Are you feeling frustrated with your LinkedIn feed lately? 

Do you find that the content you see is not interesting or relevant to you? 

Well, you're not alone! I hear this complaint from many people.

Many LinkedIn users struggle with finding valuable content on their feeds. Believe me, you can. It only takes a bit of work on your part to “train” the algorithm. With these tips, you will get much more out of LinkedIn and will want to spend time there.

Why Your Feed Is Not Interesting

One important aspect of any social media platform is for it to develop a community where people want to engage on the platform. For many, the content they see on LinkedIn is not engaging because it falls into one or more of these categories.

1. It is boring: The content you see is about topics you do not care about. 

2. It is too self-promoting: Selfies and posts that are self-promoting can be a put-off for many LinkedIn members. You are not interested in what that person wants to sell.

3. It is irrelevant: Your feed may have unhelpful or uninteresting posts. How does this information help you?

4. It doesn’t encourage engagement: The poster is not interested in interacting with others. They never respond to comments or seem to want to encourage any conversation.

5. It is political or too personal: Many people think of LinkedIn as a business and career-oriented social media platform. Therefore, when posts become political or delve into issues that are felt to be too personal or exploitative, many people are turned off.

Is this what is happening in your feed?

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Yes, You Can Fix Your Feed

I don’t have any of the issues above. That is because I have made a conscious effort to tell the algorithm what I want (and don’t want to see). You can make your feed packed with posts you want to read with a little effort.

Here is how:

Take action on posts that you do not want to see.

• Unfollow a person. If you have been following someone and decided you are no longer interested in their content, you can unfollow them. If you are a connection, you can remain a connection, but the algorithm will not show any more content from the person in your feed.

You can also choose to unfollow companies or even hashtags.

Go to the three-dot menu and select “Unfollow.”

Let Linkedin know you don’t want to see this. Use the “I don’t want to see this” option to let Linkedin know why you are not interested. Options include:

1. I am not interested in the author.

2. I am not interested in the topic.

3. I do not want to see political content (option for English-only posts in the US at this time).

4. It’s something else.

Use this feature to train the algorithm on what you don’t want to see.

• Mute the person. If the post is from a 2nd or 3rd tier connection, you can mute the poster from the three-dot menu. You will no longer see their posts in your feed.

Reduce Certain Types of Promoted Post: Is your feed filled with promoted posts? Use the three-dot menu option to report the ad. You have three options:

1. I think it is annoying or not interesting.

2. I have seen the same ad too often.

3. I think it is something else.

Once you confirm your option, the post will be removed.

Report Post. If you feel the post doesn’t meet the community standards, you can also report it. Areas for reporting include:

1. Suspicious, spam, or fake.

2. Harassment or hurtful speech.

3. Violence or physical harm.

4. Adult content.

5. Intellectual property infringement or defamation.

That is how you can tell Linkedin what you don’t like. 

But you can also tell the algorithm what you do like.

Give the Algorithm Information on What You Do Like

Your actions tell the algorithm what you like to see. Make sure you are also doing the following.

• React or comment on posts that you like. Reacting or commenting tells the algorithm that you like this poster’s information. The algorithm will put more of this poster’s information in your feed.

• Start following people, companies, or groups that do interest you. Their posts will start showing up in your feed.

• Follow relevant hashtags. If you are interested in sustainability, following the hashtag #sustainability will help the algorithm know that you are interested in that topic. Those hashtag users are more likely to end up in your feed.

Want to Skip the Feed Altogether?

You can skip the feed and still get the content of interest. 

• With the new(ish) bell feature on profiles, you can select it to be notified of the member's top post or all posts. That way, you can bypass your feed and go straight to the post of interest. This is sometimes glitchy, though, so beware.

• You can go old school and put together a spreadsheet with the creators that interest you. You will want to go to their profile and into their activity section. Go to their post section, and get the URL that is shown. With that URL, you can go directly to their new posts.

You Don’t Have to Have a Bad LinkedIn Experience

If you're feeling frustrated with your LinkedIn feed, don't despair! You can take several steps to improve your feed's relevance and value. By following my tips, you can create a more personalized and engaging experience on LinkedIn. 

Remember that LinkedIn's algorithm is designed to learn from your behavior and preferences, so the more you engage with relevant content, the better your feed will become over time. 

So take control of your LinkedIn experience. Stop complaining about a “sucky” feed and make it work for you.

Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.