LinkedIn has become an integral platform for professionals to build their personal brand and network. With over 800 million users worldwide, LinkedIn offers users the ability to create detailed profiles highlighting their work experiences, skills, accomplishments, education and more. One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to share updates, articles, images, videos and other content to your connections and followers.
What are the benefits of sharing on LinkedIn?
There are several potential benefits to sharing content on your LinkedIn profile:
- Demonstrate your knowledge and expertise – Sharing insightful articles, research, presentations etc. allows you to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
- Increase visibility – Posting regular updates ensures you stay top of mind with your connections. It can lead to more profile views and connection requests.
- Promote your work – You can share examples of projects, publications, media coverage and other content you have created or been featured in.
- Interact with your network – Commenting on others’ posts and sharing your perspective allows you to have meaningful interactions.
- Build relationships – Shared content gives you an opportunity to start conversations and strengthen connections.
- Expand reach – Your posts have the potential to be seen beyond just your direct connections, leading to a wider audience.
Overall, thoughtful sharing on LinkedIn can establish you as an industry expert, expand your visibility, highlight your work and allow you to develop stronger relationships with your network.
What are some potential risks of sharing on LinkedIn?
While there are benefits, some risks need to be kept in mind as well:
- Oversharing – Posting too frequently, especially content irrelevant to your audience, can be perceived as spam.
- Controversial topics – Weigh the risks of posting about controversial issues that may alienate some connections.
- Negative portrayal – Take care not to share content that casts you, your company or colleagues in an unprofessional light.
- Revealing confidential info – Be careful not to share proprietary information or breach confidentiality.
- Security issues – Malicious actors may try to connect and gain access to private info through social engineering.
- Damaging current job – Managers may disapprove of certain posts and cause issues in your current role.
- Future job prospects – Recruiters and hiring managers will likely review your profile, so inappropriate content could hurt your chances.
It’s important to be thoughtful about what, how often and with whom you share content. While it can be very beneficial if used properly, oversharing or posting the wrong content can also have consequences.
How can I share safely and avoid risks on LinkedIn?
Here are some tips to share safely and minimize risks on LinkedIn:
- Be selective – Only share content that will genuinely interest and benefit your connections, not just any random article or meme.
- Add value – Look to share insights, ideas and resources that spark thoughtful discussion or help others in their careers.
- Don’t overpost – Limit sharing to a few times per week at most, and avoid sharing multiple times a day.
- Be professional – Keep the tone and topics professional as though you’re at a networking event.
- Be wary of connections – Vet connection requests carefully and limit access to certain posts if needed.
- Ask permission – If posting about colleagues or company initiatives, get appropriate permissions first.
- No confidential info – Absolutely no sharing of confidential financials, client data, trade secrets etc.
- Review settings – Adjust your profile and post audience settings to limit visibility as needed.
- Monitor comments – Keep on top of replies and discussion to your posts to maintain a positive tone.
Finding a healthy balance between active sharing and oversharing takes some trial-and-error. But sticking to mainly professional, relevant content and limiting promotional posts goes a long way. Also be very prudent when posting anything related to current employers or clients.
What are LinkedIn’s policies around sharing content?
LinkedIn does have various policies in place related to sharing content. Some key things to keep in mind include:
- Abusive behavior – No offensive, harassing or hateful content allowed. You can be reported and banned.
- Impersonation – You must use your real identity and not impersonate someone else.
- Confidential information – Do not reveal sensitive company information without permission.
- Illegal activities – No promotion or depictions of illegal, dangerous or unethical behavior.
- Spamming – Avoid sharing unsolicited promotional content excessively.
- Scraping data – You cannot scrape or copy data from LinkedIn en masse.
- Third-party rights – Do not share content that infringes on others’ copyright, trademarks etc.
- Private information – Respect others’ privacy and do not reveal personal details without consent.
It’s a good idea to review LinkedIn’s full User Agreement and Professional Community Policies to understand what is and isn’t allowed on both personal profiles and Company Pages. Follow their guidelines and use common sense to avoid any issues.
Should I be concerned about privacy settings on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn does offer users quite robust privacy controls to restrict who can see their various profile elements and posts. Some aspects to consider:
- Profile photo – Often public by default but can limit visibility.
