Getting 10,000 followers on LinkedIn is no easy feat, but it is possible with the right strategy and consistent effort over time. Having a large, engaged following on LinkedIn can be highly beneficial for personal branding, business promotion, and career opportunities.
Be active
The most basic thing you need to do to gain followers is to simply be active on LinkedIn. Post updates regularly, comment on other people’s posts, like and share content, join Groups, and participate in discussions. The more active you are, the more visibility you will have. Aim to post 1-2 times per day as a minimum. This provides a steady stream of content that keeps you top of mind.
Have a compelling profile
Your LinkedIn profile itself needs to attract followers. Make sure it is 100% complete with a professional headshot, well-written summary, detailed work experience, and customized URL. Your profile should clearly communicate who you are, what you do, and why people should connect with you. Be sure to include relevant keywords that relate to your expertise.
Follow back
When people follow you on LinkedIn, be sure to follow them back. This helps build reciprocity and shows that you appreciate them making the initial effort to connect. You can also take the initiative and follow professionals who you would like to have in your network. Follow back selectively though, only people who you think could lead to mutually beneficial relationships.
Engage with your network
Actively engage with your existing network on LinkedIn. Like and comment on your connections’ posts, congratulate them on work anniversaries and new jobs, and wish them happy birthday. This type of thoughtful engagement strengthens relationships and may prompt your connections to follow you if they don’t already.
Join LinkedIn Groups
Joining and participating in LinkedIn Groups related to your industry or interests is a great way to connect with more professionals. Provide thoughtful comments on discussions, share helpful resources, and establish yourself as an expert. You can also start your own Group focused on a niche topic to attract more followers.
Contribute long-form content
Publishing long-form content on LinkedIn, such as articles, analyses, how-tos, and list posts, can help you gain more followers. Longer posts allow you to go in-depth on topics and demonstrate your subject matter expertise. Promote your posts by sharing on other social channels.
Cross-promote
Leverage your presence on other social media platforms to drive more followers to your LinkedIn. For example, add LinkedIn links to your Twitter and Facebook profiles and promote your LinkedIn content by sharing it across your other social channels. This exposes your LinkedIn to new audiences.
Share visual content
Posts with visual elements like images, infographics, charts, and videos tend to grab people’s attention and get more engagement. Develop visual assets to incorporate into your LinkedIn posts and status updates. This makes them more eye-catching and engaging in the feed.
Run LinkedIn ads
You can run targeted ads on LinkedIn to reach more professionals in your target audience. For example, you can promote your profile, run Sponsored Content ads to distribute your posts, or do Sponsored InMail campaigns. Investing in ads can rapidly accelerate your follower growth.
Partner with influencers
Collaborating with established thought leaders and influencers in your space can expose your profile to whole new audiences. Engage with them through liking, commenting, and sharing their content. Once a relationship is established, explore opportunities to guest post on each other’s pages or accounts.
Ask connections for recommendations
Recommendations can enhance your credibility and signal that influential people endorse your skills and expertise. Proactively reach out to past managers, colleagues, and clients and ask them to provide you with a recommendation on LinkedIn. This can prompt profile views and follows.
Showcase achievements
Update your profile as you accomplish career milestones like earning a certification or degree, publishing a book, winning an award, getting promoted, etc. Also celebrate personal milestones like work anniversaries. This shows momentum and activity which attracts followers.
Follow companies
In addition to following individuals, also follow company pages related to your industry and professional interests. This expands your visibility to more people associated with those organizations. Engage frequently with company updates.
Give value
Focus on sharing truly helpful, insightful, actionable content and advice versus overt self-promotion. Followers are attracted to profiles that provide value. Establish yourself as a trusted source on key topics and issues.
Use hashtags
Incorporate relevant hashtags in your posts so they appear in keyword searches. For example, if you are a marketing professional, you could use hashtags like #Marketing, #SocialMediaMarketing, and #DigitalMarketing. This expands reach.
Follow competitors
Keep an eye on what your competitors are doing by following them on LinkedIn. This provides intel on their positioning, activities, and audience engagement tactics. Following competitors also establishes your presence in your niche.
Link to LinkedIn from other sites
Include LinkedIn follow or share buttons on your website, blog, email signatures, and anywhere else you have an online presence. This provides easy access points for people to follow you across multiple touch points.
Conclusion
Getting 10,000 LinkedIn followers requires consistency, patience, and an intentional strategy. But it is very achievable for any professional willing to put in the work. The most successful profiles provide consistent value while leveraging various tactics to expand their reach. With the right blueprint, reaching 10k engaged followers is within your grasp.
