Podcast Summary: LinkedIn Updates — Newsfeed Confusion, Collaborative Articles, New Ads, and More

Podcast: Social Media Marketing Talk Show
Host: Jerry Potter (for Michael Stelzner), Social Media Examiner
Guest: Judy Fox, LinkedIn Strategist
Date: August 18, 2025

Overview

This episode delves into the latest updates and shifts on LinkedIn that impact social media marketers, including enhanced celebration posts, clarification of algorithmic changes to the newsfeed, the new “thought leader event ad,” and the retirement of collaborative articles. Jerry Potter and guest Judy Fox provide actionable insights on how marketers can take advantage of these changes to grow their reach and authority on LinkedIn, while also touching upon the platform’s recent growth and the broader use of AI within LinkedIn’s features.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Celebration Posts: LinkedIn Gets (A Bit More) Personal

[02:44–06:10]

• What’s New: Celebration posts now feature updated, dynamic graphics (including GIF-like images), and allow users to upload personal photos for career milestones such as new jobs, certifications, or launching projects.
• Judy’s Insight:
  • The graphics are finally “no longer 1980s graphics” and are much more visually engaging.
  • Users can now “feature your YouTube channel graphics with that announcement,” enhancing self-promotion.
  • Judy advises everyone to **“leverage these types of features once or twice a year on average. Don’t sleep on them... we want to celebrate your wins and especially how you position a milestone.” (04:47)
• Business vs. Personal:
  • The content is still meant to be professional (“We do associate LinkedIn with that energy... definitely more job related.” – Judy, 04:12), not for sharing everyday personal details.

2. The Newsfeed: Clarifying the Algorithm

[06:10–10:48]

• LinkedIn’s Move: Executives released videos clarifying the platform’s intentions, especially as AI personalizes the newsfeed experience.
• The Four Core Newsfeed Goals (as summarized by Judy):
  1. Stay Connected: Prioritize connections you know—colleagues, conference contacts, current collaborators.

     “If you’re clicking on people’s profiles, if you’re actually sending direct messages, that creates a stronger... ‘we bet you know each other’ signal.” (Judy, 08:36)

  2. Help You Learn: Deliver industry-relevant insights and content (“They want to be a place... you can get more insight.” – Judy, 09:05).
  3. Join Conversations: Spotlight timely, newsworthy discussions to increase engagement in your field.
  4. Build Your Brand: Prioritize your own content and visibility, especially through interactions with others in your industry.

     “I think building your own brand is to position yourself with other people in your industry.” (Judy, 10:11)

• Marketing Implication:
  • Connections/followers still matter greatly.
  • Marketers can actively shape visibility through direct engagement and strategic content.

3. Thought Leader Event Ads: Amplifying Event Reach

[10:48–12:49]

• What’s New: LinkedIn now allows event posts by individual thought leaders to be sponsored as ads—helping promote both virtual and in-person events.
• Benefits:
  • Marketers can “borrow the trust” of known individuals, enhancing event credibility.
  • Drives more event attendance and awareness.

    “It is definitely aimed to capitalize on the B2B marketers’ demand for trust and authenticity in their campaigns.” (Judy, 11:34)

  • Available globally via LinkedIn’s campaign manager, with member approval required before promotion.
• Quote:

  "We’re going to trust a human coming to an event. Like hopefully people listening right now, they trust Judy Fox and Jerry Potter..." (Judy, 12:12)

4. Collaborative Articles: Feature Retirement

[12:49–15:39]

• Change: LinkedIn is retiring the collaborative articles feature (previously used to earn “Industry Top Voice” gold badges). Mid-August 2025 marks the end of the ability to create or contribute.
• What Remains: Existing collaborative articles stay searchable and accessible—users can link to them in posts.
• Action Step:
  • Repurpose your contributions into new standalone posts or content.
  • Judy’s advice:

    “Turn those pieces that you said on that collaborative article into your own post. Create your own content from the words you shared inside those collaborative articles.” (Judy, 13:32)

  • The feature was designed to help users showcase their expertise by answering targeted questions—reuse that to build your personal brand.

5. LinkedIn Growth and Algorithmic Enhancements

[15:39–17:34]

• Stats from LinkedIn’s Q4 Earnings Call:
  • 1.2 billion members.
  • 4 years of double-digit member growth.
  • Comments on posts up 30%; video uploads up 20%.
  • AI features improving hiring, job seeking, and platform experiences.
  • Quote:

    “If you are going to invest your marketing budget, your team, your energy into a platform, you do want it to be growing with members.” (Judy, 16:12)

• Implication:
  • Increased comments are a positive sign for organic engagement; more video uploads mean more competition for attention.
  • AI will play a bigger role in recruiting and content recommendations.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the evolution of celebration posts:

  “That maybe running joke was their graphics created in the 1980s... no longer 1980s graphics.”
  — Judy Fox, 02:57

• On leveraging new features:

  “Leverage these types of features once or twice a year on average. Don’t sleep on them...”
  — Judy Fox, 05:29

• On building brand visibility:

  “Building your own brand is to position yourself with other people in your industry.”
  — Judy Fox, 10:11

• On the end of collaborative articles:

  “Go out and get those words... turn it into a post.”
  — Judy Fox, 14:06

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Celebration Posts: 02:44 – 06:10
• Newsfeed Algorithm Explained: 06:10 – 10:48
• Thought Leader Event Ads: 10:48 – 12:49
• Collaborative Articles Retirement: 12:49 – 15:39
• LinkedIn Growth & Platform Stats: 15:39 – 17:34

Actionable Takeaways for Marketers

• Embrace New Celebration Posts: Use the visually enhanced celebration posts strategically for milestone announcements to maximize reach.
• Network with Intention: Direct engagement (beyond just comments/likes) signals strong connections to LinkedIn’s algorithm.
• Leverage Sponsored Event Ads: If you or your company host events, consider using the new ad format to drive attendance by featuring trusted thought leaders.
• Repurpose Collaborative Article Content: Make evergreen content out of your contributions to now-retired collaborative articles.
• Follow Platform Trends: Increased commenting signals stronger engagement opportunities; be aware that video now has more competition.

Want deeper insight? Connect with Judy Fox on LinkedIn (@judifox) for her guide on optimizing your newsfeed experience.