LinkedIn search is increasingly moving toward AI-driven functionality. The filter options that are still visible today will gradually disappear. That’s why it’s becoming crucial to master Boolean search. A simple search for terms like “Sales Director” or “Marketing Manager” often returns thousands of results that are only partially relevant—including junior roles, agencies, freelancers, or profiles from completely different industries.

With Boolean search, you get better results by using these techniques:

• “Quotation marks” → exact phrase → “Content Marketing” finds this exact combination of words in this order → without quotation marks, it would also find “content” and “marketing” separately
• (parentheses) → grouping & more complex logic → (Python OR Java) AND Developer NOT Junior → first selects Python or Java → then combines with Developer → excludes Junior
• AND: Combine the exact skills, tools, and experience you truly need (e.g., “Enterprise Sales” AND “SaaS” AND “Salesforce”).
• OR: Expand your search intelligently with synonyms and title variations (e.g., “Account Executive” OR AE OR “Business Development Manager”).
• NOT: Consistently exclude everything that doesn’t fit (NOT Agency, NOT Intern, NOT “VP” when searching for mid-level roles).

This method is especially valuable in sales and marketing because:

• Job titles are highly diverse and often not standardized (“Growth Hacker,” “Demand Generation Lead,” “Head of Revenue” instead of the traditional “Sales Manager”).

The result: 5–10x higher result quality, significantly less time spent, better lead quality, and often the decisive advantage between a well-filled pipeline and barely relevant results.

Even in 2026, despite advanced AI-powered search features, Boolean search remains the most powerful tool for sales and marketing professionals who want to work efficiently and precisely. Without it, you get lost in the noise—with it, you find the right needle in the haystack instantly.

2. How the LinkedIn Algorithm Selects Your Feed

The LinkedIn feed is the page you see when you open LinkedIn. It displays posts from people, companies, or topics you follow. To prevent you from seeing thousands of posts, an algorithm decides which content is most relevant to you.

1. LinkedIn collects content from your network – first, LinkedIn gathers posts from:

• Your connections
• Pages or companies you follow
• People outside your network who might be relevant to you

This can quickly result in thousands of potential posts.

2. A filter removes unsuitable content – before anything appears in your feed, LinkedIn filters out content that:

• Might be spam
• Violates guidelines
• Is likely not relevant to you

This significantly reduces the number of posts.

3. The algorithm evaluates relevance – next, LinkedIn ranks each post based on several factors, such as:

• Connection strength: How closely are you connected to this person? (e.g., did you subscribe to their notifications?)
• Engagement: Are many people liking, commenting, or sharing the post?
• Interest: Have you interacted with similar content in the past?
• Recency: How new is the post?

The higher the score, the higher the post appears in your feed.

4. A personalized feed for every user

That’s why every person sees a different LinkedIn feed. Even if two people follow the same connections, the order of posts can vary.

5. What this means for LinkedIn users – for entrepreneurs, sales, and marketing professionals, this is especially important:

• Posts need to be relevant and engaging
• Comments and discussions increase visibility
• Content from people with strong networks is shown more often

The more engagement a post receives, the higher the chance it will spread across the network.

✅ In short: LinkedIn does not simply display all posts. The algorithm aims to show each user the most interesting and relevant content from their network – and beyond.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/blog/engineering/feed/engineering-the-next-generation-of-linkedins-feed and https://zenodo.org/records/17976861

3. Fewer Invitations for LinkedIn Company Pages – What does this mean for your page growth?

LinkedIn has introduced an important change to the invitation options for company pages. Many page administrators have already noticed it: the number of free invitations has been significantly reduced.

Instead of the previous 250 invitations per month, administrators of free company pages now have only 50 invitations available per month. In contrast, pages with a premium company profile receive a much larger allowance of 300 invitations per month.

However, the basic rules remain the same: invitations can still only be sent to your own contacts. The available invitation credits are reset monthly, and unused invitations expire. If an invitation is accepted, the corresponding credit may be partially restored.

Quality over quantity

The reduced number of invitations means administrators need to think more carefully about which of their contacts truly belong to the target audience of the company page. It is particularly effective to invite people who already have a connection to the company—such as customers, business partners, industry contacts, or event participants.

Organic growth becomes more important

At the same time, another trend is becoming even more relevant: organic reach and community building. Successful LinkedIn pages today grow primarily through content that is relevant to their target audience.

This includes, for example:

• Regular expert posts that provide real value
• Encouraging employees to actively share content with their own commentary
• LikedIn newsletters or events

The more content encourages interaction, the higher the chance it will be distributed across the network.

The reduction in invitations is noticeably changing how free LinkedIn company pages are managed. For many companies, this means: use invitations more strategically while placing greater emphasis on content, interaction, and community.

Because sustainable growth on LinkedIn does not come from sending as many invitations as possible—but from relevant content and genuine relationships within your employees’ networks.

💬 How are you handling the new limitation?

4. LinkedIn Premium – Is It Really Worth It?

This is a question I hear more and more frequently in my LinkedIn trainings: Do I now need a Premium membership to use LinkedIn effectively?

For a long time, my answer was clear. For most of my participants, a free LinkedIn membership was completely sufficient to network successfully, gain visibility, and build new connections.

But in recent years, something has changed. Many features that used to be standard have been gradually restricted—often very quietly and without major announcements. Month by month, small changes have been introduced that are barely noticeable at first in everyday use.

