Same post, two ways
Here is a post recapping a panel, written twice. The names are invented.
Version A
Great panel today on hiring for small teams! So many insights.
@Dana Reyes @Sam Okafor @Priya Nair @Lee Carter @Morgan Ellis @Alex Kim @Jordan Blake
Version B
The best moment of today’s panel on hiring for small teams came from @Dana Reyes: she drops the take-home test for any role under three months.
@Sam Okafor pushed back, and their back-and-forth on fairness was worth the trip alone.
Thanks to @Northfield Labs for hosting.
Version A tags seven people and tells nobody anything. Some of those names may not have been on the panel at all. Version B tags three, and each tag is tied to something the person said or did. Those people have a reason to read it, reply and maybe share it with their own network. Everyone else learns something.
How mentions work
When you write a post or comment, typing @ followed by a name brings up a list of matching members and pages. Picking one turns the name into a link, shown in a different style from the rest of your text. That link is a mention, also called a tag.
The person or page you mention is usually notified, and readers can click straight through to their profile or page. You can mention individual members and company pages. Members can also choose in their settings whether others are allowed to mention them.
When a tag helps
- The person is part of the story: a collaborator, a source, a host, someone you are thanking.
- You say why you tagged them. “Thanks to @Dana for the hiring data behind this” is clear. A name dropped at the end is not.
- A company page was part of shared news, like a partnership, an event or a launch.
- You are replying to someone in a comment thread. Tagging them keeps the thread easy to follow, and the LinkedIn commenting strategy guide covers replies in more depth.
When it annoys
- Long lists of well-known people who have nothing to do with the post. It is a common form of engagement bait, and it bothers the people tagged more than it helps you.
- Tagging someone in a sensitive post without asking first. Not everyone wants their name attached to a job change, a layoff or a personal story.
- Tagging the same people on every post, whether or not they are involved.
Mentions vs hashtags
A mention links to a specific person or page and notifies them. A hashtag links to a topic and notifies no one. Use mentions to credit people and hashtags to label the subject. Our guide on how to use hashtags on LinkedIn covers the second half.
Draft a post that credits the right people with the free Post Generator, or a reply with the Comment Generator. For structure, see how to write a LinkedIn post.