🍴LinkedIn's Golden Hour

Don’t let your engagement ride off into the sunset.

Author

Maria Marchewka
August 18, 2025

In partnership with

Golden hour isn't just for photographers.

It's also the first 60 minutes after you hit "post" on LinkedIn and it can make or break your reach.

Why the first hour matters

LinkedIn has confirmed in its Creator Mode guidance that early engagement sends a strong signal to the algorithm.

If your post sparks comments, saves, or meaningful replies quickly, it's more likely to be shown to more people.

Data backs it up.

Tools like Shield and Socialinsider consistently show this pattern…

Posts that pick up momentum early tend to ride that wave. Posts that start slow rarely recover.

But, let’s not forget your own activity matters too.

LinkedIn calls it “sustained conversation.”

When you reply to comments, especially within the first hour (the golden hour), it does three things:

  • Extends the post’s visibility

  • Signals that your post is driving discussion

  • Gives the algorithm more data to boost your content

LinkedIn Questions?

I love answering questions about LinkedIn. So I put together a Google form where you can submit yours.

There’s no catch. I just like helping and if I’m being honest, I’ll probably use your questions as future content prompts.

Here’s the link. Ask away!

How to win your LinkedIn golden hour

Here’s your 4-step plan to give your content a head start:

Warm up the feed
Spend 5–10 minutes before posting, leaving 2–3 thoughtful, 15+ word comments on others' posts.

This primes your network and tells LinkedIn you're active.

Post when your audience is scrolling
It's not about your schedule.

Experiment with time blocks. Post when you consistently get early engagement.

Stay present
No posting and ghosting!

Reply to early comments within the first hour. Ask follow-up questions. Show you're present, you're listening, and you're worth engaging with.

Nail your hook
No attention = no engagement.

The first two lines of your post have to get people’s attention.

Think curiosity, tension, surprise, and memorability. 

Your Turn: The Golden Hour Experiment

  1. Prep a post to publish.

  2. Warm up the feed for 5–10 minutes (2–3 thoughtful comments).

  3. Post at your audience's peak scrolling time.

  4. In the next 60 minutes:

    • Reply to every comment as it comes in

    • Comment on 3–5 other posts in your network

After 24 hours, compare the results to a control post where you didn’t stay active in the first hour.

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