LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social networking sites. With over 722 million users worldwide, LinkedIn provides a platform for professionals to connect, network, share content, and engage with each other. One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to post updates, articles, images, videos, and other content which your connections can then like, comment on, and share.
What Does Liking a Post on LinkedIn Do?
When you like a post on LinkedIn, it indicates that you appreciate, support, or agree with the content. Liking a post boosts engagement as it sends a notification to the author that you liked their update. It also shares that post with your connections, which subsequently increases its visibility and distribution across the platform. Some key things that happen when you like a post on LinkedIn:
- The author receives a notification that you liked their post
- The post appears under your “Liked” updates on your profile
- The post may show up on your connections’ feed as “Your connection [Your Name] liked this”
- It contributes to the total number of likes on that post which is displayed publicly
- Repeated likes can build your professional relationship with the author
Liking posts relevant to your industry is a great way to show support and build relationships. It also helps increase the reach of quality content. The more likes a post gets, the more credibility it gains.
What Happens When You Unlike a Post?
The ability to unlike a post allows you to reconsider and change your endorsement. When you unlike an update, here is what happens:
- The total number of likes on the post decreases by 1
- The notification that you liked the post is removed for the author
- The post disappears from your “Liked” updates on your profile
- Your connection will no longer see the “Your connection [Your Name] liked this” update
- All your previous likes on that post are undone
Therefore, undoing your like basically reverses the process and notification trail. The public like counter goes down, signalling that you no longer support or agree with the content. However, any comments you may have made on the post remain intact.
Why Would You Want to Unlike a LinkedIn Post?
Here are some common reasons for unliking a post on LinkedIn:
- The content no longer resonates with you or aligns with your views
- You liked the post accidentally or without reading thoroughly
- The post contains misleading, incorrect, or inappropriate information
- The author’s standing has changed due to new information about them
- The post attracts offensive, radical, or factually inaccurate comments
- You want to reconsider if liking publicly aligns with your brand strategy
Essentially, unliking allows you to retract your social proof and endorsement. You can change your stance if the content is no longer relevant or conflicts with your values. Strategic liking and unliking allows you to thoughtfully curate your social feed and brand image.
How Often Can You Like or Unlike a Post?
There is no limit to how many times you can like or unlike a particular post on LinkedIn. You can like a post that you had initially unliked before. And you can keep adding or removing likes as per your discretion.
However, LinkedIn may track users who excessively like and unlike the same post repeatedly in a short span of time. This kind of activity may be flagged as unusual engagement. Too many such notifications could irritate your connections as well. Moderation is key if you want to leverage the feature effectively.
Does Liking and Unliking Affect Your Account?
Judicious use of liking and unliking has no negative impact on your account status. However, some precautions are advised:
- Mass liking and unliking posts rapidly can get you shadowbanned
- Random liking activity unrelated to your industry may seem suspicious
- Repeatedly liking and unliking the same post will reduce your credibility
- Your connections may find excessive notifications annoying
As long as your activity seems organic, you are unlikely to face any issues. The features are designed for genuine user engagement. But gaming the system can backfire in the form of restrictions. Maintain relevance and context in your actions.
Does Liking or Unliking Send the Author a Notification?
Yes, the original post author receives a notification whenever you like or unlike their update. When you initially like a post, the author gets notified that you liked their content. This notification disappears after you unlike it. They do not receive another notification informing them of your unlike action. The lack of a like notification alerts them that you may have unliked the post.
Can You See Who Has Liked or Unliked Your Post?
LinkedIn does not have a public list of people who have liked or unliked your post. You can only see the total number of likes your update has received, which increases or decreases accordingly.
However, as the post author, you can still see some insights:
- You receive notifications when someone likes your post
- The notification goes away if they unlike it later
- Under post analytics, you can see top likers and their profiles
- You will notice if prominent connections have liked or unliked
But there is no definitive way to check who specifically has unliked your post after liking it earlier. The analytics provide indicative signals based on engagement fluctuations.