One example is connection requests with a personal note. In the past, these could be sent without limits. Then the number was reduced to 10 per month, later to 5 and currently, only 3 personalized invitations per month are allowed.

Another example concerns profile visitors. Here too, the information available in the free profile has been reduced over time. Initially, we could see significantly more profile visitors, but the number has gradually decreased. Today, only a very limited number of visitors are shown in the free account and even those are sometimes hidden further down in the profile section.

Of course, it’s clear why LinkedIn is taking this approach. The platform is evolving and placing a stronger focus on premium offerings.

At the same time, I often notice that it’s not easy to keep track: Which Premium options are actually available? How much do they cost? And most importantly, which features do they really include?

That’s exactly why I took a closer look and created a multi-page overview of LinkedIn Premium memberships. It includes not only the current pricing, but also a structured breakdown of the key features and differences between the various options.

If you’d like to receive this overview, I’d be happy to share it with you. You don’t need to comment a “keyword” to boost my reach 😉

Just send me a direct message, and I’ll forward the document to you. This works even if we’re not connected yet ➡️ simply click “Message” on my profile.

And of course, I’d also love to hear about your experience: are you already using LinkedIn Premium? Or are you still working successfully with the free version?

I’m looking forward to your perspective.

This post Boolean Search, Algorithm Updates, Company Page Changes & Premium Plans appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

In the hustle and bustle of everyday working life, we often forget to maintain our network – much like a wardrobe overflowing with unnecessary clutter. An unstructured LinkedIn network can limit your reach, confuse the algorithm and even pose risks. But: targeted tidying up brings clarity, better recommendations and real added value. Based on my experience and best practices, I’ll share with you mistakes, risks and benefits – plus a simple 3-step plan.

Common mistakes when tidying up your network – Many people stumble here:

•    Being too radical: Deleting everything at once without checking – this can cause your visibility to plummet in the short term, as LinkedIn aligns its algorithm with active connections.

•    Using automated tools: Third-party software for mass deletions carries the risk of shadowbans or even account suspension – LinkedIn hates this!

•    Emotional decisions: Removing contacts out of frustration without considering the long-term benefits.

Risks you should be aware of

•    Loss of reach: Open or inactive contacts signal inactivity to the algorithm, which means your posts are pushed less.

•    Security flags: Too many deletions in a short period of time arouse LinkedIn’s suspicion and could temporarily restrict your account.

•    Missed opportunities: A person who seems inactive today could become relevant tomorrow – double-check!

The advantages of a clean network

Believe me: quality beats quantity. After cleaning up…

•    …your reach will increase as the algorithm makes more relevant recommendations (e.g. jobs, groups).

•             …your network becomes a real asset: more interactions, better leads and more targeted networking opportunities.

•    …you feel more professional – a focused network radiates seriousness and helps seekers find you faster.

How to clean up your network: my 2-step plan – Take 30 minutes – it’s worth it!

1️⃣ Withdraw unanswered connection requests Open requests have a negative impact on your reach because they ‘clog up’ the algorithm. And if there is no interest, that is also an answer. Go to ‘My Network’ > ‘Connection Requests’ and simply withdraw them. Tip: Prioritise requests with personalised messages.

2️⃣ Go through your contacts & remove inactive ones Scroll through your connections (under ‘My Network’ > ‘Connections’). Ask yourself these questions: Is the person reputable? Do they have a clear profile picture? Have they been active in recent months (e.g. posts, comments)? How large is their network? Remove inactive or irrelevant contacts – but only after briefly reviewing their profile.

A clean network is like a well-organised toolbox: it makes you more efficient and successful. Have you ever cleaned up your network? What experiences would you like to share with me in the comments?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts! 👇

2. LinkedIn has rolled out an analytics upgrade for premium profiles.

You can now see the following directly in your profile analytics:

•    Impressions of your profile

•    Clicks on your profile

•    Average viewing time

•    Impressions and clicks per profile section (info, spotlight, activities, work experience, skills, etc.)

This allows you to measure the behaviour of your visitors.

How to use the new analytics in practice

First, analyse which sections receive the most clicks. These are often:

•    Your introduction/info

•    Services (if you use them)

•    Spotlight section and your activities

•    Your work experience

What does this mean for you?

•    Optimise areas with low traffic

•    Further expand areas with high traffic

•    Monitor viewing time

•    Continue to engage your visitors on a daily basis!

Draw the right conclusion. Do you have high impressions in the ‘info area’ but few clicks, e.g. in the focus area? Then your introduction is strong – but loses relevance as it progresses.

Practical tip: Optimise your profile in a structured manner and change only one variable at a time. Monitor the development of impressions and clicks per area. This will allow you to clearly see which measures are effective.

3. Automated Comments: Why They Are a Problem on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is increasingly taking action against automated comments. These are comments that are not manually written and posted by a person clicking the “Comment” button, but are instead automatically published via browser extensions, scripts, or third-party tools. Such comments violate the platform’s policies and are not permitted.

What Happens Upon Detection?

If an automated comment is identified, measures are implemented step by step:

1. Removal from the “Most Relevant” section – The comment loses its preferred visibility.

2. Reach restriction – It may no longer be displayed outside the commenter’s network.

3. Account restrictions – If automated comments continue to be used, the member’s account may be restricted.

The goal of these measures is to ensure that genuine, authentic comments receive the visibility they deserve—and to encourage more meaningful, real conversations.

