CMO to go
Get the must-knows of B2B marketing for tech delivered monthly.
Start the conversation
Tell us about what’s in the works and what you want to achieve. We’d love to hear from you.
How to build an executive voice that doesn’t sound like marketing
The most effective executive content doesn’t try to impress. It shares perspective, shows judgment, and reflects how leaders actually think. This guide offers a practical approach to building a voice that’s grounded in experience, clear in tone, and consistent enough to earn trust over time.
A practical guide to thought leadership that earns trust
Executives don’t need help having ideas. They need a way to share them that feels clear, thoughtful, and real.
That’s what executive voice is about. Not polish for the sake of polish, but a way to communicate experience with enough clarity and personality that people pay attention — and trust what they hear.
When it works, executive voice sounds like leadership. When it doesn’t, it reads like a headline with a headshot.
This is a practical guide to building a voice that reflects how you think, earns credibility over time, and doesn’t sound like marketing.
Be recognized, not branded
Executive voice should not read like corporate messaging.
Messaging is about consistency. Voice is about perspective. It should align with the business, but also leave room for personality, nuance, and original thinking.
When it’s working well, executive voice does three things:
- Shows judgment — “Here’s what I’ve seen, and why I think it matters.”
- Highlights stakes — “This impacts customers, teams, or the business.”
- Earns attention — “This is useful enough to share.”
That’s what separates credible thought leadership from generic brand messaging.
Step 1: Start with what only you can say
The easiest way to make executive content sound like marketing is to lead with a topic. And the best way to make it sound like leadership is to start with experience.
Most executives have a wealth of perspective shaped by their work: patterns they’ve noticed, lessons from hard calls, feedback from customers and partners, and moments that changed their mind. That’s the material worth sharing.
Instead of asking, “What should I post this month?” try asking:
- What keeps coming up in customer conversations?
- What’s a popular idea I quietly disagree with?
- What are teams in my space consistently getting wrong?
- What am I seeing early that others aren’t talking about yet?
Those questions surface content that sounds informed, not manufactured.
Step 2: Don’t perform. Be specific.
A common reason executive content fails is because it tries too hard to sound like leadership. You don’t need to sound visionary. You need to be clear.
Specificity is one of the strongest credibility signals there is.
What that looks like in practice:
- Fewer buzzwords
- More plain language
- Short, direct sentences
- Opinions that are clean and considered
- Observations grounded in what you’ve seen (not abstract trends)
You’re not writing to go viral. You’re writing to build trust with people who value sound thinking.
Step 3: Write like you speak (and keep the edges)
Executive voice often gets edited until it’s frictionless. But in removing all the rough edges, you also lose the part that feels human.
Your tone doesn’t need to be informal. It needs to be recognizable. When readers feel like they’re hearing a real person, not a polished persona, they’re more likely to pay attention.
What works:
- A clear point of view
- Thoughtful structure
- The occasional moment of bluntness
- Language that feels natural and unforced
Use this as a filter:
If this post could have been written by anyone in your industry, it’s not distinct enough.
Good voice lives in the details and in the courage to be specific.
Step 4: Use a repeatable structure
Executive content shouldn’t become a time-consuming task. If it starts to feel like a burden, it won’t last.
One way to make it sustainable is to use a structure that’s simple and repeatable. Here’s one that works well:
- A clear point of view
- A specific example
- A takeaway or reflection
- A question or invitation to engage
Example:
Many teams are investing in AI without addressing the broken workflows underneath.
We’ve seen it firsthand with [X].
The companies making real progress are the ones starting with operations, not tools.
What’s your experience been?
This kind of format is quick to write and easy to adapt. And more importantly, it sounds like a real person reflecting on real work.
Step 5: Let marketing support, not overwrite
Marketing plays an important role in executive content, but it shouldn’t dilute the voice it’s meant to support.
