LinkedIn Algorithm Shift Empowers Small Accounts, According to Dan Sherrard-Smith

In a recent LinkedIn post, Dan Sherrard-Smith discusses a significant shift in the LinkedIn algorithm, highlighting how it now favors content quality over follower count, a change that presents a unique opportunity for founders and emerging businesses.

Sherrard-Smith shares the success story of a founder in one of his coaching groups who, despite having fewer than 500 followers and posting inconsistently for six months with little engagement, experienced a breakthrough. One of her posts unexpectedly reached an audience of 55,000 people. This dramatic shift, as Sherrard-Smith details, underscores the evolving nature of content visibility on the platform.

“On day one, that post had 23 impressions. It looked like going the way of many of her other posts. The old LinkedIn, you’d have called it a flop by lunchtime and moved on.”

The Diminishing Importance of Follower Count

A core argument presented by Sherrard-Smith is that the traditional emphasis on follower numbers is becoming obsolete. He points out that the new algorithm allows a well-crafted post from an account with a modest following to achieve reach comparable to that of accounts with tens of thousands of followers. This democratizes content distribution, offering a more equitable playing field.

As Dan Sherrard-Smith notes, the implications for founders are substantial:

“Follower count barely matters now. A good post from a small account can get the same reach as one from a much bigger account.”

This shift means that creators can now effectively reach thousands of their ideal clients with compelling content, bypassing the need for costly advertising campaigns or years spent laboriously building a large audience, which was often the case in the past.

Understanding Post Momentum

Another critical aspect Sherrard-Smith addresses is the change in how post performance is evaluated over time. He emphasizes that judging a post’s success within the first 24 hours is no longer a reliable metric. Instead, the algorithm now supports content that builds momentum gradually, sometimes over weeks.

Sherrard-Smith illustrates this with the example of the founder’s viral post: “That same post, two days later it hit 20,000. The day after that, 40,000.” This illustrates how initial low engagement doesn’t necessarily indicate a post’s ultimate failure.

The Power of Persistence and Process

According to Dan Sherrard-Smith, the founder’s success wasn’t due to uncovering a hidden algorithm exploit. Instead, it stemmed from adhering to a consistent process and demonstrating persistence. He encourages users to reconsider their approach to content creation and evaluation.

“She didn’t crack a secret code. She simply followed the process and kept showing up,” Sherrard-Smith states.

He poses a reflective question to his audience: “What would you post this week if you stopped grading it on day one?” This prompts a re-evaluation of how creators perceive and react to the initial performance of their content, encouraging a longer-term perspective that aligns with the algorithm’s current dynamics.

In Dan Sherrard-Smith’s view, these algorithm changes are a positive development, particularly for founders and businesses looking to gain traction and connect with their target audience without relying on traditional growth hacking or extensive ad spends. The focus is now squarely on the quality and resonance of the content itself.