Unfollowing someone on LinkedIn is a simple process that can be done directly from your feed, without having to visit their profile. Here are the steps to unfollow a LinkedIn connection:
View the Post You Want to Unfollow
When someone you’re connected with on LinkedIn posts an update you don’t want to see anymore, go to your LinkedIn feed and find their post. You can access your feed by clicking on “Home” at the top of your LinkedIn page.
Hover Over the Post and Click “Following”
Once you’ve located the post by the person you want to unfollow, hover your mouse over the post. On the right side you’ll see their name and the word “Following.” Click on “Following.”
Select “Unfollow [Name]”
A dropdown menu will appear. Click on “Unfollow [Name]” at the bottom of the menu. LinkedIn will stop showing you posts from this connection in your feed without unconnecting from them.
Confirm the Unfollow
LinkedIn will ask you to confirm that you want to unfollow the person. Click “Yes” to complete the process.
You Have Now Unfollowed the Person
That’s it! You have successfully unfollowed the person without having to go to their profile. You can refollow them in the future by viewing their posts and selecting “Follow” if you change your mind.
Tips for Unfollowing on LinkedIn
Here are some additional tips for unfollowing LinkedIn connections:
- You can unfollow someone directly from their profile. Just go to their profile, click “More” next to the blue “Connect” button, and choose “Unfollow.”
- Unfollowing someone only affects your feed and notifications. You stay connected on LinkedIn.
- You can see all the people you’re following under “Me” > “Following.” Unfollow multiple people here.
- Give feedback if asked why you’re unfollowing. It helps improve their posts.
- Unfollow sparingly. You may miss important updates from that connection.
Benefits of Unfollowing on LinkedIn
Unfollowing connections on LinkedIn can provide the following benefits:
- Reduce clutter in your feed by removing irrelevant or uninteresting updates
- Avoid posts from connections who share too frequently
- Eliminate updates with unprofessional or inappropriate content
- Customize your feed to focus on your priorities and interests
- Improve your LinkedIn experience by seeing more useful posts
Who to Consider Unfollowing
Here are some types of connections you may want to unfollow on LinkedIn:
- Contacts you don’t interact with frequently
- People who post too much or share unhelpful content
- Connections promoting products or services too aggressively
- Former colleagues or classmates you’re now distant from
- Contacts whose posts aren’t relevant to your industry or role
Risks of Unfollowing Connections
While unfollowing can improve your feed, there are some risks to be aware of:
- You may miss important updates, like job changes or achievements
- The person will not be notified and may feel snubbed later on
- Former contacts can provide unexpected opportunities down the road
- Over-unfollowing can limit your exposure to diverse content and views
- If used politically at companies, it can isolate people and damage culture
How to Repair the Relationship After Unfollowing
If you unfollow someone you have an otherwise positive relationship with, here are some tips for smoothing things over:
- Send them a private message explaining your reasons for unfollowing
- Emphasize that you value your connection but were overloaded with updates
- Suggest ways they could improve their posting approach and frequency
- Offer to turn notifications back on for future updates if they modify behavior
- Connect with them through other methods besides LinkedIn feeds
- Focus any conversations on the positive aspects of your relationship
Alternatives to Unfollowing
Instead of unfollowing, you can also consider these alternative approaches:
- Snooze updates from connections for a designated time period instead of unfollowing
- Send a polite message asking them to change their posting behavior before unfollowing
- Review updates less frequently so problematic posts are less noticeable
- Expand your network with more useful connections to dilute their updates
- Make use of options like Newsfeed filters to control the content you see
Conclusion
Unfollowing on LinkedIn is a simple, direct way to manage your feed and focus on the content most relevant to you. But use it judiciously, as unfollowing can have unintended social and professional consequences. Try snoozing or customizing settings first before permanently unfollowing connections.
With the right approach, unfollowing can help optimize your LinkedIn experience and connections without damaging your relationships.