You’ve been showing up on LinkedIn.
You’re posting thoughtful insights, sharing your story, and doing everything you’re told to do to “build your presence.”

But the results? Underwhelming.
A few likes here and there. A comment if you’re lucky.
And the occasional polite “nice post” that never goes anywhere.

If you’ve ever thought,
“I don’t know which content formats actually get engagement…”
you’re not alone.

Many creators have strong ideas and valuable insights, but their content still falls flat. Not because their message is bad but because their format is holding them back.

In this article, we’ll dig into why most text-heavy posts on LinkedIn fail to capture attention and how using the right formats, carousels, videos, and personal photos, can turn your message into real conversations, visibility, and leads.

Understanding the problem: why your posts aren’t landing

The real problem: attention isn’t guaranteed, it’s earned

Let’s start with a truth most people overlook:
LinkedIn doesn’t reward effort, it rewards attention.

You can have the smartest insights in the world, but if your content doesn’t:

• Stop the scroll
• Make people curious
• Feel visually fresh and easy to skim
  …it’s going to get ignored.

This isn’t just a gut feeling. LinkedIn’s own algorithm updates emphasize dwell time (how long people engage with your content) and interaction signals (likes, comments, shares). Posts that look and feel like everything else in the feed, dense text, no visual breaks, no interactive elements, simply don’t get surfaced as often.

1. Your content blends into the feed

Most text-only posts look identical:

Black text, white background, maybe a line break or two.

If your post doesn’t catch the eye in two seconds, it doesn’t matter how good the ideas are — people scroll on.

2. Your structure isn’t built for skim readers

LinkedIn users skim.

They’re busy, they’re multitasking, and they’re not reading dense blocks of text.

Content that’s not visually engaging or immediately clear loses them in seconds.

3. You’re not using LinkedIn’s native tools

LinkedIn prioritizes content that keeps people on the platform.

Native tools like carousels, videos, and polls signal to the algorithm that your content is sticky, driving up impressions and engagement.

4. You’re not using content to spark interaction

If your post doesn’t invite feedback, curiosity, or some kind of response, it just sits there.

Formats like carousels and videos are designed to create more interaction because they make it easy for your audience to respond, not just consume.

The psychology of engagement on LinkedIn

It’s not just about LinkedIn’s algorithm. It’s about how human brains work.

People are hardwired to pay attention to:

• Visuals that break up the monotony of the feed
• Authentic, personal moments that feel relatable
• Clear, step-by-step explanations (like carousels)
• Faces and voices (like video) that feel trustworthy

Research from Nielsen shows that visual content is processed 60,000x faster than text. Another LinkedIn study found that native videos are 5x more likely to start conversations compared to text posts.

The takeaway? If you want real engagement, you have to deliver content that feels dynamic and instantly relevant.

How to fix it: the three formats actually working in 2025 (based on real results)

Forget the theory. Here’s what’s consistently working today.

1. Personal photo posts: raw > polished

Why they work:
Personal photo posts consistently drive the highest engagement especially if the image feels authentic, unpolished, and relatable.

Your cat on your lap? Gets love.
You in a hoodie on your couch? Gets love.
You at a coffee shop with a candid thought? Gets love.

Why? Because they signal real human not corporate content.

How to use them:

• Combine the image with a short, honest story or opinion
• Share a belief, lesson, or moment of vulnerability
• Use a strong one-line hook to stop the scroll

Example: A photo of you in your home workspace with a post like:

“I closed a $12K deal in this hoodie last week. Here’s how...”

Tip: Use your face. Real, imperfect pictures outperform polished headshots every time.

2. Carousels: the best format for teaching + reach

Why they work:
Carousels (LinkedIn documents) force people to swipe, increasing dwell time which boosts reach.

They’re perfect for:

• Step-by-step frameworks
• Quick wins and checklists
• Case studies or visual before/afters
• Thought leadership with a visual punch

Best practices:

• Hook slide with a bold promise or curiosity gap
• Keep each slide minimal, one idea per page
• End with a strong CTA (save, share, DM, etc.)

Example:

Turn a blog post or newsletter into a 7-slide carousel. Each slide covers one key idea, building momentum and giving your audience an easy, swipeable way to engage.

3. Native video: underused, rising fast

Why they work:

Video builds trust faster than any other format, people see your face, hear your voice, and feel your presence.

In 2025, LinkedIn is actively pushing video content. It’s still underutilized, which means lower competition, higher upside.

How to use video:

• Record 60–90 second videos sharing:
  → A daily insight
  → A question or challenge for your audience
  → A mini client lesson or myth-busting tip
• Always include captions — most users scroll with sound off
• Post natively (don’t link to YouTube)

Tip: Batch record 3–5 short videos in one afternoon. Schedule them out weekly to stay visible without burning out.

Mini case study: how an executive coach 3x’d her engagement using format strategy without changing her message

Tara, an executive coach for senior women in leadership, had been posting regularly on LinkedIn for over a year.

She shared strong insights on mindset, leadership habits, and emotional resilience but her content wasn’t gaining traction. She averaged:

• 300–400 views per post
• 5–7 likes
• 0–2 comments
• No consistent leads or profile visits from her target audience

Her issue wasn’t value, it was visibility.

She wasn’t using the formats that stop the scroll or encourage interaction.

What we changed:

Week 1–2: Introduced personal photo posts

‍Instead of plain text, Tara started pairing her thoughts with candid, authentic photos like her working from a coffee shop or walking with her dog after a client call.

One of her first:

A photo of her journal with the caption:
“Every exec I coach is confident in the boardroom but questions their worth in quiet moments. Here's why that duality is normal (and what to do about it).”

Results:

• 2,300 views
• 6 comments
• 1 new coaching inquiries in DMs

Week 3–4: Switched to carousels for frameworks‍

We turned her "3-step burnout recovery framework" and “How to lead without people-pleasing” into 6-slide carousels.

Each slide focused on one idea with a clean, calming aesthetic to match her brand.

Results:

• Carousels averaged 2x more saves
• One carousel hit 1,000+ views and got shared by a C-level connection at a global consulting firm
• +1 new discovery calls booked via DMs

Week 5–6: Added native videos for trust-building‍

Tara recorded short, 60-second selfie videos where she answered real client questions (with permission).
No teleprompter. No production. Just simple, direct, human.

Example: “What to do when you’re promoted… and instantly feel like an imposter.”

Results:

• 1,000–2,000 views per video
• Comments included direct invitations to speak at leadership panels
• One video led to a $7,200 group coaching engagement

12-week outcome:

• 400% increase in engagement
• +700 new followers (from the right audience)
• 4 qualified leads
• 2 closed coaching packages — worth $11K combined
• Speaking opportunity at a women-in-tech summit

What changed?

She didn’t change her message.

She changed her format.

Her ideas were always strong. She just needed to package them in a way that LinkedIn could surface and her audience could absorb.

Conclusion: message matters, but format delivers

You can have the most insightful ideas in your industry. But if your content doesn’t:

• Stop the scroll
• Build trust and curiosity
• Invite interaction

…it won’t get seen, no matter how smart it is.

The right format transforms your message into momentum. Start simple:

• One weekly carousel that teaches
• One short native video that builds presence
• One monthly poll or photo post that invites feedback

Watch what resonates. Double down on what works.

And remember: the content that engages wins not just the content that sounds smart.

Want to turn your LinkedIn content from flat to high-engagement?
Book a free content review call with Stop The Scroll, and let’s build a content format strategy that puts your message in front of the right people.