The Connection to PODs and “PODs by Proxy”

Automated comments are often an indicator of so-called PODs (Post Optimized Deception). These are organized groups that systematically boost posts in order to artificially generate reach and engagement.

A newer variation is known as “PODs by Proxy”:

• The actual author does not directly join a POD.
• Instead, they hire a service provider.
• That provider operates its own POD accounts, often fake or hijacked profiles.
• These profiles share the original post (usually without adding a comment).
• This action then triggers automated comments on the original post.

The result is artificial engagement, while the original author maintains plausible deniability and appears formally uninvolved.

A Further Important Step Toward Authentic Engagement

Taking decisive action against automated comments is another important step in effectively curbing artificially created engagement structures such as PODs and “PODs by Proxy.”

This allows genuine content and authentic interactions to regain the space and visibility they deserve. In doing so, the platform can move closer to what it was originally intended to be: a place for real, valuable conversations and sustainable growth.

I always talke about the importance of acting in a personal and authentic manner. Thanks to new technologies in the background, LinkedIn will increasingly restrict or block profiles in future and consistently remove providers of dubious software solutions from the system.

4. New LinkedIn Premium All-in-One (AiO) – the comprehensive premium package

LinkedIn has now officially launched Premium All-in-One(short: AiO) – a powerful premium offering developed specifically for owners and executives of small and medium-sized businesses.

The most important functions from the areas of sales, marketing, and recruiting are bundled into a single package. It combines elements from Business Premium, Sales Navigator Lite, Recruiter Lite, and marketing tools – perfectly tailored for companies that want to grow with limited effort.

Onboarding into the new premium with AI support During the onboarding process, an AI-powered tool analyzes your personal profile, your company page, and your website. This allows the system to better understand your business and your ideal target audiences. You can manually refine the target criteria at any time to receive even more precise tips and recommendations.

Price & key benefits at a glance For $99 per month, you get a strong set of 10 competitive advantages:

• $50 monthly credit to boost your posts (including precise audience filters for your ideal customers) or
• $50 monthly job promotion credit – or $600 credit upfront if you opt for an annual plan
• 15 daily suggestions of qualified prospects, matched to your target criteria (similar to Sales Navigator, but limited to 15 per day; up to 40 profiles can be saved)
• Unlimited search with advanced filters (job function, seniority level, location, company size, years of experience, and more)
• Prospect insights – e.g., recent company changes or shared connections
• AI-generated message drafts to help you reach out to potential customers
• Trending posts from your target audience – see what topics your ideal customers are currently discussing
• Automatic follow invitations for people who engage with your content
• Company spotlight – your company page is prominently highlighted in your profile (in the “Featured” section)
• AI-generated message drafts specifically for recruiting – personalized for candidates, based on the job description, profile insights, and company data

Further Information

• Official overview: https://premium.linkedin.com/small-business/all-in-one
• Help article on Premium All-in-One: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a7443857
• Additional details: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a7438888

If you already have a Premium version (not Sales Navigator), switching to this new option is definitely worth considering. Pricing may vary in that case. Just take a look – especially for sales and recruiting, the new version with the included credits is a real bonus.

This post LinkedIn Premium: new features and pricing, spring clean, consequences of using comment bots appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

The new AI search is currently being tested in the US with premium users. It has not yet been rolled out in Europe!

At the same time, LinkedIn is gradually moving several well-known search filters behind the paywall. For free members, this may restrict access to features such as job title search, company filters, industry search and refinements by, for example, experience level.

📍 What is changing technically

✔️ Natural language instead of keywords/combinations: You formulate your search as you would in a conversation – the AI interprets meaning instead of just words.

✔️ Semantic search: Search results are based on an understanding of context and experience, not just exact terms.

✔️ Premium focus: Many AI search functions are being rolled out first for premium subscribers (e.g. in the USA) and will later be made available globally.

⚠️ Side effects

❗ Filters are lost: Classic filters such as job title, location and connection depth are disappearing or being reduced, which can be problematic for recruiters and power users.

❗ Less control: The AI decides what is ‘relevant’ instead of giving you precise filters. This can lead to less accurate results.

❗ Mixed user feedback: Some users report that the new AI search delivers poorer results or displays fewer results than classic search.

The new AI search on LinkedIn is:

🔥 very strong for discovery

😐 weaker in terms of maximum control

💰 clearly geared towards premium use

2. Posting frequency does not harm your B2B reach

In B2B sales, there is a persistent myth that ‘posting too often reduces reach.’

In fact, the wrong metric is usually being considered. The decisive factor is not the reach per post, but the overall visibility over time.

More posts mean more touchpoints with potential decision-makers – and that’s exactly what counts in B2B.

What works for sales on LinkedIn

If you sell nationally or internationally:

•    2–5 posts per week are optimal

•    Vary posting times regularly to reach new sub-target groups

•    Different times = different decision-makers, no cannibalisation

LinkedIn displays content based on activity patterns. If you always post at the same time, you will always reach the same people.

________________________________________

If you sell very specifically or locally:

•    Consistency over frequency

•    Same days, same time

•    2–3 posts per week are necessary for the algorithm to recognise your ICP

________________________________________

Important changes for your sales strategy

•    Posts can remain relevant for several days (up to 6)

•    The first 48 hours are no longer the only decisive factor

•    Comments after several hours or days significantly extend visibility

👉 Practical tip: Actively use comments as a second touchpoint – not just as a reaction, but as a way to extend the conversation.

