LinkedIn In 2026. New Rules & Old Truths Of How To Get found & Win Clients

In 2026, LinkedIn heads into its 23rd year. I joined LinkedIn back in 2006 and became a LinkedIn trainer in 2013. LinkedIn in that time has changed enormously and whilst it’s no longer seen as a CV focused platform, it does feel like there’s been more shenanigans than usual going on as we head into a new year.

Let’s look at what’s changing and what this means for our LinkedIn activity in 2026.

Two new things really stand out for me in 2025, which will impact us in 2026.

Firstly, LinkedIn has introduced the option to promote posts directly from your personal newsfeed. This is a big shift. Traditionally, paid advertising on LinkedIn sat firmly with company pages. Now individuals can do it too. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, particularly what impact it has on organic reach and the quality of our newsfeeds.

Then we have LinkedIn’s new AI algorithm, 360Brew. It’s such a change to the LinkedIn algorithm that LinkedIn actually named it!

360Brew is learning who you are, what you talk about and how relevant you are to the people around you. It takes signals from your profile, your posts, whether your content aligns with what you say you do, and how you interact on the platform, particularly through comments.

Its aim is to understand you better, so it knows what to show you in your newsfeed and who to show your posts to.

The question is, what are you ‘teaching’ 360Brew to know about you?

Marketing Your businesses on LinkedIn in 2026: Going Back to Old Truths!

LinkedIn has always been more than just a social media platform to me. It is a website, a database and the closest thing to face to face networking you can get online.

What 360Brew is doing is reinforcing that. Which means the fundamentals, aka the old truths, still apply.

✅ Your profile matters – it always has! As your shop front on LinkedIn, it needs to clearly position you and explain what you do and how you help

✅ You need an engaged network. LinkedIn is not about building the biggest network, but the right one. People you can help and who are genuinely interested in what you do

✅ It is about building relationships. LinkedIn is still the only platform that allows you to build relationships with people you do not yet know and turn those relationships into opportunities

2026 is about sticking to the fundamentals:

➡️ Know your why. Why are you on LinkedIn and what do you want it to do for you? Do not just be there because someone said you should

➡️ Know your audience. Who do you want to meet in 2026?

➡️ Know what you want to be found for. Be clear on what you do and how you help OR as other say its about ‘staying in your lane’

➡️ Have a plan. It is not about the time you spend on LinkedIn, but what you do in the time you have

Creating Your LinkedIn Plan for 2026

1.  Get Found. Your LinkedIn profile

Your profile underpins everything you do on LinkedIn. It is your shop front, so now could be a good time to give it a little love.

When working with the 360Brew algorithm, remember to:

• Write for your audience, not for yourself
• Focus on one to three clear areas of expertise and stay in your lane
• Be clear about who you help and how you help them
• Talk about real pain points
• Write like a human. Your profile should sound like you and make sense to your audience while giving clear signals about your niche, tone and style

✅ A quick win. Review your profile photo and headline.

The three most important fields on your profile are your photo, name and headline. They follow you around LinkedIn. People see them when you post, comment, send connection requests or appear in search results.

Check . . .

• Can people clearly see and recognise you in your photo? Is it zoomed in enough?
• Does your headline clearly explain what you do and how you help? Is it obvious what you are an expert in?

2.  Get Known. Get active & build relationships

Interacting on LinkedIn involves posting and commenting. Many focus on posting, which whilst important is not the only thing we should be doing on LinkedIn. What we want is conversations and commenting is where conversations happen and relationships start.

The key is to Comment Intentionally.

Aim for meaningful, thoughtful comments that move the conversation forward. Not two word replies like good post or well done. Think about what you would say if you were having that conversation face to face.

Think about WHAT are you saying on your comments AND WHO are you commenting on.

✅ A quick win. Think about your commenting strategy

Create a short list of people whose posts you want to comment on regularly. Include industry peers where you can your expertise, ideal clients and people you want to be in front of. Remember, who you comment on will show up more in your feed and is more likely to see your content too.

3.      Get Leads. Growing the right network

This is where knowing who you want to meet really matters. LinkedIn is about being connected, but it is not about connecting with everyone. A large network means very little if it is not engaged or relevant.

And I can tell you that finding people on LinkedIn is easy. The challenge is that when you find them, they do not know you and you do not yet know if they need what you offer.

This is where you will spend most of your time on LinkedIn, warming up your network so people understand what you do and feel comfortable starting a conversation with you.

✅ A quick win. Is your network still relevant?

Now could be a good time to review your connections. Are they the right people for where your business is going in 2026?

Many people see improved results after doing a light cull and cleanse. It does take time, and it should be done thoughtfully. But don’t overdo it! It’s not about deleting everyone, just those that no longer make sense.

💡My Final Advice For 2026

LinkedIn still works. The fundamentals still work. Business is still built on relationships and LinkedIn is simply where those relationships begin.

Show up with clarity. Stay in your lane. Be helpful and keep the human touch.

Have a Plan! Consistency and intention are the mantra for the year ahead. If you want to use LinkedIn as a platform on which to drive new opporutnities then you need to see it as part of your day to day sales and marketing ativity

This is why having a plan is key because it is not about the time you spend on LinkedIn, but what you do in the time you have.

Need more support with LinkedIn?

💥 If LinkedIn isn’t working hard for you or you’re not sure where to start with using LinkedIn, email judy@judithparsons.com or connect with me on LinkedIn to chat about how I can help.

Or book a virtual brew here and let’s make LinkedIn work for you . . . ⭐

I run regular LinkedIn LoveIns which are short 30-minute learnings over lunch, often with guest experts to help improve LinkedIn results. If you’d like to be notified of new events why not join my LinkedIn LoveIn group. You can also find the recordings of previous LoveIns as well as tips and updates here.