How to Link People in a LinkedIn Post

Tagging someone in a LinkedIn post is one of the simplest and most effective ways to boost your content’s reach and spark a real conversation. Done right, it connects your post to a broader network, credits collaborators, and builds professional relationships. This guide will walk you through exactly how to link people and companies in your LinkedIn posts, the common pitfalls to avoid, and the strategic etiquette that separates thoughtful networking from spammy self-promotion.

Why Does Tagging People on LinkedIn Even Matter?

Before we get into the "how," let's quickly cover the "why." Mentioning someone in a post isn't just about getting their attention, it's a strategic move with several clear benefits:

• Increased Visibility and Reach: When you tag a person or company, they receive a notification. If they engage with your post (like, comment, or share), it’s shown to a portion of their network. This can exponentially increase the number of eyes on your content without you spending a dime.
• Relationship Building: Tagging is a public way to give credit, share a compliment, or continue a conversation. It shows you value someone’s input, work, or perspective, which is a fantastic way to build networking goodwill. It turns a monologue into a dialogue.
• Added Credibility and Social Proof: Mentioning an expert, a respected company, or a happy client in your post adds a layer of authority. It says, "Don't just take my word for it, this other reputable person/organization is involved, too."
• Sparks Engagement and Conversation: A tag can act as a direct invitation to join a discussion. Asking a tagged person a question prompts them to reply, encouraging their network and yours to jump into the comments section.

The Nuts and Bolts: A Step-by-Step Guide to Tagging Someone on LinkedIn

The mechanics of tagging are straightforward, whether you're on a desktop or the mobile app. It works in the main post body, in comments, and even when editing an existing post.

How to Tag a Person in a New Post or Comment

Here’s the simple process to follow:

1. Start Your Post: Begin creating a new post from your LinkedIn homepage or profile.
2. Use the "@" Symbol: Wherever you want to mention someone, type the "@" symbol. This tells LinkedIn you want to tag a connection or company.
3. Begin Typing the Name: Immediately after the "@" symbol (with no space), start typing the person's name. A dropdown menu will appear, suggesting people and company pages from your network.
4. Select the Correct Person: Look for the right individual in the list and click or tap their name. The more of their name you type, the more refined the list will become. Always double-check you're selecting the right person, especially if they have a common name.
5. Confirm the Tag: Once selected, the person's full name will appear in your post, usually highlighted in bold blue text. This confirms the tag is active. You can then continue writing your post as usual.

Example: "What an incredible team meeting today! Big thanks to @Maria Garcia for her brilliant presentation on Q4 projections. Her insights were a game-changer for the entire team."

How to Tag a Company Page

Tagging a company follows the exact same process as tagging a person. This is perfect for mentioning your employer, a client, a partner company, or a tool you use.

Simply type the "@" symbol followed by the company's name and select the correct entity from the dropdown list. Often, an icon of the company's logo will appear next to the name, making it easy to identify.

Example: "We’re thrilled to announce our new integration with @Salesforce. This will help our customers seamlessly connect their CRM data with our platform."

Best Practices and Tagging Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules

Knowing how to tag is easy. Knowing when and why is what separates a networking pro from an annoying spammer. Follow these guidelines to make sure your tags are always well-received.

1. Always Tag with a Purpose

Every tag should have a clear, logical reason behind it. Getting tagged in a post where you have no relevance feels confusing at best and irritating at worst. Ask yourself: "Why am I tagging this person?" The answer should be one of these:

• To give credit for their work, idea, or contribution.
• Because they are in a photo or video with you.
• To celebrate a shared accomplishment or project.
• To ask them a relevant question you genuinely believe they can answer.
• To reference a piece of content they created (like an article or report).

Avoid what's known as "spam tagging" - mentioning a dozen industry influencers in a generic post just hoping one of them will engage and boost your reach. People see right through it, and it can actually damage your reputation.

Good Example: "Just finished reading the latest market report from @Analytica Inc., and the data on consumer spending is fascinating. Curious to hear @JohnSmith's take on how this impacts Q4 retail forecasts."
(This tag is specific, relevant, and invites a meaningful conversation.)

Bad Example: "New blog post out today! Read it now! #Marketing #BusinessGrowth @JohnSmith @JaneMiller @GaryVaynerchuk"
(This is irrelevant mass tagging and provides no value to the people tagged.)

