How do I see others followers on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 700 million members. As a LinkedIn user, you may want to see who is following other profiles for various reasons – to find new connections, identify competitors, research a company’s employees, etc. While LinkedIn doesn’t have a direct way to view another user’s followers list, there are some methods you can use to get an idea of who follows someone on LinkedIn.

Search for profiles mentioning the user

One of the easiest ways is to search for other LinkedIn profiles that mention the user you want to investigate. To do this:

1. Go to the LinkedIn search bar at the top of your homepage.
2. Type in the name of the LinkedIn user along with “follower”, “follows”, “connections”, or “connected”. For example: “John Smith followers”.
3. LinkedIn will show profiles, posts, and articles that reference the user and their followers/connections.

This method provides a sample of some of the people following your target user. It’s a quick way to get a sense of their follower demographic and industry breakdown. You may uncover followers you have in common or discover influential profiles worth connecting with yourself.

Check their posts for likes and comments

Another approach is to look at who is engaging with the user’s content. To do this:

1. Go to their LinkedIn profile and click on “Posts” in the navigation bar.
2. Scroll through their posts and look at who has liked, commented, and shared them.
3. You can click on the names of people who engaged to be taken to their profiles.

This shows some of their active followers who frequently interact with their posts. It gives you a snapshot of their most engaged audience members. However, it may miss less active followers who simply consume content without liking/commenting.

Look for references in their work history

Some followers may be co-workers, colleagues, clients, or partners over the years. You can potentially uncover these by:

1. Going to their LinkedIn profile.
2. Checking their work history and listed responsibilities at each company.
3. Searching for some of the companies and people referenced to find mutual connections.

This takes more effort but can uncover professional relationships that could lead back to followers. It gives context on followers they may have made through past jobs and projects worked on together.

Use LinkedIn sales tools

If you have access to LinkedIn sales tools through a premium account, you can utilize additional options to identify followers such as:

• Lead Builder – This lets you search for potential leads connected to the user like former coworkers, classmates, or group members.
• LinkedIn Recruiter – The full follower list may be visible with a Recruiter account depending on account type and privacy settings.
• LinkedIn Navigator – Navigator provides more profile analytics and can give estimates of connection numbers.

These paid tools provide more precision in tracking down the full list of people following your target user. But they come at a high subscription cost and require a specific business need for the account.

Join the same LinkedIn groups

Participating in the same niche LinkedIn groups as the user can put you in touch with their followers who are also group members. To employ this:

1. Go to their profile and look at the LinkedIn groups they have joined.
2. Join 1 or 2 of the same groups that are relevant to your industry/interests.
3. Engage with other members by commenting on discussions and posting.

This connects you to some of their followers who are also active in those groups. It also helps build your own reputation and network in the process.

Follow their company pages

If they work for a company with an active LinkedIn Company Page:

1. Go to their company page and follow it.
2. Scroll through posts on the company page and see who engages with them.
3. You may find employees and stakeholders of that company who likely also follow the user.

This can be an avenue to find colleagues, partners, and peers of the user you’re investigating through their company’s page. But it only works if their employer has an established presence on LinkedIn.

Connect with their connections

While you can’t see the full list of a user’s connections, you can still connect with their connections who are 2nd-degree to you. This expands your own network while exposing you to those closely tied to your target user. To connect with 2nd-degree connections:

1. Go to their profile and click “See connections”.
2. A list will show you shared connections from your own network.
3. You can then connect with those mutual connections.

This tactic leverages your existing network to surface 2nd-degree connections likely following the user. Reaching out strengthens your own network in the process.

Follow their company’s Showcase Page

Company Showcase Pages highlight a company’s culture, products, jobs, and employees. If the user works for a company with one of these pages:

1. Go to the Company Page and click “Follow company” to follow their Showcase Page.
2. This will showcase employees from that company in your LinkedIn feed.
3. You can then connect with those employees who likely also follow the target user.

Showcase Pages provide visibility into a company’s staff and culture. Following one expands your network with colleagues of the user you originally investigated.

Conclusion

In summary, some options to identify followers of a LinkedIn user include:

• Searching for profiles mentioning them
• Looking for engagement on their posts
• Checking their work history
• Using LinkedIn sales tools
• Joining their groups
• Connecting with mutual connections
• Following their company pages

While there is no direct way to see someone’s full list of followers, these tactics can help expose portions of their audience. With some effort, you can gain valuable insight into who engages with a LinkedIn profile.

Ultimately, always keep LinkedIn’s user agreement in mind and respect other members’ privacy. Use these approaches legally and ethically to enhance your own networking and relationship-building on LinkedIn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a way to see the full list of followers for a LinkedIn user?

No, LinkedIn intentionally limits the ability to see another user’s full list of followers. This is done to protect privacy and prevent misuse. The only way to see the complete follower list is with a premium LinkedIn Recruiter account, and even that may be restricted based on account type and user settings.

Can I see the number of followers and connections for a LinkedIn user?

The exact number of followers and connections is not visible for most LinkedIn users. You can only see a rounded estimate like “500+ connections” on a profile. Premium LinkedIn Navigator accounts provide more precise connection numbers but still do not reveal the full lists.

Is it appropriate to use these tactics to find someone’s LinkedIn followers?

It depends on the context. Casual viewing of public profiles and posts is generally acceptable. However, obsessively tracking down followers through advanced sales tools or false pretenses raises ethical concerns. Make sure to respect boundaries and act professionally when researching LinkedIn connections.

What are some reasons I might want to identify a LinkedIn user’s followers?

Some common reasons include:

• Researching a potential business partner or sale lead
• Identifying influencers in your industry
• Discovering new people to network with
• Learning more about a company’s employees
• Finding mutual connections to build rapport
• Evaluating a job candidate’s network

How many followers does the average LinkedIn user have?

There is a wide range, but most regular users likely have between 100-500 followers on average. Influential users and thought leaders may have thousands or even millions of followers. Having 500+ connections is generally considered an expansive network on LinkedIn.

Should I buy a premium LinkedIn account to see more follower data?

Only if you have a true business need. Individual job seekers usually will not benefit enough from the high costs. Marketing research, recruiting firms, and sales teams can better justify the expense of premium tools like Navigator, Recruiter, and Sales Navigator.

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