How to Get More Likes on LinkedIn

Getting more likes on your LinkedIn posts is more than a vanity metric - it’s a signal that your content is hitting the mark with your professional network. It means your ideas, updates, and stories are visible and valuable. This guide breaks down the A-to-Z of earning more engagement, covering everything from optimizing your profile to mastering the content and engagement strategies that make people want to hit that 'like' button.

It All Starts with a Strong Profile

Before you even think about your next post, take a hard look at your profile. A like is an endorsement, and people are far more likely to endorse someone who presents themselves as credible, professional, and authentic. Your profile is the foundation for every piece of content you share.

Your Profile Picture and Banner

Your photo is your digital handshake. Make it a good one. It doesn't need to be taken by a professional photographer, but it should be:

• Clear and High-Resolution: No blurry or pixelated shots.
• Just You: Avoid group photos, pets, or family members.
• Friendly and Professional: Your expression should be approachable. Aim for what you'd look like meeting a new client or colleague for coffee.

Your banner image is prime real estate. Don't leave it as the default blue design. Use it to visually communicate who you are or what you do. It could feature your company logo, a quote you live by, a photo of you speaking at an event, or a simple graphic that lists your areas of expertise.

The Headline is Your Value Proposition

Your headline is more than just your job title. It's the first thing people read about you and it follows you everywhere on the platform - in comments, connection requests, and search results. Instead of just "Marketing Manager at ABC Corp," try telling people what you actually do and for whom.

Formula: [Your Role] | Helping [Your Target Audience] with [The Problem You Solve]

Example: "Senior Content Strategist | Helping B2B SaaS Companies Build Organic Authority with Content That Converts"

Tell Your Story in the "About" Section

This is your chance to move beyond titles and credentials. Your "About" section should read like a personal narrative. It's an opportunity to tell your story, share your professional mission, and state clearly who you help and how you do it. Write in the first person ("I help..." not "John helps...") to make it more personal and direct. Break it up with short paragraphs and even bullet points to make it easy to skim.

Mastering the Art of Value-Driven Content

"Likes" are a form of currency on LinkedIn, and you earn them by consistently providing value to your audience. When someone is scrolling through their feed, your post needs to give them a reason to pause. That reason is almost always rooted in value - whether it’s educational, inspirational, or entertaining.

Key Content Pillars for High Engagement

Not sure what to post? Start with these proven content pillars.

1. Personal Stories with a Business Lesson

People connect with people, not just brands or job titles. Sharing a personal story - a challenge you overcame, a failure you learned from, a major win - humanizes you and makes your content far more memorable. The key is to always tie it back to a professional insight or lesson.

Example: Instead of saying "Our Q3 sales were great," tell a story about a specific challenge one of your sales reps faced, how they creatively solved it, and what the team learned about resilience as a result. This is much more relatable and engaging.

2. Actionable Tips, Frameworks, and How-To Guides

Give away your knowledge for free. People love content that helps them solve a problem or learn a new skill. The more practical and easy to implement, the better.

• "How-to" Posts: "How to write a cold email that actually gets a response."
• Listicles: "5 simple ways to improve your public speaking skills before your next meeting."
• Frameworks: Detail a simple process you use for project management, hiring, or creative brainstorming.

3. Thought Leadership and Insightful Opinions

Don’t just report the news, interpret it. What do you think about a trending topic in your industry? Do you have a perspective that goes against the grain? Sharing a well-reasoned, confident opinion is one of the fastest ways to build authority. The goal isn’t to be overly controversial but to spark a thoughtful discussion. Pose a question at the end to invite others to share their viewpoints.

4. Celebrate and Acknowledge Others

LinkedIn is about community. When you shine a spotlight on someone else - a colleague, a client, a mentor, or even another company - it demonstrates generosity and builds relationships. When a team member goes above and beyond, give them a public shout-out. When a client achieves a major milestone, celebrate their success. Make sure to tag them and their company so they see it. This type of content often gets reshared, amplifying its reach significantly.

