LinkedIn's Feed: From Professional Network to Content Stream

If you have recently opened LinkedIn and wondered why you are seeing more ads and content from people you do not know, the platform has changed.

What changed

LinkedIn is no longer primarily a network-driven feed. It now blends your connections with algorithmically selected content based on predicted interests and engagement. In practice, this results in more posts from outside your network, a stronger emphasis on topics you interact with, and reduced visibility of content from people you actually know. This is the same direction taken by platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

Why

The model is straightforward. Increased engagement leads to more time spent on the platform, and more time creates additional advertising inventory. LinkedIn is part of Microsoft, in which revenue growth is increasingly tied to advertising and paid services. The feed design follows this incentive.

The effect

This approach is effective for general content. However, this is not the case for specialist fields.

Disciplines such as structural engineering, architecture, and integrated design rely on context, experience, and professional trust. This type of content does not naturally optimise for algorithmic engagement. As a result, technical posts reach smaller portions of their intended audience, visibility is influenced more by format than by expertise, and familiar professional voices are diluted by generic high-engagement content.

The pattern

This is not a new development. Facebook and Instagram have followed the same progression, moving from network-first models to engagement-driven feeds. LinkedIn is now operating along a similar path.

What you can do

You can improve the signal at the margins by prioritising key connections, engaging deliberately with relevant content, visiting profiles directly rather than relying on the feed, and using the "not relevant" button aggressively. These measures help, but they do not address the underlying issue.

This shift is structural. The platform is no longer optimised for your professional network. It is optimised for engagement.