- Public profile – Typically anyone can view your name, headline, experience etc.
- Connections – Your connections are usually visible to others.
- Sharing settings – Can select specific groups or just connections to share with.
- Activity broadcasts – Controls whether your comments and likes appear in feeds.
- Ad audiences – Can opt out of targeted advertising and data sharing.
- Search engine visibility – Can prevent profile from appearing in search engines.
It’s worthwhile to review all of LinkedIn’s privacy settings under the “Privacy & Settings” section and adjust them to your comfort level. For example, you may want to limit some information just to your connections. You can also toggle certain settings when making an individual post. But overall, LinkedIn does give you adequate control to protect your privacy.
What type of content should I avoid sharing on LinkedIn?
There are certain types of content that should generally be avoided on LinkedIn to maintain a professional brand:
- Political – Avoid divisive political stances unless directly relevant to your career.
- Controversial – Skip hot-button or extremist positions on any polarizing topics.
- Overly personal – Don’t overshare details about your private life.
- Offensive – No sexist, racist, discriminatory or similarly inappropriate content.
- Misinformation – Refrain from sharing “fake news” or unsubstantiated claims.
- Condescending – Don’t be dismissive or insulting towards professions, genders, backgrounds etc.
- Illegal – No promotion or depictions of unethical, dangerous or unlawful activities.
- Confidential – Don’t reveal your company’s proprietary information or data.
- Competitor bashing – Avoid outright criticism or attacks on your competitors.
- Non-value added – Limit motivational quotes, memes and other fluff in favor of substantive updates.
Additionally, avoid sharing content primarily for self-promotional reasons versus providing tangible value to your connections. In general, focus on topics and perspectives directly relevant to your industry and professional network on LinkedIn.
Should I connect with people I don’t know well on LinkedIn?
When managing your LinkedIn connections, you don’t necessarily need to limit yourself only to people you know well. But some precautions apply when connecting with strangers or loose acquaintances:
- Review profiles – Vet any unknown users carefully before connecting.
- Limit info access – Be more selective in what profile and account details they can view.
- Don’t accept immediately – It’s often safer to ignore or politely decline connection requests.
- Watch for red flags – Decline requests from accounts with suspicious behavior or details.
- Block if needed – Don’t hesitate to block or report any harassing users.
- Customize requests – Add a quick personalized note when requesting to connect with someone you don’t know well.
- Limit conversations – Be cautious opening up conversations with connections you don’t know or trust.
- Verify real users – Many connection requests can come from bots versus real users.
The most important thing is to vet any unfamiliar connection prospects thoroughly. Having a wide network can be beneficial, but protect yourself by being selective and limiting what strangers can see or do on your profile and posts.
Is it risky to post recommendations or endorsements on LinkedIn?
Posting recommendations and endorsements for other LinkedIn members you have worked with can further boost engagement on the platform. However, there are certain risks to keep in mind:
- Defamation – Don’t exaggerate someone’s skills or make false claims that could be challenged legally.
- Company risks – Be careful not to imply your employer’s endorsement without permission.
- Endorsing competitors – Your own company may not approve of endorsing those at competing firms.
- Quid pro quo – Pressuring others or trading endorsements can appear disingenuous if not authentic.
- Dilution – Indiscriminate endorsements can water down the value for truly deserving recipients.
- Social proof – Mass endorsements between groups can look like an attempt to game the system.
- Misrepresentation – Avoid endorsements for skills not truly demonstrated by the recipient.
The safest approach is to limit recommendations and endorsements only to those individuals you have worked closely with and can authentically vouch for their abilities. Also secure any necessary permissions related to your employment. The endorsements you give should be accurate, thoughtful and add genuine value.
What are the risks of oversharing personal information on LinkedIn?
While you do want your LinkedIn profile to feel personable and approachable, oversharing certain personal details can pose privacy and safety risks:
- Identity theft – Details like your birthday or place of birth can aid fraudsters.
- Financial risks – Publicizing details about your assets or finances could attract hacking.
- Physical risks – Sharing your detailed addresses or travel plans could enable stalking.
- Reputational damage – Revealing too much about your private life can be unprofessional.
- Family info – Be cautious about exposing details that could put your family at risk.
- Scams – Fraudsters can leverage personal info like numbers or email for phishing.
