On this week’s episode of The Engaging Marketeer, I’m revisiting a topic I’ve touched on before, but one that still needs addressing. It’s something I’m seeing business owners fall for time and time again. Let’s be clear—this is a mistake, and in many cases, a con.
We’re talking about LinkedIn engagement pods
Now, I’ve covered this before, particularly how people join WhatsApp or Facebook groups and share links to their LinkedIn posts asking for “some love”—a like, a comment, a reaction—anything to boost visibility.
The theory sounds solid. When you post on LinkedIn, the more engagement it gets early on, the more LinkedIn sees it as a popular post and boosts its reach. More eyeballs, more engagement, more followers, potentially more business.
That’s where engagement pods come in. You might have seen them. You might have been invited to one. You might have had someone try to sell you access to one—or worse, you might be in one right now.
If you’re someone who runs one of these pods as a business, then kindly stop listening to this podcast. You’re a dick. That’s my honest, professional opinion.
Here’s the issue…
A LinkedIn pod usually consists of a group of people—maybe 15, 20, 30 members, whatever number the organiser decides. Each person pays to be in this group, usually through a subscription. It’s often managed through WhatsApp.
Members post their LinkedIn links in the group, and everyone else clicks, likes, comments, and shares within a few hours of it going live. The idea is that this sudden spike in engagement tricks LinkedIn’s algorithm into thinking it’s a valuable post.
Again, the theory is sound.
But here’s the reality.
Do you honestly think LinkedIn is that stupid? Yes, it’s owned by Microsoft, so you might wonder—but no, it’s not. Of course LinkedIn can tell when the same dozen people engage with your content every single time you post. This type of algorithm manipulation has existed since the early 2000s. I’ve been in this industry long enough to recognise the patterns.
People are always trying to game the system. Engagement pods are just the latest flavour of the same old con, and even then, it’s not new. It didn’t work years ago, and it doesn’t work now.
Second problem: the audience.
For your content to work, it needs to be seen by your ideal clients—your target audience. But the people in your LinkedIn pod aren’t your audience. They’re other business owners trying to do the same thing you are. They’re not engaging because they care about your content—they’re doing it so you’ll return the favour.
That means LinkedIn sees the same names engaging with your posts over and over. So it assumes your audience is web designers, marketers, or whoever’s in your pod. But that’s not who you’re trying to reach.
So your content ends up being shown to the wrong people.
Here’s what you should do instead
This is free advice, and it works.
Identify key influencers in your target audience—people you actually want to reach.
Do not connect with them. Do not message them. Do not pitch.
Follow them. Engage with their content. Comment on their posts.
Let them see your name regularly. Show up in their notifications.
Then post content that is relevant to them. Talk about their challenges, their industry, their problems. Offer insight or solutions they actually care about.
Here’s an example of what not to do. I know a local web designer—not really a competitor, but in the same space—who posts things like “Why I became a web designer” or “Why I set up my business.” Then he drops it into his engagement pod and gets the same group of people to share it.
No one cares. It’s all about him. It’s not helping anyone.
Now compare that to content that helps your audience solve a problem, gives them actionable advice, or speaks directly to their needs. That’s what earns engagement that matters.
By consistently engaging with your actual target audience and creating content for them, LinkedIn will recognise who your network truly is. It will then show your content to more of those people, increasing the visibility and effectiveness of your posts—genuinely.
So back to the original question:
Are LinkedIn engagement pods worth it?
No. They’re a scam.
They waste your time, money, and energy.
They tell LinkedIn your content is only interesting to the same 10 or 15 people who are either paying to be in your pod or expecting reciprocal favours.
Instead, focus on what works. Create useful, targeted content. Engage authentically. Build a genuine presence.
I hope this has been helpful.
If you disagree with me, I don’t care—but feel free to comment. I’d love to hear from you.
And if you run an engagement pod? Jog on. You’re not welcome here.
Thanks for listening to The Engaging Marketeer. Catch you on the next episode.
About your host:
Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/
Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com
Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk
