How to Find Trending Topics on LinkedIn

Staying on top of what’s new and talked-about on LinkedIn is one of the best ways to grow your network and build authority in your field. This guide walks you through several practical methods for finding these trending topics, from using LinkedIn’s own features to looking at broader industry signals. You'll learn exactly how to spot emerging conversations and turn them into content that gets you noticed.

Why Following Trends on LinkedIn is a Game Changer

Jumping on a trending topic isn’t just about getting a temporary spike in likes. When you do it right, it's a powerful strategy that plugs you directly into the conversations your audience, peers, and potential clients are already having. It shows that you’re not just an expert in your field, but you're also actively engaged with its present and future.

Think of it as the difference between giving a monologue in an empty room and joining a lively discussion at a packed industry event. By contributing to trending conversations, you can:

• Increase Your Visibility: The LinkedIn algorithm loves timely, relevant content. When you post about a topic that’s buzzing, the platform is more likely to show your content to a wider audience, including people outside your immediate network.
• Build Credibility and Authority: Consistently sharing insightful takes on industry news establishes you as a go-to person in your space. People start to see you as someone who doesn’t just repeat headlines but understands the implications.
• Connect with Like-Minded Professionals: Engaging with a trend is a fantastic way to find and connect with other people who share your interests and expertise. These connections often turn into valuable professional relationships.

Finding these topics isn’t about luck, it's about knowing where to look and what to look for. Let's get into the specifics.

Start with LinkedIn’s Built-In Tools

LinkedIn gives you several clues about what's currently popular right on the platform. You just have to know where to find them and how to interpret what you see.

1. Pay Attention to LinkedIn News and Curated Articles

The easiest place to start is the "LinkedIn News" section, usually found on the right-hand side of your homepage feed on a desktop. This is a curated list of stories and headlines put together by LinkedIn's editorial team. They are literally telling you what they consider to be the most important conversations of the day.

How to Use It:

• Scan Daily: Take 60 seconds each morning to scan the headlines. Are there any related to your industry or an adjacent one?
• Read the Editor’s Comments: LinkedIn’s editors often add a small blurb and a hashtag. This context frames the conversation and gives you a relevant hashtag to use in your own post.
• Don't Just Share, Add Your Take: Never just click "share" on a news story. The real value is in adding your unique perspective. For example, if the headline is "AI Will Reshape Marketing Teams," your post could be, "AI won't just reshape marketing teams, it will abolish certain roles while creating new ones. Here’s a look at two roles I see disappearing by 2028…"

2. Master the LinkedIn Search Bar

The search bar is your most powerful, direct tool for trend-spotting on LinkedIn. Instead of just searching for people or companies, use it to search for conversations.

A Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Start with a Broad Keyword: Type in a core term related to your industry, like "brand strategy," "fintech," "employee engagement," or "supply chain."
2. Filter for Posts: On the search results page, click the "Posts" filter. This removes profiles and companies, showing you only the content people have created.
3. Sort by "Top" and "Recent": You'll see two sorting options. Sorting by "Top" shows you the all-time most popular posts on that topic. This helps you understand what themes and formats have resonated well in the past. Sorting by "Recent" (or "Latest") shows you what's being discussed right now. This is where you can catch a topic in its early stages before it hits peak momentum.
4. Analyze the Results: Look for posts with unusually high engagement (comments, in particular). What questions are being asked? What angles are people taking? The comments section is a fantastic source of inspiration, revealing the specific pain points and curiosities your audience has about a topic.

By regularly searching and filtering for recent, high-engagement posts around your core topics, you develop a sense of what's bubbling to the surface in your niche.

3. Follow and Monitor Industry Hashtags

Following hashtags is like creating a personalized listening station for your industry's conversations. When you follow a hashtag, relevant posts will start appearing in your main feed.

How to Find the Right Hashtags:

• Start with the Obvious: Begin with broad tags like #marketing, #entrepreneurship, or #tech.
• Get More Niche: Look at what highly-engaged posts in your field are using. You'll likely discover more specific tags like #contentmarketingstrategy or #saassales. A good mix includes broad, niche, and community-specific tags.
• Analyze Hashtag Recommendations: When you start following a few, LinkedIn will recommend others. Pay attention to these suggestions.

Create a short list of 5-10 core hashtags to monitor. When you see multiple posts about the same new idea or product using one of these tags, you've likely found a trend.

