How to Mention Someone in a LinkedIn Post

Tagging someone in a LinkedIn post seems simple, but getting it right can supercharge your reach, spark genuine conversations, and make your professional relationships stronger. It’s one of the most effective, yet often misused, features on the platform. This guide breaks down not only how to mention someone but also the strategies and unspoken rules for doing it in a way that truly builds your personal brand.

Why Tagging on LinkedIn is a Game-Changer

Before we get into the nuts and bolts, it’s worth understanding why a simple mention is so powerful. When you tag a person or a company page, you aren’t just creating a blue link, you’re activating a series of positive effects for your post and your professional network.

Boosts Visibility & Reach

This is the big one. When you tag someone, there's a good chance your post won't just appear in your own network's feed, but in theirs as well. If the person you tag engages with the post (likes or comments), its visibility increases exponentially. It’s one of the best organic methods to get your content in front of a new, highly relevant audience without spending a dime.

Increases Engagement and Signals the Algorithm

A tag is a direct notification. You’re essentially tapping someone on the shoulder and inviting them into the conversation. This makes them far more likely to respond. That immediate engagement - a like, a comment, a share - sends a powerful signal to the LinkedIn algorithm that your post is valuable and worth showing to more people.

Builds Relationships & Shows Appreciation

Networking isn't just about collecting connections, it's about nurturing them. A well-placed tag is a form of public appreciation. Whether you’re thanking a mentor for their advice, shouting out a colleague for their great work on a project, or highlighting a speaker’s brilliant insights from a webinar, you’re strengthening professional bonds in a visible and meaningful way.

Adds Credibility and Context

Tagging relevant people or companies adds a layer of authority and context to your posts. Citing an industry expert, mentioning a company where you worked on a project, or crediting a source for an idea all make your content more trustworthy and informative for your audience.

How to Tag Someone in a LinkedIn Post (Step-by-Step)

The technical process is straightforward, but knowing a few small tricks can save you a headache.

Tagging an Individual Person or an Organization

The method is the same for both personal profiles and company pages.

1. Start creating a new post from your LinkedIn homepage.
2. In the text editor, type the @ symbol.
3. Immediately begin typing the name of the person or company you want to mention. Don’t add a space between the "@" and the name.
4. As you type, a dropdown menu will appear with suggestions. It usually works best with people you’re already connected with or company pages you follow, but LinkedIn will also search beyond your immediate network.
5. Find the correct profile or page in the list and click on it. The name will then appear in blue, confirming the tag is active.
6. Finish writing your post and click “Post.” The tagged individual or page administrator will receive a notification that you've mentioned them.

What to Do When You Can’t Find Someone to Tag

It’s a frustrating moment: you type "@JohnSmith" and the person you’re looking for is nowhere to be found. Here’s why that might be happening and what to do.

• Check Your Spelling: It’s the most common culprit. A tiny typo can prevent the right profile from showing up. Double-check the name and try again.
• Be More Specific: If you’re trying to tag someone with a common name, LinkedIn might struggle to surface the right person. Try typing their full name, and if that fails, try a variation like "@JohnSmith, Product Manager at ExampleCorp." Sometimes adding details can help the algorithm.
• Privacy Settings: Some users adjust their privacy settings to prevent others from tagging them. If you’ve confirmed the name is correct and they still don't appear, this is the most likely reason. Respect their settings, there isn't a workaround for this.
• Wait a Second: Sometimes the search is just slow. Type the name and give the dropdown menu a few seconds to populate before assuming it’s not working.

The Etiquette of Tagging: Best Practices to Follow

Using the "@" symbol correctly is less about technical skill and more about professional judgment. Following these best practices will help you build your reputation, not damage it.

1. Tag with Purpose and Relevance

Resist the urge to tag a long list of influencers or industry leaders just to get their attention. This practice, often called "spam tagging," is transparent and often backfires. It annoys the people you tag and makes you look desperate to your audience.

Ask yourself: “Is this tag directly relevant to this person, and will they appreciate being included in this conversation?”

• Good Example: “Just finished reading the insights on brand strategy in ‘Marketing for the Future.’ The chapter by @JaneDoe on community-led growth completely changed my perspective. Highly recommend!”
• Bad Example: “Here are my top 5 tips for success! @GaryVee @SimonSinek @BreneBrown @AdamGrant @TonyRobbins”

The first example is specific, adds value, and shows genuine appreciation. The second is a clear attempt to hijack an audience and adds no value to the people being tagged.

2. Don’t Overdo It

A post with a wall of 15 names looks cluttered and spammy. It dilutes your message and makes it hard for readers to know where to focus. While there's no hard-and-fast rule, a good guideline is to stick to no more than 3-5 relevant tags per post. If your post genuinely involves more people (like a team project announcement), that’s an exception, but for most content, less is more.

3. Always Provide Context

Never just drop a tag in a sentence without explaining why that person is being mentioned. Context is what separates a meaningful mention from a lazy one.

• Weak Tag: “Enjoyed the marketing summit. @JohnDoe”
• Strong Tag: “Left the marketing summit feeling incredibly inspired. The keynote from @JohnDoe on using AI to personalize customer journeys was a standout session - especially his point about balancing automation with human touch.”

The second example gives a specific reason for the tag, adds value to the audience, and gives John Doe a perfect entry point to engage in the conversation.

Advanced Tagging Strategies to Amplify Your LinkedIn Presence

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start using tagging as a strategic tool to build your brand and network more effectively.

Celebrating Team Wins and Company Culture

When your team finishes a major project or hits a milestone, create a post celebrating the win. Tag each team member who contributed and your company’s page. This is fantastic for morale, shows appreciation for your colleagues, and gives outsiders a positive glimpse into your company culture.

Example: "So proud to launch the new Project X feature today! This was a monumental effort, and it couldn't have happened without the incredible work of @TeamMemberA, @TeamMemberB, and @TeamMemberC. A huge win for us at @OurCompany!"

Engaging After Events and Webinars

Don't let the connections you make at a conference fade away. The day after, write a post summarizing your biggest takeaways. Tag the speakers who made an impact on you and perhaps one or two new connections you made. This shows you were paying attention, re-engages those individuals, and shares valuable insights with your network.

Crediting Collaborators and Sources

If you co-author an article, appear on a podcast, guest on a webinar, or even quote someone’s great idea, always tag them. It’s the right thing to do, as it gives credit where it's due. It also serves as a cross-promotional engine, encouraging them to share the content with their audience, which in turn expands your reach.

Asking Thoughtful Questions to Experts

This is an advanced move that should be used sparingly and with care. If you have a legitimate, thought-provoking question, you can tag one or two relevant experts you admire. Frame it as genuinely seeking their opinion, not demanding their time. Make sure it's a question that can’t be easily Googled and that it relates directly to their known expertise.

Example: "Fascinated by the debate around decentralized social media. I'm wondering how experts like @ExpertA and @ExpertB see this impacting B2B marketing over the next five years. Does community ownership change how brands will have to engage?"

Final Thoughts

Mastering the art of tagging on LinkedIn is about more than just typing the '@' symbol, it's a strategic way to boost your visibility, build genuine professional relationships, and create conversations. When done thoughtfully, it adds value to your content, your network, and the person you're mentioning.

Keeping a consistent and engaging presence on LinkedIn, which includes planning thoughtful posts where you celebrate fantastic colleagues, is essential work. As a team that deeply values creating meaningful social content, we built Postbase to streamline that entire process. We offer a clean, visual calendar to schedule all your content ahead of time, allowing you to focus on building conversations instead of juggling scheduling dates in a spreadsheet.