________________________________________

Conclusion for B2B & sales

The LinkedIn algorithm rewards predictability and regularity.

Irregular posting costs visibility. Regular posting builds trust and recognition.

Do not measure individual posts.

Measure your monthly reach and the number of relevant conversations.

Because in B2B sales, it is not the perfect post that wins – it is a constant presence with the right decision-makers.

3. Graphical representation tool for your expertise

Visualise your professional career with artificial intelligence – ideal for LinkedIn, portfolios, CVs or social media posts, for example.

🔹 How it works:

Simply enter the URL of your LinkedIn profile or CV and the tool will read your career stages, roles and milestones. It then generates a graphical ‘journey’ – a visual representation of your career.

🔹 How you can use it:

• Modern illustration of your career instead of a traditional text CV

• Appealing visuals for LinkedIn posts or job applications

• Quick, AI-supported presentation of your professional development

Many users report that the presentation is surprisingly inspiring and opens up new perspectives on their own career path.

👉 In short: ‘MyJourney AI’ from snipKI transforms your profile into a graphically enhanced career overview.

This post LinkedIn Search & AI – Posting Frequency appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

I’m hearing more and more about LinkedIn accounts being blocked. LinkedIn is now increasingly relying on AI-driven systems to detect unauthorised actions. This can have devastating consequences for you!

What can trigger an account suspension?

📍Browser extensions: Many tools extract data or automate actions, which violates LinkedIn’s Terms of Use (8.2.2). Even popular productivity tools such as ‘Text Expander’ or other browser extensions may contain scraping functions that put your account at risk.

📍 Logging in from different locations: if you log in several times a day from different locations and perform many identical actions (searches, contact requests, etc.), LinkedIn’s AI may flag this as automation and your access will be blocked! Warning: if you have given your login details to third parties despite the guidelines, you are now on very thin ice!

These actions can also send negative signals to the LinkedIn system:

😈 Excessive contact requests that remain unconfirmed (risk of complaints). Regularly check who has not responded and withdraw the request. https://www.linkedin.com/mynetwork/invitation-manager/sent/

😈 Mass messages, this also applies to first-degree contacts.

😈 Use of engagement pods that require members to engage every time.

😈 Excessive tagging of people in posts. Only tag people who are relevant to your topic. Ideally, you should know them and get positive responses. If not, you risk losing your account.

How to protect your account:

➡️ Regularly review your browser extensions and remove anything that reads profile fields or automates viewing, connecting or sending messages.

➡️ Delete unanswered contact requests regularly to avoid system limits (see link above).

➡️ Avoid repetitive, machine-like activities.

➡️ Build credibility through authentic engagement rather than automation or mass tactics.

Security on LinkedIn isn’t just about avoiding account suspension. It’s about preserving the trust and credibility you’ve worked hard to build. Review your tools, slow down your outreach, and focus on providing real value to your network.

2. What is LinkedIn 360Brew AI?

360Brew is an AI that personalises your feed, job suggestions and the visibility of your posts based on relevance, engagement and your previous “behaviour”.

What you need to do to maintain and increase your visibility:

A: Interaction counts – Comments are now a decisive factor. End posts with a question or a call to action to stimulate discussion.

B: Consistent posting – 360Brew favours post creators who post regularly (2–3 times a week).

C: Target audience-oriented content – Address the problems, goals or desires of your target audience directly. Relevance is everything.

D: Strong opening sentences – The first 150 characters determine whether someone clicks on ‘Show more’. Arouse curiosity to attract attention.

E: Rich media wins – Native videos, carousels and well-designed images increase dwell time, which is an important signal of relevance.

F: Storytelling and expertise – Combine personal stories with professional insights. Posts that come across as human and helpful perform better than dry thought leadership posts.

360Brew marks the end of the previous LinkedIn algorithm. Target group-oriented content now takes precedence!

What will 360Brew do?

📍It will suggest job vacancies

📍It will suggest posts

📍It will suggest people to network with

Here are two examples:

When you perform a search, LinkedIn sends a prompt to the AI LLM, something along the lines of ‘Based on your profile and the criteria you entered in the search, give me a list of names to display.’

Now LinkedIn sends a request to the LLM along the lines of ‘Based on my profile, interests, engagement strategy, proximity and other criteria, show me a list of posts that are relevant to me’.

So the AI stores our data, preferences, history and more, as well as all the data it has read over time, in order to compile our feeds and suggestions.

This means that your posts are displayed not only because you posted them, but because they appear relevant to the target audience.

The following is taken into account:

➡️ What you say in your post (keywords, topic, style)

➡️ Who you are talking to (your network and interactions)

➡️ Previous reactions between you and your audience

People or companies that try to manipulate the current algorithm will lose out because 360Brew’s new system is designed to understand content, not patterns.

The better LinkedIn’s AI understands why people engage with your content, not just how much, the more it will reward authenticity, expertise and relevance and penalise pods and copycats.

This post LinkedIn account security + LinkedIn AI BREW360 appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

Have you read your emails from LinkedIn? From 3 November, LinkedIn content will be used to train AI! What caused an uproar last year when this became public knowledge is the real problem with this year’s update: the expansion of the types of data shared with Microsoft from more locations. Although you can opt out, you will still be targeted with advertising, just not the kind that is relevant to you.