2. Provide Context Within Your Post

Don’t just drop a tag and hope for the best. Weave the mention into a sentence that explains why you’re linking back to them. If you’re just listing names at the end of a post, it looks like a lazy attempt to grab attention.

Giving context makes the tag feel earned and authentic. It not only helps the person you tagged understand why you mentioned them but also provides value to your audience by clarifying the connection.

Weak Tagging: "Great week! Learned a lot. @FrankJones @SusanChen"

Strong Tagging: "What a productive week! I learned so much about UX design principles from the workshop led by @FrankJones, and @SusanChen gave a killer talk on user testing that completely changed my perspective."

3. Don't Put People on the Spot (Unless You Know Them Well)

Tagging can sometimes feel like a public demand for attention. Be mindful of this, especially with senior leaders or people you don't know well. Asking a C-level executive a complex, open-ended question in a public tag might feel intimidating and they’re less likely to respond.

Instead, tag them to give them praise or credit - that doesn't require any work on their end. A simple mention like, "Loved the keynote from @GlobalCEOName at the conference yesterday," is always a safe bet.

4. Leveraging Tags in Comments Strategically

Sometimes you might want to bring a post to someone's attention without including them in the main body. A great way to do this is by tagging them in the first comment.

This "soft tag" works well when:

• The mention is a secondary point, not the main topic of your post.
• You want to loop in a colleague who has expertise on a question raised by another commenter.
• You feel a tag in the main post might be too forward.

For example, in the first comment of your own post, you could write: "FYI, tagging my colleague @EmilyCarter here, as she wrote the case study mentioned above and can probably answer any super-detailed questions!"

5. Review Before You Publish

Always do a final check. Did you select the right profile? There’s nothing more embarrassing than tagging the wrong "Dave Smith." And is the company you tagged the right one, not an old, unofficial page?

Advanced Tagging Strategies for Marketers and Entrepreneurs

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start using tags to amplify your marketing and business development efforts.

Post-Event Networking and Engagement

After a conference, webinar, or industry event, a roundup post is a powerful networking tool. Create a post summarizing your key takeaways and tag the speakers, organizers, and even other attendees you had great conversations with. It’s a fantastic way to solidify new connections and demonstrate that you were paying attention.

Celebrating Client and Partner Success

Sharing a win is even better when you share the credit. When a project with a client goes live or you celebrate a big milestone, tag the company page and a few key people on their team. It serves as public social proof of your great work and strengthens your business relationship.

Tag to Gather Quotes or Crowdsource Content

You can use tagging to involve your network in your content creation. For example, if you’re writing an article about productivity hacks, you could create a LinkedIn post like: "Working on a piece about top productivity apps. I know @SarahLee, @BenAdebayo, and @ChloeKim are wizards at time management. What's one tool you can't live without?"

This not only gives you valuable content but also makes the tagged individuals feel included and recognized for their expertise.

What If My Tag Isn't Working? Troubleshooting Tips

Occasionally, you might run into an issue. Here's what's likely happening:

• The Person Isn't Showing Up: If you type "@" and the name doesn't appear, it could be because you're not a 1st or 2nd-degree connection, or they have privacy settings that prevent others from tagging them. You also can't tag people who have blocked you. Sometimes it's just a momentary glitch, and refreshing the page or trying again after a few seconds fixes it.
• You've Tagged the Wrong Profile: It happens! Just edit your post, delete the incorrect tag (backspace over the blue/bold name), and re-type the @-mention to find the correct person.
• You've Hit the Tag Limit: LinkedIn has limits on how many people you can tag in a single post or photo to prevent spam. While the exact number can fluctuate, aim to keep your tags focused and relevant rather than trying to max out the count.

Final Thoughts

Tagging people and companies on LinkedIn is more than just a technical feature, it's a powerful tool for building communication, boosting visibility, and fostering genuine professional connections. When used thoughtfully, it brings your content to life by adding context and turning a static post into a dynamic conversation starter.

Thinking about how to weave these engagement strategies into a cohesive content calendar can be a lot to manage. That’s why we designed Postbase with a clean, visual calendar that lets you see your entire LinkedIn strategy at a glance. You can schedule posts, plan out your tagging strategy for upcoming announcements, and draft everything ahead of time, ensuring your collaborations and shout-outs feel timely and natural, not rushed.