One-Sentence Teaser
Senior leaders explore why engagement has become a primary LinkedIn® visibility strategy in 2026 – and how thoughtful commenting builds trust, influence, and meaningful professional relationships.
Event Teaser
For years, LinkedIn visibility was driven by posting.
But what if visibility is no longer about what you publish – and more about how you engage?
In this Link∙Ability [IN]sights livestream, Lynnaire Johnston is joined by Val Roskens Tews, author of The Butterfly Strategy, to explore why engagement is now central to professional visibility, and how comments, conversations, and interaction are reshaping how people are seen and trusted on LinkedIn.
Signature Insight
Engagement is not activity.
It is a deliberate visibility strategy that builds trust, strengthens relationships, and positions you through participation in professional conversations.
What Is LinkedIn Engagement (in 2026)?
LinkedIn engagement is the practice of actively participating in professional conversations through comments, replies, and interaction.
Unlike posting, which is broadcast-based, engagement is relational. It places individuals inside conversations rather than outside them.
In today’s LinkedIn environment, engagement includes:
- commenting thoughtfully on posts
- responding to comments on your own content
- contributing to discussions in comment threads
- participating in livestream conversations
When practised consistently, engagement increases visibility, strengthens credibility, and accelerates relationship-building.
Key Questions Explored
- Why has engagement become more important than posting on LinkedIn?
- What makes a comment valuable versus ineffective?
- How do comments build trust and authority?
- What role does AI play in engagement?
- How can comments lead to conversations, relationships, and opportunities?
- How should professionals approach engagement during live events?
Insights from the Discussion
Engagement Has Replaced Broadcasting as the Visibility Driver
Reduced reach has shifted LinkedIn from a publishing platform to a participation platform.
Visibility now comes from being present in conversations rather than relying solely on posts.
Comments are often seen by more people than the original content itself.
Comments Are a Form of Content
Comments are no longer secondary to posts.
They are micro-content that demonstrate thinking, perspective, and expertise in context.
A well-written comment can position someone as credible before their profile or posts are ever viewed.
Low-Value Comments Damage Positioning
Generic responses such as “great post” or “thanks for sharing” no longer contribute meaningfully.
They do not build authority, signal expertise, or move conversations forward.
High-value comments acknowledge the post, add insight, and extend the discussion.
Engagement Builds Relationships, Not Just Reach
A comment can lead to a conversation.
A conversation can lead to a relationship.
A relationship can lead to opportunity.
This progression reflects a shift from transactional visibility to relational visibility.
Authenticity Matters More in Comments Than Posts
AI-generated content is increasingly common in posts.
Comments remain one of the last spaces where authentic voice is clearly visible.
Audiences respond more strongly to comments that feel human, thoughtful, and personally relevant.
Live Events Create High-Value Engagement Environments
Livestreams and events create concentrated spaces of shared interest.
Comment threads within events act as real-time networking environments.
Participants can build visibility not only with speakers, but with other attendees.
Practical Leadership Takeaways
Approach engagement as a relationship-building activity, not a visibility tactic.
Use a simple structure for comments:
Acknowledge → Add → Advance.
Comment consistently rather than sporadically.
Respond to comments on your own posts to sustain conversations.
Identify a small group of people to engage with regularly.
Use comments to demonstrate expertise without self-promotion.
Concepts Referenced in This Discussion
LinkedIn Engagement Strategy
Comment-Based Visibility
Relationship-Based Networking
Professional Trust Building
Authentic Digital Communication
AI and Human Voice
Executive Visibility on LinkedIn
Live Event Engagement
FAQs
Is posting still important on LinkedIn?
Yes, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. Posting introduces you, while engagement builds familiarity and trust.
What makes a good LinkedIn comment?
A strong comment acknowledges the post, adds a relevant perspective, and moves the conversation forward.
How long should a comment be?
Length is less important than substance. Comments should be long enough to add value and invite further interaction.
Can comments really generate business opportunities?
Yes. Many professional relationships begin through comments that lead to conversations and eventually to collaboration or referrals.
Should I use AI to write comments?
AI can assist, but comments should retain your authentic voice. Generic or impersonal comments can weaken credibility.