What does the new AI training at LinkedIn mean?

Under the new rules, LinkedIn allows the Microsoft subsidiary to collect most data from user profiles, posts and interactions and use it to train generative AI models. The goal: AI should help create better content and support employers in their search for talent.

Read more about it here: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a8059228

My recommendation:

Go to your back office and decide whether you want to share this data!

• Go to your profile picture in the top right corner of the main navigation bar and then click on ‘Settings’ ➡️ “Privacy” ➡️ ‘How LinkedIn uses your data’ ➡️ ‘Data for improving generative AI’

•  Here you will find the setting ➡️ ‘Use your data to train AI models to create content’.

Important 📍 LinkedIn will no longer provide advance notice

In addition to introducing data usage for training AI models, LinkedIn now reserves the right in its new terms and conditions to no longer provide advance notice of changes to the terms of use when it comes to new products or legal changes, for example. It also clarifies that ‘deepfakes and other unlawful identity fraud’ are not permitted on the platform.

2. Which of your content is visible outside of LinkedIn?

Do you invest a lot of time and effort in creating LinkedIn content, text posts, slideshows, images, and videos to increase your visibility and credibility?

You probably publish posts in the hope that the right people will see your content and contact you. Here’s the problem: what if our customers aren’t active on LinkedIn? What if they use search engines or AI tools to find answers?

Did you know that the only LinkedIn content visible outside the platform is articles and newsletters? These posts are indexed by search engines and now also appear in AI results. Normal posts, even popular ones, remain locked within LinkedIn – and are almost invisible outside the platform.

More and more people are using AI instead of Google to find information. AI provides direct answers without endless results pages. But be careful – AI results can also contain errors. If our content cannot be found by search engines or AI, we are often not visible outside of LinkedIn with our specialist topics.

Therefore, make use of the article and newsletter functions. Be sure to note the following tips:

➡️ Format your text for clarity and readability.

➡️ Add SEO titles and descriptions (top right via settings).

➡️ Embed videos, images, links and mentions.

This will expand your visibility beyond the platform and, over time, achieve search indexing and AI visibility. LinkedIn shields its content. Even parts of our profiles – such as recommendations and reviews – do not appear in external search results. (Try exporting your profile as a PDF to see what’s missing.)

3. Company pages – Premium or not?

LinkedIn removed free page features on 15 October. Now, only pages with a Premium membership can use the following features:

🔷 Monitor 9 competitors (only 1 competitor for basic members), including the 3 most successful posts from the last 30 days.

Added value:

➡️ Keep an eye on relevant topics, including those from competitors.

➡️ See how your follower growth compares.

➡️ Better overview of organic reach.

You can also try the Premium package for 30 days at no cost. After that, you pay approximately € 69,- per month for an annual subscription.

Building up followers for company pages is still hard work, whether with or without Premium. Always bear in mind that pages cannot act like personal profiles. Therefore, you should weigh up your options carefully. You need a good strategy to make good use of the Premium feature.

4. Post boosting (for a fee) for personal profiles

LinkedIn is currently testing how you can promote your personal posts (not just company page posts) for a fee. For self-employed people or brand ambassadors, this could bring more visibility. It remains to be seen what it will cost and whether it will be accepted.

This post AI settings – LinkedIn visibility – Premium for pages appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

➡️  Saves: This metric shows how often a post is saved. A high value indicates that the content is perceived as particularly useful and that users want to view it again later.

➡️ Sends: This metric tracks how often a post is forwarded as a direct message. It provides insight into which content is being shared further.

Significance for your content analysis

The new metrics enable a more accurate assessment of the impact of posts. They provide insights into the actual added value and reach of content, beyond mere visibility figures.

•    High ‘Saves’: The post is used as relevant content.

•    High ‘Sends’: The content encourages sharing.

•    High values in both categories: The post contributes measurably to building influence and visibility.

2. Image editing with a difference using Artlist AI:

You are already familiar with remove.bg from my training courses. Here, you can use background editing to turn your own semi-professional images into really good portrait photos. I wanted to go one step further and use AI to “dress” myself differently 😉.

I registered for free at artlist.io and asked the AI to change my outfit. Blue blazer with a white T-shirt was the instruction. Voilá, in seconds I was able to create an even more professional image from my already cropped image.

Admittedly, the platform naturally wanted to sell me a subscription for the download 😉, but there are other ways to save images… I really like using ‘Snagit’ for this. Unfortunately, I had to leave the animated portrait video I created behind…

Take a look for yourself. The platform can do much more, of course, but that’s beyond my area of expertise.

3. Verification of company pages

Verification of company pages is no longer free of charge. If you were still on the waiting list for verification, your application was deleted on 1 September. In future, you can only have your company page verified by purchasing a premium company page package.

My hope was that all companies would be able to verify themselves free of charge so that employees could easily verify their identities using their company email addresses. Unfortunately, this is no longer possible ☹.

Here is a brief overview of the LinkedIn Premium company page

•    Cost: £99 per month (monthly) / £69 per month (annually)

o    Verification of the company page

o    Advanced analytics → followers, interactions, performance

o    Greater reach → targeted content delivery

o    Recruiting tools → job ads & candidate outreach

o    Branding → banners, call-to-action

o    Prioritised support → faster customer service

4. New verification checks for recruiters and executives

• Members who list job titles such as ‘recruiter’ or ‘talent acquisition specialist’ will now be required to verify their place of employment. This measure is intended to give applicants the certainty that the job offers they see come from real people and organisations.

