LinkedIn creator strategy 2026: what changed and what to do

LinkedIn is turning into the place where attention is still for sale... but only if you look like a real person with a real point of view. Not a content vending machine.

And if your whole strategy is "post more," I've got bad news. The platform's moving in the opposite direction: more trust signals, more video discovery, more subscription-style distribution. Less spammy growth hacking.

If you've been treating LinkedIn like a free billboard, congrats: you're now competing with an algorithm that's actively suspicious of billboards.

What happened

First: the "Creator Mode" era is basically over. LinkedIn removed the creator mode on/off toggle back in March 2024 and stripped profile hashtags/topics earlier (February 2024). Creator tools didn't vanish - they got baked into the default experience. Also, your profile can default to "Follow" instead of "Connect," and you can choose which one is primary. ([linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a5999182?utm_source=openai))

Second: LinkedIn keeps getting bigger. It crossed 1 billion members in November 2023. ([cnbc.com](https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/01/linkedins-new-ai-chatbot-wants-to-help-you-get-a-job-.html?utm_source=openai))

Third: trust is becoming a product feature. By December 2025, LinkedIn said it passed 100 million verified members - and it's pushing hard for "verified everything" (people, jobs, pages). LinkedIn claims verification can mean up to 60% more profile views and up to 50% more engagement on posts. ([news.linkedin.com](https://news.linkedin.com/2025/verified--linkedin-crosses-100m-member-milestone?utm_source=openai))

Fourth: video is getting the red-carpet treatment. LinkedIn rolled out a full-screen vertical video experience (rolling availability), and publicly talked about video growth - including a 36% year-over-year jump in video uploads and big growth in creation. It's also building the UI to make following creators easier right inside the video experience. ([linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a6290168?utm_source=openai))

Fifth: monetization is creeping in through "brand adjacency," not creator payouts. LinkedIn expanded its Wire program into "BrandLink," letting advertisers place video ads next to premium publisher content - and now, some creator content too. ([socialmediatoday.com](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-enables-advertisers-influencer-content-brandlink-wire/746928/?utm_source=openai))

Sixth: newsletters are quietly maturing. LinkedIn said there are 184,000+ newsletters and engagement rose 47%, plus it opened sponsorship options so brands can promote (sponsor) newsletter issues - including user-created ones (with approval). Newsletter analytics also gained email sends and email open rates. ([socialmediatoday.com](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-will-now-enable-brands-to-sponsor-user-generated-newsletters/723662/?utm_source=openai))

One more twist: the "link in bio" vibe is less generous than it used to be. LinkedIn removed the option to add a custom URL link that had been available via creator mode-style profile features (with some CTA button functionality remaining tied to Premium Business/Sales Navigator/Recruiter). ([socialmediatoday.com](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-removes-custom-cta-button-for-profiles/749089/?utm_source=openai))

Translation: LinkedIn will help you get followers. It's less excited about sending those followers somewhere else for free.

Why creators should care

Attention: LinkedIn is still one of the few major platforms where business attention isn't purely entertainment-driven. But the "feed lottery" is getting more selective. If trust and relevance are the new filters, sloppy profiles, vague positioning, and recycled AI mush are going to underperform.

Distribution: The platform is leaning into formats that keep people inside LinkedIn: full-screen vertical video, newsletters, and stronger in-app discovery. That's great if you play the game. It's rough if your strategy depends on external clicks.

Monetization: LinkedIn's monetization path is not "here's a creator fund." It's more like: get visible, look credible, then monetize through brand sponsorships (BrandLink, sponsored newsletters), services, consulting, products, recruiting, speaking. Basically: professional money, not viral money. ([socialmediatoday.com](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-enables-advertisers-influencer-content-brandlink-wire/746928/?utm_source=openai))

Workflow: You can't just "post." You need a system: profile that matches your content, a repeatable format mix (text + document/carousel-style + video), and a way to convert attention without relying on one magic link.

Also worth knowing: LinkedIn's own research folks published a technical report on a foundation model ("360Brew") for ranking and recommendations - a 150B parameter decoder-only model trained and fine-tuned on LinkedIn data, designed to handle 30+ predictive tasks across the platform. It's presented as pre-production research, but it's a loud signal of where the feed logic is heading: more machine interpretation of who you are, what you post about, and who should see it. ([arxiv.org](https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.16450?utm_source=openai))

Your niche isn't just a branding exercise anymore. It's how the machine knows where to file you.

What to do next

Make your profile "Follow-ready." Decide: do you want followers (audience) or connections (network)? Set your primary button accordingly, then rewrite your headline and About so a stranger understands you in 5 seconds. Creator mode toggle is gone - the outcome isn't. ([linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a5999182?utm_source=openai))
Get verified if you can. Not because badges are cool (they're not), but because LinkedIn is openly rewarding verified accounts with more views and engagement. If you want leverage, take the obvious leverage. ([news.linkedin.com](https://news.linkedin.com/2025/verified--linkedin-crosses-100m-member-milestone?utm_source=openai))
Pick one "home format" and one "growth format." Home format = the thing you can publish forever (often text posts or a newsletter). Growth format = what LinkedIn is actively pushing (right now: vertical video discovery is getting product love). Do both, calmly. ([linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a6290168?utm_source=openai))
Build a conversion path that doesn't depend on a single profile link. LinkedIn has been tightening what it lets you link and how. So use pinned/featured content, recurring newsletter CTAs, and "DM me the word X" style funnels that don't break when a button disappears. ([socialmediatoday.com](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/linkedin-removes-custom-cta-button-for-profiles/749089/?utm_source=openai))