How often should I engage?
Consistency matters more than volume. A practical starting point is engaging with a small group regularly and initiating one meaningful conversation each week.
Knowledge Block
LinkedIn engagement is the deliberate practice of participating in professional conversations through comments, replies, and interaction.
Unlike posting, which focuses on broadcasting ideas, engagement focuses on building relationships through dialogue.
In a digital professional environment, engagement allows individuals to demonstrate expertise, curiosity, and authenticity in real time.
Effective engagement increases visibility, strengthens trust, and creates pathways to meaningful professional relationships and opportunities.
Transcript
Below is the edited transcript from this Link∙Ability [IN]sights livestream. It has been cleaned for readability and website use, while keeping the meaning and flow of the original discussion intact.
Lynnaire Johnston
Hello and a very warm welcome to today’s Link∙Ability [IN]sights livestream. I’m your host, Lynnaire Johnston. Thank you so much for joining us.
Today we’re talking about a topic that I think a lot of us are very interested in right now, and that is engagement. It has become the key strategy of 2026. We’re also joined by the author of a book that discusses engagement in specific detail.
Val Roskens Tews is joining us from Iowa, and we’re very interested to hear what she has to say about how to make engagement work for all of us this year.
Before we begin, thank you very much to Meryl Cass, who is in the comments already. Meryl is our connector extraordinaire and does a really good job of inviting people to our events, and we are eternally grateful for that.
Usually, our video producer Cher is in the background helping us, but today she is otherwise busy, so the fabulous Melanie Richards has stepped in to help out. We are extremely grateful for that too, Mel. Thank you so very much.
Now, we are going to be talking about engagement and comments today, so please do feel free to add your comments. Ask questions, share your insights, your ideas, and your experience with engagement, because we would love to hear more about that.
Without further ado, I’m going to bring onto the stage Val Roskens Tews, who is the author of this fabulous book, The Butterfly Strategy.
Val, welcome to your first Link∙Ability [IN]sights show. Thank you very much for joining us. Tell us what you do and how your book came about. Why did you feel the need to write The Butterfly Strategy?
Val Roskens Tews
I help Christian entrepreneurs and coaches turn scattered ideas into tailored, ready-to-post authentic content. I also help them build an online community of business friends, collaborators, and clients.
The book came about because I noticed something when I was helping people create content. They would put it on LinkedIn and then nothing would happen. Or sometimes, not nothing exactly, but they’d say, “Well, nobody’s commenting.”
So I’d ask, “Are you commenting on other people’s posts?” And the answer was often no. That made me realise the importance of building a community.
There was another reason too. I live in a very rural area, so in-person networking is hard for me unless I want to travel a long distance. What I found was that by connecting with people and having online conversations, I was able to create an incredible community of what I call business friends.
Business friends are the people who support you, encourage you, and amplify your voice. You can do the same for them. Together, you celebrate each other, help each other, and build something meaningful. So the book really came from wanting to share what I had learned from being on LinkedIn and meeting incredible people. Every single time, it started with a comment that led to a conversation.
Lynnaire Johnston
That’s a very good endorsement, I have to say. I agree with you that LinkedIn has provided a great family of business friends for me too, and many of them have become actual friends. LinkedIn has brought both of us here together today as well.
Let’s talk about how to make the best use of the key LinkedIn strategy of 2026, which is engagement.
For years we’ve been told that posting was the strategy that really mattered on LinkedIn – posting regularly about topics in your area of expertise. But over the past two to three years we’ve seen reach decline rather dramatically, especially in the last two years.
Visibility hasn’t disappeared altogether, although sometimes it feels that way when you look at your post performance. But I think visibility has shifted. At a macro level, the shift has been from broadcasting, which is posting, to interacting, which is engagement.
People are not getting seen through their posts so much anymore, but they are being seen through their engagement. Does that tally with what you are seeing too?
Val Roskens Tews
Yes, absolutely. One thing I’ve discovered is that when you comment, you’re interacting with that person. To me, that is a way for that person to feel seen, heard, and valued.
If you make a comment, most people are going to see it. And of course, always respond to the comments you receive. Some people have said to me, “I just post and ghost.” I always say, please don’t do that.
