With more than one billion users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network but it’s also an increasingly crowded space. How can you get your business and brand in front of your ideal clients when there is so much competition?
In this blog, I’ll be taking you through the top 7 LinkedIn trends to watch in 2025 to help you gain greater visibility on the platform.
1. Video formats will dominate
Video has seen substantial growth on LinkedIn in 2024 – it’s now the fastest-growing format on LinkedIn, with uploads up by 34% and video viewership up 36% year-over-year (Microsoft Q4 Earnings Report and Earnings Release FY25 Quarter 1). I predict that video’s popularity will only grow in 2025.
Just a few weeks ago, LinkedIn launched its ‘Videos for You’ feed on mobile. This new feature (very similar to TikTok’s Videos for You feed) introduces short-form vertical videos on LinkedIn, helping content creators get discovered by new audiences. Despite this, many LinkedIn users still shy away from creating and publishing videos. So, this presents you with a massive opportunity to raise your profile. I’d encourage you to start creating bite-sized content – sharing tips, live demos and your personal insights.
Make sure you:
• Keep your videos short (ideally under 90 seconds).
• Add value – make your videos meaningful with valuable insights.
• Add captions – most will watch with the sound off. Captions are also important for accessibility.
• Create regular videos – don’t just post once and give up. It will take time to build an audience.
Your videos don’t need to be very polished or slick. You don’t need any fancy equipment…a fairly modern smartphone is fine. Just make sure you shoot your footage in a well-lit room (or outside), speak slowly and clearly and use a tripod (or a suitable rest, such as a bookshelf) to avoid camera shake.
2. Newsletters driving growth
Video should be a key part of your content strategy, but this certainly doesn’t mean you should leave written content behind. In fact, newsletters are one of the biggest drivers for reach on LinkedIn right now – with more than 500 million subscribers globally.
Newsletters are a great way to add value for your audience, helping you build a dedicated and loyal following. You can run newsletters on your business page and personal profile.
Here are a few tips to help you build a successful newsletter:
• Do your research. Draw inspiration from popular newsletters and the type of content people are sharing.
• Choose a strong name for your newsletter – it should do what it says on the tin.
• Aim for 600-900 words (very long newsletters tend to see a dip in performance).
• Decide on a publication schedule you can stick to – ideally at least once a month.
A newsletter subscriber will get notified every time you publish an edition so it’s a great way to get your LinkedIn updates in front of a wider audience. Plus, a subscriber will automatically follow your regular LinkedIn updates.
3. The rise of AI
There’s no getting away from the fact that AI is transforming the way we interact on LinkedIn. According to Richard van der Blom’s recent LinkedIn research:
• Fully generated AI content has increased by 180%.
• AI-generated images have increased by 75%
• AI-generated comments have increased by 340%.
In 2025, we’ll see AI enhancing our user experience on LinkedIn with:
• Smarter feeds – serving up recommended articles, and updates that resonate with your role, goals, and even browsing history.
• Tailored content ideas – with topic suggestions and even fully written drafts.
• New AI-driven features to assist users with various job-related tasks, including career coaching, résumé and cover letter writing assistance, and tools for recruiters (such as the new Hiring Assistant).
AI presents many opportunities but also risks too. Research shows that the rise of AI content is having a negative impact on reach generally across LinkedIn (source: Richard van der Blom, November 2024). AI content can’t, in my view, replicate the same personal style and individuality of a human being (yet).
Much of the content produced by AI tools (like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Claude) sounds the same and lacks anything distinctive. So, if you’re regularly using AI to write your posts, you’ll be churning out the same content as lots of other people on LinkedIn – and your content won’t stand out.
As LinkedIn expert Richard van der Blom says, “As more AI-generated content fills the feed, users experience less authenticity and personal interaction, which has resulted in reduced engagement overall. While AI can be a useful tool, relying heavily on it may contribute to a decline in LinkedIn reach as users feel they are interacting with bots rather than genuine content creators.”
My advice is to use AI tools to help with research, planning and content ideas but use these tools as an aid, not a replacement for human-written content. Human input is still important if you want to be relatable on LinkedIn.
4. Employee advocacy
Increasingly, businesses are realising that their people have an important role to play as brand ambassadors. Employee-generated content, including personal success stories, behind-the-scenes updates and industry insights, helps build trust. Typically, employees have networks ten times the size of businesses on LinkedIn so your brand message can reach a wider audience through your employees. Encourage your people to share glimpses into their work lives – talking about their experiences, day-to-day challenges and what it’s like to work at your company.
5. Authentic storytelling and purpose-driven content
Research shows that readers are 22 times more likely to remember a fact if it’s wrapped up in a story. On LinkedIn, users are gravitating towards content that reflects genuine experiences. Sharing personal stories, challenges and successes fosters deeper connections and engagement.
Alongside this trend, audiences are looking for content that reflects purpose-driven themes. Readers want to hear how your business is contributing to social impact and sustainability. So, show how you and your business are making a difference. Try posting about:
• Social stories: highlighting contributions to community wellbeing and diversity.
• Eco initiatives: sustainability projects, such as litter picking, educational programmes and renewable energy initiatives.
But you do need to walk the talk and back this up with real examples and stats.
6. Quality engagement
Of course, it’s not just about posting – engagement is just as important. As I mentioned earlier, LinkedIn has seen an explosion of AI-generated comments on posts, which is having a negative impact on reach – as well as being hugely annoying for readers. LinkedIn will be looking closely at how to counter this trend.
Posts that encourage thoughtful comments and discussions are likely to be prioritised in users’ feeds, emphasising the importance of meaningful engagement. So, instead of just saying, ‘great post’ in the comments, add value – share your thoughts, agree or disagree (politely) and spark a debate. If you want to get seen on LinkedIn, it’s just as important to engage as well as post.
7. Lean into live events
Live events are becoming ever more popular on LinkedIn – I’ve certainly seen more in my feed in recent months. In fact, LinkedIn Lives have grown 15% year-over-year. But more than that, live video generates (on average) 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than native recorded videos.
Admittedly, hosting a live video event might seem a bit scary if you’re not used to appearing on camera on LinkedIn. So, I’d recommend creating some recorded videos to get you started and to iron out any teething issues before you dive into a live session.
LinkedIn Lives do require some planning as you’ll need to host your event on a third-party streaming platform (like Restream or StreamYard) and also publicise the Live well in advance.
If you’re a little nervous about this prospect, you could volunteer to be a guest on someone else’s Live to start with. Why not take part in a Q&A with a fellow business owner who works in a complementary area? It can make the whole experience less nerve-wracking if there are two of you speaking and taking questions.
But don’t put it off – take that leap. What’s the worst that could happen?
Top LinkedIn trends to watch in 2025 in a nutshell
So, fo.r 2025, my recommendations are to lean into video, thought leadership and purpose-driven content. And use AI wisely as a tool, not a replacement for your own writing.
What content strategies are you planning to implement this year? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
If you’re looking for support with your LinkedIn marketing in 2025, get in touch today. Learn more about my LinkedIn services.
