The LinkedIn activity feed allows you to see updates on connections, companies, and news that might interest you based on your profile and activity on LinkedIn. It serves as a centralized place to catch up on the professional activities and content being shared by your network.
Overview of the LinkedIn Activity Feed
The activity feed can be accessed by clicking on the “Activity” icon on the top toolbar when logged into your LinkedIn account. It shows updates in reverse chronological order, with the most recent activities and posts at the top.
The feed includes various types of updates, including:
- New connections made in your network
- Content published or shared by your connections
- Comments on posts and articles
- Likes and reactions to content
- Changes in employment or education for connections
- Recommendations given and received
- Posts made in LinkedIn groups you’ve joined
- Company or industry news based on pages you follow
- Notifications when you’ve been mentioned or your content is shared
LinkedIn curates the feed using algorithms that analyze your profile, connections, interests, and engagement on the platform. The goal is to surface relevant professional updates that keep you informed and engaged.
Types of Activity Shown
Here are some of the main types of activities that may appear in your LinkedIn feed:
Connections
You’ll see notifications when you gain new connections, as well as updates on their work anniversaries, job changes, education updates, and new skills/certifications. Staying on top of your connections’ professional progress can uncover opportunities for referrals, endorsements, and outreach.
Content Sharing and Engagement
The feed shows when connections share articles, videos, images, presentations, and other content. You can like and comment on this content to boost engagement. Your own shares, posts, and engagement with content will also appear here.
Recommendations
Given and received recommendations between your connections are aggregated in the feed. This lets you thank connections for recommendations and repay the favor by providing them endorsements.
Mentions
You will be notified any time another LinkedIn member mentions your name or one of your posts/shares. This allows you to join conversations where your expertise or opinion was sought out.
Groups
Discussions and posts in LinkedIn Groups that you’ve joined will show up in your main feed. Staying active in relevant groups is a great way to build authority and community.
Hashtags
Trending hashtags allow you to tap into popular topics and join broader conversations beyond your immediate connections. LinkedIn curates hashtags by region and industry.
Companies and News
Relevant news involving companies you follow will appear in the feed. This provides timely updates on companies of interest – such as new products, leadership changes, acquisitions, etc.
Sponsored Content
You may see some sponsored content in the feed from companies running LinkedIn ad campaigns. These appear similar to regular posts but are labeled as sponsored.
Filtering the LinkedIn Feed
LinkedIn provides filters that allow you to customize the types of activities shown in your feed:
- Top – The default view showing the most relevant recent updates.
- Recent – All updates from your network in strict reverse chronological order.
- Photos – Only photo shares and visual content.
- Videos – Video clips, live videos, and other video content.
- Articles – Published articles from connections and followed companies.
- Events – Upcoming events and event updates.
You can also filter the feed by specific connections to only see updates from those you select. Filters are useful for honing in on the types of content and updates you care most about.
Benefits of Monitoring the LinkedIn Activity Feed
Here are some of the main benefits of checking your LinkedIn activity feed regularly:
Stay up-to-date on your network
It serves as a centralized hub to monitor career developments, job changes, and milestones of your connections.
See relevant industry/company news
Get news tailored to your professional interests from companies and publishers you follow.
Discover content and expand knowledge
Connections share useful articles, videos, presentations, and other content. The feed surfaces the best of this content.
Increase engagement
Commenting on updates and reacting to content boosts engagement and builds relationships.
Find opportunities
Job openings, events, and professional groups participated in by your network provide opportunities.
Join conversations
Hashtags and mentions let you participate in broader conversations beyond just your connections.
Tips for Using the LinkedIn Activity Feed
To help you get the most value from LinkedIn’s activity feed, here are some top tips:
- Check the feed daily, if possible. Set aside 15-20 minutes to catch up on the latest updates.
- Comment on updates from connections. This shows you pay attention and are engaged with their activity.
- Like and share content that is useful or interesting. This helps build your professional brand.
- Give recommendations and endorsements to support your network’s growth.
- Post regular updates on your own activities to stay on your connections’ feeds.
- Follow hashtags related to your industry and interests to join broader discussions.
- Use filters to drill down into specific types of content you care about most.
- Turn on notifications for the LinkedIn mobile app to monitor the feed on-the-go.
Conclusion
The LinkedIn activity feed provides a valuable way to monitor your professional network, industry, and companies you care about. By browsing it regularly and engaging thoughtfully with connections, you can build relationships, your brand, and opportunities. The feed aims to be a personalized hub that gives visibility into activities and conversations relevant to your career.