The Marketing Millennials
Episode 381: "2026 LinkedIn Content Playbook"
Host: Daniel Murray
Guest: Mark Jung, Founder of Known
Air Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

In this high-energy, deep-dive conversation, Daniel Murray and Mark Jung dissect the latest changes to the LinkedIn algorithm and reveal actionable strategies for winning on the platform in 2026. Bringing a blend of technical knowledge, real-world tactics, and their trademark no-BS tone, Daniel and Mark unpack what marketers and creators need to know to maximize reach, engagement, and impact on LinkedIn this year. They share the “Juicy” framework, demystify LinkedIn’s AI-powered feed, and provide specific, hands-on tips you can implement right away.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The New LinkedIn Algorithm: 2026 State of Play

• Major Shift: As of October 2025, LinkedIn transitioned from embedding-based retrieval to a proprietary large language model (LLM), which is designed to understand "entity relationships" (who you are, who you’re connected to, and the intent behind your activity).
  • Mark Jung: “Your bio on LinkedIn matters way more than it used to. Your relationship to other entities, what LinkedIn calls here 'cohort seating,' who specifically you're engaging with.” [05:24]
• Positive Signal-Only Engagement: LinkedIn no longer penalizes you for ignoring content (negative signals removed). Now, only your active engagement determines what you see and who sees you.
  • “LinkedIn now is a positive signal only platform, meaning only what you engage with is part of what this LLM is now painting a picture of...” [07:01]
• The Critical First 30 Minutes: Engagement window is compressed; the first 30 minutes after publishing is key, with the first 60 tokens (roughly first sentence/line) being heavily weighted by the algorithm.

2. Bio & Profile Optimization

• Explicit Targeting: Bios must communicate exactly who you are, who you help, and how you add value. The new LLM builds a "semantic profile" from this info for content distribution.
  • “Now you actually need to craft your bio with your past credibility, your metrics, your exact title, your company, your industry, who you're trying to reach, because you need the LLM…” [29:41]
• ICP (Ideal Customer Profile): Be hyper-specific about your audience in your bio and your posts to help the algorithm correctly categorize you.

3. Engagement Strategies

• Intentional Engagement Only: Only interact with (comment/share/like) content that aligns with your audience to avoid confusing the algorithm. Avoid random engagement pods or sending posts to non-relevant colleagues.
  • Daniel Murray: “What you're doing basically telling the algorithm when you do that is I have all these random people in my ICP and show my content to like I. They don't know who to show your content to.” [09:44]

4. Content Creation: Hooks, Links, and Resource Posts

• Front-Loaded Value: Lead with expertise and clarity in the "first 60 tokens" of your post. Authority and specificity beat clickbait hooks.
  • Mark Jung: “Depth-driven hooks with very specific metrics, the exact situation and calling out the exact cohort of audience you want to reach in your text hook and rehook will actually start performing way better…” [32:55]
• Link Tactics – The 14% Rule:
  • Wait 15 minutes after posting, then edit up to 14% of the total character count to add your link (either above the fold or at the end). It must stand out with clear formatting (white space, emoji, etc.).
  • Posting a curated resource post with multiple links (4–5) is favored if it drives saves and shares.
  • “Do not put your link in the comments… wait 15 minutes till your post has some organic engagement, go back and edit your post up to 14% of the total character count and put that link…” [13:54]

5. Commenting & Shareability: The Juicy Framework

• “Juicy - C is for Commenting”:

  • Comments are more rewarded than ever, especially for company pages. The new “save” and “share” metrics are key signals, inspired by similar shifts on Instagram.
  • “If you have a company page and you want to win on company pages, it's so much easier to win on commenting.” [17:36]
  • CTAs like "save this post for later" or "share with a teammate" boost these signals.

• Resource Posts:

  • Highly shareable posts, like curated lists or actionable guides, outperform standard posts due to their natural share/save rates.

6. Content Cadence and Reach

• No More Post Cannibalization: Posting multiple times a day no longer hurts reach—“content velocity” is now a success factor.
  • “We have net new pages that Daniel and I are grow now that are posting 21 times a week, three times per day, seven days a week, and they're still averaging 7 to 8 million impressions per month…” [21:42]
• Follower Count Less Important: The LLM benchmarks you within an “engagement cohort”—having 50 followers with high engagement can outperform a large but disengaged audience.

7. Cross-Platform Inspiration

• Repurpose & Localize: Steal (and adapt) post formats that work on other platforms (Reddit, X, Instagram, TikTok) for your own niche/industry on LinkedIn.
  • Daniel Murray: “Look at what's working in adjacent or other industries and figure out how you can make content like that for your industry.” [34:06]

Actionable Takeaways

LinkedIn 2026 Playbook (Juicy Summary)

• Revise your bio: Make it explicit about your role, industry, audience, and value prop. Use crisp, relevant keywords so the LLM knows who you are and who should see your content. [29:41]
• Intentional engagement: Only interact with your desired cohort—avoid pods and random boosts. [09:44]
• Front-load your posts: Use the “first 60 tokens” to clarify value, authority, and audience. [32:03]
• Maximize linking:
  • Don’t put links in comments.
  • Add a link 15 minutes after posting (up to 14% of characters).
  • Curated, resource-heavy posts thrive. [13:54]
• Commenting rules: Comment thoughtfully, especially from company pages.
• Optimize for saves and shares: Use clear CTAs to encourage these, as the algorithm values them highly. [17:36]
• Content pace: Multiple posts per day are good if you maintain quality and relevance. [21:42]
• Steal smart: Borrow formats from other high-performers—even from other platforms/niches. [34:06]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “LinkedIn is now a positive signal only platform…what you engage with needs to be hyper intentional to match what you’re saying your content is for.”
  — Mark Jung [07:01]

• “If you have a company page and you want to win on company pages, it's so much easier to win on commenting.”
  — Daniel Murray [17:36]

• “Edutainment: We pair entertainment with education; if we're doing a meme you can bet there's depth and POV behind it.”
  — Mark Jung [35:24]

• “The hook of your content in the past used to be…could be like ‘Oh I failed this time in my career and here's what it taught me.’ … LinkedIn are looking for signals of authority and credibility now.”
  — Mark Jung [32:55]

• “This episode could go for eight hours; there’s just so much to cover.”
  — Mark Jung [38:01]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 03:53 Intro, Daniel and Mark’s background, overview of episode goals
• 04:10 – 07:29 Mark breaks down the new algorithm: LLM, positive signals, entity relationships
• 09:44 – 11:59 Daniel simplifies what not to do (e.g., avoid random pods, send-to-all tactics)
• 13:54 – 17:36 Mark on link strategies, the 14% rule, and how to build successful resource posts
• 17:36 – 20:52 The Juicy framework, focus on commenting and share/save CTAs
• 21:42 – 29:41 Content cadence, the “death” of post cannibalization, history of LinkedIn algorithm updates
• 29:41 – 31:50 Why your bio must be hyper-specific in the LLM era
• 32:03 – 34:06 Practical content tips: front-loaded value, cross-industry inspiration
• 35:24 – 38:01 Power recap & final advice for winning in 2026
• 38:01 – 39:08 Closing thoughts, invite for part two

Final Thoughts

LinkedIn’s 2026 algorithm shift puts new emphasis on creator clarity, intentional content, and meaningful engagement. Mark and Daniel’s playbook prioritizes specificity, authority, and activity, allowing savvy marketers to dramatically expand their reach—no matter their starting audience. For those ready to level up, following their “Juicy” framework and these hands-on tips is a can’t-miss opportunity.

For more details or to request a deeper-dive episode, DM Daniel or Mark on LinkedIn.