I say all the time that you have the power to curate your LinkedIn feed. LinkedIn is just like any other platform. It might actually be better because you can “unfollow” people on LinkedIn, and be connected with them at the same time! Name another platform that lets you do that… I’ll wait.
Anyway, if you’re reading this, you probably don’t get the LinkedIn hype. You’re scratching your head and trying to figure out why everyone is praising LinkedIn. If this sounds like you, and you feel like your LinkedIn feed is stale, dusty, and dry, then this post is for you!
How to Conduct a LinkedIn Purge
First, you need to identify who you want to unfollow. It’s best to move these people out of the way, to make room for the new accounts you will be following! Here are a few types of people that I have removed from my feed in the past:
The Irrelevant Poster
The easiest people to unfollow will be those whom you see all the time on your feed. People who fall under the irrelevant poster category, are always posting things that you don’t really care about. I like to remember that there’s someone for everyone. This person might have been for you at one time, but no longer serves you.
The Secret Hater
I recently saw a post that said something like, “You’ll have followers that secretly hate you, but they’re too nosy to unfollow you.” There’s also a popular saying that says, “There’s a fine line between love and hate.” All of these reigns true when it comes to LinkedIn! You’ll have people in your network who teeter on that love/hate line, especially if you post frequently and share your opinions openly. You can identify these haters based on how they react to your posts and comments.
The Negative Nancies
Life isn’t always positive, and sometimes you really do need to see and hear about what’s going on in the world. BUT if there is someone who shows up on your feed often, and never has anything positive to say, then it’s time to unfollow them. Constantly seeing negativity isn’t good for your mental health or personal development.
The 10 Types of LinkedIn Accounts You Should Follow
As you purge, consider refreshing your feed with these types of accounts:
Influencers
Everybody will not be for you. (Go back and re-read the first sentence). Only follow people who are sharing information that you deem helpful. Some influencers teach you how to use LinkedIn, some influencers are AI maestros, some influencers share career advice, and there are a ton of others. The options are endless, choose wisely so you don’t clog up your feed! (P.S. Don’t go around leaving nasty comments if you don’t agree with them.)
Industry News + Updates
These accounts give you industry updates, but they don’t have to be stuffy. For example, I love following accounts like Girl Power Marketing because they make staying updated fun! (see an example below)
Power Users
These are people like me! LOL. We actively use all of the features of LinkedIn to inform, inspire, and educate. We’re always posting, liking, commenting, and sharing useful info. We basically keep the LinkedIn machine going. Haha (see an example below)
People You Would Be Friends with IRL
It’s also important to fill your feed with people you genuinely like! I follow a ton of people who think about their careers and the world like I do. I also follow people who have similar interests and care about topics that I like. You should too.
Industry Thought Leaders
These people love to share fascinating insights about what’s going on in your industry. A good example of this is Leticia Xavier! I work in marketing, so it’s good for me to follow people like Leticia so that I can keep up with the trends.
Industry Recruiters + Hiring Managers
These people are the ones who can “move the needle” in your career. They have some sort of influence on the hiring process and they share open roles within their companies often. Try to find people who are actively posting and using LinkedIn!
Gatherers
Some people just love to gather a bunch of resources (i.e. job listings) and share them with their networks. Find the people who do this for your industry, and follow them immediately. When you need something, they will come in handy! Shout out to Christine Osazuwa and Baiba Matisone.
People Who Highlight the Social/Cultural/Political Climate
This can get a bit risky, but if you’re open-minded, you should consider following people who discuss the social/cultural/political climate that’s happening near where you live and in the workplace. Even if you don’t agree with everything they post, realize that everyone’s truth is valid and we’re all living different lives. Plus, it’s good to be informed. (P.S. Don’t go around leaving nasty comments if you don’t agree with them.)
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