If someone takes the time to comment on your post, they are telling you that they think what you said mattered. So yes, responding is important.
Lynnaire Johnston
I think that posting and ghosting is something a lot of people still do not realise the impact of. It can certainly hinder the distribution of your own posts if you are not responding to comments.
It used to be that people felt they needed to respond very quickly, but now I think the timeframe is a little longer. Still, you do not want the person who has commented to think you have ignored them. That is not how you turn an interaction into a conversation.
Let’s look at why commenting is now becoming such a dominant strategy. Clearly, the algorithm has changed and many people are suffering from reduced reach on their posts. For me, that has meant profile views are down – in fact, mine have dropped by around 50 per cent over the last year, and it has been very difficult to get them back up again.
That means fewer people are seeing your posts in their feed, including people outside your network. So I think people are actively looking for a new way to be visible.
Last year LinkedIn introduced a metric that allows us to see views on our comments. That was incredibly helpful, because previously we had no way of knowing whether what we said in comments was helping at all.
I think that has helped all of us understand the value of comments and how they can be used to have a conversation with someone. I think that conversation helps build trust. Writing a post is one thing, but actually taking part in a discussion in the comments builds trust in a very different way. Is that what you are seeing too?
Val Roskens Tews
Yes, because I think a comment is a way to say hello. It lets that person know, “I think what you said is really worthwhile.”
It can also lift someone up. If somebody is having a bad day and you leave a kind comment, it can make such a difference. A comment can be a form of validation – I see you, I hear you, I value you. That is such a great way to encourage and support someone.
Lynnaire Johnston
It is a very human thing to do, isn’t it? But I think it is also important to think about how we are responding.
The days of writing “great post” or “thanks for sharing” are over. They do not add value. They do not move the discussion forward. I am seeing less of that in my feed. Are you seeing less of that too?
Val Roskens Tews
Somewhat, yes. And I think there is another important point here. If you are responding in a way that adds value, you can also share your expertise. In that sense, comments are another form of content.
It is a way for you to say, “I like what you said, and can I add to it?” That can help the person who wrote the post, but it can also help other people who are reading the thread.
Lynnaire Johnston
Yes, and we have 1,250 characters to write a comment, which is more room than many people realise. It is not as long as a post, but it is enough to say something thoughtful.
I think a lot of people are beginning to see comments as an easier way into content creation. You do not have to create an image, build a carousel, or record a video. You just have to write a comment. Although as we are discussing, it is not quite as simple as “just” writing a comment.
The other thing people may not realise is that when they write a comment, it appears in the activity section of their profile. Anyone visiting your profile can look there and see the kind of comments you are making. That means people can form judgments about you on the basis of your engagement, not just your posts.
Val Roskens Tews
Yes, and comments have also introduced me to people. A comment has led to more than one conversation because I have read what someone wrote and thought, “I like what that person said.”
So I will go and check out their profile and think, “I like what they are talking about.” Either they have reached out to me or I have reached out to them and said, “Can we get on a 15-minute coffee chat? What you are saying is interesting to me and I want to get to know you better.”
So a comment can lead to a conversation, and that can lead to a relationship. I focus on business friendships, and that has been huge for me.
Lynnaire Johnston
That is a lovely way of describing it. It is not just engagement – it is relationship building.
As I understand it from your book, a comment can lead to a conversation, which can lead to a relationship, which can then lead to an opportunity. That feels very true.
Comments build familiarity before someone even reads your content, because they might see your comment before they ever visit your profile or come across one of your posts. So in that sense, comments are helping build a layer of trust before your content even enters the picture.
Posts introduce you, but comments build you.
Val Roskens Tews
Oh, I like that. Yes, absolutely. AI can write a post, but comments – most of the time – are still coming directly from people. If they come from your heart, they are authentic, and that shows a piece of you that people will not get any other way.
Lynnaire Johnston
That brings us nicely to AI. We are definitely seeing more AI-generated comments, and I will admit that my AI and I have had several debates about this.