•    Executive positions such as managing directors and vice presidents will also be subject to verification to prevent identity fraud. The new measures also affect leadership positions on the platform. Users who list positions such as ‘vice president’ or ‘managing director’ will now undergo a verification process to confirm their employment and position. According to LinkedIn, this step is essential to protect the reputation of companies by ensuring that individuals in senior positions are accurately represented.

Please inform your specialists and managers about this new procedure!

5. LinkedIn Learning courses on AI for job seekers

By 2030, around 70% of AI-related skills are expected to change. To help job seekers build in-demand skills, Microsoft is providing nearly 100 AI courses in 15 new LinkedIn Learning learning paths. In addition, a nationwide AI learning challenge is being offered.

Starting on 29 September, you will have the opportunity to participate in a five-day, intensive, free AI course. This course is led by experienced instructors and includes recommendations on leading AI experts you can follow to continuously expand your knowledge. You can find more information here.

This post More analyses – Image editing – Verifications – LinkedIn Learning AI appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

Impressions on comments indicate how often your comment was displayed in the feeds of other users. It does not record how often it was clicked or read, but only how often it was visible.

📌 Important to know:

• Impression ≠ Interaction: An impression is only a view, not a click, like or comment.
• Comments with many likes or replies often receive more impressions as they are ranked higher.
• LinkedIn also counts fleeting views as an impression, e.g. when someone scrolls over the comment.

💡 Tip on reach:

If you write a thoughtful comment under a popular post, it may reach many users.

• If you want your comments to get more impressions
• Comment under relevant, well-performing posts
• Write substantively and not just ‘great post!’
• Be early, as the first comments often get more visibility.

📌 Attention:

Always keep in mind that every comment goes into your network with the original post. Ask yourself, does the post have any relevance and/or benefit to my network. What you don’t want: lose your readers!

2. Share posts as a brand partner

LinkedIn has introduced functions with which posts can be labelled as brand partnerships. These identify paid collaborations and promote transparency.

If you share content in exchange for consideration (including monetary payments, free products or services, or other benefits), you must label the post as a brand partnership and comply with LinkedIn’s advertising guidelines and applicable local laws. Your sponsorship or brand partnership should be clear, conspicuous and transparent.https://de.linkedin.com/legal/ads-policy

This labelling is only possible for public posts. If you change the visibility setting to ‘Contacts only’ or “Group”, the switch is automatically deactivated until you change the visibility back to ‘All’.

This setting only applies to the respective post and will be reset to the default setting ‘Off’ for the next post. LinkedIn stipulates that brand partnerships must be labelled if a value is involved, for example money, gifts or free services.

It is questionable whether this is recognised and whether LinkedIn users take this seriously. Hence my advice here: there is now this ‘button’ ;-)

For more questions about paid advertising, take a look here.

3. Verification of your company page

What are the benefits of verifying your company page? From my point of view, the biggest benefit is that your employees can verify themselves on LinkedIn via the company email address if your company page is verified. Large companies are already verified and I can’t say yet if this will work for all company page owners.

But here is the guide for you:

1. go to the super admin view of your business page.

2. click on Settings in the left menu

3. click on Verification controls. If the Verification control options option is not displayed, verification of your company page is currently not possible.

o If the Verification control options option is displayed but verification of your company page is not yet possible, you can click on Ask verification questions to express your interest. 4.

4. click on the Verify now button

5. select the company you purchased the domain from in the drop-down menu and click Next.

6. create a new TXT record for your domain as proof that you control this domain. For more information, you can click on the instructions provided by your specific domain provider. If you need help with this process, contact your organisation’s technical team or ask your domain provider for assistance.

7. once you have created the TXT record via your domain provider, click Next.

8. review your TXT record and click Send Request.

After requesting verification

LinkedIn receives large volumes of verification requests every day. Responses are therefore only sent if your company page has been verified. You will be notified by email and the Verified badge will appear on your company page.

If the TXT record of your domain provider is not set up correctly, a timeout or error message may occur during the request. In this case, your company page will not be verified. Ask your domain provider or technical team for help and repeat the verification request. If your website does not clearly represent the company on your company page, your verification request may not be approved.

EXTRATIP:

If you do not know how to create a new TXT record for your domain, ask the AI, specifying your provider. There is good help available here.

4. Microsoft and LinkedIn offer new learning videos with professional certification on LinkedIn Learning

This is interesting for all Premium members and people who want to continue their education online or purchase a monthly licence with LinkedIn Learning.

As part of the Global Skills Initiative (GSI), Microsoft and LinkedIn Learning are jointly launching learning paths that will be produced and marketed worldwide in the most important languages. The learning paths can be recognised by the text ‘provided by Microsoft and LinkedIn’.

🔔 There are already a total of 19 learning paths on a wide range of topics. The most recent additions are ‘Microsoft Azure AI Basic Knowledge’ and ‘Microsoft Cybersecurity Basic Knowledge’, which come with the novelty ‘with specialist certificate’ and prepare you for the corresponding exams …

Click here for the certified learning videos.