Can You See Who Has Liked or Unliked Someone Else’s Post?
No, you cannot see who has liked or unliked another person’s post on LinkedIn. The platform does not reveal identities of individual likers publicly. Only the post author has access to analytics to view top likers.
For others, the like counter is the only available data point. You can only tell directionally if the number goes up or down. But the individual identities remain anonymous. This prevents privacy violations and unnecessary social judgments.
Does Liking or Unliking a Post Share it on Your Profile?
Liking a post shares it on your profile under the “Liked” updates section, which is publicly visible. Other users can see the posts you have liked recently. This sharing ceases once you unlike the post.
However, you have the option to privately like a post. Just click the drop-down arrow next to the Like button and choose “Like privately”. This will not share the post on your profile. You can express appreciation without a public endorsement.
How to Like a Post Privately on LinkedIn?
- Click on the drop-down arrow next to the Like button below the post
- Select the option “Like privately” from the menu
- The post will not appear under your Liked updates
- The author will still receive a notification of your like
- To unlike, click the same drop-down arrow and select “Unlike”
Private likes allow targeted engagement with authors. You can show support without broadcasting it. This helps shape your personal brand selectively.
Can You See Who Has Viewed Your Post?
LinkedIn does not disclose who has viewed your posts in their feed. However, paid account holders have access to some post viewer analytics:
- On LinkedIn’s Creator mode, you can see top viewers by industry and location.
- Sales Navigator accounts can see post viewers and their profiles.
- Recruiter Lite and Business Plus members can filter viewers by industry.
- Premium Business and Recruiter accounts provide more filtered viewer data.
So post view tracking is limited for privacy reasons. Only business and recruitment-focused paid memberships enable this analytics feature. It provides limited, high-level data to analyze audience demography and interests. Individual viewer identities remain anonymous.
Pros of Liking LinkedIn Posts
Here are some benefits of thoughtfully liking posts on LinkedIn:
- Supports professional connections by endorsing their content
- Increases visibility of relevant industry updates in your network
- Shows alignment with individuals, brands, and causes
- Curates your feed with high-quality content
- Boosts your relationships and personal brand image
- Fosters engagement and dialogue on topics of interest
Liking is the easiest way to build social capital and amplify credible voices on LinkedIn. It is the most positive and constructive engagement signal.
Cons of Liking LinkedIn Posts
However, indiscriminate liking can also have some downsides:
- May signal endorsement of biased, inaccurate or objectionable content
- Excessive likes appear as spammy behavior to connections
- Liking every post from the same person looks like targeted harassment
- Too many likes clutter your profile and reduce relevance
- It artificially inflates credibility of substandard or promotional content
- Authoring companies may obtain data about your interests and preferences
Therefore, you need to evaluate posts critically before liking. Make sure they align with your values and add value for your audience. Blind liking tends to degrade the experience for everyone.
Best Practices for Liking LinkedIn Posts
Here are some tips to like LinkedIn posts effectively and ethically:
- Read the full post carefully before liking
- Ensure the content is relevant to you professionally
- Check author credibility on previous posts
- Like posts sparingly and space out likes
- Be selective and like only truly engaging content
- Feel free to unlike posts whenever needed
- Use private likes if you don’t want to endorse publicly
- Avoid liking spam, self-promotion, or misleading material
Judicious liking demonstrates your discernment and uplifts quality conversations. Be your authentic self, back up industry experts, and shape your personal brand through your likes.
Conclusion
Liking and unliking posts allows you to engage actively with content on LinkedIn. Use the features mindfully to curate a relevant feed and support valuable ideas meaningfully. Analyze posts critically prior to endorsement. Avoid indiscriminate liking behavior that reflects poorly on your brand. With its vast professional network, LinkedIn is a prime channel for expressing your vision. Your likes represent your perspectives. Leverage them to build connections and further collective knowledge.