When it works well, marketing helps by:
- Interviewing to uncover strong ideas
- Drafting based on actual experience
- Editing for clarity without over-polishing
- Preserving the executive’s language and point of view
It doesn’t work when marketing:
- Forces in keywords
- Adds filler to hit a word count
- Softens every strong point
- Removes the personality for the sake of safety
The best executive posts read like a smart leader talking to peers, not like something filtered through five rounds of review.
Step 6: Build around themes, not trends
Building around themes is sustainable. It is difficult to be consistent when you’re focused on trends.
Most strong executive voices are anchored by 3 to 5 recurring themes. These reflect the areas they care most about, and the areas where they have the most experience.
Themes give structure to your content. They also help your audience understand what you stand for.
Examples might include:
- AI and operational change
- Partner ecosystems and go-to-market strategy
- Talent and leadership
- Cybersecurity resilience
- The evolution of enterprise tech
Once themes are set, publishing becomes easier. Every post becomes another perspective, lesson, or story within that framework.
Executive voice is a trust channel
Strong opinions aren’t the hard part. Most executives have them. The challenge is turning those opinions into content that sounds like the person behind them.
That takes structure. It takes editorial judgment. And it takes a process that protects the voice you’re trying to build.
That’s where we can help.
At Mercer-MacKay, we work with executives to develop a voice that feels real — and earns trust. We help define your themes, set up a repeatable system, and create content that supports your goals while staying true to how you think and speak.
If you want to build a voice your audience actually listens to, we’d be glad to help. Let’s talk.
Want a quick overview, check out our Digital Executive program.
Transform technical content into campaigns that connect
Marketing teams often have a library of assets, including product sheets, solution briefs, and technical guides, that describe what a solution does in detail. These materials are valuable, but they don’t always show why the solution matters to a buyer.
Turning that content into a campaign starts with understanding people. It involves taking technical information and shaping it into a story that reflects buyer priorities and decision-making.
The process begins by finding the insight already within your materials and building a structured narrative that informs, connects, and encourages action.
Step 1: Understand the person behind the persona
Before developing campaign assets, focus on the individual who will receive the message. Personas outline demographics and job titles, but they rarely capture real motivations.
Behind every persona is a person with targets to meet, challenges to overcome, and decisions to justify. They are searching for solutions that build confidence and reduce uncertainty.
To reach them effectively, ask:
- Who is this content really for?
- What problem are they trying to solve?
- What language will earn their attention?
- Where are they in their buying journey?
The answers guide every creative decision: tone, structure, visuals, and calls to action. Campaigns built from this perspective feel personal and relevant.
Step 2: Uncover the story inside the content
Most product sheets are structured to inform. Campaigns need to connect.
To find the story within a technical asset, read beyond the features. Look for the tension and resolution—the challenge your buyer faces and the outcome they want to achieve.
Ask yourself:
- What’s changing in the customer’s environment that makes this solution timely?
- Which use cases reflect the most urgent or relatable problems?
- What does success look like for this buyer, and how does your solution make it possible?
Mapping these answers reveals the narrative thread: a clear beginning (the problem), middle (the challenge and solution), and end (the business outcome). That thread becomes the spine of your campaign.
Step 3: Build the campaign around the narrative
Once the story is clear, structure the campaign so every asset supports it. Each piece should serve a defined role in the buyer journey from awareness to engagement to conversion.
A complete campaign might include:
- An awareness asset such as a blog or video introducing the challenge and why it matters now
- A mid-funnel piece like a refreshed one-pager or infographic that connects proof points to benefits
- A decision-stage asset such as a landing page that ties messaging, evidence, and CTA together
- Internal enablement materials that help sellers and partners carry the message consistently
When every element reinforces the same story, the campaign feels cohesive, not fragmented. Each piece becomes a touchpoint in a larger narrative that leads buyers forward.
Step 4: Activate with purpose
A strong campaign only drives results if it’s shared and used effectively. Activation turns a strategy into a living, working program.
Ensure every stakeholder—marketers, sellers, and partners—knows how to use the assets and why they work.
