Daniel Usera had a simple question: What should professionals actually post on LinkedIn? The faculty member in the Department of Marketing at The University of Texas at Arlington set out to answer it, analyzing nearly 1,000 posts on the world's largest professional network. What he discovered upends the conventional wisdom about the platform—and offers a refreshing lesson about human connection.
The findings matter because LinkedIn shapes how millions of professionals present themselves to the world. The platform has long carried a reputation as a place for self-promotion and, as some call it, "cringey" posts. But Usera's research reveals something different: while business-focused content is the most common type of post, it's not what drives engagement. Instead, interpersonal posts—those that celebrate colleagues and connections—generate significantly more engagement than self-promotion.
The mechanism is both human and technical. When professionals highlight others' achievements, there's something inherently uplifting about it. Scrolling through a feed filled with self-promotion, users are naturally drawn to posts that feel wholesome and generous. But there's also a practical reason: tagging someone sends them a notification, making them far more likely to see and react to the post. That simple algorithmic boost compounds the natural appeal of celebrating others.
For Usera, the research has immediate, practical applications. He teaches LinkedIn to his students, and many came to him unsure what to post about. "I wanted to collect a large sample of posts to explore the diversity of topics and to give them more ideas," he explains. The categories he identified—from career updates to company news to industry discussion—can be mixed and matched depending on what each professional wants to achieve.
For job seekers, that means sharing career updates and demonstrating expertise in their target industry. For established professionals, it means highlighting colleagues, announcing company milestones, or sparking conversations about industry trends. The key is alignment: your content should reflect your actual goals on the platform, not some imagined ideal of what LinkedIn demands.
But authenticity matters too. Usera addresses the persistent tension between professionalism and genuine expression. "Trust that your network supports you," he says. "If you're proud of a promotion, just say that." The "cringe" factor, he points out, often emerges when people try to disguise their intentions through humble-bragging or overcomplication. Straightforward celebration of achievement—paired with genuine recognition of the people who supported you—avoids that trap entirely.
The research also reveals that LinkedIn itself has evolved far beyond its original narrow purpose. While built as a professional network, it now functions as something closer to a 24-hour networking event, where business connections coexist with personal relationships and interpersonal moments. Professionals post about career milestones, yes, but also about gratitude, inspiration, and community. The platform accommodates both the suit and the human wearing it.
Usera's work is far from complete. He's already planning follow-up studies to understand the "cringe" factor more deeply and to examine what motivates professionals to post in the first place. For now, though, his message is clear: LinkedIn users who want to build genuine engagement should remember that others aren't primarily scrolling to admire individual achievement. They're looking for connection, inspiration, and evidence that the professionals in their networks care about more than just themselves.