Putting links in your LinkedIn posts kills your reach?

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: Putting links in your LinkedIn posts kills your reach?
Podcast: MarTech Podcast ™
Date: May 28, 2026
Host: Benjamin Shapiro
Guest: Adam Rich (CEO, Known for; Founder, Thrillist)

In this concise but insightful episode, host Benjamin Shapiro interviews Adam Rich about LinkedIn’s content algorithms, specifically addressing the hotly debated question: Does including links in your LinkedIn posts really kill your post reach? Adam draws from industry experience and anecdotal evidence, while providing broader context into how executive thought leadership is evolving on LinkedIn and what it means for B2B marketers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shifting Authority on LinkedIn: Brands to Individuals

• Context: Adam Rich introduces his company, Known for, and sets up the episode’s focus on LinkedIn authority.
• Adam notes, “LinkedIn authority in B2B marketing is shifting from brands more to people.” (01:24)
• Implication: Individual executives and thought leaders now have increased influence on LinkedIn compared to brand accounts.

2. The Core Question: Do Links Kill Reach on LinkedIn?

• Direct Question from Host:
  Benjamin Shapiro: “True or false? Putting links in your LinkedIn post kills your reach.” (03:14)
• Adam Rich’s Answer:
  Adam: “True. I feel like every now and then you'll see something where someone at LinkedIn is like, no, no, no, that's not true anymore. But like anecdotally you can see that, you know, that is still kind of what's happening.” (03:18)
• Discussion:
  • Even when LinkedIn suggests links no longer hurt reach, empirical evidence from marketers suggests otherwise.
  • Adam highlights the business motivation: “From a commonsensical standpoint, why would they facilitate people leaving LinkedIn when this is an attention business?” (03:41)
• Practical Example:
  Adam points out that even LinkedIn employees rarely put direct links in posts—implying the downside is common knowledge.
  Adam: “Somebody on LinkedIn can say, no, links don't affect your posts on LinkedIn, but they're definitely not putting a link in that post because no one would see it if they did.” (03:48)

3. Strategic Implications for Marketers

• Key Insight: Marketers should avoid including direct outbound links in LinkedIn posts if they want maximum reach.
• Tactics:
  • Consider placing the link in the comments rather than the post itself.
  • Focus on producing value-heavy, native content to keep engagement high.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On LinkedIn’s Algorithms:
  “Why would they facilitate people leaving LinkedIn when this is an attention business?”
  — Adam Rich (03:41)
• On Industry Practices:
  “Somebody on LinkedIn can say, no, links don't affect your posts on LinkedIn, but they're definitely not putting a link in that post because no one would see it if they did.”
  — Adam Rich (03:48)
• On the Broader Trend:
  “LinkedIn authority in B2B marketing is shifting from brands more to people.”
  — Adam Rich (01:24)

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Timestamp Guide for Key Segments

• 01:15 — Introduction to guest Adam Rich & “Known for”; discussion of editorial systems for executives
• 01:24 — Noting the shift from brand power to individual authority on LinkedIn
• 03:14 — Core question: Do links kill LinkedIn reach? (Host asks, Guest answers)
• 03:41 — Rationale behind LinkedIn’s algorithm design
• 03:48 — Real-world observation about LinkedIn employees’ link practices

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Summary & Takeaways

• Explicit links in LinkedIn posts continue to suppress organic reach, contrary to occasional statements from LinkedIn itself.
• The strategic advantage for B2B marketers on LinkedIn now lies in building executive and personal brands rather than relying on company pages alone.
• Practical tips include avoiding direct outbound links and focusing on native content strategies.
• Adam Rich summarizes industry realities with a pragmatic tone and actionable insights for practitioners.

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Transcript

[A]

The Martech Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice? Then visit iheareverything.com.

[B]

From advertising to software as a service to data across all of our programs and clients, we've seen a 55 to 65% open rate. Getting brands authentically integrated into content performs better than TV advertising. Typical lifespan of an article is about 24 to 36 hours. We're reaching out to the right person with the right message and a clear call to action. Then it's just a matter of timing.

[A]

Welcome to the Martech Podcast, a member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. In this podcast, you'll hear the stories of world class marketers that you use technology to drive business results and achieve career success. Here's the host of the Martech Podcast, Benjamin Shapiro

[B]

I'm Benjamin Shapiro and today I'm joined by Adam Rich, the CEO of Known for, which turns professional expertise into consistent executive content using an expert in the Loop editorial system. Adam was also the founder of Thrillist, which he scaled to 300 million monthly users before its acquisition by Vox Media. And today Adam is going to explain why LinkedIn authority in B2B marketing is shifting from brands more to people. Today's interview is brought to you by Shift Paradigm. Marketing today is buried in complexity. You've got the tech, you've got the tools, but moving the needle feels harder than ever. And the last thing us marketers need is another consultant pitching digital transformation. Enter Shift Paradigm Shift is an integrated team of experts who help enterprise brands turn complexity into traction. Their work is insight led and strategically grounded, designed not to sell you a service or a piece of tech, but to actually solve real business challenges. What makes them different? Well, they're AI enabled but not AI dependent. They're human first, but plugged into the latest tools and models in the moments those models need to go through to prove themselves. They get techy without losing sight of the real person behind every click. And they don't just hand you a deck, they build the blueprints and stay to develop, deploy and run the engine. Growth isn't one size fits all, so stop settling for strategies that collect dust and start working with a team that actually builds for you. Visit ShiftParadigm.com to see how they can help you connect meaningfully with your audience. That's ShiftParadigm.com all right, I'm bouncing around back and forth. We're going to go back to LinkedIn. True or false? Putting links in your LinkedIn post kills your reach. True. I feel like every now and then you'll see something where someone at LinkedIn is like, no, no, no, that's not true anymore. But like anecdotally you can see that, you know, that is still kind of what's happening. And then from a commonsensical standpoint, why would they facilitate people leaving LinkedIn when this is an attention business? Somebody on LinkedIn can say, no, links don't affect your posts on LinkedIn, but they're definitely not putting a link in that post because no one would see it if they did. That's right. That's right. All right, Adam, great to have you on the podcast. Thanks for coming on and being my guest. And that wraps up this episode of the Martech podcast. Thanks for watching. Thanks to Adam Rich, the CEO of Known for, for joining us. If you'd like to get in touch with Adam, you can find a link to his LinkedIn profile in our show notes or on martechpod.com you can always visit his website, which is getknown4.com a special thanks to Shift Paradigm for sponsoring this podcast. Shift is an integrated team of experts who help enterprise brands bridge the gap between strategy, data and customers. Human first, AI enabled and execution led. They build the blueprints, then stay to develop, deploy and run the engine you need. So stop settling for decks that collect dust and start working with a team that actually builds for you. Visit ShiftParadigm.com to see how they can help you connect meaningfully with your audience. And if you haven't subscribed yet and you want a daily stream of marketing and technology knowledge in your podcast feed, hit the subscribe button in your podcast app or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed next week. All right, that's it for today, but until next time, my advice is to just focus on keeping your customers happy.

[A]

Foreign thanks for listening to the Martech podcast and I hear everything. Production Looking to launch or scale a podcast like this one for your brand? Then visit iheareverything.com.