How To Design LinkedIn Content That Actually Gets Seen
By Nader Alnajjar
TLDR
Fresh LinkedIn algorithm data (millions of posts analysed each quarter with Saywhat and The Creator Accelerator) shows visual format drives reach: carousels with more than 5 images get 4.1x the reach of text posts, infographics 3.4x with the highest viral probability at 1.4%.
Portrait images outperform landscape by 86%. Default to 1200x1500px at a 4:5 ratio with the key information centred. For video, horizontal beats vertical by 36% because most people browse LinkedIn on desktop at work.
Each format has its own rules: infographics need a large title, bright contrasting colours and problem-first framing; carousels now win on storytelling and a cover that implies "you might be making this mistake"; quote graphics drive engagement but convert poorly to followers.
Colour, visual hierarchy and typography decide whether a post gets read. Run the glance test: if someone cannot tell what your content is about and why it matters within two seconds, simplify.
Good design on LinkedIn is the difference between getting scrolled past and stopping someone mid-feed. And thanks to fresh algorithm data, you don’t have to guess what works.
Let me break down exactly what’s performing right now.
Build Leverage By Learning:
Which visual formats are driving the most reach right now
What makes infographics, carousels, and quote graphics go viral
How colour and visual hierarchy impact performance
Typography and layout best practices
A practical checklist to audit and improve your content
What’s working right now…
Every quarter, we partner with Saywhat and The Creator Accelerator to analyse millions of LinkedIn posts and identify what’s actually driving results. As you might have seen from one of our previous newsletters, we recently gave an overview of the new Q4 LinkdedIn Algorithm report. But today, I thought we should do a more detailed breakdown of the findings for what makes a successful LinkedIn visual.
The virality and success of an ‘outlier’ post comes down to one key formula: Topic x Hook x Visual, so it’s important to have the anatomy of a successful visual mastered.
Before we get into some specific practices of certain formats, these are the main points you need to know:
Carousels with more than 5 images are getting 4.1x the reach of standard text posts.
Infographics sit at 3.4x reach and have the highest viral probability at 1.4%.
Portrait-oriented images outperform landscape by 86% (they simply take up more real estate in the feed).
The most optimal sizing for an image is 1200x1500px at a 4:5 ratio, with your key information centred since edges often get cropped.
For video, horizontal is outperforming vertical by 36%. Most people browse LinkedIn at work on desktop, so horizontal text hooks are easier to read.
How To Use These 3 Formats For Maximum Reach
1️⃣ Infographics
Educational infographics are really gaining popularity, particularly in niche industries. Energy, data governance, psychiatry… sectors you wouldn't expect to go viral are producing some of the highest-performing visual content on the platform.
What makes them work:
A clear, large title that communicates the topic instantly.
Bright, contrasting colours suggest content that’s helpful and actionable.
A problem-first framing that speaks to a real challenge.
Content dense enough that someone could print it and actually use it.
One pattern worth noting: successful infographic formats are being adapted across industries. A wellness-focused layout gets repurposed for data governance. A finance template gets reworked for HR. If something's working in one niche, there's usually a version that could work in yours.
2️⃣ Carousels
The carousel game has completely evolved. A year ago, the winning formula was listicles: "7 tips for X" spread across slides. Now, the top performers are built around storytelling, contrast, and visual narrative.
The title page is everything. If nobody stops scrolling, nobody reads slide two.
What the best carousel covers have in common:
A big, unmissable title
An image that grabs your attention immediately
Highlighted keywords that pull the eye to the core message
A hook that plays on a relatable fear or challenge, ideally implying that most people get this wrong.
That last part is key. The implication of "you might be making this mistake" is one of the most reliable ways to get people’s attention on this platform.
3️⃣ Quote Graphics
Quote posts used to stand out with bold billboard-style designs. Now, simpler backgrounds (especially paper textures) are dominating.
That said, there's an important caveat: quotes don't typically convert to followers. They represent about 26.9% of top-performing posts, but their follower conversion rate is lower than other formats. They’re good for engagement, but less reliable for growth.
The Importance of Colour and Visual Hierarchy
Bright, contrasting colours consistently outperform muted palettes. But this isn’t me saying be flashy for the sake of it; it's about pattern interruption. Think about basic colour psychology as well. For example, red and green in particular signal "useful" and "actionable" to the brain.
Consistent brand colours also build recognition over time. When someone sees your content in a feed, they should know it's yours before reading a single word.
Visual hierarchy is equally important. What catches the eye first determines whether someone engages or keeps scrolling. If your most important message is buried below a decorative graphic or competing with too many elements, it's getting ignored.
How to Get Typography and Layout Right
Titles need to be big, bold, and readable on mobile → A lot of LinkedIn browsing happens on phones as well, so make sure people don’t have to zoom in to see any headlines.