This post Post impressions – Brand partnership – Page verification appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

Last week I saw in a training course that some people can now also share a post on other social media and messenger services via the LinkedIn APP using the ‘send’ function. I’m using the APP version 9.31.2179 and can’t do it yet. Who already sees these functions on their APP? The screenshot was taken from a customer’s iPhone. I hope this will be rolled out quickly and we will all be able to share good posts outside of LinkedIn with one click from our smartphones.

2. Visibility of page visits

When was the last time you were in your settings? My clients know that this is a key LinkedIn area. What’s new is that administrators of company pages can now see who has visited their company page. Some have this switched on, and some don’t.

Go to: ✔️ Settings and Privacy ✔️ Visibility ✔️ Visibility of page visits

If this is switched on, companies can track your visit and, depending on other visibility settings, also read information such as your profile picture, name, location, job title or industry.

If more users now allow information to be passed on when viewing company pages, companies can benefit in different contexts. On the one hand, they have the opportunity to identify visitors and contact them as potential business or dialogue partners who are suitable for cooperation, as well as possible new employees. The data can also be used to draw conclusions about the interest of LinkedIn members.

Microsoft itself could also benefit if users share more data. This is because LinkedIn could ultimately use this information to display relevant advertising. Decide whether you want to share this data. As a page admin, you should keep an eye on these possibilities.

3. Adding extra CTA link to profile no longer available

Are you using a customised link at the top of your LinkedIn profile (directly under your slogan? Then don’t touch it anymore or change the landing page! LinkedIn has removed the option to set a hyperlink there. This does not affect the three links under “Contact info”. So leave it as long as you can, otherwise it will disappear when you edit it.

My tip: If you need to change the landing page, update your landing page and your profile – but not the link, otherwise it will disappear.

If you want to set a ‘Custom Button’, switch to Premium. You can find out more about the remium performance overview in my Newsletter from January this year.

4. Video chat function seems to have been discontinued

Many people may not have used or ever noticed the video chat functions via the desktop or the LinkedIn app. I found it very handy as you didn’t have to switch to another messenger service or provider to initiate a video meeting. Unfortunately, this function has now disappeared. It was active in the inbox, and you could video chat with networked contacts. GONE! I still have a few participants who see the camera icon, but for most of them it seems to have disappeared, as it has for me. TOO BAD! As there were separate LinkedIn video chats plus Teams and Zoom variants. I can only hope that these will reappear, perhaps with better interfaces and functions in all browsers…..

This post Post as direct message – Page visit – CTA – Video chat gone appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

What does your LinkedIn profile look like as a PDF document? When does it make sense to use a pdf document from other network partners? Perhaps you don’t even know what your profile looks like as a PDF document when someone clicks on it from your profile?

An important difference between network partners and external visitors – your contact details will only be displayed on the pdf document if you have entered them and are connected to the person downloading it. For non-networked visitors, only your name, title plus ‘info box’ and professional experience plus education are displayed. Unfortunately, both come without a portrait picture!

Notes:

📌 Pdf bug – emojis and special characters are often displayed unattractively.

📌 Your profile can only be created as a pdf by your visitor in your ‘primary language’.

📌 If your visitor has not set their navigation in your primary language which will be in most cases there will be a wild mix between your content in your primary language and the headlines in their navigation language.

📌 Links in your contact details will be cleanly linked in the pdf, I always attach great importance to this in my training courses 😉.

Tip:

Ask a networked partner to save your profile as a pdf and have it sent to you.

Instructions:

1. go to the profile

2. go to ‘More’ then ‘Save as pdf’

Notes:

You can download a maximum of 100 PDFs per month from the profiles of other LinkedIn members. The limit does not apply to downloads of your own profile.

The PDF of the selected person is very attractive and clearly laid out. The left-hand column contains all the relevant master data. From the ‘Headline’ to your info box, which is displayed as a summary (old version), to your professional experience and education, everything is clearly presented.

2. More about group functions

How active are you in LinkedIn groups? Long time not visited any group?

📌 Posts in groups:

You can search for specialist posts within a group and, of course, use them for your content strategy. You may already know what you can do with good specialist articles from my training course.

Here I will show you how to find specialist articles in a group:

a. Navigate to the group home page.

b. Select the relevant group from the list under Your groups.

c. Enter your keyword in the search bar at the top of the page and click on ‘Search for posts in this group’ in the drop-down menu.

d. Click on the corresponding search result to navigate to this group post.

📌 Group notifications

To be informed about suitable specialist articles from groups, you need to adjust the notifications from your groups. They may all be switched on or off and you may receive too much or nothing at all from groups.

I will show you how to adjust this here:

a. Click on the Me icon on your LinkedIn home page and select Settings & Privacy.

b. Click on the Notifications section in the left bar.

c. Set the switch next to Allow group notifications to On.

d. Cklick on the arrow to the right of the following categories to switch notifications on or off:

✔️ Group invitations, ✔️ Group updates, ✔️ Recommended groups,

✔️ Group admin updates

To receive notifications from specific groups:

1. open the group home page.

2. select the relevant group

3. click on the Notifications icon next to the group name. Select one of the following options, depending on how often you would like to receive notifications from the group:

🔔 All – You will be notified every time a group member publishes posts in the group.

🔔 Relevant – You will be notified when people you know in the group post and when group administrators recommend a post.

