Having a large network of connections on LinkedIn is great, but simply connecting with people isn’t always enough. To truly build your brand and expand your reach on LinkedIn, you need to convert those connections into engaged followers. Here are some tips and strategies for turning your LinkedIn connections into active followers who help amplify your message.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
When it comes to your LinkedIn connections, quality matters more than quantity. It’s better to have 500 engaged followers who interact with your content rather than 5,000 connections who never see or respond to your posts. As you connect with new people on LinkedIn, be selective about who you choose to add to your network. Look for those who share common interests, are in your target industry, or would benefit from your content and resources. Avoid spamming connection requests just to inflate your numbers.
Provide Value to Your Connections
The best way to convert connections to engaged followers is by providing value through your posts and activity on LinkedIn. Share insightful articles, comment on discussions with your expertise, and post content that your connections would find interesting and useful. When you consistently add value, you become a trusted source that your connections want to keep up with. This incentivizes them to not just connect with you, but also follow your profile and engage with your content.
Interact and Engage With Your Connections
Don’t just connect and forget. To turn your connections into followers, you need to proactively interact with them. Like and comment on their posts, congratulate them on work anniversaries, wish them happy birthday, and send personalized messages when appropriate. This level of engagement makes connections more likely to reciprocate. It shows you care about fostering real relationships, not just promoting yourself and your content.
Share Varied and Relevant Content
Posting repetitive or overly promotional content is a surefire way to lose followers. Instead, share content that covers a range of topics and formats relevant to your audience. Mix up links to articles with engaging graphics, polls, lists, and videos. Make sure your content aligns with your industry and areas of expertise so followers derive value. Stay on topic while injecting some personality and humor when appropriate to resonate with followers.
Leverage LinkedIn’s Built-In Tools
Take advantage of LinkedIn’s own features to get more visibility with your connections. Use mentions and tags to notify connections when you reference them or their company in a post. Ask questions and post polls to spark discussion. Add relevant hashtags to join larger conversations. Share your content in relevant LinkedIn Groups beyond just your main feed. The more touchpoints you have with each connection, the stronger your relationship will become.
Join and Participate in LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups focused on specific topics, industries, and interests are full of engaged people who will likely connect and follow those who actively participate. Once you join relevant Groups, get involved by answering questions, offering advice, sharing resources, and posting your own discussions. Groups allow you to connect with your target audience in a meaningful way and get on the radar of those you want to influence outside your immediate network.
Follow Up With Connections
LinkedIn provides prompts to endorse connections or celebrate their work anniversaries. Take advantage of these notifications to maintain engagement. Don’t just endorse someone and move on. Also send them a personal message checking in, asking how they are, or simply saying thanks for connecting. Follow up shows you care beyond surface interactions and makes connections more inclined to reciprocate by following you.
Request Recommendations and Endorsements
Getting recommendations and endorsements from your connections significantly boosts your credibility and authority on LinkedIn. When appropriate after connecting, send a customized message asking the person to write a recommendation highlighting your skills and expertise. Similarly, endorse connections for their skills and send a note explaining why you endorsed them. This level of engagement makes connections more invested in you and your profile.
Follow Up With InMail
If someone is lingering in your connections list but not engaging, use LinkedIn InMail to follow up. Send a friendly note reminding them of how you met or something they once mentioned to you. Ask an open-ended question about their current projects or work to get conversation flowing. Resurfacing the relationship on LinkedIn makes the person more likely to re-engage and convert to an active follower.
Promote Your Profile and Content
Actively promoting your LinkedIn profile and content is key to building an engaged follower base. Include a link to your profile in your email signature. Share updates and links to your content on other platforms like Twitter. Post your best content to your profile’s Featured section so it stands out. Ask satisfied clients or partners to share your profile or content with their own followers to expand your reach.
Follow Connections Back
If someone in your network follows your LinkedIn profile, be sure to follow them back. This extra step shows you value the increased engagement and want to reciprocate. It also gives you added visibility with their connections, since your activity will appear in their timelines. Following each other fosters mutual commitment to amplifying reach and builds allegiance.
Analyze Your LinkedIn Analytics
LinkedIn provides profile analytics so you can see who is engaging with your profile and content. Review this data regularly to see which types of posts get the most visibility and response. Identify connections who frequently like and share your updates. Then focus on providing more of that engaging content while connecting with those active followers. Cater to what resonates most with your audience.
Reward and Recognize Top Followers
Acknowledge and show appreciation for connections who actively follow, comment, share, and help expand the reach of your LinkedIn profile. Mention them in a post, send an InMail thanking them, or even offer a discount code or exclusive piece of content. Recognizing your top brand advocates motivates them to continue amplifying you while also encouraging others in your network to do the same.
Broadcast Valuable Updates
When you share major career updates, company news, industry announcements, or other valuable information, use LinkedIn’s Broadcast feature. This sends an InMail about your update to all your 1st-degree connections. Broadcasting noteworthy news gives your entire network visibility into key developments they won’t want to miss. This primes them to follow you for the latest.
Suggest Becoming a LinkedIn Influencer
LinkedIn Influencers are leaders in their fields who publish long-form posts to discuss insights, ideas, and trends. Just over 15,000 people have been selected by LinkedIn as Influencers based on nominations and thought leadership. If connections identify you as an industry expert, encourage them to nominate you as an Influencer. The exposure can help you rapidly expand your follower base.
Turn Former Coworkers Into Followers
Current and former colleagues who have worked with you directly already understand your capabilities and perspective. That’s why they are a prime demographic to target turning into engaged followers. Share a post asking old coworkers to connect and follow you on LinkedIn so you can stay in the loop. Colleagues often feel invested in the success of those they have worked alongside.
Conclusion
Transforming LinkedIn connections into followers requires ongoing nurturing through valuable content, strategic engagement, and relationship-building interactions. Dedicate time consistently not just to broadcasting content, but also to cultivating real rapport with those in your network. The more you can become a trusted partner to your connections, the more willing they will be to follow you.
| Strategy | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Focus on quality over quantity of connections | Build a network of genuinely interested and engaged contacts rather than irrelevant connections |
| Provide value through your posts and activity | Become a trusted source that connections want to follow |
| Proactively interact and engage with connections | Foster real relationships instead of just promoting yourself |
| Share varied, relevant content | Keep followers interested by providing value on diverse topics |
| Leverage LinkedIn’s built-in tools | Increase visibility and touchpoints with each connection |
| Join and participate in LinkedIn Groups | Connect with your target audience based on interests and industry |
| Follow up with InMail messages | Re-engage inactive connections by resurfacing the relationship |
| Promote your profile and content | Expand your reach by sharing your LinkedIn presence across platforms |
| Follow connections back who follow you | Reciprocate increased engagement and visibility |
| Analyze your LinkedIn Analytics | Understand what content and connections are performing best |
| Reward and recognize top followers | Incentivize further amplification and engagement from advocates |
| Broadcast valuable updates | Increase visibility of major news with all 1st-degree connections |
| Suggest becoming a LinkedIn Influencer | Gain exponential reach if nominated and selected by LinkedIn |
| Turn former colleagues into followers | Leverage your reputation among those who already know you |