Formatting Your Posts for Maximum Impact

What you say is important, but how it *looks* on the feed can make or break its performance. LinkedIn’s feed is crowded, and your formatting choices need to grab attention and make your content easy to consume.

The Hook: Your First One or Two Lines

The first two lines of your post are all that users see before having to click "...see more." If those lines aren't compelling, you've already lost them. Your hook needs to stop the scroll.

Strong Hooks:

• Ask a provocative question: "Is the 4-day work week a productivity hack or a myth?"
• Make a bold statement: "The traditional resume is dead."
• Use a surprising statistic: "85% of jobs are filled through networking, not online applications."

Use White Space Generously

Nobody wants to decipher a dense wall of text. Break up your content into short, digestible pieces.

• Use short paragraphs (1-2 sentences each).
• Use single-line sentences for dramatic effect.
• Incorporate bullet points or numbered lists to structure your information.

This "skimmable" format makes your content appear less intimidating and much easier to read on a mobile device, where most users consume content.

Leverage Visuals Strategically

Posts with visuals consistently outperform text-only posts. However, the type of visual matters.

• High-Quality Images: A clear, relevant image can stop the scroll. Authentic headshots or behind-the-scenes team photos often perform surprisingly well because they feel more personal than stock imagery.
• Carousels (PDFs): Carousels are one of the most engaging formats on LinkedIn right now. You can create a slide deck (using a tool like Canva) with 5-10 slides that break down a concept, tell a story, or provide a step-by-step guide. Save it as a PDF and upload it as a "document" on LinkedIn. The interactive nature encourages people to click through, boosting your engagement signals to the algorithm.
• Video (with Captions): Native video can be powerful, but keep it short (under 90 seconds is best) and always add captions. A majority of videos on social media are watched with the sound off. Your message needs to be understood with or without audio.

Use Hashtags (But Not Too Many)

Hashtags help LinkedIn categorize your content and show it to users interested in those topics. The sweet spot is 3 to 5 relevant hashtags per post. Use a mix of broad and niche tags.

Example for a post on content marketing: #ContentMarketing (broad), #B2BContent (niche), #SEOStrategy (specific topic).

Timing and Engagement: The Post-Publish Strategy

Your work isn't done after you hit "post." In fact, what you do in the first hour can determine whether your post takes off or disappears into the ether.

Post at the Right Time

While general wisdom suggests posting on weekday mornings or at lunchtime, the best time to post is when your audience is most active. You can find this out through experimentation and by checking your LinkedIn analytics. Pay attention to which posts get the most initial traction and notice the day and time you published them. Look for patterns.

Dominate the First Hour Post-Publication

The LinkedIn algorithm pays close attention to how much engagement a post gets shortly after it's published. This is often called the "golden hour." Heavy initial engagement (likes and comments) signals to the algorithm that your content is high-quality, prompting it to show it to a wider audience. To make the most of this, stick around for at least 30-60 minutes after you post and reply to every single comment you receive. This doubles your comment count and encourages more discussion.

Engage to Be Engaged With

Don't be a ghost-poster who just drops content and leaves. Social media is a two-way street. Spend 15-20 minutes each day engaging meaningfully on other people's posts within your network. Leave thoughtful comments (more than just "Great post!") that add to the conversation. This not only builds relationships but also increases your own visibility. People are much more likely to engage with your content if they see you engaging with theirs.

Final Thoughts

Boosting your likes on LinkedIn isn’t about chasing vanity metrics, it's about confirming your message is connecting with your professional community. It all boils down to a clear formula: start with a strong profile, consistently create content that gives value to your audience, format it for easy reading, and genuinely engage with your network.

We know that managing a consistent posting schedule and engaging with your community across different platforms can feel like a full-time job. That's why we built Postbase with a clean visual calendar and a single inbox for all your comments and DMs. It allows us to effortlessly plan content and keep up with conversations, saving us hours that we can pour back into creating content that actually connects with people.