LinkedIn changed a lot in 2025. Not surface-level tweaks. Fundamental shifts. The kind that quietly breaks old strategies while everyone’s still trying to post their way out of trouble.
I’ve felt it too. The algorithm changes were bumpy. Uncomfortable at times, and now, with 360Brew powering LinkedIn behind the scenes, we’re dealing with a very different platform.
No, I’m not saying throw out your entire 2025 LinkedIn playbook, but I am saying it’s time to stop, reset, and rebuild it for 2026.
This article is inspired by the recent episode of the Social Media for B2B Growth Podcast hosted by Michelle J Raymond, which discusses this topic in more detail.
What Has Changed and Why It Matters
Let’s start with the obvious. LinkedIn is no longer the platform where you could do most things for free and get away with it.
We’ve seen a clear shift to pay to play:
- More features hidden behind paywalls
- A growing gap between free and premium accounts
- Boosting posts are now available to individuals, not just Company Pages
On top of that, the audience has changed.
Approximately 70 per cent of LinkedIn users are now Gen Z and Millennials, with Gen Z heavily influencing the platform’s direction. LinkedIn will continue to roll out features designed to keep that audience engaged.
Add in a more crowded feed, more automation, more AI, and far less tolerance for noise.
Change is the only certainty.
360Brew and Why Signals Matter More Than Ever
360Brew is the large language model powering LinkedIn’s algorithm.
In simple terms, it’s constantly looking for signals about:
- Who you are
- What you do
- Who you help
- What makes you different
Those signals come from your profile, your Company Page, your consistency, and how you show up for your community.
This isn’t new. We should have always been doing this.
But if your profile is outdated, your Company Page is neglected, or your messaging is unclear, you’re sending mixed signals. And mixed signals lead to weak results.
Shiny Tools Won't Save a Weak LinkedIn Strategy
I am exhausted by shiny tools that promise the world.
AI this. Automation that. Post more. Post faster. Post everywhere.
Here’s the truth – No tool will ever fix a weak LinkedIn strategy.
If you haven’t done the work on:
- Positioning
- Messaging
- Branding
- Clarity on who you’re showing up for
All you’re doing is creating noise at scale, and noise doesn’t build trust. It doesn’t build memorability. And it definitely doesn’t build pipelines.
Over the Christmas break, I had to take my own medicine.
I realised my website, podcast, LinkedIn content, and Company Page weren’t sending consistent signals. I had evolved, but I hadn’t gone back and updated the foundations.
That drift mattered.
Because the symptom showed up clearly:
- The wrong enquiries
- Not enough of the right ones
- Growth stalling
Once I fixed the fundamentals, everything became clearer.
Fundamentals Win in 2026
2026 is the year fundamentals win.
Ask yourself honestly:
- Are you talking about your business more than your audience?
- Are you serving, or broadcasting?
- Are you clear, or just busy?
When business gets tough, many brands panic and go broader.
That’s the mistake.
The brands that stand out on LinkedIn go narrow. Clarity makes you memorable. Clarity gets you recommended. Clarity helps the algorithm perform its job.
Confusion does the opposite.
The Power of Two Still Wins
Your LinkedIn strategy in 2026 must bring two things together:
- Your Company Page
- Your people
That’s the Power of Two.
Your Company Page isn’t there to chase feed reach. It’s the backbone of your LinkedIn presence. A silent achiever working day after day, year after year, regardless of staff turnover.
When it’s clear, consistent and active, 360Brew loves it.
But just as importantly, it guides your people.
Rethinking the Company Page Role
Your Company Page should not:
- Talk at your audience
- Act like a billboard
- Broadcast company news endlessly
If all you do is talk about yourself, don’t be surprised when no one responds.
Instead, your Company Page should:
- Act as a cheerleader for your industry
- Support employees and clients
- Engage, comment and repost strategically
- Be an engaging landing page for your brand
This is not a volume game. It’s a relevance game.
Employees Need Direction, Not Control
If you skip the strategy, your employees will be lost. They’ll either post content that doesn’t help anyone, or they won’t post at all.
What I am not suggesting:
- Script every post
- Control personal accounts
- Force participation
That’s a fast track to disengagement.
What does work:
- Clear strategy
- Training and guidance
- Shared understanding of goals
- Respect for individual voices
LinkedIn isn’t easy. Even for those of us who live and breathe it.
The 2026 Reset Starts Now
This is your reset moment. Pause. Get clear. Then move forward.
Ask:
- Who are we showing up for?
- What problem do we solve?
- Why should anyone care?
Go narrow. Get consistent. Build systems that support Company Pages and employees.
No more silos. No more mixed signals. No more shiny distractions.
Final Thoughts
LinkedIn didn’t get harder because of the algorithm.
It got harder because clarity now matters more than ever.
If you reset your strategy, align your messaging, and bring your Company Page and people together, 2026 becomes a very different year.
That’s exactly where I’m heading.
Cheers
Michelle J Raymond
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Michelle J Raymond is the Founder of B2B Growth Co and has made her mark as the world’s leading authority on LinkedIn Company Pages, offering comprehensive strategies and training to brands eager to harness LinkedIn for business growth through thought leadership, content marketing or social selling techniques.
With 20+ years’ experience in B2B sales, and almost a decade of social selling on LinkedIn, Michelle stands out for her significant LinkedIn contributions as the co-author of two globally acclaimed books: “Business Gold,” the first book exclusively dedicated to LinkedIn Company Pages, and “The LinkedIn Branding Book,” and her insightful podcast Social Media for B2B Growth. Follow her YouTube channel @MichelleJRaymond for helpful how to’s.