4. Stay Connected with Influencers and Top Voices

Industry leaders or "Top Voices" (as designated by LinkedIn) often aren’t just following trends - they're starting them. By following key people in your space, you get a front-row seat to the conversations that matter.

Don't just passively scroll. When an influencer posts, read the comments. The community's response - the questions, the debates, the follow-up ideas - is often more valuable than the original post itself. This is where you can identify the specific angle on a topic your audience cares most about.

Look for Wider Industry Signals (Beyond LinkedIn)

LinkedIn conversations don't happen in a vacuum. They are often lagging indicators of trends that start elsewhere. To get ahead, you need to monitor the sources that feed the LinkedIn ecosystem.

1. Keep Up with Key Industry Publications

What are the 3-5 blogs, newsletters, or online magazines everyone in your industry reads? Make a habit of checking them regularly. When a major story or research report drops, you can bet it will be a hot topic on LinkedIn for the next several days. Be one of the first to discuss its implications for your specific niche.

Example: An engineer might follow TechCrunch, a marketer might follow MarketingWeek, and a business leader might subscribe to the Harvard Business Review newsletter.

2. Tune into Industry Podcasts

Podcasters are always on the hunt for what's new and relevant. A guest on a popular industry podcast can often signal a new concept or framework that's about to gain traction. The topics they discuss and the questions they ask are a great leading indicator of what professionals in your space are thinking about.

Listen for recurring themes across different shows. Is everyone suddenly talking about "product-led growth"? Is there a new software or tool everyone is mentioning? That’s your cue.

3. Use Google Trends for a Macro View

While LinkedIn shows you what people are talking about now, Google Trends shows you what they're actively searching for over time. This tool is brilliant for validating if a topic has real staying power or if it’s just a fleeting social media fad.

Use it to compare the search interest of related terms. For instance, you could compare the interest in "remote work" versus "hybrid work." Seeing a rising trend line on Google gives you confidence that a topic is worth investing your time in creating thoughtful content for LinkedIn.

From Trend to Content: Making Your Voice Heard

Spotting a trend is the first step. The next, more important step, is contributing to the conversation in a meaningful way.

Offer a Unique Perspective, Not Just a Summary

The biggest mistake people make is simply reposting news with a generic comment. That's noise, not signal. The value you bring is your unique point of view. Ask yourself:

• Can I share a personal story related to this? Experience adds a human element that data can’t.
• Can I make a bold prediction? Where do you think this trend is headed in the next six months or five years?
• Can I disagree respectfully? If the crowd is going one way, do you have a well-reasoned argument for why they might be wrong?
• Can I simplify the complexity? Can you break this big idea down into three actionable takeaways for your audience?

This is how you build a reputation as a thought leader, not just a news aggregator.

Match the Format to the Message

Different trends are best suited to different content types on LinkedIn. Now that a majority of content consumed is video-first, it's smart to consider how your take could work as a short-form video in addition to a standard text post.

• Text-Only Posts: Best for quick opinions, personal reflections, or posing a direct question to your audience about the trend.
• Carousels (PDFs): Perfect for explainers. Use a carousel to break down a complex topic into a few simple, visual steps or key stats.
• Polls: A simple poll is a great way to quickly gauge sentiment and spark debate. Follow up with another post sharing the poll results and your analysis.
• Short-Form Video & Audio: Ideal for adding a personal touch. If you have a strong opinion or story, record a quick 60-90 second video sharing your perspective directly. Talking-head videos do very well on LinkedIn for sharing authentic, unscripted takes.

Join Existing Conversations

You don't always have to create your own post. One of the best ways to establish expertise and gain visibility is by leaving insightful comments on other people's trending posts. A thoughtful, value-adding comment that expands on the original point or offers a new perspective can sometimes get more attention than a post of your own. Look for posts from influencers or large accounts and become a regular, insightful voice in their comments section.

Final Thoughts

Finding trending topics on LinkedIn is a skill that blends observation, curiosity, and a bit of strategy. By regularly monitoring LinkedIn’s built-in features and keeping an eye on broader industry signals, you can consistently place yourself at the center of the conversations that matter most for your career or business.

Once you’ve identified these valuable topics and drafted your unique take, having a streamlined workflow is everything. We built Postbase because we believe the focus should be on creating great content, not fighting with your software. Our visual calendar helps you plan your content around emerging trends, and you can reliably schedule your videos, carousels, and text posts across all your platforms without worrying if they’ll actually publish on time.