If AI is involved in helping draft a comment, it has to sound like me. I do not want someone reading it and thinking, “Oh, Lynnaire’s AI wrote that.” It needs to add value, move the discussion on, and make clear that I have the authority to say what I am saying.
So I have started to think more deliberately about a formula for comments. I used to be much more ad hoc. In the bad old days, my comments might start with something like, “Hey Val, that was a really great post. I really enjoyed reading it.” I would never do that now because I know better.
I still think it matters to acknowledge the post at the beginning. Then add an insight or perspective. Then extend the conversation. So I like the framework of acknowledge, add, and advance.
Was that framework in your book?
Val Roskens Tews
Yes, it would fit well with what I teach.
I should say that I do not use AI for my comments. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with AI, partly because of my writing background.
But can I share two tips that have helped me? The first is that when I was starting out, I often thought, “What am I going to say? Nobody is going to care what I think.” So I started pretending the person was already a friend. Then I would ask myself, how would I respond to them if we were already friends? That helped me tremendously.
The second tip is this: if I do not know what to say straight away, I look through the post and find something that really resonates with me – a phrase, a sentence, or an idea – and I quote that in my comment, then explain why it stood out to me.
More than one person has said to me, “Thank you for telling me what really resonated with you.” Those two things have helped me a great deal.
Lynnaire Johnston
That makes a lot of sense to me. I think people often like to have a formula or process to work with, so acknowledge, add, and advance is useful.
I also like tagging the person at the beginning of the comment. I know there has been some discussion about whether tagging someone in a comment is useful, but I think it is. It alerts the post author that you have commented and would like a reply.
I usually tag them and then leave only their first name in the comment. So I might write something like, “What you said in your post has really resonated with me, Val, and here is what I think about it.”
That gives them a notification and also helps them remember your name. It may encourage them to visit your profile, follow you, or respond.
Another reason I like to acknowledge the post is because it shows I have actually read it. We have all seen comments where you think, “I have no idea what this person is saying, and I do not understand what relevance it has to the post.”
I had one of those on a post recently. Every other comment in the thread had likes and responses. That one had absolutely nothing. It looked like it had been ignored, so I ignored it as well.
Sometimes people hijack posts by dropping in links to their own content or talking about something entirely different. That is not useful, and I think it is bad for your reputation.
For me, the most valuable part of the acknowledge, add, and advance formula is the “add” part. What can you add to the conversation? An insight, a perspective, a personal experience? Something that gives other people something to respond to.
Val Roskens Tews
Absolutely. And I love your formula.
Sometimes they ask a question, so answer it. Sometimes they tell a story that reminds you of something you have experienced, so share that. Sometimes they say, “Here are three points,” and you can say, “Can I add a fourth?”
It is just another way to share ideas. Comments are a great way to share ideas because I will read other people’s comments and think, “Oh, I like what you said. I could do that too.”
Lynnaire Johnston
Yes. And sometimes I find myself wanting to ask the person a question if there is something I am not clear about or want to know more about. That also helps advance the conversation.
If you are the author of the post, you need to look out for questions and answer them. But as someone commenting, asking a thoughtful question can also help other people know what to say. It gives them something to respond to.
That is one of the reasons I think slightly longer comments can be useful. Sometimes you see a very short post from someone you respect and want to support, but there is nothing really to respond to. It is hard to comment meaningfully if the post gives you nothing to work with.
The same applies to comments. You have to give the post author something to respond to.
Val Roskens Tews
Yes, and sometimes the questions or the comment thread itself can spark a whole new post. A discussion in the comments can become content in its own right.
But I still think the best reason for comments is getting to know people. If there is somebody with an interesting comment, go and check them out. See if you want to get to know them better.
I sometimes ask for a 15-minute coffee chat, and I say 15 minutes because it gives you an easy exit if the conversation is not flowing. But if it goes well, you can keep talking.
It is so much fun to connect with someone from a comment and find out that they are really interesting. And it all started with a comment.
Lynnaire Johnston
I agree. And I think it is important to remember that the objective of commenting is not really to boost somebody’s post. That may happen as a byproduct, but the deeper purpose is to build relationships.
