The LinkedIn Follow button allows other users to follow your public updates and see your posts in their feed. Having the Follow button prominently displayed on your LinkedIn profile makes it easier for others to follow you and helps increase your reach and engagement on the platform. However, the Follow button does not appear by default, so you need to customize your profile settings to enable it. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps to get the Follow button added to your LinkedIn profile.
Prerequisites to get the Follow button
Before you can add the Follow button to your profile, there are a couple of requirements:
Have a public profile
To get the Follow button, your LinkedIn profile visibility needs to be set to public. You can check your profile visibility settings under the “Privacy & Settings” tab – make sure the toggle for “Share profile edits with your network” is on. A private profile will not display the Follow button.
Have at least 150 connections
LinkedIn requires you to have a minimum of 150 connections in your network to unlock the Follow button. If you don’t have 150 connections yet, focus on growing your network by sending out connection requests. The wider your network, the easier it will be to get followers.
Once your profile is public and you meet the minimum connections requirement, you can customize your profile to enable the Follow button.
Steps to add the Follow button
Here are the steps to get the Follow button on your LinkedIn profile:
Go to your public profile settings
On LinkedIn’s desktop site, click on the “Me” icon at the top and select “View profile”. This will take you to your public profile page. Then click on the 3 dots icon next to “Edit public profile & URL” and choose “Edit public profile settings”.
Enable the Follow button
In the “Profile” section, check the box next to “Show the Follow button on your profile”. This will turn on the Follow button for your profile.
Rearrange the buttons
While you’re editing your profile settings, take a moment to drag and rearrange the order of the buttons shown under your profile intro. Make sure the Follow button appears before the Send Message and Connect buttons.
Save changes
Scroll down and click “Save” to apply your changes. The Follow button should now be visible on your profile!
Where does the Follow button appear?
Once enabled, the LinkedIn Follow button appears in two places:
Your profile intro card
At the top of your profile under your profile photo and intro, the Follow button will appear along with the Send Message and Connect buttons. This is the main Follow button that people will see and use to follow you.
Profile Photo | Name | Headline | Follow Button | Send Message Button | Connect Button |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Your photo | Your name | Your headline | Follow | Send Message | Connect |
Next to your message button
A second, smaller Follow button appears alongside the Message button when viewing someone else’s profile. People who view your profile will see this button and can click it to follow you without having to scroll back up.
How do I increase my LinkedIn followers?
Now that your profile has the Follow button enabled, here are some tips to get more LinkedIn followers:
Share engaging content frequently
Post regular LinkedIn updates with content your audience would find interesting, insightful or entertaining. Share articles, images, videos, ideas, etc. This gives people more reason to follow you.
Follow others proactively
Find and follow other industry experts, brands and thought leaders in your space. Many will follow you back. Target profiles with follower counts in the 1000s or 10,000s.
Join relevant LinkedIn Groups
Participate actively in LinkedIn Groups related to your industry. Share advice and build connections. Group members with similar interests are great potential followers.
Promote your LinkedIn profile
Let your email newsletter, website, resume, business cards and other channels know you are on LinkedIn asking to follow you. Make it easy for all contacts and audiences to find and follow you.
Engage with your existing followers
When you gain new followers, like and comment on their posts. Thank them for the follow. This builds rapport and keeps them engaged with your content.
Benefits of having more LinkedIn followers
Here are some of the advantages of growing your follower base on LinkedIn:
Increased reach for your posts
Each post you share will be distributed to all of your followers’ feeds. More followers means your content gets seen by more people.
Multiplier effect on engagement
If your followers like, share or comment on your posts, this can lead to even further engagement from their networks.
Thought leadership and industry authority
A high follower count signals you are an influencer and builds your personal brand in your field.
Opportunities for collaborations
Partnerships often start organically when engaging with your followers. Joint webinars, link-building, co-authoring, etc.
Improved search engine optimization
More followers indicates your profile is popular. LinkedIn profiles with high engagement tend to rank better in search.
Ability to publish long-form articles
LinkedIn allows publishing ~3,000 word articles once you reach ~1,000 followers. This unlocks custom articles.
Conclusion
The LinkedIn Follow button provides an easy and visible call-to-action for others to subscribe to your profile’s public updates. To enable it, make sure your profile is public and you have 150+ connections, then edit your profile to show the Follow button. Proactively engage your followers, share high-quality updates consistently, and promote your LinkedIn presence across channels to increase the size of your follower network. More followers translates to greater reach, influence and opportunities on LinkedIn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have followers on LinkedIn without the button?
Yes, it is possible to have LinkedIn followers even if the Follow button is not enabled on your profile. People can still find your profile and follow you through searches, groups, interacting with your posts, etc. However, the Follow button makes it much easier and more obvious for others to subscribe.
Does the Follow button appear on mobile LinkedIn?
The Follow button does appear on the LinkedIn mobile app, both on your profile and when viewing other people’s profiles. The mobile interface is slightly different but the functionality remains the same.
Can I see who follows me on LinkedIn?
Yes, you can see a list of all your LinkedIn followers under the “Followers” tab on your profile page. This allows you to identify and engage with the people following you.
What’s the difference between connections and followers on LinkedIn?
Your connections are the 1st-degree contacts who you have mutually agreed to link with on LinkedIn. Followers are people who subscribe to your public profile activity without necessarily connecting. Think of followers as an outer network circle beyond connections.
Can I remove the Follow button later?
Yes, you can edit your profile settings again at any time to hide the Follow button. Just uncheck the “Show the Follow button on your profile” box and save changes. The button will disappear but your existing followers will remain unless they choose to unfollow you.
More Resources
LinkedIn Help: All about the LinkedIn Follow feature
https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/topics/6042/6054/following-on-linkedin
Overview of how following works and who can follow you on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Blog: Introducing the LinkedIn Follow button
https://blog.linkedin.com/2011/01/31/linkedin-follow-button
LinkedIn’s official blog announcing the launch of the Follow feature back in 2011.
HubSpot Blog: How to Get More LinkedIn Followers
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/linkedin-followers
Guide from HubSpot with tips to gain more LinkedIn followers for your personal profile.
Social Media Today: 7 Clever Ways to Use Your LinkedIn Followers List to Grow Your Audience
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/7-clever-ways-to-use-your-linkedin-followers-list-to-grow-your-audience/601152/
Strategies to leverage your current followers to continue expanding your reach and follower count.