Where have all my LinkedIn followers gone?

LinkedIn will soon be updating the Total Follower counts on LinkedIn Pages to remove inactive accounts, including restricted and hibernated accounts.

A restricted account is one where a member has violated LinkedIn's policies. A hibernated account is one where a member has chosen to deactivate their account as an alternative to closing it down.

LinkedIn says this is all part of its efforts to build "a safe, authentic, and transparent experience, helping reflect a more accurate view of your audience".

As a result, you may notice a change to the Total Follower count on your LinkedIn Page.

Follower numbers are often held up with pride, but are ultimately just a vanity metric. What really counts is the reach and engagement of your content, so this is a positive move by LinkedIn and consistent with what we often say about cleaning databases.

No need for action and no need for panic.