You want people to see your comment, visit your profile, be impressed by what they find there, and decide to follow or connect with you. I have often discovered good people to connect with because I saw them leave an intelligent, thoughtful comment on someone else’s post.
Let’s talk for a moment about how you move from comments to direct messages. Because if you want to have that 15-minute coffee chat, you do need to bridge the gap between public interaction and private conversation.
How do you do that without making people think you are trying to sell to them?
Val Roskens Tews
One thing that has helped me is to follow the person’s posts and comment on them for a couple of weeks first, so they start seeing my name. That way I am not a total stranger.
Then, if they have not already sent me a connection request, I might send one and say something like, “I’ve been following you and really liked what you said about X.” That shows I know who they are and what they have been talking about.
Then I might ask whether they would be open to a 15-minute coffee chat.
And these coffee chats really do vary. Some last 15 minutes, some 30 minutes, and a couple have gone on for three hours. Usually, though, they last about half an hour, and then you decide whether you want to keep in touch.
The ongoing relationship often continues through commenting, supporting their content, and showing up for the things they are doing. That is how business friendships grow.
Lynnaire Johnston
That makes sense to me. I have just seen a comment from Carrie suggesting that one way to continue the conversation is to ask a question, and I agree. Although I do find those “How are you?” DMs quite annoying unless there is some value behind them.
If you are going to ask a question, I think it has to have a purpose.
Val Roskens Tews
Yes. In the book I talk about the idea of a no-agenda coffee chat. You are not going in to pitch or sell. You are not there to explain your services unless it comes up naturally.
You are simply asking, can this person become a business friend? That mindset shift really helped me. I stopped thinking first about clients and started thinking about friendships.
Some of those friends may become clients, yes. But many of them become referral sources, collaborators, or trusted contacts. That is incredibly valuable too.
Lynnaire Johnston
What I like about that is how those people can become collaborators or members of your community.
I came to LinkedIn in order to learn, and I think many others do as well. Learning is a major role of the platform, but one people often overlook. If someone is willing to share their knowledge, and you engage with that thoughtfully, you help their ideas travel further.
I want to come back to the idea of comments helping you be seen in the right places. If we think of comments in layers, the first layer is visibility and getting noticed. The second is relationships and building connections. The third is positioning yourself and demonstrating authority.
For visibility, it often makes sense to comment on posts that already have high visibility and lots of comments. I admit I am in two minds about that, because sometimes I think if a post already has lots of engagement and I have not seen it in the first couple of hours, maybe my comment will not really be noticed. But perhaps that is too short-sighted.
Do you think it is still worth commenting on posts that are already doing well?
Val Roskens Tews
If it is a post I relate to, yes, I might still comment. If it is someone I have been following or someone I already have a relationship with, then yes, definitely.
Sometimes I do not comment directly on the post. Instead, I comment on somebody else’s comment.
Lynnaire Johnston
Yes – a reply within the thread. That is a really good point.
I think there is a lot of value in that. It tells the algorithm that people are genuinely engaged, and it creates a smaller conversation inside the bigger thread. That can be very powerful.
It is almost like a mini discussion within the main one. That is difficult to create deliberately, and it needs to feel organic, but when it happens it can be very effective.
Val Roskens Tews
Yes. If I can make an intelligent or insightful comment on someone else’s comment, I will. Sometimes it is because I really like what that person said and want to explain why.
Especially if they do not know me, I think it helps to explain why I am commenting.
Lynnaire Johnston
Yes, absolutely.
We also had a question from Femi during the livestream asking how to create opportunities to engage when your feed does not show much that resonates.
Your answer was to use the LinkedIn search function to find people talking about the subjects you care about. If there is a topic you want to learn more about, go and find people discussing it.
My own approach is slightly different. When someone connects with me, I check whether they are posting regularly. If they are posting quality content I want to see, I click the bell so their posts are more likely to appear in my notifications.
Another useful tactic is to create a saved browser search of the people whose content you most want to see, so you can refresh that list and check their latest posts. That is especially useful if there are certain people you want to support consistently.
Let’s return to the third layer of comments – positioning.
These are the comments you leave on posts from people you may not know, but who are writing about topics you care about or have expertise in. If you do that well, it signals authority without looking as though you are hijacking the conversation.
