For the last decade, social media platforms have followed a familiar pattern.
A new network emerges, attracts a small group of early users, and rewards them with wide visibility and rapid growth.
For a short period, effort and consistency are enough to produce outsized results.
Then, as more people arrive, competition increases, reach declines, and the system stabilises. What once felt like an open field becomes a crowded market.
Between 2020 and 2023, LinkedIn was in that early, generous phase. Users who posted regularly and engaged with others could build large audiences with relative ease.
The returns were high compared with the time invested. For most creators, the platform felt like a reliable engine for growth, but that phase has ended.
Across LinkedIn and other major platforms, organic reach has fallen sharply in recent years. Content that once spread widely now stops within small circles. This change is not accidental. It reflects both economic pressure and structural change.
One reason is financial. Social media companies increasingly depend on paid promotion. Free distribution doesn’t serve their business models.
Visibility is their product. Those who want broad reach are expected to pay for it.
Another reason is technological. AI has made content production faster and easier than ever before. Anyone can now generate posts, summaries, and opinions in minutes.
As a result, the number of people competing for attention has grown dramatically.
Feeds are filled with repeated ideas, recycled language, and shallow analysis. Quality varies widely and good content is becoming harder to come across.
Faced with this overload, platforms respond by limiting distribution.
In its high-growth years, LinkedIn resembled an early investment opportunity. Competition was low, returns were high.
Many users benefited simply by showing up consistently.
One of the biggest creators on LinkedIn told me that she used to spend 10 hours per day on the platform. If you spend that same time and effort now, you won’t get the same returns because no one can outwork the algorithm.
Today, LinkedIn resembles a mature market. It remains valuable, but dramatic gains are rare. Progress is slower and more uncertain.
Most creators struggle to accept this shift. They continue to expect rapid growth in an environment that no longer supports it. They apply past standards to present conditions. When results do not follow, frustration grows.
The decline in reach doesn’t mean social media is useless. It means the rules have changed and your strategy should change too.
Stop treating posting as a growth hack. Publishing more often will not fix the problem. Volume no longer creates momentum, clear thinking does. Focus on fewer ideas and develop them properly. Build intellectual property, not just social posts.
Build assets outside the feed. Email lists, direct relationships, and owned platforms matter more than ever. Relying on social media alone is risky.
Accept that paid growth is now part of the system.
Organic reach alone is no longer enough. For serious operators, promotion is infrastructure. Used well, it amplifies strong ideas. Used poorly, it wastes money.
Treat distribution as an investment, not a gamble.
Test, measure, and scale deliberately.
Until next time, keep creating!
Omara
