Videos uploaded directly to LinkedIn outperform embedded videos from YouTube or Vimeo by approximately 30%. The algorithm prioritizes native content because it keeps users on the platform and improves topic detection.

What works for video in 2026:

• Vertical, mobile-first format (72% of LinkedIn users access the platform on mobile)
• Under 60 seconds -- viewer retention drops sharply after the one-minute mark
• Always include captions (most users scroll with sound off)
• Camera-facing for authenticity; the algorithm rewards content that "feels human"

5. Develop a Strategic Commenting Habit

Comments are the single most powerful visible signal for reach on LinkedIn. A post with 50 comments outperforms one with 500 likes. Under 360Brew, thoughtful, multi-sentence comments are the highest-value engagement signal, while generic "great post!" responses are classified as "engagement noise."

This works both ways. Commenting on other people's posts puts your name and profile in front of their audience. Early comments on popular content can drive more profile visits than your own posts.

The three-part comment framework:

1. Highlight a specific detail from the post
2. Add your own insight or experience
3. End with a genuine question

Spend 15-20 minutes daily engaging thoughtfully with 5-10 posts in your niche. And always reply to comments on your own posts -- Buffer's analysis of 72,000 posts found that replying to comments boosts engagement by 30%.

Never miss your Golden Hour. Schedule LinkedIn posts for peak times with PostEverywhere and stay available to engage when it matters most. Try the LinkedIn scheduler free.

6. Post 3-5 Times Per Week -- Consistently

Frequency matters on LinkedIn, but only when paired with consistency. Pages that post weekly see 5.6x more follower growth than those that don't. Regular posting drives 25% higher follower growth compared to sporadic publishing.

The research is clear: accounts posting 3-5 times per week build the compound visibility that the algorithm rewards. LinkedIn does not cap reach for frequent posting. But three quality posts will always outperform five rushed ones -- the 2026 algorithm evaluates content depth and creator credibility, not just volume.

Use a social media scheduler to batch your content creation and maintain a steady cadence. The consistency itself becomes a signal to the algorithm that you are a reliable content source in your niche.

7. Establish 2-3 Content Pillars and Stay in Your Lane

The 360Brew algorithm rewards topic consistency over 90+ days. It builds algorithmic recognition of your authority in specific areas, which directly affects how widely your content is distributed.

How to build content pillars:

• Pick 2-3 core professional topics that align with your headline and profile
• Niche down: "B2B SaaS content marketing" beats "marketing"
• Post about these topics consistently for at least 90 days before evaluating results
• Specificity wins: posts with concrete details (company names, exact metrics, timeframes) get 3-4x the reach of generic content

Think of it this way: the algorithm is trying to match expertise with interest. If you post about marketing one day, fitness the next, and politics the day after, 360Brew cannot classify your expertise. But if you consistently share insights about B2B content strategy with real data and specific examples, the algorithm knows exactly who to show your posts to.

8. Lead with Your Personal Profile, Not Your Company Page

This is the single biggest strategic decision for LinkedIn growth in 2026. Personal profiles generate 561% more reach than company pages, drive 2.75x more impressions, and earn 5x more engagement.

Company page organic reach has dropped 60-66% since 2024. Company page posts are initially shown to only 2-5% of followers, while personal profiles get 65% of user feed allocation versus just 5% for company pages.

The personal brand advantage:

• CEO and founder content generates 4x more engagement than average posts
• Build your personal profile as the face of your expertise
• Share company content from personal profiles (with added context) instead of relying on the company page
• Use your company page as a credibility anchor, not your primary distribution channel

9. Activate Employee Advocacy

For businesses, employee advocacy is the most underutilized growth lever on LinkedIn. While only 3% of employees share company content, those shares generate approximately 30% of total engagement.

Employees have 10x more connections than company followers. Employee shares drive 2x the click-through rate versus branded content. And 92% of B2B buyers trust employee recommendations over traditional advertising.

Companies with active employee advocacy programs see 300%+ increases in engagement. Given that personal profiles get 561% more reach than company pages, routing your best content through employee personal profiles is the clearest path to page follower growth.

Use cross-posting features to make it easy for team members to share content across their own profiles.

