The LinkedIn Reality Nobody Wants to Admit
LinkedIn organic reach dropped 50% last year.
Your posts are reaching half the people they did in 2024. Engagement is down 25%. And follower growth? Don’t ask.
The algorithm changed. Everyone knows that.
But here’s what most people missed: the algorithm didn’t just change what it rewards. It changed where it rewards.
The 93% Opportunity Gap
Only 7.1% of LinkedIn’s 1 billion users post regularly.
That means 93% of users never create content. They’re lurkers. Scrollers. Consumers.
But they comment.
Comments over 15 words now carry roughly double the weight of likes or reactions. The algorithm runs posts through four stages, and comments influence every single one.
The comment section is significantly less competitive than the feed. But everyone is still obsessing over their post cadence.
What I Changed (And Why It Works)
I stopped treating comments as an afterthought.
15 minutes of strategic commenting on high-visibility posts in my target niche now generates 3x more inbound than an hour of writing posts.
The math is brutal but simple:
Post reach: ~50% of what it was
Comment visibility: Up significantly (algorithm weighting)
Time to write a thoughtful comment: 2-3 minutes
Time to write a decent post: 45-60 minutes
Competition in comments: Minimal (most people write “Great post!” or “Thanks for sharing”)
Richard van der Blom’s 2025 Algorithm InSights report calls this “Comment OS” — and it’s becoming the primary distribution strategy for capital-efficient B2B brands.
The Comment-First Playbook
Here’s what actually works:
Find the right posts
Target posts with 50K+ views in your specific niche. Not viral noise. Strategic visibility.
Use LinkedIn’s search to find posts from high-follower accounts in your sector. Filter by “Posts” and look for engagement velocity (comments stacking up fast).
Write 15+ word minimum comments
The algorithm weights these significantly higher. But more importantly, they demonstrate actual thought.
Bad: “Great insights! Thanks for sharing.”
Good: “The 50% reach drop explains why our Q4 LinkedIn traffic fell off a cliff. We’ve shifted 50% of our content time to comment strategy and seen inbound rise 3x. Counterintuitive but working.”
Add value, not agreement
Most comments are empty validation. Add perspective, data, or a relevant experience.
The goal isn’t to be nice. It’s to be useful enough that readers click your profile.
Time it for the “golden window”
LinkedIn’s algorithm tests posts in a 60-90 minute window after publishing. Comments during this window have outsized impact.
I check my feed at 8am, 12pm, and 4pm. 5 minutes each. That’s it.
Mobile-first execution
72% of LinkedIn engagement happens on mobile. Write comments that read well on a phone screen. Short sentences. White space.
The Psychology Behind It
Two audiences on LinkedIn:
The Tribe (peers) — They engage publicly, give you reach, probably won’t buy
The Lurkers (buyers) — They watch silently, then DM you: “I’ve been following you for 6 months...”
Comments reach both.
The tribe sees your expertise in context. The lurkers see you contributing value without demanding attention.
It’s the difference between shouting in a crowded room and having a conversation people want to join.
What This Means for UK SMEs
UK B2B SMEs with limited content resources should pivot immediately.
Stop trying to out-content competitors with bigger budgets. Out-comment them instead.
The £/$ exchange rate and economic uncertainty favour capital-efficient strategies. Comment marketing is about as capital-efficient as it gets.
Plus, UK B2B buyers are particularly trust-sensitive. Aggressive posting feels salesy. Thoughtful commenting builds credibility without the cringe.
Your 7-Day Action Plan
Day 1-2: Audit
List 10 high-follower accounts in your niche
Note their posting patterns and peak engagement times
Bookmark 3-5 posts daily during their golden windows
Day 3-5: Execute
15 minutes morning, 15 minutes afternoon
3-5 substantial comments per session
Minimum 15 words, maximum 100 (mobile-friendly)
One personal insight or relevant data point per comment
Day 6-7: Measure
Profile views (LinkedIn shows you this)
Connection requests
Inbound DMs
Compare to your previous posting-only week
The Uncomfortable Truth
Most LinkedIn advice is stuck in 2023.
Post daily. Video content. Carousel posts. Engagement pods.
All of it harder now. All of it more competitive. All of it producing diminishing returns.
The comment-first strategy isn’t sexy. It won’t get you viral visibility. But it gets you the right visibility from the right people at the right time.
For UK SMEs trying to punch above their weight, that’s worth more than any vanity metric.