That includes:
- Clear internal communication outlining how and when to deploy campaign elements
- Pre-written copy and visuals for email, social, and seller channels
- Guidance on how to connect the campaign to co-sell or marketplace opportunities
- Metrics for tracking engagement and optimizing performance over time
Effective activation ensures the story reaches its audience in a consistent and coordinated way—across teams, platforms, and regions.
Finding campaign potential in everyday assets
The most effective campaigns often begin with something small: a datasheet, a presentation, or a short technical summary. Within those materials are the ideas, proof points, and insights that can evolve into a complete campaign.
Creating impact starts with intention. When technical content is framed through the lens of audience understanding and strategic storytelling, it becomes more than information. It becomes a message that teaches, connects, and drives action.
Turning expertise into influence: A guide to thought leadership marketing
Information has never been more accessible—or more overwhelming. In every corner of the digital world, audiences are surrounded by articles, videos, and AI-generated posts that compete for their attention. Amid that volume, what people value most is clear thinking. They look for guidance that helps them understand trends, interpret complexity, and make confident business decisions.
Thought leadership marketing provides that clarity. It connects expertise with education, allowing organizations to share knowledge that informs and influences their audience. When done well, it turns ideas into teaching moments and builds trust that lasts beyond any single campaign.
Why thought leadership matters
Thought leadership helps organizations show what they know in ways that build credibility and spark meaningful conversations. It turns professional insight into material that supports long-term visibility and customer confidence.
Strong thought leadership can:
- Build familiarity with prospective buyers
- Establish credibility within specific industries or regions
- Highlight expert voices and executive perspectives
- Create opportunities for speaking, media, and partnerships
- Support business development by aligning content with customer priorities
Over time, this kind of consistent, expert-led communication shapes how a company is perceived, both by customers and peers.
The difference between content and thought leadership
All content communicates something. Thought leadership goes a step further by teaching something valuable. It explains an issue, adds context, and offers an informed point of view.
A company blog might summarize a new regulation. A thought leadership article explains its implications for business strategy. One delivers information; the other builds understanding.
The most effective thought leadership has a clear editorial direction. It aligns audience interests with business goals and draws on credible expertise. Each piece contributes to a broader narrative about how the organization sees its industry and its role within it.
What a thought leadership marketing services delivers
Developing thought leadership consistently takes structure and intention. Marketing services focused on this discipline bring strategy, organization, and storytelling expertise to every stage of the process.
Typical components include:
- Strategic positioning and message development: define what the brand stands for, the perspectives it supports, and the conversations it wants to lead.
- Executive ghostwriting: translate leadership insight into clear, accessible writing that educates and informs readers across platforms.
- Editorial planning: coordinate calendars that connect content to business milestones, launches, and key industry events.
- Trend research and content development: identify important developments, interpret their meaning for audiences, and create content that adds useful perspective.
- Multi-format execution: deliver core ideas in multiple formats—articles, podcasts, videos, newsletters—so audiences can engage in different ways.
- AI-supported workflows: use generative AI tools to streamline research, structure information, and adapt tone for various audiences, while maintaining human oversight and judgment.
These services ensure every message reflects both subject matter expertise and a consistent brand story.
GenAI’s role in thought leadership marketing
GenAI is reshaping how thought leadership content is planned, created, and refined. It doesn’t replace expertise—it enhances how that expertise is expressed and distributed.
GenAI tools can support teams throughout the content process:
Research and insight development
AI can scan large volumes of data, reports, and market updates in minutes, helping teams surface emerging themes or new perspectives worth exploring. For example, a marketing strategist might use an AI research assistant to identify patterns in customer sentiment across regions or products, then turn that data into a meaningful narrative about market change.
Idea generation and structure
GenAI helps translate complex technical ideas into outlines or plain-language explanations. This supports faster collaboration between subject matter experts and content creators, ensuring accuracy while improving clarity.
