Quick Answer
To change your activity broadcast on LinkedIn, you need to go to your profile settings and adjust the selections under “Activity Broadcasts.” Here are the key steps:
- Click on the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage and select “View profile.”
- Click on the “More” button near your photo and select “Settings & Privacy.”
- Click on “Privacy” in the left sidebar.
- Under “Activity broadcasts,” click on “Select what others see when you like, comment, and share.”
- Adjust the toggles for each activity type to control if it appears in your connections’ feeds.
By default, LinkedIn shows when you like, comment on, and share posts. Unchecking any of those boxes will stop broadcasting that activity to your connections. You can also select “Only share with your connections” to limit the audience.
Understanding LinkedIn Activity Broadcasts
LinkedIn automatically shares certain activities you take on the platform to expand your professional brand and increase engagement. By default, LinkedIn displays your profile image and name when you:
- Like or react to someone’s post
- Comment on a post
- Share content to your connections’ feeds
This serves to notify your connections of your interests and participation. However, some users may not want every interaction broadcasted. Thankfully, LinkedIn allows you to control exactly what actions it shares.
Here are some key things to understand about LinkedIn activity broadcasts:
- They appear in your 1st degree connections’ feeds by default.
- You can limit your audience to only your connections.
- Broadcasts encourage engagement but may seem like noise to some.
- Turning off broadcasts improves your content targeting.
- Optimize broadcasts for your professional brand and goals.
In general, keeping some broadcasting enabled strengthens your presence and network. But broadcasting every single activity may come across as distracting rather than engaging.
How to Change Your LinkedIn Activity Broadcast Settings
Adjusting your LinkedIn activity broadcasts is simple to do through your account settings. Here are step-by-step instructions:
- Click on the “Me” icon in the top navigation bar and select “View profile.” This opens your public profile page.
- Click on the “More” button next to your profile photo and headline. Choose “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
- In the left sidebar, click on “Privacy” to expand the section.
- Under “Activity broadcasts,” click on “Select what others see when you like, comment, and share.”
- This brings up toggles for liking, commenting, and sharing. Turn each toggle on or off depending on if you want that action broadcasted.
- Under “Who can see your activity broadcasts?” choose “Connections only” or “Public.”
- Click “Save” at the bottom to apply your new activity broadcast settings.
Once saved, your selections will take effect immediately. You can come back to these settings and adjust them at any time as needed.
Broadcast Options for Each Activity
Here are more details on the specific broadcast options for likes, comments, and sharing:
Likes
The “Like” broadcast shares when you like someone’s post or content. Turn this on if you want to actively show your interests and appreciation. Turn it off for more discreet networking.
Comments
The “Comment” broadcast shares when you comment on a post. This can spark thoughtful discussions. But some users may not want every casual comment publicized.
Shares
The “Share” broadcast displays when you share content to your connections’ feeds. Use this to actively share industry news and articles. Turn it off if you want to limit feed clutter.
Limiting Your Audience for Broadcasts
In addition to controlling which actions are broadcasted, you can also change the audience. By default, activity broadcasts go to your 1st degree connections.
To limit sharing to only your direct connections:
- After opening your activity broadcast settings, look under “Who can see your activity broadcasts?”
- Select “Connections only” rather than “Public.”
- Click “Save.” Now your broadcasts will only appear for your connections.
Setting your broadcasts to “Connections only” is good if you want to engage your network while avoiding sharing too broadly.
Why You May Want to Limit LinkedIn Activity Broadcasts
Here are some reasons why you may want to reduce your LinkedIn activity broadcasts:
- To avoid sharing irrelevant or casual interactions
- To focus broadcasting on more meaningful engagement
- To reduce noise in your connections’ feeds
- To target sharing more strategically
- To maintain separation between personal and professional networks
- To project a more curated professional brand
Broadcasting less overall can create a more refined LinkedIn presence. But you still want some broadcasting to show active participation. Find the right balance for your brand.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Activity Broadcasts
When optimizing your LinkedIn activity broadcasts, keep these tips in mind:
- Keep broadcasting valuable comments and content shares.
- Turn off broadcasts for casual post likes.
- Focus on quality over quantity of engagement.
- Be more strategic by engaging thoughtfully.
- Limit your audience to connections only.
- Check your broadcasts monthly and adjust as needed.
Well-configured broadcasting strengthens your professional brand while avoiding spammy updates. Broadcast enough to build authentic relationships without oversharing.
Pros and Cons of LinkedIn Activity Broadcasting
Here is a comparison of potential advantages and disadvantages:
Pros | Cons |
Increases engagement with your network | Can create noise and irrelevant updates |
Shows your interests and expertise | Limits your ability to quietly observe |
Strengthens your professional brand | Potentially shares casual interactions |
Sparks meaningful interactions | Broad sharing risks your reputation |
The key is balancing meaningful engagement with oversharing. Curate broadcasting relevant to your goals.
Conclusion
LinkedIn activity broadcasting allows you to share your platform interactions to expand engagement. While broadcasting can benefit your brand, oversharing may hinder your reputation and seem distracting.
Optimizing your activity broadcast settings enables more strategic sharing. Focus on broadcasting meaningful comments, content shares, and interactions. Limit casual post likes and restrict your audience.
With the right configuration, broadcasting positively showcases your professional brand and relationships without creating noise. Adjust your settings based on your comfort level and goals. Consistent optimization ensures you maximize the value of sharing on LinkedIn.