Mastering Your LinkedIn Feed: A Guide for Small Business Owners

The cover image for this post is by Shutter Speed

This blog post was written by Jamie.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, social media platforms like LinkedIn have become an indispensable tool for small business owners looking to expand their reach, network with potential clients, and stay ahead of the competition. However, amidst the numerous updates, notifications, and posts flooding your feed, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start.

As Keith Ferrazzi astutely observes in his book “Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time”:

The problem isn’t information overload, it’s filter failure.

In other words, while we may be bombarded with a vast amount of information, our ability to discern what’s truly relevant and valuable is the real challenge.

Ferrazzi goes on to say that:

Our challenge these days is to figure out, in the mass of contacts we’ve collected, which ones matter. The people who build social platforms know this and are getting better at helping you filter out the noise. But their algorithms will never be as smart as you are about what really matters to you.

So with that in mind, my aim with this article is to help small business owners on LinkedIn optimise their feed, focus on filtering out the noise, and make the most of this powerful networking tool.

Understanding LinkedIn’s Feed Filtering

LinkedIn’s algorithm uses a combination of factors to determine what content appears in your feed. These include:

• Relationship: Your connections, recent activity, and engagement patterns
• Content quality: Relevance, timeliness, and engagement with specific posts or authors
• User behavior: Your browsing history, likes, comments, and shares

By adjusting these factors, you can tailor your feed to showcase the content that matters most to you.

Filtering Strategies

Here are some effective ways to filter out noise from your LinkedIn feed:

1. Unfollow Irrelevant Accounts: If you find yourself regularly scrolling through irrelevant posts, consider unfollowing those accounts to reduce noise in your feed—more on unfollowing in a moment.
2. Mute Unwanted Notifications: Muting notifications for specific users or topics helps minimize distractions and ensures you only see content that’s relevant to your interests.
3. Customise Your Feed: Click on the three dots at the top-right corner of a post and select “See more from [username]” to expand the feed for specific users. This allows you to focus on high-priority connections without seeing unnecessary content.
4. Use LinkedIn’s Search Function: Utilise LinkedIn’s search function to find specific topics, keywords, or hashtags. This will help you discover new content that aligns with your interests and stay up-to-date with industry trends.
5. Consider LinkedIn Premium: LinkedIn Premium is the paid tier of LinkedIn which allows you to filter an search with much more accuracy. It also allows you to browser other user’s profiles anonymously—if you’ve ever had the “someone viewed your profile” notification, they were a LinkedIn Premium user.

The Psychology of Social Media Engagement

Understanding the psychology behind social media engagement is crucial for creating an effective filtering strategy. Here are some key insights:

• Social Proof: People are more likely to engage with content that comes from trusted sources, such as friends, family, or industry leaders.
• Scarcity: Limited-time offers, exclusive deals, or limited availability can create a sense of urgency and encourage engagement.
• Reciprocity: When you receive value from someone’s content, you’re more likely to reciprocate by engaging with their posts.

By leveraging these psychological triggers, you can craft a strategy that not only filters out noise but also fosters meaningful connections and engagement on LinkedIn.

Maximising Your LinkedIn Feed

While filtering your feed is essential, it’s equally important to maximise its potential. Here are some advanced strategies to take your LinkedIn game to the next level:

1. Create Engaging Content: Produce high-quality content that showcases your expertise and adds value to your network. Use visuals, storytelling techniques, or industry insights to captivate your audience.
2. Participate in LinkedIn Groups: Join relevant groups related to your industry or niche and engage with others’ posts through comments and discussions.
3. Publish Articles: Share your thoughts on industry topics by publishing articles on LinkedIn. This helps establish you as a thought leader and expands your reach.
4. Utilise LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform: Write in-depth articles that showcase your expertise, including infographics, videos, or podcasts.
5. Avoid Low Hanging Fruit: There’s a tendency to post intentionally incorrect or misleading content on LinkedIn specifically to drive engagement. Avoid this. At best, it causes arguments and negative sentiment in the comments, and at worst it could affect your employability (as potential contacts might think that you’re not an expert at what you do).

Important Note: Unfollowing Someone Doesn’t Remove Your Connection

When unfollowing someone on LinkedIn, it’s essential to understand that it doesn’t remove your connection with them. Their content will no loner appear in your feed, but you can still message them directly through their profile. This is because LinkedIn uses a separate algorithm for follower visibility versus post visibility.

By unfollowing someone, you’re essentially hiding their content from your feed, not severing your professional relationship. If you need to limit your interactions with a specific person, consider muting their notifications or adjusting your search settings instead.

Conclusion

Mastering your LinkedIn feed requires a combination of understanding the algorithm, leveraging psychological triggers, and implementing effective filtering strategies. By following these tips, small business owners can optimise their feed, focus on high-priority connections, and unlock the full potential of this powerful networking tool.

Remember, it’s not about passively scrolling through your feed; it’s about actively curating content that resonates with you. By doing so, you’ll create a more engaging, relevant, and valuable experience for yourself and others on LinkedIn.

Additional Resources

Be sure to check out these resources for more information on leveraging both networking in general and social networks to enhance your position in the global market place:

• Keith Ferrazzi’s book “Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time” provides a comprehensive guide to navigating professional networks and building meaningful relationships.
• LinkedIn’s official blog offers insights into the latest platform updates, algorithm changes, and best practices for small business owners.
• Industry-specific publications, podcasts, and webinars can help you stay up-to-date with industry trends and thought leadership.

By embracing these strategies and staying committed to your goals, you’ll become a master of your LinkedIn feed and unlock a world of networking opportunities, collaboration, and growth.

About RJJ Software Ltd.: RJJ Software is a leading technology company offering a wide range of software development, consulting, and mentorship services. They are also AI experts, providing cutting-edge solutions in this rapidly evolving field. In addition to their software offerings, RJJ Software offers audio and podcast editing services, making them a one-stop solution for all your tech needs.

The company produces The Modern .NET Show—the only podcast focused specifically on .NET—and The Waffling Taylors podcast. They also edit and provide post-production services for Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy, and the recently retired Podcasters Live, Tabs and Spaces and Cynical Developer podcasts.