10. Master LinkedIn SEO

LinkedIn profiles and articles are indexed by Google. Optimizing for search creates a compounding follower pipeline -- people find you through Google, visit your LinkedIn profile, and follow.

LinkedIn SEO fundamentals:

• Include target keywords naturally in your headline, About section, and experience descriptions
• Write LinkedIn articles with keyword-rich titles and headings (articles rank in Google search results)
• Your follower count is a ranking factor in LinkedIn search, creating a virtuous cycle: more followers = higher search ranking = more followers
• Complete every section of your profile -- LinkedIn's algorithm boosts complete profiles in search

Check your LinkedIn SEO performance using our engagement rate calculator to understand how your content stacks up against benchmarks.

11. Post at Peak Times and Own the Golden Hour

Timing affects both reach and follower growth. Based on analysis of 683,000+ posts:

Best times to post: Tuesday-Thursday, 10:00-11:00 AM (audience local time) Broader window: 10 AM - 12 PM and 1 PM - 4 PM, Tuesday-Thursday Best days ranked: Tuesday (peak) > Wednesday > Thursday > Monday > Friday > Weekends

But the time you post matters less than what you do after posting. The first 60-90 minutes are critical for determining reach. Weekday morning posts earn nearly 2x the engagement of off-hour publishing, and early momentum now influences reach for 48-72 hours.

Schedule posts with a LinkedIn scheduler so you can publish during peak hours and be available to engage during the Golden Hour. Use our best time to post tool to find your audience's peak hours, and read our detailed guide on the best times to schedule LinkedIn posts.

12. Create Posts That Maximize Dwell Time

Under the 360Brew algorithm, the new "Depth Score" measures how long people engage with your content. This makes dwell time a primary growth lever. Longer engagement time = wider distribution = more followers.

High dwell-time formats:

• Carousels: users spend 15-20 seconds per carousel vs. 8-10 seconds on text/image
• Long-form text posts (800-1,000 words): 26% more engagement than shorter posts
• Stories with tension and resolution: professional narratives keep readers scrolling
• Posts with specific data tables or step-by-step frameworks: readers stop and study them

Low dwell-time traps to avoid:

• Single images (users scroll past quickly)
• Generic motivational quotes (no reason to linger)
• Posts that reveal everything in the preview (nothing below the "See More" fold)

Write your hook to land in the first 210 characters (the "See More" cutoff), then deliver enough value below the fold to keep readers engaged for 15+ seconds.

13. Use Polls for Reach, Then Convert to Followers

Polls generate 206% more impressions than average posts with a 4.40% engagement rate. While they are not the highest-engagement format, they are the highest-reach format -- and reach is what drives follower discovery.

The poll-to-follower pipeline:

• Post a poll that asks a specific question related to your niche
• The high reach exposes your profile to non-followers
• Follow up the poll with a detailed post analyzing the results, showing your expertise
• The follow-up post converts curious visitors into followers

Duration options: 1, 3, 7, or 14 days. Shorter polls (1-3 days) create urgency. Longer polls (7-14 days) generate sustained impressions.

14. Reactivate Your Best-Performing Posts

Under 360Brew, high-performing posts get periodic boosts back into feeds for days or even weeks. You can amplify this by commenting on or resharing your own posts after 8 or 24 hours to push them back into distribution.

Posts with sustained engagement get re-shown in "Suggested for you" feeds even a week after publishing. The extended content lifespan in 2026 means a single strong post can drive follower growth for 2-3 weeks.

Reactivation tactics:

• Reply to new comments on older posts to resurface them
• Reshare a previous post with new context or an update
• Reference your own previous posts in new content (interlinking builds authority)

15. Write Action-Oriented CTAs (Not "What Do You Think?")

The quality of your call-to-action directly affects comment quality, which is the top-ranked engagement signal under 360Brew. Generic CTAs like "What do you think?" generate generic responses. Action-oriented CTAs generate the multi-sentence, thoughtful comments the algorithm rewards.

High-performing CTA formulas:

• "Which of these 5 strategies will you test first?"
• "What's your biggest challenge with [specific topic]?"
• "I'd love to hear your experience with [specific scenario]"
• "Share one thing you'd add to this list"

Specific CTAs drive longer comment threads, deeper discussions, and stronger algorithmic signals. Every quality comment thread is a follower conversion opportunity -- people reading the discussion see your expertise and hit Follow.