Content adaptation
Once a core article or insight exists, GenAI can assist in tailoring it for different formats or audiences—transforming a white paper into a LinkedIn post, webinar script, or newsletter summary—while preserving the original message.
Quality and optimization
AI-based editing tools can review drafts for readability, tone consistency, and keyword alignment, helping ensure that each piece maintains a professional and coherent voice.
Performance analysis
AI analytics platforms can identify which topics, formats, or headlines drive engagement, offering valuable feedback that informs future editorial decisions.
These capabilities make AI a powerful support system for thought leadership programs. The technology accelerates research, improves accessibility, and helps maintain rhythm across multiple communication channels.
However, the responsibility for insight remains with people. The perspectives, opinions, and conclusions that shape thought leadership must come from experts who understand the context behind the data. AI provides the information; humans give it meaning.
A long-term approach to visibility and influence
Thought leadership grows stronger through consistency. Publishing regularly, maintaining a defined point of view, and staying close to audience interests creates a steady presence in the market.
Companies that commit to this approach see benefits that compound over time:
- Broader visibility across industry discussions
- Increased engagement with relevant audiences
- Stronger reputation for expertise and reliability
Each article, post, or presentation contributes to a foundation of trust. Over time, that foundation becomes one of the most valuable assets a brand can build.
Ready to develop your leadership voice?
Mercer-MacKay helps organizations turn knowledge into influence through thought leadership and storytelling. We work with technology brands that want to educate their audience, share informed perspectives, and take an active role in shaping their industry’s conversations.
Let’s create a thought leadership program that reflects your expertise and strengthens your voice in the market. Reach out.
Modern storytelling: Why the hero’s journey still matters in the age of AI
Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication. Long before we had marketing departments, digital channels, or algorithms, people shared stories to educate, influence, and connect. We still respond to stories because they help us make sense of the world.
That hasn’t changed. What has changed is how we tell stories.
With generative AI transforming how content is created, marketers are asking: Is storytelling still relevant? The short answer: absolutely. In fact, it’s more essential than ever. At the heart of great storytelling is a framework that continues to resonate—the hero’s journey.
The hero’s journey: A framework that works
The hero’s journey follows a familiar arc: a character starts in their everyday world, faces a challenge, gets support, overcomes obstacles, and returns transformed.
Marketers might not be writing novels, but the pattern applies. Your customer is the hero. They’re navigating complexity, change, or disruption. Your role? You’re the guide. You offer insight, support, and solutions.
When brands adopt this mindset, everything shifts. Product pages become proof points. Case studies evolve into character-driven narratives. Campaigns stop being noisy and start to connect.
And most importantly, your audience starts to see themselves in your content.
The role of AI in modern storytelling
Generative AI is quickly becoming a valuable partner for content teams. It can help you scale production, refine messaging, and adapt to different audiences. But can AI tell a compelling story?
It can assist, but it can’t lead.
AI brings real advantages when it comes to the mechanics of storytelling:
Journey mapping
AI can identify where customers are in their journey and what they need next—using data to uncover pain points, behaviors, and content gaps.
Audience adaptation
A single story can be reshaped to speak to different industries or roles. AI helps adjust tone, language, and examples without losing the core message.
Testing and optimization
Want to know which subject line performs best? Or which call-to-action leads to more engagement? AI can analyze and optimize at scale, quickly.
Ideation support
From headline variations to metaphor suggestions, AI can spark new angles—cutting down brainstorming time and helping teams get unstuck.
Storytelling still needs a human heart
Where AI stops is where humans shine: nuance, empathy, context, and emotion.
AI doesn’t know your customer’s frustrations, ambitions, or unspoken hesitations. It can’t sense when a story needs a little more warmth or when a message needs to shift tone. That’s where human judgment makes the difference.
The best content today comes from a blend of both: human strategy and insight, powered by AI’s ability to support, not replace.
We see this as a collaboration. AI helps us work smarter and faster, but it’s the human lens that makes the content resonate.
