Earlier this Year LinkedIn Quietly Changed the Rules for New Zealand’s 3.35 million users.
LinkedIn replaced its entire content ranking system with a new AI algorithm — and most business owners have no idea it happened.
If your posts haven’t had many likes or much engagement lately, this is almost certainly why. The good news is that once you understand what changed, it's not hard to adapt. And for professional services — accountants, lawyers, consultants, HR professionals, architects — the opportunity on LinkedIn is bigger than ever. If your ideal client base is New Zealanders, 3.35 million have an account with active users on there for an hour every month. Unlike Facebook, when they’re on there, they’re in work mode, thinking about exactly the kind of help you provide.
The Algorithm Has Had a Makeover 💄
LinkedIn now uses an AI ranking system that matches your content to the right people based on relevance — not just who follows you. And that’s great if you are gradually building your follower base. But here’s the two things matter more than ever as a result.
Your opening line (known as a "hook") — the first sentence or two before the reader has to click "see more" — gets three to five times more attention from the algorithm than anything else you write. Make it specific and interesting and write it as if it's the only line someone might read.
Your business profile — the page that appears when someone clicks on your business name — needs to work like a shop window, not a CV. It should tell your ideal client who you work with, what problem you solve, and what to do next. If it's vague or out of date, you're making the algorithm's job harder and short-changing anyone who lands on your page.
Three Topics. 80% of the Time 3️⃣🕒
Pick three core topics that reflect your expertise and your client's interests and aim to post within those areas most of the time. An accountant might focus on tax, cash flow, and business growth. A marketing consultant (hello) might choose digital strategy, content, and AI. Posting outside your lane occasionally is fine — doing it regularly no longer pays off.
Format and Content: What Actually Works ⚙️
📊Infographics and carousels (swipe-able multi-slide posts) are the highest-performing formats on LinkedIn right now. People spend longer on them, save them, and follow the creator. If you've only been posting text updates, it's worth experimenting — tools like Canva make it straightforward.
📖On content type: practical, educational posts consistently outperform personal ones. Tips, guides, and step-by-step frameworks beat morning-walk photos every time. Longer, more detailed posts also perform better — depth signals value, and value gets shared and saved.
Likes Are Nice. Clients Are Better. 🫰
The goal isn't followers — it's revenue. Think of your content in three layers: posts that build awareness of who you are, posts that demonstrate your expertise, and occasional posts about your actual work (case studies, results, testimonials). That last type won't go viral, but it's what turns a follower into an enquiry.
One final thing: don't leave your entire audience on a platform you don't control. LinkedIn can change its rules any time — as we've just seen. A simple e-newsletter runs alongside it beautifully and gives you an audience no algorithm can take away.
Most of your competitors are still posting sporadically and wondering why nothing's happening. A clear profile, a focused topic, and content your clients actually find useful will put you well ahead.
👉Download the LinkedIn Strategy Infographic — a one-page reference summary of the seven moves that are working right now. (What would a blog about infographics be if it didn’t have a downloadable infographic?!)
👉 Chis Donnelly inspired this blog. He has over 1.2 million followers on LinkedIn and has great practical advice for small and medium sized businesses looking to grow their business.