Generate scroll-stopping LinkedIn posts with AI. PostEverywhere's AI content generator helps you create expertise-driven posts with strong hooks and actionable CTAs. Start creating for free.

10 LinkedIn Growth Myths Debunked

Myth 1: "Posting more frequently guarantees more reach." The 2026 algorithm evaluates content based on creator credibility, content depth, and conversation quality -- not posting volume. One high-value post outperforms five rushed ones. Posting without strategy leads to diminishing returns.

Myth 2: "Viral posts are the key to growth." Authority posts that educate, challenge, or reframe thinking are quietly distributed to the right people repeatedly. The algorithm rewards sustained expertise, not one-off viral moments. Follower growth from viral content tends to be low-quality. For a smarter approach, see our guide on how to go viral on LinkedIn.

Myth 3: "Engagement pods and hacks still work." Engagement pods and round-robin commenting groups are now detected and penalized by the algorithm. The 360Brew system uses semantic reasoning to identify unnatural engagement patterns.

Myth 4: "You should include links in your posts." Posts containing external links see roughly 60% less reach compared to identical posts without links. External link posts average only 234 impressions. If you must share a link, add it in the first comment -- but native content still vastly outperforms.

Myth 5: "Likes are the most important engagement metric." Comments outperform likes by a wide margin. A post with 50 comments outperforms one with 500 likes. Under 360Brew, quality signals (saves, thoughtful comments, delayed engagement) matter 4-6x more than likes.

Myth 6: "Single images always outperform text." Single-image posts get 30% less reach than text-only posts with identical content. Multi-image carousels and document posts DO outperform text -- but the basic single image underperforms. Choose your format deliberately.

Myth 7: "AI-generated content is a shortcut to scale." AI-generated content is flagged by the algorithm with 94% accuracy. AI-detected posts see a 30% drop in reach and 55% less engagement. Use AI to brainstorm and draft, but heavily personalize the output with your own voice and examples. Our AI content generator is designed as a starting point, not a copy-paste solution.

Myth 8: "Hashtags are essential for discovery." Hashtags play a much smaller role in 2026 distribution. LinkedIn's improved topic and text detection has largely replaced hashtag-based discovery. Using 3-5 relevant hashtags is fine but no longer a significant growth lever.

Myth 9: "You need to be on LinkedIn all day to grow." Strategic engagement of 15-20 minutes daily is more effective than all-day passive scrolling. The Golden Hour (first 60-90 minutes after posting) is what matters most. Focus quality engagement in that window, respond to comments promptly, and engage with 5-10 relevant posts in your niche.

Myth 10: "Company pages are the best way to build a brand presence." Personal profiles generate 561% more reach than company pages. Company page organic reach has dropped 60-66% since 2024. The brands winning on LinkedIn in 2026 are flowing content through employee personal profiles and using company pages as credibility anchors.

Best Times to Post for Maximum Follower Growth

Timing is a growth accelerator, not a growth strategy. But it matters. Here's what the data shows based on analysis of 683,000+ posts:

The broader effective window runs from 10 AM to 12 PM and 1 PM to 4 PM, Tuesday through Thursday. Weekday morning posts earn nearly 2x the engagement of off-hour publishing.

The critical factor is the Golden Hour. Posts getting strong early engagement see significantly expanded distribution, and early momentum now influences reach for 48-72 hours -- a major change from prior years.

Use PostEverywhere's calendar view to plan your weekly posting schedule around these peak windows. For a complete timing analysis, read our detailed guide to the best times to schedule LinkedIn posts.

LinkedIn Content Format Comparison

Choosing the right format for each post is a direct follower growth lever. Here's how every format performs in 2026, based on Socialinsider benchmarks and Metricool's study:

The optimal strategy is format rotation. Posting carousels exclusively leads to fatigue (carousel reach dropped 18% YoY). Mix formats throughout the week: a carousel on Tuesday, a text post on Wednesday, a video on Thursday. Use our content ideas guide for inspiration on what to post in each format.

Plan your entire LinkedIn week in minutes. PostEverywhere's scheduling calendar lets you batch-create posts across all formats and schedule them at peak times. See how it works.