Bringing the hero’s Journey into your marketing
If you want to build stronger customer connections, start by using their experience as the narrative foundation:
- Who’s the hero? Understand their goals.
- What’s the challenge? Define the barrier.
- What’s the turning point? Highlight the shift—new knowledge, a new approach, or a solution.
- Where do you fit in? Position your brand as the guide, not the star.
- What changes? Show the outcome. What’s now possible?
You don’t need to follow this formula rigidly. But having a clear structure will help you create content that moves people—not just through a funnel, but emotionally.
Stories still matter
In a world full of platforms, data, and content, a well-told story still stands out. It informs. It builds trust. It drives action.
And as AI continues to evolve, the brands that will stand out aren’t the ones replacing humans—but the ones elevating human insight with the right tools.
Technology can scale your message. But it’s storytelling that makes it stick.
Best practices for winning a Microsoft Partner of the Year award
Writing a Microsoft award submission is not like any other form of corporate writing. It’s not a white paper. It’s not a case study. It’s a competition—and one where judges are actively looking for reasons to disqualify your submission during the first read-through. The bar is high, the attention spans are short, and the competition is fierce.
Eight best practices to stand out in a sea of submissions
If you want to stand out, here’s what it takes:
1. Tell a story that captures the imagination
At its core, your submission needs to tell a compelling story—one that puts you and your customer at the center and showcases your unique value as a partner. What problem did you solve? What made it complex? Why was your approach exceptional? What are the things that would never make it in a Win Wire or a Case Study but really show that you know your stuff and can overcome hurdles. Microsoft wants to see transformation, not just implementation.
2. Treat it like a strategy, not a form
Before you start writing, get crystal clear on why you’re submitting and what you want to achieve:
- How can you win in the category you are going after?
- Is your entry less about winning and more about positioning with Microsoft?
- Should you consider a joint strategy with another partner?
Every submission needs a positioning strategy. Be intentional about the categories you choose and how your story supports that category’s specific goals.
3. Start messy—and don’t despair
The process always begins in the messy middle. Start by gathering your best stories—and be prepared for surprises. Often, the stories you think are the strongest won’t be the ones that make the cut. Talk to your sales and delivery teams. Get the story behind the story—the moments of innovation, impact, and resilience that often go undocumented.
Once you’ve collected your stories, map them to Microsoft’s award categories. With 5,000+ submissions across just 45 categories, repurposing stories into multiple submissions is smart strategy. And remember: the first few drafts will be rough. That’s part of the process. You’re shaping and refining, over and over, until the narrative is tight and aligned with Microsoft’s criteria.
4. Answer every question—clearly and completely
Each award category includes specific criteria—and every one of them matters. If you skip a question, dodge the point, or bury your answer in jargon, you risk being tossed aside immediately. Make it easy for the judges to see that you’ve hit every required point, clearly and confidently.
5. Back up every claim with proof
This is where many submissions fall short. You can’t just say you drove impact—you need to prove it:
- Include numbers (revenue, time saved, users impacted, % improvement, etc.) If your actual numbers aren’t the best, consider percentages. Trying to compete just on numbers is the wrong strategy – there will always be a partner with a better number than you – you need a mix and a spin.
- Add testimonials from customers, Microsoft reps, other partners, analysts – tell your story through the eyes of others whenever you can.
- Share architectures, screenshots, or visuals that demonstrate innovation – you only have about 1,200 words and a lot of questions to answer. Your architectures can demonstrate your complexity – where possibly, point out where you did something amazing or unusual – for example, found a product release bug and worked with MSFT engineering to resolve. Accelerated a feature on your product roadmap to facilitate a customer roll-out.
- Provide measurable outcomes tied to business value. Most partners say they don’t really know the value yet, too new to measure, customer is reluctant to get behind a number. That won’t win you the award, you need to find a way to show the value. Understanding how to measure value and then demonstrate that it was achieved is a critical point.
