Does the algorithm really hate you

LinkedIn is changed again...

NOTE: There is a poll below and I would really appreciate your response!

I’m in the LinkedIn trenches every day so you don’t have to be.

If you’re growing your personal brand, you might be frustrated lately with a drop in impressions…or conversely, maybe you’re finally breaking through.

Why is either happening?

Well, LinkedIn has changed again. Yes, again. Le sigh.

I know, right when it seems like you’re getting a cadence, the rules change. I hear you and feel it, too.

But as someone who manages well over a dozen accounts, I can safely say that change is inevitable and if you want to keep growing, you have to adapt.

So, what’s new?

Over the last 6 months, LinkedIn has been slowly (or rapidly compared to who you ask) rewarding more personalized content.

This is not a bad thing at all. I’m all for punishing the AI slop.

But if you’re still writing content like it’s 2025, now is the time to regroup.

Forget random leadership quotes, this is the era of personality.

The more personal, the better.

Now, I don’t mean this in the sense of making LinkedIn a therapy session. I mean it in the way that LinkedIn is doing everything they can to promote authentic writing over AI slop.

And you are the differentiator.

What the data says

This isn’t just my anecdotal observation.

Entrepreneur magazine confirmed earlier this year that LinkedIn’s algorithm is now actively suppressing content it flags as AI slop.

It’s already happening.

The nuance that matters

LinkedIn isn’t punishing AI use. They’ve said so directly. What they’re punishing is generic, low-effort content that lacks original insight, expertise, or perspective.

The issue isn’t that you used Claude or ChatGPT. It’s whether your post sounds like a thousand other posts written by a thousand other people doing the exact same thing.

You can absolutely use AI. You just can’t let AI use you.

The patterns hurting reach right now

I’ve been telling clients about these tells for over a year. Now the algorithm has officially joined the cause.

Em dashes. AI loves them. Humans don’t naturally use them. Scattered em dashes read as AI written, every time.

“It’s not X, it’s Y” constructions. “It’s not about being busy, it’s about being intentional.” This pattern is everywhere in AI copy and almost nowhere in how humans actually talk.

“Here’s how” or “Here’s what” hooks. AI defaults to these. They feel like a teaser but they’re the same teaser every other AI-written post is also using.

The over-polished closing lesson. Every post wrapping up with a tidy three-line takeaway that sounds like a motivational graphic. Real human posts are messier. They trail off. Sometimes they don’t have a clean lesson at all.

The vulnerable-authentic template. “I lost my biggest client. Here’s what it taught me.” This isn’t strictly AI but it’s been beaten to death and now reads templated even when it’s not.

How to use AI without the slop trap

Here’s my actual approach.

I use Claude for first drafts. Specifically Claude Projects, with my voice samples loaded and strict instructions on what NOT to do. No em dashes. Cut anything that sounds like “It’s not X, it’s Y.” Strip out the formulaic feel-good closes.

Then I edit heavily. (Honestly, I didn’t use to)

Maybe 40% of what Claude produces survives. The rest gets rewritten in my voice with real specifics from my actual week.

The output looks like AI helped. It reads like a human wrote it. That’s the difference.

You can outsource structure, ideation, brainstorming, even editing. You can’t outsource voice. That part has to stay yours.

One thing I’m thinking about

I’ve been kicking around the idea of starting a monthly group specifically for people who want to grow their LinkedIn profiles. This means using AI well on LinkedIn without sounding like everyone else. Community support, monthly live calls, real feedback on your posts, and the actual tactics I use across my client accounts.

Pricing would land around $197/month.

This is genuinely just an idea I’m exploring right now, not a launch. But before I build anything, I want to know if there’s real interest. Vote below.

Be You

Specificity is the new currency. Real client names, actual numbers, specific decisions, real moments from your week. That’s what cuts through.

In a world where AI slop is creating too much noise, your humanity is what cuts through.

You are the differentiator. AI can support you.

But your personality needs to be in the driver’s seat.

I have tonssss more to say about this but I’ll stop here for today.
More to come.

All my best,

Anjeanette