When you share content on LinkedIn, you can choose who is able to view your posts. By default, your connections and their connections (2nd degree connections) can see your posts. However, you have options to change the audience for each individual post. You can make your posts public, visible to only your 1st degree connections, or visible to only a customized list of connections.
Default Visibility Settings
The default setting for LinkedIn posts is that they are visible to your 1st degree connections and 2nd degree connections. This means that not only can your direct connections on LinkedIn see your posts, but also anyone connected to your connections. This expands the potential audience significantly beyond just your own network.
Setting posts to the default visibility is a good option if you want your content to reach a wider group of people and enable sharing beyond your own contacts. This can help expand your professional network and allow your content to reach decision makers you may not be directly connected to.
Public Visibility
You also have the option to make any of your LinkedIn posts completely public. This means that anyone on LinkedIn would be able to view your post, even if they are not connected to you in any way.
Making a post public is a good choice if you want maximum exposure and reach for that content. For example, if you are promoting an event, sharing major news about your company, or want your content to be accessible as an industry resource, you may want to utilize public sharing.
However, public sharing also means you lose control over who can see your posts. Any LinkedIn member would have access. You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons of public posting based on your goals and comfort level.
1st Degree Connections Only
You can also limit the visibility of your LinkedIn posts to only your direct, 1st degree connections. This narrows the potential audience but maintains a level of control over who can access your content.
Setting a post to be visible to only 1st degree connections is a good option if you want to target sharing specifically to your professional network. For example, if you are sharing job opportunities at your company or business partnership opportunities, limiting visibility may be preferential.
Customizing Your Audience
LinkedIn also allows you to customize the audience for your posts by selecting only specific individuals or groups to view it. You can choose among your LinkedIn connections and groups that you are a member of.
Customizing your audience gives you the maximum control over who can view your content. This option is beneficial if you want to target content to specific teams, committee members, project collaborators, or any other defined groups relevant to your goals.
LinkedIn Groups
When you post content directly into a LinkedIn Group rather than your main feed, the visibility is automatically customized to members of that group. Only individuals who have joined the group will be able to see posts within group discussions.
Posting in niche LinkedIn Groups allows you to engage specialized audiences based on shared interests, industries, professions, affiliations, and more. It’s a good way to establish yourself as an expert in a tight-knit community.
Common Visibility Settings
Here are some of the most common settings professionals choose for their LinkedIn posts:
- Job opportunities visible to 1st degree connections only
- Industry news and general interest articles visible to 2nd degree connections (default)
- Major company announcements and news visible publicly
- Content relevant to special groups visible only to the target groups
- Thought leadership posts visible publicly to establish authority
Visibility Icons
When viewing LinkedIn posts, you can easily identify the visibility settings through post icons:
- Globe icon – Visible publicly
- Group icon – Visible only to group members
- Single user icon – Visible only to 1st degree connections
- Multiple user icon – Visible to customized audience
- No icon – Visible to 1st and 2nd degree connections (default)
Changing Post Visibility
You can change the visibility of your posts at any time, unless they are posted within a LinkedIn Group. To adjust visibility settings:
- Click the three dots icon […] on your post
- Select “Change visibility”
- Choose your desired visibility level
- Click “Done”
Remember, lowering visibility settings will only affect who can see your post moving forward. Anyone who may have already viewed, shared, or engaged with the post will not be retroactively affected.
Visibility of Your Profile and Activity
Beyond individual posts, you can also control more general visibility settings and activity broadcasts on your LinkedIn profile.
Your profile visibility determines who can view your basic profile information. You can make your profile public or limit availability to your network. Activity broadcasts share when you make major profile updates. You can toggle these on or off.
The visibility settings for your overall profile and activity sharing can impact your broader professional presence on LinkedIn. Consider both individual post visibility as well as general profile visibility as part of your overall social media strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Default post visibility is to 1st and 2nd degree connections.
- You can also make posts public, limit to 1st degree connections only, or customize specific groups.
- Evaluate your goals and target audience for each post to determine optimal visibility.
- Visibility settings can be changed at any time, except for posts made within LinkedIn Groups.
- Profile visibility and activity broadcasts also impact your presence.