- Discrimination – Some personal or health details could lead to bias.
- Employer unease – Companies may be uncomfortable with what’s shared publicly.
It’s smart to restrict information like your home address, personal phone and email, details about children, any financial or health specifics etc. Be very judicious in terms of the personal details you choose to share publicly on your profile or in posts.
What should I do if I’m being harassed on LinkedIn?
If you find yourself subject to any form of harassment on LinkedIn, here are some recommended steps:
- Report user – Use LinkedIn’s reporting feature on their profile.
- Block user – Block them from viewing your profile or contacting you.
- Review settings – Adjust your profile visibility and sharing settings.
- Limit info – Remove or restrict access to details like your employer.
- Save evidence – Keep records of any abusive posts or messages.
- Contact LinkedIn – If needed, file complaints directly with LinkedIn’s support team.
- Inform colleagues – Let close connections know to restrict harasser access.
- Involve authorities – For serious or dangerous cases, get law enforcement involved.
- Watch for retaliation – If online harassment persists, evaluate next legal steps.
You have the right not to be harassed on LinkedIn or any other platform. Take proactive steps to secure your profile, limit unwanted access, report bad actors and contact the appropriate authorities if the situation warrants it.
How can I avoid scams and phishing attempts on LinkedIn?
Here are some tips to recognize and avoid the most common scams and phishing efforts on LinkedIn:
- Watch for suspicious connection requests – Especially from people you don’t know.
- Review profiles carefully – Fraudulent accounts often have strange titles or work history.
- Verify contact details – Don’t simply trust numbers or addresses shared.
- Avoid phone/email over LinkedIn – Talk outside the platform to confirm real users.
- Ignore investment opportunities – Messages pitching mysterious investments are always scams.
- Don’t click strange links – Even from connections, don’t click unverified links or attachments.
- Change passwords regularly – Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
- Watch for urgent requests – Scammers often say it’s “urgent” to get money or data from you.
- Confirm before paying – Never send money without verifying employment offers and speaking to real company contacts.
Stay skeptical of any unusual requests, high-pressure sales tactics, or requests for financial or personal data through LinkedIn messages and connection requests. Double check everything through outside channels before taking any action.
Should I worry about my employer monitoring my LinkedIn activity?
Many employers do monitor the LinkedIn activity of both current employees and job candidates. Things they may look out for:
- Bad-mouthing employers – Complaints about previous companies or managers.
- Sharing confidential info – Revealing secrets or unethical behavior.
- Inappropriate content – Off-color jokes, images or comments.
- Job hunting – Active applications or discussions with competitors.
- Misaligned work history – Embellished or inaccurate job titles and dates.
- Policy violations – Breaches of social media, confidentiality or conduct policies.
- Leaking news – Announcing organization changes prematurely.
- Security risks – Oversharing of workplace or personal details.
- Time-wasting – Being active on LinkedIn during work hours.
It’s prudent to assume your employer can see anything you post or share on LinkedIn, even set to connections-only visibility. Maintain professionalism at all times and avoid oversharing work-related details without permission.
What are some alternatives if I want to limit my LinkedIn usage?
If you are looking to distance yourself from LinkedIn, alternatives include:
- Maintaining a minimal profile – Keep your profile active but clean and strictly professional.
- Increased privacy settings – Restrict visibility of your details and activity.
- Leaving gracefully – Inform connections you are reducing usage but provide other contact methods.
- Deleting your account – Can permanently deactivate your profile and remove from search.
- Using competing platforms – Explore other professional social networks like Xing.
- Relying on old-fashioned networking – Attend conferences and events to connect in-person.
- Focusing on company website – Establish your own professional website instead.
- Leveraging alumni networks – Tap university alumni databases to find and contact peers.
How you choose to use LinkedIn depends on your comfort level and professional needs. But you can definitely limit its role and supplement with other networking strategies if desired.
Conclusion
Sharing and engaging actively on LinkedIn comes with many benefits, but also potential risks around privacy, harassment, inappropriate content and more. Maintaining common sense sharing etiquette, tightening your privacy settings, reporting bad actors, and avoiding spammy self-promotion go a long way in allowing you to securely leverage LinkedIn for networking while maintaining your professional reputation.