If it’s not provable, it’s just words on paper.
6. Write for a mixed audience
Your judges will include technical architects, marketers, partner managers, and even interns. Many are not technical. Write at a high enough level that anyone at Microsoft can understand the significance of your work and the business impact you delivered—without getting lost in acronyms or complexity.
7. Keep the review team small (and sharp)
Too many reviewers spoil the story. Awards submissions are unlike anything else you’ve written. You will include information that will never ever be used publicly. The entire team needs to be on board. You need a tight, experienced team—ideally 2–3 people—who understand Microsoft, the partner ecosystem, and how to evaluate a strong narrative. Awards writing is a team sport. Partners know their solutions and the award writers know how to tell a story that pops. This is the team that can come together and refine a strong message.
As part of the review process:
- Use accessible, plainspoken language. If your sentence sounds like it came from your website or a press release, rewrite it. Clarity beats polish.
- Consider using humor or a conversational tone—just enough to make the story memorable. The best submissions feel human.
- Make sure the headlines tell the story. Judges will skim before they dive—your headings should give them a reason to keep reading.
- Read it out loud. If it doesn’t sound like something a person would say, go back and simplify. Try to make the judges FEEL something – make them laugh, make them cry, make them remember you.
Remember, the goal to connect. Make your message easy to understand and hard to ignore. There will be about 300 submissions in each category. The first read through by the judges is to THROW OUT the worst submissions – they are barely read at all. You want to make it to the top 10-20 where the submissions are seriously considered and vetted.
8. Refine, map, repeat
Award submissions are an iterative, collaborative process. Each draft should bring the story into tighter focus and map more clearly to the award criteria. Keep asking: “Is this easy to read? Does it show impact? Have we made our proof points impossible to ignore?”
Final thoughts
Microsoft award submissions are judged by people. They are impacted by story and by how you have taken a unique position to drive transformation that will ultimately show up on their score card and pay check.
Judges don’t have time to dig for your value. Be bold. Be strategic. Be specific. And above all, tell a story that no one else can tell.
Additional Microsoft Partner of the Year award resources
- How to create a great Microsoft award submission
- Part 1: How to win a Microsoft Partner of the Year award
- Part 2: How to win a Microsoft Partner of the Year award
- Part 3: How to win a Microsoft Partner of the Year award
- The winning recipe
- The best time to write your submission
- daXai Microsoft awards module
A leader’s guide to the LinkedIn algorithm—what the data says
LinkedIn’s algorithm has changed—and executives who still rely on old tactics are seeing their reach disappear. Based on new data from the Algorithm Insights Report 2025 by Richard van der Blom, this guide breaks down what’s working now. From content formats and engagement strategies to timing, mobile optimization, and post-publication behavior, here’s how to stay visible, build influence, and lead meaningful conversations on LinkedIn this year.
If you’re wondering why your once-reliable LinkedIn posts no longer get the traction they used to, you’re not imagining things. LinkedIn’s algorithm has shifted over the past year.
The Algorithm Insights Report 2025, a comprehensive analysis of over 1.8 million posts by Richard van der Blom and Just Connecting™, lays it out clearly: organic reach has plummeted by nearly 50%, but the potential for meaningful engagement is stronger than ever.
Each year, we review the data and share updates and guidance on how leaders can refine their strategies to reap the rewards of the LinkedIn algorithm. All the data and corresponding recommendations shared below is from the Algorithm Insights report. You can get your copy here.
1. From reach to relevance
In the past, it was possible to “game” LinkedIn with frequent posting or lightweight engagement tactics. That era is over.
LinkedIn has shifted toward an interest-driven, conversation-focused feed. The algorithm now favors content that aligns with a user’s demonstrated interests and encourages interaction—not passive consumption.
What to do: Be intentional. Fewer, better posts will outperform a high-volume, low-substance approach.