How do you share expertise in the comments without annoying people?
Val Roskens Tews
Sometimes I will say something like, “I have found that…” and then explain something that has helped me.
That allows me to share what I do and what I know, hopefully in a way that helps the person without feeling pushy.
Lynnaire Johnston
I do that too. Sometimes I will see someone use a technique or approach on LinkedIn that I really like or have not seen before, and I will mention that.
That naturally reveals that I understand LinkedIn and pay close attention to how it works, but it also gives credit to the person whose post I am commenting on.
Val Roskens Tews
Exactly. You validate what they are saying, and then you can add one more idea to it.
Lynnaire Johnston
I also wanted to talk about commenting during live events, because I think this is another very important part of the picture.
Live events create a shared space where people in the audience may not know each other, but they are all there because they care about the same topic. That makes it an ideal place to start building relationships.
People can learn from what the speakers are saying, but they can also learn from each other in the comments. The comment thread can become a valuable conversation in its own right.
And because events stay on your profile and continue to get views over time, the comments on them can continue to grow as well.
Do you see live events as another important branch of this strategy?
Val Roskens Tews
Absolutely. It is a wonderful way to learn, not only from the speakers but also from the audience.
Sometimes people leave really good insights in the comments. If somebody makes a thoughtful comment, make a note of who they are. Go and check out their profile. Follow them for a while if they seem interesting. Maybe send a connection request later.
You already know you have at least one shared interest because you were both in the same event. That gives you a natural starting point.
Lynnaire Johnston
You will get no argument from me on that. I have always felt that LinkedIn is a relationship-building platform.
A lot of people use it for jobs or business promotion, and that is fine. But underneath all of that, it is about building relationships.
For many of us, especially those who cannot easily travel or attend events in person, LinkedIn provides the bridge that allows us to meet, collaborate, and stay connected.
I wanted to finish on a model adapted from your book – a 10–2–1 model.
Identify 10 people, comment on two a day, and start one meaningful conversation per week.
That does not sound like a lot, but over time it can really open doors. I see it as a starting structure for people who are busy and need something manageable.
What do you think of that as a practical starting point?
Val Roskens Tews
I think it is a good way to start.
Some people feel overwhelmed and think, “I cannot do all of this.” So this gives them a baby-step version. Find 10 people to follow. Comment on two a day. Start one conversation a week.
You can always do more than that, of course. This is not a limit. It is a foundation.
And that conversation you start each week – you never know where it might lead.
Lynnaire Johnston
I agree. And I think one important point is that once you do start those conversations, you need to keep the relationship going.
It is a bit like posting and ghosting. You do not want to have one good conversation and then never follow up again. Trust happens over time. It needs consistency.
So I really do believe this is a good starting point for building meaningful relationships on LinkedIn.
I want to wrap up by asking you to leave us with one tip that you think everyone needs to remember.
Val Roskens Tews
I will go back to what I said earlier. If you have trouble commenting, pretend the person is already your friend.
We can all use kind comments. Share from your heart. If you share as a friend, you cannot really go wrong.
And the beautiful thing is, that person might become a friend. That has happened to me many times.
Before Covid, if someone had told me I would say I had real friends I had never met in person, I would have said they were crazy. But now I do have friends like that. And when you eventually meet, it is as though you have known each other all along.
Lynnaire Johnston
That is such a lovely note to finish on.
Living in New Zealand, I often joke that if I live long enough, everyone I know online will eventually make it here because New Zealand is on so many people’s bucket lists. And when I have met people in person after knowing them online, it really does feel as though we have known each other forever.
Val, thank you so much for joining us all the way from Iowa for today’s Link∙Ability [IN]sights livestream. We really do appreciate it.
If you are not yet connected to or following Val, and you have not bought her book, please do all three of those things. You will learn a lot from Val’s work, and not just about engagement.
Thank you also to Meryl Cass for inviting people to our events, and to Melanie Richards for stepping in behind the scenes today. We appreciate you both very much.
And thank you to everyone who joined us. We will be back with another Link∙Ability [IN]sights livestream before you know it.
See you soon. Bye for now.