🔔 OFF – You will not receive any notifications about new posts or posts recommended by the administrator and will only be notified about your own activities in the group.

Note: Group notifications are set to “Highlights” by default for each group you belong to. You must follow the above steps for each group individually.

📌 Group invitation

Invite specialist colleagues to strong topic-relevant groups. If you have taken part in one of my training courses, you will recognise the importance of relevant groups for your sales strategy. It makes sense to get the team on board to become active together. You can see how to do this here:

a. Go to the relevant group

b. Click on the Invite members button next to the group name under the number of members.

Note: You can also use the filter options above to filter your connections by location, current company, school and industry.

c. Or enter the name of your connection in the text box and select who you would like to invite.

d. Click on Invite.

I’ve put together these group features specifically for you to help you keep your focus on groups in the future. For questions about groups, feel free to comment below my post.

This post Profile PDF Check – more group functions appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.

More premium features are introduced. LinkedIn now offers a Calendly integration for custom buttons, allowing Premium users to set ‘Book Appointment’ as their button. Users can now create or link their Calendly account directly on LinkedIn, allowing profile visitors to schedule appointments without leaving the platform.

According to LinkedIn, more than one million Premium members and Enterprise accounts are using the custom buttons, which has led to an average 25% increase in profile views. Since its launch in 2023, LinkedIn has gradually expanded custom buttons by adding more call-to-action options and making the buttons more visible across the platform, including search.

Why it’s important: This update benefits creatives, small businesses, solopreneurs and service-based professionals by helping them turn profile views into business opportunities. It also reduces friction by eliminating the need to manually send scheduling links, saving time and effort.

This move makes sense for LinkedIn as it is an important platform for business networking. Also, more than 165,000 LinkedIn users have already added Calendly links to their profiles, so this is a natural next step.

2. Algorithm tips

A lot has been written in recent weeks about LinkedIn’s constantly changing algorithm. I have summarised the most important information for you here:

📝 Written content

1. Length of the post: 900 – 1200 characters (optimal)

2. Use short paragraphs (avoid walls of text)

3. Insert 1-8 emojis for better readability

4. Use concise keywords in the text that are actually searched for as keywords by your target group

5. Hashtags no longer have LinkedIn relevance – on the contrary, they reduce the reach by 81%!

6. BUT the first 3 hashtags are found by AI and SEO outside the platform

🖼️ Visual content

1. carousel posts have 11.2x higher reach than text – but it’s a lot of work to create them.

2. infographics with actionable information like the algorithm, here too the balance of effort – benefit must be seen

3. use portrait format (vertical) images you get 93% better visibility

4. film videos in portrait format 9:16 with subtitles are still played better even after ‘rowing back’ in the APP and in the feed (see picture) here I had started a self-experiment and actually the video was played longer than my normal posts.

5. show your face in the first 3 seconds of the videos – goes in line with my ‘off road video in Costa Rica’. It worked and got me far more reach and engagement.

🏛️ Post structure

1. Create a contrarian or unexpected hook

2. End the post with a specific question (72% better performance)

3. Insert external links only in the first comment or after publication in the post

4. Use short sentences (10-19 words per paragraph)

⏱️ Timing & engagement

1. Post on weekends (I would still look at the weather map 😉)

2. Leave attentive/relevant comments on other people’s posts (always keep in mind everything you comment, and share goes into your network!)

3. Write comments with more than 9 words and personal experiences

4. Reply to other people’s comments on your post

My conclusion for many years: Anyone who makes themselves a slave to an algorithm must either have a lot of time or be paid for it. LinkedIn is and remains a network and it’s all about quality, even in the posts. Even if not every post reaches everyone, it is more important to me to deliver good content than to chase after an algo.

3. LinkedIn & CANVA

Canva has now made creating video ads for LinkedIn easier than ever. Marketers can choose from a selection of new LinkedIn video templates to create compelling video ads – or create their own design. Once the design is finalised, marketers can use the new LinkedIn Ads app for Canva to seamlessly export the Canva assets to their LinkedIn Ads account to create and promote campaigns.

The LinkedIn Ads app for Canva is designed to streamline video ad production and remove creative roadblocks. The app, now available in the Canva App Marketplace, combines Canva’s video editing tools with LinkedIn’s marketing capabilities, allowing users to design, export and promote video ads in one simple workflow.

4. LinkedIn event function

Have you ever organised an event on LinkedIn? Are you wondering whether it is worthwhile and whether it will be recognised at all?

First of all, the technology:

1. Create your event – preferably in cooperation with other contributors

2. Invite your networks – be careful! this is a lot of work, as you have few filter functions and actually have to click on every selected contact

3. The invited person will see your invitation in the ‘Your network’ area and can decide there whether they want to participate or not

4. If you ‘host’ a digital event externally, e.g. via Zoom or TEAMS, the work really starts

5. Participating on LinkedIn does not yet mean binding registration. You may have to manage this in your CRM or manually.

We have tested the power of our network and are thrilled! Many thanks to all participants. Out of around 800 hand-picked invitees, we had 76 interested people at our LinkedIn event. Together with our other activities and platforms, we achieved an impressive number of registrations and actual participants.

Conclusion: A high-quality network is important! The response during and after the event confirmed this. I will continue to use LinkedIn as an ‘event’ tool.

This post More premium functions – Algorithm tips – CANVA – Event experiences appered first at Kundenpfadfinder.