2. Visibility is earned through engagement
Executives often overlook one of LinkedIn’s most powerful mechanisms: reciprocal engagement. The algorithm weighs how you interact with others just as heavily as what you post.
Here’s what the data shows:
- Comment once on a creator’s post = 80% chance you’ll see their next one.
- Visit their profile = 60% boost in their visibility to you.
- Send a DM = 90% chance they’ll appear in your feed again.
And it goes both ways. If others are engaging with your posts, you’ll continue showing up in their feed as well.
What to do: Comment on relevant industry posts, respond to comments on your content, and keep conversations going in DMs—not just in the comments section.
3. Comments drive content discovery
LinkedIn’s algorithm now recognizes comments as more than just engagement—they’re indicators of quality. Posts that generate discussion are pushed to more people and seen over a longer period.
What triggers comments? Clarity, specificity, and a strong call to engagement. It’s not enough to post your perspective—you need to invite others in.
What to do: End every post with a genuine question. Think:
- “What’s one strategy you’ve used to overcome this challenge?”
- “Agree or disagree?”
- “Seen this happen in your industry?”
4. Save-worthy content performs best
Another underused feature: saves. When someone saves your post, LinkedIn treats that action as a high-value signal. It means your content is worth revisiting—and the algorithm rewards that with greater visibility for future posts.
Saves are especially common for:
- Lists
- Step-by-step guides
- Infographics
- Frameworks
What to do: Think utility. Offer a clear takeaway or insight your audience can apply to their work.
5. Content formats that drive engagement
Not all posts are created equal. The format you choose has a significant impact on how your content performs. Here’s what the data shows:
Text + Image
- Most used and most stable format (58% of all content).
- Optimal caption length: 700–900 characters.
- Posts with images of people (especially yourself) perform better—up to 50% more engagement.
Use this format when sharing lessons from events, key takeaways, or personal wins.
Video
- Up 69% year-over-year.
- Vertical mobile-first videos (under 60 seconds) performed best in 2024.
- Note: LinkedIn removed the dedicated video feed in early 2025, but short-form video still outperforms other formats in engagement.
Use this format when sharing product insights, perspectives, or quick thought leadership riffs.
Polls
- Still underused (only 1.4% of content), but highly effective when done well.
- Polls with three answer options perform best.
- 7-day polls receive significantly more engagement than 1-day or 3-day polls.
Use this format when you want quick, high-engagement insights and plan to follow up with your reflections.
Documents (PDF carousels)
- Once dominant, but now declining due to algorithm penalties for low completion rates.
- Best-performing documents have 8–10 slides and strong visual storytelling.
- First slide must be eye-catching and relevant—image + teaser text works best.
Use this format when you want to showcase frameworks, guides, or high-value evergreen content.
6. Text-only posts are losing traction
Text-only posts, once the backbone of executive presence on LinkedIn, are seeing significant decline in both reach and engagement.
- Text-only content dropped by 41% in usage year-over-year.
- Engagement for text-only posts is down nearly 18%.
- On company pages, they perform so poorly (multiplier of 0.28) that they’re now considered a “no-go” format.
Why? They don’t visually interrupt the feed, they lack shareable elements, and they struggle to hold attention—especially on mobile.
What to do:
- If you have a great insight, turn it into a text + image post.
- Use a photo, chart, or graphic to increase visual stopping power.
- Reserve pure text posts for well-structured thought leadership with high emotional or educational impact—and only occasionally.
7. External links: remains an underperformer, but has improved slightly
LinkedIn has long discouraged posts that direct users off-platform. In past years, external links were effectively reach killers. But in 2025, the algorithm has softened—just slightly.
Recent data shows that:
- Posts with links now see a modest 5% gain in reach, reversing a multi-year decline.
- Shorter, value-first captions (under 300 words) paired with links perform better than long-form link posts.
- Posts that embed the link at the end of the caption, rather than up top, experience less engagement drop-off.
- Multiple links perform better with posts using 3o or more links seeing a 20% improvement over posts with one link.
