F is for… Following (and followers)

Connect or follow?

LinkedIn is more than just connecting.   LinkedIn also offers the option to follow other people (and companies) by creating a one-way link (instead of the two-way link that is formed with connections) allowing you to subscribe to the  updates, posts and published content on their Activity Feed.

Connections are a two-way relationship between two people who know each other. If you’re connected to someone, you will see each other’s shares and updates and be able to send them messages. Following someone on LinkedIn allows you to see the person’s posts and articles on your homepage without being connected to them. However, this is a one-way relationship and they won’t see what you post.

You can follow someone by clicking follow on their profile page (or as part of the drop down menu if you click more).

Following a company or individual can be a great way of learning more about the business or industry particularly if they (in the case of an individual) are not already a connection.  If they are already a connection they will be following you anyway.

LinkedIn as a publishing platform..

You also have the ability to follow a channel, influencers, or publishers on LinkedIn (desktop). This might be someone who regularly posts a lot of content, industry publications or other curated content as part of the LinkedIn influencers.