LinkedIn Strategy: Then vs. Now (What Actually Works in 2025)

Back in 2020, it felt like LinkedIn was rigged in your favor.

You could write a short story about quitting your job, sprinkle in a few emojis, and rack up 50,000 views before lunch. Engagement pods worked. Storytelling with no clear point still went viral. You didn’t need a niche, a process, or even a plan. Just post and watch the reach roll in.

But today? That same LinkedIn strategy doesn’t move the needle. What worked then will fail you now.

Let’s talk about how LinkedIn has changed — and what actually works if you’re trying to build pipeline, not just play the algorithm.

LinkedIn in 2020: Why the game felt easier

In 2020, LinkedIn had more demand than supply. Fewer creators, more attention. That imbalance made average content look great. It was a golden window for reach.

You didn’t need targeting. Just posting once or twice a week often got you in front of thousands of people. Stories — even if vague or low-signal — got rewarded.

Back then, content success looked something like this:

Tactic	Why it worked
Story posts (e.g. “I quit…”)	High emotional appeal, easy to skim
Linkless updates	Algorithm prioritized dwell time
Comment ladders	Engagement told the algo it was hot
Volume over quality	Less competition for attention

Founders got away with surface-level ideas because the bar was low. Even without positioning or clear ICPs, you could grow.

Why those tactics fail now

The platform matured. And your buyers did too.

LinkedIn added more monetization levers — especially ads. The algorithm adjusted to promote value, not just virality. On top of that, there are millions more creators now. That volume changed the landscape.

The same tactics that once got you reach now get ignored. Here’s what shifted:

• Engagement pods trigger spam filters
• Clickbait gets deprioritized
• Buyers scroll past “build in public” stories that say nothing
• Low-effort carousels get less reach

What’s worse — those tactics can actually repel serious buyers. If your content feels like a growth hack or AI-generated fluff, your credibility takes a hit.

I’ve seen founders go viral and still get zero leads. You can have a post hit 100k views and not land a single demo if the content attracts the wrong crowd.

What works now: Strategy for 2025 and beyond

Content still works. But the game is different. The easy wins are gone. And the people winning today are playing a deeper game.

Right now, thoughtful positioning wins. Insight-rich posts win. Strong founder POVs win. And strategic distribution makes the whole thing compound.

Let me show you what we’re seeing work firsthand:

Outdated Approach	What Works Now
Tell stories	Share insights your ICP actually uses
Write to everyone	Speak directly to a specific buyer
Post daily for reach	Post less, promote more (via TLAs)
Wait for organic hits	Distribute with purpose

Take Thought Leader Ads for example. We’ve run campaigns that hit 40–50% click-through rates — on posts that never went viral organically. That only happens when the post is high-signal and the audience targeting is on point.

You don’t need to post every day. You need to write better posts, backed by stronger ideas, and show them to the right people.

If it feels harder now — that’s because it is

But that’s not a bad thing.

When everyone was chasing vanity metrics, it was easy to get distracted. Now that the bar’s higher, most founders are quietly opting out. They’re tired. They post less. Some stop entirely.

This creates opportunity for the ones still showing up — the ones playing the long game.

If your content is clear, helpful, and speaks to the right people, you can still win big. But you’ll need a real strategy. And you’ll need to evolve.

Because the founders who still use 2020 playbooks are already being left behind.

Work with us

If your current LinkedIn strategy feels outdated — or you’re not seeing results from the content you’re posting — we can help. At Column, we turn your ideas into high-signal content that drives pipeline, not just likes.

From strategy to writing to distribution, we handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on running your business.

Ready to get serious about LinkedIn?Start here: columncontent.com/contact