This doesn’t mean external links are suddenly equal to native content—but LinkedIn seems to be recognizing that off-platform value can still support user intent.
What to do:
- Share links with intention. Don’t bury the lead—start with insight, end with the link.
- Use clean formatting: bold takeaway > short explanation > link.
- Forgo adding links to the comments. This hack no longer works.
- Consider multilink posts to signal greater content depth.
- Always use UTM tags or analytics to track actual engagement beyond impressions.
In short: you don’t have to avoid links altogether. But they work best when they’re used sparingly, framed thoughtfully, and backed by content that delivers value before the click.
8. Timing and frequency still matter
LinkedIn remains a platform where early engagement makes or breaks a post.
- The first 90 minutes is still the critical window.
- But successful posts now enjoy a longer tail—up to 5 days of visibility if they maintain momentum.
- Avoid back-to-back posts in the same format, especially text-only—this can suppress performance by up to 20%.
What to do: Post 2–3 times per week. Mix your formats. Monitor engagement patterns to identify your optimal posting time.
9. Posting isn’t the strategy—engagement is
A common pattern we see with executives on LinkedIn: two polished posts a week, then… silence. No replies. No comments on others’ content. No conversations. Just broadcasting into the void.
That’s not a visibility strategy. That’s digital absenteeism.
The data is clear: engagement after publishing is just as important as the post itself.
Comments are currency
Posts that spark dialogue get extended reach and longer feed life. But you have to participate.
What to do:
- Respond to every meaningful comment within the first 90 minutes.
- Acknowledge perspectives, answer questions, and tag people in replies.
- Use names—it encourages future engagement and builds rapport.
Engage beyond your own posts
Showing up consistently in other people’s comment sections signals that you’re active, present, and interested.
What to do:
- After publishing, spend 15 minutes commenting on 3–5 relevant posts.
- Focus on your peers, customers, or thought leaders in your niche.
Turn comments into conversations
The best posts live beyond their original form. Use your comment section to gather insights and spark new posts or deeper discussions.
What to do:
- Highlight strong comments in a follow-up post.
- Move good conversations to DMs when appropriate.
- Use what you learn to shape future content.
10. Mobile-first content wins
With 72% of engagement happening on mobile, content must be optimized for scrolling.
- Vertical images and videos perform 10–40% better than horizontal.
- Clean formatting (short paragraphs, lists, white space) increases dwell time.
- Over-designed graphics or dense PDFs are penalized.
What to do: Think mobile first in every post. Avoid clutter. Make each post easy to consume at a glance.
11. Dwell time: The silent multiplier
LinkedIn now tracks how long users spend reading your content—even if they don’t interact. That’s called dwell time, and it’s a powerful signal.
The best-performing posts:
- Have 300–400 words.
- Use 20+ sentences.
- Are formatted for easy scanning (bullets, breaks, bold takeaways).
What to do: Tell a story. Deliver a lesson. Give your readers a reason to slow their scroll.
Quick recap: What leaders should focus on in 2025
- Engagement is visibility. Commenting, messaging, and responding drives reach more than posting alone.
- Mix your formats. Text + image, video, and polls outperform text-only posts significantly.
- Avoid posting and ghosting. Stay present in your comments and on others’ content after publishing.
- Design for mobile. Use vertical visuals, clean spacing, and structured storytelling.
- External links are okay—if framed right. Keep captions short and save links for the end of the post.
- Watch your dwell time. Posts that hold attention (300–400 words, formatted for scanning) get rewarded.
Showing up with intent
If you’re leading a team, building influence in your industry, or guiding strategic decisions—your visibility matters. But being visible today doesn’t mean being everywhere. It means being thoughtful, consistent, and relevant.
Post with purpose. Comment with intention. Build relationships in the open. The individuals who create conversation—not just content—are the ones who get seen, heard, and remembered.
These learnings we apply to our own approach and practices. Find out about the Digital Executive Program.