LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 810 million members worldwide as of 2023. When you connect with someone on LinkedIn, they become a connection in your network. However, connecting does not automatically make them a follower.
What is the difference between a connection and a follower on LinkedIn?
A LinkedIn connection refers to someone in your professional network on the platform. When you connect with someone, you become visible in each other’s network and can view limited profile information. Connecting allows you to message each other through LinkedIn and share updates.
A LinkedIn follower works differently. Following someone means you subscribe to their profile updates and content in your feed. However, the person you follow does not have to follow you back or be connected to you. You can follow anyone on LinkedIn, even if you are not connected.
So in summary:
- A connection is a two-way mutual link in your professional network.
- A follower is a one-way subscription to someone’s updates.
Simply connecting with someone does not automatically make them a follower. You can be connected without following each other. Connections are mutual, while following is a one-way subscription.
How to get followers on LinkedIn
Here are some tips to gain more LinkedIn followers:
- Post engaging, useful content regularly. Share insights, news, and ideas valuable to your industry. Posting consistently and providing value encourages follows.
- Use relevant hashtags in posts so your content shows up in more feeds. Hashtags help you get discovered.
- Engage with your current followers by liking and commenting on their posts. This makes them more likely to share your content.
- Follow accounts with follower bases similar to your target audience. This exposes your profile to new potential followers.
- Ask customers, partners, or group members you provide value to for follows. But avoid spamming.
- Pay to promote high-performing posts using LinkedIn’s advertising tools. This expands your reach.
How many connections can you have on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn allows you to connect with up to 30,000 professionals in their free version. For premium subscribers, the limit rises to 90,000 connections.
Here are the connection limits for LinkedIn’s paid subscription tiers:
| LinkedIn Plan | Connection Limit |
| Free version | 30,000 |
| Premium Career | 90,000 |
| Sales Navigator Professional | 90,000 |
| Sales Navigator Team | 90,000 |
| Recruiter Lite | 90,000 |
| Recruiter Professional | 90,000 |
As you can see, the free version has a much lower limit. Premium access removes the 30,000 cap and increases it to 90,000 connections. Recruiter plans also offer 90,000 connections.
Should you connect with everyone who sends you an invite?
No, you should be selective when connecting with people on LinkedIn. Here are some tips on managing connection requests:
- Review someone’s profile before connecting. Only accept requests from those relevant to your industry or goals.
- Avoid connecting with strangers who have sparse profiles and few shared connections.
- Politely ignore marketing and sales pitches disguised as invites.
- You don’t have to connect just because someone invites you. Be selective.
- Connect based on the likelihood of mutual benefit, not one-sided gain.
Quality connections should be prioritized over quantity. Having too many irrelevant connections cluttering your network provides little value. Be strategic and connect with those most likely to exchange mutually beneficial insights and opportunities.
Should you send invites to all your contacts?
Similarly, avoid spamming all your contacts with LinkedIn connection invites. Instead, be targeted when sending invites:
- Only invite colleagues, clients, partners, and other professional contacts.
- Personal friends and family may not belong on a professional network.
- Send invites along with a customized message, not generic spam.
- Focus on those you have an established professional relationship with.
- Avoid inviting total strangers who have no clear relevance.
Personalized, thoughtful connection requests are far more likely to be accepted than generic mass invites. Quality over quantity applies here. Nurture your connections wisely.
Tips for managing LinkedIn connections
Here are some additional tips for effectively managing your LinkedIn network:
- Customize connection messages for more personal invites.
- Organize top connections into LinkedIn Lists to segment your network.
- Regularly review your connections and remove inactive ones.
- Establish a weekly limit on connection requests to avoid overwhelming your network.
- Turn off notifications for connection activity to reduce noise.
- Hide unwanted invites rather than rejecting them to avoid offense.
Proactively managing your connections enables you to derive more value from a cleaner, more focused network. Optimize for quality connections that drive mutually beneficial outcomes.
Conclusion
In summary, connecting with someone on LinkedIn does not automatically make them a follower. Followers are subscribing to your updates without needing to connect. Focus on sharing valuable insights consistently to gain more followers. Be selective when connecting and inviting others. Quality connections based on shared professional interests are more beneficial than having the maximum number of random contacts. Apply these best practices to get the most out of your LinkedIn network.
