Many people use LinkedIn to share career updates, promote achievements, and build professional connections.
But according to new research from The University of Texas at Arlington, the posts that attract the most engagement are not necessarily the ones focused on personal success.
Instead, posts that celebrate or support other people appear to perform best.
The study was conducted by marketing researcher Daniel Usera, who analyzed nearly 1,000 LinkedIn posts to better understand what kinds of content people share and which posts generate the strongest reactions from audiences.
The findings showed that business-related posts remain the most common type of content on LinkedIn.
However, interpersonal posts—such as congratulating coworkers, thanking mentors, or recognizing team achievements—received more likes, comments, and interaction overall.
Usera said he became interested in studying LinkedIn because of both professional and personal reasons.
As a communication scholar and educator, he teaches students how to use the platform effectively. He also relies on LinkedIn himself to maintain professional contacts, connect with guest speakers, and find clients.
One goal of the research was to help students and professionals understand what kinds of posts work well. Many people, especially students and job seekers, often struggle with deciding what to post on LinkedIn.
The study also explored a common criticism of the platform: that LinkedIn is filled with overly self-promotional or “cringey” content.
While Usera acknowledged that such posts exist, he found that LinkedIn actually contains a wide variety of topics, many of which are focused on relationships, gratitude, or shared experiences rather than self-promotion alone.
According to the research, there may be both emotional and technical reasons why interpersonal posts perform better.
On an emotional level, posts that celebrate other people often feel more uplifting and genuine. In a professional environment where many users are promoting themselves or their companies, seeing someone publicly appreciate a colleague or mentor may encourage others to react positively.
There is also a practical explanation. When users tag someone in a post, LinkedIn notifies that person, making them more likely to see, like, or comment on the content. This increases the post’s visibility and can help it spread to a wider audience.
The study suggests that the best type of LinkedIn content depends on a person’s goals. Job seekers may benefit from sharing career updates or demonstrating expertise in their field. Established professionals may find success by discussing industry trends, sharing company news, or highlighting the accomplishments of others.
Usera also encourages people to be authentic rather than trying too hard to appear impressive. He argues that posts often feel awkward when users attempt to hide self-promotion behind exaggerated stories or humble-bragging. Instead, he recommends being direct and honest when sharing achievements.
The research also suggests that LinkedIn is evolving into something that is both professional and social. While the platform is still focused on careers and networking, personal relationships and human connection are becoming increasingly important parts of how people interact online.
Usera says future research may explore why people post on LinkedIn and what causes certain posts to be viewed as “cringey” while others feel genuine and engaging.