Strategic word highlighting helps → Bolding or colouring one or two key words in a title draws the eye exactly where you want it.
Think about font hierarchy and spacing → Your visuals shouldn't feel cramped. Dense paragraphs don't get read. Whitespace isn't wasted space; it's what makes the important stuff stand out.
When you’re not sure, ask yourself: can someone understand what my content is about and why it's valuable within two seconds? If not, simplify.
Where To Start This Week...
If you want to start applying this immediately, here's a practical list to work through:
✅ Review your last 10 posts → Make note of how many (if any) carousels, infographics, or portrait-oriented visuals you use.
✅ Adjust your content calendar → You want to be using at least one high-performing educational post per week. Carousels and infographics should be in regular rotation.
✅ Build 3-5 brand templates in Canva (or whatever tool you use) → Use consistent colours and fonts. This saves time and keeps your content recognisable.
✅ Run the glance test on every piece of visual content before posting → If the value isn't obvious in two seconds, rework it.
✅ Default to portrait orientation at 1200x1500px → Centre your key information so nothing critical gets cropped.
✅ If you're posting video, lean toward horizontal with clear, readable text hooks → Vertical might work on TikTok, but LinkedIn's audience is scrolling differently.
You don’t necessarily need to be an incredible graphic designer to make LinkedIn visuals.
But you do need to understand what the platform rewards and execute it consistently, which does take time.
If it sounds like you might be in that boat, and would rather have a team create all this content for you every week, reply to this email - let’s talk.
Until next time,
Nader 🫡
What this means for you
If you are a founder or executive building a founder-led brand, the temptation is to treat design as decoration and put all the effort into the words. The data says otherwise. The same idea published as a text post, a carousel with more than five slides, or an infographic can earn wildly different reach (1x, 4.1x and 3.4x respectively), and portrait images alone beat landscape by 86%. For someone whose LinkedIn presence has to work while they run a company, that is the cheapest leverage available: the thinking stays the same, the packaging changes, and the algorithm does the distribution. Consistent brand colours also compound over time, so a prospect or investor recognises your content in the feed before they read a word.
The practical version is the checklist at the end of the issue. Review your last 10 posts and count how many used a carousel, infographic or portrait visual; if the answer is close to zero, that explains a lot about your reach. Put one educational visual into the calendar every week, build 3 to 5 templates so the look is fixed once and reused, and apply the two-second glance test before anything goes out. Keep the caveat on quote graphics in mind too: they are good for engagement but convert poorly to followers, so they belong in the mix, not at the centre of it. Most founders will not want to produce this themselves, which is fine, provided the person who does understands what the platform rewards and executes it every week.
Frequently asked questions
Which LinkedIn post formats get the most reach right now?
According to the latest algorithm data, analysed every quarter with Saywhat and The Creator Accelerator across millions of posts, carousels with more than 5 images are getting 4.1x the reach of standard text posts. Infographics sit at 3.4x reach and have the highest viral probability at 1.4%. Educational infographics are gaining popularity in niche industries such as energy, data governance and psychiatry, and successful layouts are routinely adapted from one sector to another. The success of an outlier post comes down to one formula: Topic x Hook x Visual.
What size and orientation should LinkedIn images be?
Portrait-oriented images outperform landscape by 86%, because they take up more real estate in the feed. The optimal sizing is 1200x1500px at a 4:5 ratio, with your key information centred, since edges often get cropped. Video is the exception: horizontal is outperforming vertical by 36%, because most people browse LinkedIn at work on desktop, where horizontal text hooks are easier to read. Titles still need to be big, bold and readable on mobile, so nobody has to zoom in to see a headline.
What makes a LinkedIn carousel cover stop the scroll?
The title page is everything: if nobody stops scrolling, nobody reads slide two. The best carousel covers share four things: a big, unmissable title, an image that grabs attention immediately, highlighted keywords that pull the eye to the core message, and a hook that plays on a relatable fear or challenge, ideally implying that most people get this wrong. That last element matters most, because the implication of "you might be making this mistake" is one of the most reliable ways to earn attention on the platform. Listicle carousels have given way to storytelling, contrast and visual narrative.
Do quote graphics grow your LinkedIn following?
Not reliably. Quote posts used to stand out with bold billboard-style designs, and simpler backgrounds, especially paper textures, now dominate. They represent about 26.9% of top-performing posts, but their follower conversion rate is lower than other formats. In short, quotes are good for engagement and less reliable for growth. If the goal is a bigger, more relevant audience, carousels and infographics should be in regular rotation, with at least one high-performing educational post per week, and quote graphics used as a supporting format rather than the main one.
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About the author
Nader Alnajjar is co-founder of LeverBrands, where he builds personal brands and content ecosystems for founders and executives. More at leverbrands.com/about and on LinkedIn.