LinkedIn is a professional social media platform that allows users to connect with other professionals, showcase their work history and skills, and find job opportunities. One useful feature on LinkedIn is the ability to tag other users in posts and comments to notify them or give them credit.
What is tagging on LinkedIn?
Tagging on LinkedIn works similarly to tagging on other social media sites. When you tag someone, you mention their name in your post or comment and it creates a link to their profile. This sends them a notification that they have been tagged. Tagging serves several purposes:
- Notifying someone that you have mentioned them
- Giving credit to someone for their work or contributions
- Increasing the visibility and reach of your post by exposing it to the networks of those tagged
- Engaging the person tagged by prompting them to like, comment on, or share the post
Who can you tag on LinkedIn?
You can tag any LinkedIn member who you are connected to or who is in the same LinkedIn group as you. When you start typing someone’s name, a dropdown menu will appear with suggested contacts to select from. You can also manually enter the name of someone you are not directly connected to. However, the tag will only work if they are in the same group membership.
How to tag someone in a regular LinkedIn post
Tagging someone in a regular LinkedIn post is easy to do:
- When writing your post, type the @ symbol anywhere in the text followed immediately by the person’s name, job title, or company name.
- A dropdown menu will appear – select the correct person to tag from the options.
- The person’s name will now appear highlighted in blue and function as a link to their profile.
- When you publish your post, the tagged person will receive a notification of being mentioned.
How to tag someone in a LinkedIn article post
The process for tagging in a LinkedIn article post is the same as a regular post:
- As you write your article, type @ followed by the name of the person anywhere in the text.
- Select their name when it pops up in the dropdown menu.
- The tag will become a clickable link in the published article.
How to tag someone in a LinkedIn comment
You may also want to tag people in the comments under a LinkedIn post. Here is how to do it:
- While writing your comment, type @ and the person’s name.
- Choose their name when it appears in the dropdown.
- The tag will function as a clickable link in your published comment.
How to tag someone in a LinkedIn image/video post
LinkedIn also allows you to publish posts with an image, video, or other media. Tagging someone follows the same method:
- When creating your post, type @ and the name of the person you want to tag.
- Select the correct name from the dropdown menu.
- The tag will be linked to their profile page when published.
Things to keep in mind when tagging on LinkedIn
- Only tag people who are relevant to the post content.
- Be selective – tagging many people can come across as spammy.
- Always double check the selected name is the intended person.
- Ask permission before tagging associates and connections.
- Monitor notifications to see if the tagged person engages with your post.
Benefits of tagging people on LinkedIn
Used thoughtfully, tagging on LinkedIn can offer several benefits:
- Increases post visibility – more people will potentially see it.
- Can improve your own visibility by exposing your content to wider networks.
- Engages the tagged person and prompts sharing or commenting.
- Validates the post content when credible people are tagged.
- Strengthens relationships and connections on LinkedIn.
Potential issues with misusing LinkedIn tags
Tagging can backfire or cause problems if not used properly:
- Excessive tagging looks spammy and manipulative.
- Tagging unconnected people can come across as stalkerish.
- Tagging associates without their consent is inconsiderate.
- Irrelevant tagging of influencers or thought leaders will be ignored.
- It clogs up notifications and feeds with unnecessary mentions.
Who not to tag on LinkedIn
As a rule of thumb, avoid tagging:
- People you don’t know personally or professionally.
- Influencers, executives, or celebrities irrelevant to your content.
- Connections who have not given you permission.
- Contacts who you think will simply increase the post reach.
- Excessive numbers of people that clutter the post.
LinkedIn tag notifications
When you tag someone on LinkedIn in a post, comment, or article they will receive a notification alerting them to the mention. The notification will include a snippet of the content you tagged them in. On your own Notifications page, you can see when others have tagged you in their posts. Tagging provides a way to directly engage your network by bringing content directly to their attention. Use it thoughtfully and tactfully.
In summary
Tagging people is an effective way to interact with your connections, increase engagement, and expand the visibility of your posts and articles on LinkedIn. Make sure to only tag people who are relevant to your content and who you think will appreciate the mention. Avoid excessive tagging or tagging people without a legitimate context. Used wisely, tagging serves as a valuable way to leverage your professional network on LinkedIn.