Growing on Other Platforms

Building a following on LinkedIn is just one piece of the puzzle. See our data-backed guides for other platforms:

• How to get more Instagram followers
• How to get more TikTok followers
• How to get more YouTube subscribers
• How to get more followers on X
• How to get more Threads followers
• How to get more Facebook followers

FAQs

How long does it take to grow a LinkedIn following?

Average monthly follower growth rate is 2-5%. Accounts with 1K-5K followers grew audiences by over 40% year-over-year, while larger accounts (100K-1M) grew at 21.6%. Using the strategies in this guide consistently for 90+ days is the minimum timeframe for meaningful results. Growth compounds: weekly posting alone drives 5.6x more follower growth than not posting.

Should I focus on my personal profile or company page?

Personal profile, without question. Personal profiles generate 561% more reach than company pages, with 2.75x more impressions and 5x more engagement. Company pages receive just 5% of user feed allocation compared to 65% for personal profiles. Build your personal brand as the primary growth channel and use the company page for credibility.

Do LinkedIn scheduling tools hurt your reach?

No. LinkedIn provides an official API that scheduling tools like PostEverywhere use to publish posts. The algorithm ranks content based on quality, engagement, and relevance -- not how it was published. The key is being available during the Golden Hour to respond to comments, regardless of how you scheduled the post.

How many times per week should I post to grow followers?

3-5 times per week is the sweet spot. Pages posting weekly see 5.6x more follower growth. The optimal range for brands is 12-18 posts per month. LinkedIn does not penalize frequent posting -- visibility compounds. But three quality posts outperform five mediocre ones every time.

Does the LinkedIn algorithm favor video content?

Video is one of the top-performing formats, generating 5x more engagement than text-only posts. Video impressions increased 73% year-over-year. However, multi-image carousels (6.60% engagement) slightly outperform video (5.60%) on average. The best strategy is format rotation rather than going all-in on any single format.

How important are hashtags for LinkedIn growth in 2026?

Much less important than they used to be. LinkedIn's 360Brew algorithm now relies on improved topic and text detection rather than hashtags. Using 3-5 relevant hashtags is fine as minor categorization, but they are no longer a meaningful growth lever. Focus your energy on profile SEO and content quality instead.

What kind of content gets the most followers on LinkedIn?

Content that demonstrates specific expertise with concrete details. Posts with exact metrics, company names, and real timeframes get 3-4x the reach of generic advice. Carousel posts with educational frameworks (6.60% engagement), data-driven insights, and professional stories with lessons consistently drive the most follower conversions. Pair strong content with strategic CTAs that prompt meaningful discussion.

Is it too late to start growing on LinkedIn?

Not at all. Only 1% of users post content weekly, and only 7.1% have posted even once in the last 3 months. Total LinkedIn posts increased 97% year-over-year according to Metricool, but the platform still has 600+ million monthly active users hungry for quality content. The barrier to entry is consistency and expertise, not timing.

Start Growing Your LinkedIn Following Today

LinkedIn's algorithm in 2026 rewards exactly one thing: demonstrated expertise shared consistently with the right audience. The 360Brew AI engine has ended the era of engagement hacks, pods, and generic viral content. What remains is a platform that is remarkably favorable to anyone willing to show up regularly with genuine knowledge.

The opportunity is massive. With 1.3 billion members but only 1% posting regularly, the supply-demand imbalance is extreme. Personal profiles get 561% more reach than company pages. Weekly posting drives 5.6x more follower growth. And the algorithm's extended content lifespan means a single great post can drive discovery for 2-3 weeks.

Here's how to put these 15 strategies into action:

• Schedule your LinkedIn posts -- Publish at peak times and never miss the Golden Hour
• Find your optimal posting schedule -- Data-driven timing for maximum follower growth
• Generate expertise-driven content with AI -- Brainstorm hooks, frameworks, and CTAs that demonstrate authority
• Plan your content calendar -- Batch-create posts across all formats and maintain consistency
• Get 100 LinkedIn content ideas -- Never run out of things to post
• Learn how to go viral on LinkedIn -- When you do want breakout reach, here's how to earn it
• Calculate your engagement rate -- Benchmark your performance against industry averages
• Start your free trial -- Manage LinkedIn and every other platform from one dashboard with PostEverywhere