The Case for Commenting on LinkedIn

For a long time, my LinkedIn habit was pretty one-sided. I'd agonize over what to post, hit publish, then go quiet until the next idea showed up. Commenting felt like something I did while procrastinating on the real work of writing a post.

Then I started paying attention to what was actually making a difference for me, and it wasn't always my own posts. Some of my highest-visibility weeks came when I barely posted at all but spent more time commenting instead. Cue the lightbulb moment.

Commenting isn't the warm-up act. It's just as much a part of the strategy, and some weeks it might be the whole strategy.

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Commenting can work as hard as posting

Here's what changed my mind: every time I leave a thoughtful comment on someone else's post, my name has the potential to show up in front of their entire network, not just mine.  

I’m not always consistent about it, but I’ve noticed a real increase in my profile views during the weeks when I spend more time joining conversations. Some LinkedIn experts suggest commenting on 10-20 posts per day, but LinkedIn’s algorithm changes constantly, so I wouldn’t swear by a specific formula. Still, the pattern has been noticeable enough that I keep coming back to it.  

Comments also tend to create more conversation than likes. A like acknowledges a post. A comment gives people something to respond to, adds another perspective and can help the original post continue reaching new audiences.

LinkedIn's own ranking system also weighs comments more heavily than likes when it decides how far to spread a post. You'll see people throw around a figure like "comments are worth 15X a like," and while the real number is probably closer to 2X, once you account for quality, the direction is the same either way. A post that picks up genuine comments is roughly 2-3X more likely to reach people outside your network.  

A handful of thoughtful comments has often done more for my visibility than passively liking dozens of posts.

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My rule: no "great post!"

I used to leave a lot of quick comments like "great post!" and "so true,” mostly because I was scrolling fast and wanted to acknowledge something without stopping. I don't do that anymore, and honestly, it's made me a better reader of my own feed.

Now when I comment, I try to say something that could only belong under that specific post, not something I could copy and paste under almost anything. Comments with real substance, generally north of 15 words, land with roughly 2X the impact of a post reaction, according to data from LinkedIn. That might mean explaining what I agreed with and why, connecting the idea to something from my own experience that relates or gently offering a different take.

Longer isn’t automatically better. The goal is to add something meaningful.

There's a practical reason for this too, beyond just being a better commenter. LinkedIn tends to treat very short comments as low-quality signals that don't carry much weight. If I want a comment to help someone understand who I am or what I think, with the goal of building my network, a generic two-word response isn’t giving them much to work with. A specific comment offers a much more useful glimpse into my experience, interests and point of view.

One more thing I've noticed: when I've used AI tools to help draft a comment and it comes out sounding generic, people can tell. Those comments also tend to receive far less engagement.  

I still use AI to get unstuck (more on that below), but I always make sure the final comment I post sounds like me, not like a tool trying to sound like me.

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The posts I go back to

Another habit I’ve picked up is revisiting conversations that started a few days earlier. When someone responds to one of my comments, I try to keep the conversation going instead of treating my first comment as a one-and-done interaction. Sometimes that means answering a question, adding a follow-up thought or simply thanking them for sharing their perspective.

I do the same thing with my own posts. I try to reply to every comment I get, even a short one, and ask a question when it makes sense. It can give the post another moment of activity (which tells the algorithm it's still worth showing to people), while also making the interaction feel more like an actual conversation.

I try to spend 15 to 30 minutes a few days per week doing this. It's a small habit, but it's occasionally given my posts a second life they might not have had otherwise.

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The colleagues and conversations I comment on

A lot of my commenting happens on posts shared by the people I work with and those in my immediate network (i.e. first-degree connections).

When someone on our team shares something — a milestone, a piece of content, a take on something happening in our industry — I try to add more than a “thumbs up.” It usually only takes a few minutes, and it's a nice way to show up for the people around me. Also, it can help their work reach audiences they might not have reached on their own.

A large chunk of my commenting time goes to marketing news and industry chatter I find genuinely interesting. When something crosses my feed about AI in marketing, a platform change or a campaign I have an opinion on, I’m more likely to stop and engage instead of scrolling past. Those are usually the comments that get the most response, probably because they're the ones where I have something useful or specific to add to the original post.

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The mindset shift: treat commenting like its own strategy

If you've been treating commenting as something you squeeze in around the "real" work of posting, it may be worth looking at it differently.

I’m trying to be more intentional about thinking of commenting as its own part of my LinkedIn strategy and blocking time for it the same way I do for post writing.

Some weeks, I have an idea I’m excited to post. Other weeks, I don’t. Commenting gives me another way to stay visible, contribute to conversations and connect with people while I figure out what I want to share next.

That isn’t a lesser version of showing up. It’s simply a different one.

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A prompt I lean on when I don't know what to say

This is where I use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot to get unstuck, not to do the talking for me.

I'll take a screenshot of the post I want to comment on and drop it in with something like this:

"I want to comment on this post with something thoughtful that shares my opinion on [the specific topic]. Here's a screenshot of the post. Help me draft a comment in my voice, at least 15 words, that adds a real point of view rather than just agreeing."

And when I genuinely don't have a clear take yet, I’ll say that instead of forcing one:

"I don't have a strong take on this one yet. Here's a screenshot of the post. Can you suggest a few thoughtful angles I could use as a starting point for a comment?"

Either way, I read what comes back before I post it. I edit it until it sounds like me, add something personal if I have it and cut anything that reads like it was written by a robot trying very hard to sound human.  

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The takeaway

I’m still learning what works for me on LinkedIn. I don’t post every day, and I’m not always consistent about commenting either. But the weeks when I make time for thoughtful comments have shown me that visibility doesn’t always have to begin with a perfectly polished post.

When you aren’t sure what to share, try joining a conversation that’s already happening. Add something useful, ask a genuine question or offer a perspective that feels true to you. Commenting can help more people discover your profile, expand your reach and build familiarity over time.

It’s a simple habit that can help when you’re trying to grow your visibility and your network.

Altis is a Canadian-owned staffing firm supporting organizations across the private and public sectors. We focus on relationship-driven recruitment, clear process and consistent delivery, helping employers hire with confidence and professionals build meaningful careers.