Sending a LinkedIn connection request to someone you don’t know can be intimidating. However, it’s an important networking technique that can help grow your professional network. With over 560 million members, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform. Making connections with new people on LinkedIn allows you to tap into their networks, learn about new opportunities, and potentially find mentors and business partners. While you don’t want to spam people with connection requests, sending thoughtful requests to relevant professionals you’d like to connect with can yield great benefits. Here are some tips on how to send LinkedIn connection requests to people you don’t know.
Do Your Research First
Before sending a connection request to someone on LinkedIn that you don’t know, do some background research. Read their entire LinkedIn profile to find out about their professional background, skills, interests, education, connections, and groups. This will help you personalize your request and identify shared connections or experiences you have in common. Avoid sending generic connection requests by demonstrating that you’ve done your homework and are truly interested in connecting with this person specifically.
Look For Shared Connections
One of the best ways to increase your chances of getting accepted when sending a LinkedIn request to a stranger is to identify shared connections. You can do this by looking at the “People Also Viewed” section on their profile or searching their connections list. If you have any 1st-degree connections in common, reach out to that person first to ask for an introduction. This gives your request much more context and makes you less of a random stranger. If you have no direct connections in common, look for shared schools, companies, locations, interests or groups to reference in your request.
Personalize Your Request With Context
Never send a generic connection request on LinkedIn. The key is personalizing your message with specific details about why you’d like to connect. Mention how you found their profile, what you have in common, and why you’d value connecting. Share why you’re interested in their professional background specifically and how linking up could be mutually beneficial. This thoughtful approach will make you stand out from random sales or recruiting pitches.
Keep It Short But Friendly
When reaching out to connect with someone you don’t know on LinkedIn, keep your request message short but friendly. Long messages can be overwhelming or intimidating. Get right to the point in 2-3 sentences referencing your common ground, why you want to connect, and adding a warm tone. Close by saying you hope to connect soon. Avoid asking for anything upfront other than the chance to add them to your network.
Don’t Take It Personally If You Get Rejected
Understand that not everyone will accept your LinkedIn connection requests, even when personalized. Don’t take it personally if someone declines or ignores your request. Respect their decision and move on. You can try connecting again in the future when you have a new role, shared connection or reason to interact. Focus on sending thoughtful connection requests rather than blasting out random invites, and you’ll gradually develop a quality network.
Customize Your LinkedIn Connection Settings
To manage incoming connection requests on LinkedIn, customize your settings. Under Privacy & Settings, adjust your preferences for receiving invites. Options include:
- Letting anyone connect with you without review
- Reviewing connection requests before accepting
- Allowing connections only from people who know your email address or appear in your “Imported Contacts” list
- Restricting connection requests to only people who share a group or school with you
Choose the right settings based on your comfort level networking with strangers. More open settings allow your network to grow faster. Stricter settings give you more control.
Send Connections Request Through Shared Content
Another approach is to make a connection over shared content before requesting to connect. Like, comment on, or share their posts, articles, videos, or other content published on LinkedIn. This sparks a natural interaction so they see your name and get familiar with you first. Later, reference that you both engage with the same content when sending your connection invitation.
Try Connecting In Real Life First
Before reaching out to connect with someone on LinkedIn you don’t know, try to meet them in person first. Attend industry events, conferences, trade shows, local professional meet-ups, and networking events. Introduce yourself to new people and build a relationship face-to-face. Follow up later by referencing your real life meeting when connecting on LinkedIn.
Send Official InMail If Appropriate
Another option on LinkedIn is sending InMail messages to those outside your network. InMail allows you to contact anyone, but messages must be focused on professional requests and not personal or promotional. Use sparingly and only if you share a legitimate business reason to connect. Recruiters and sales professionals typically rely on InMail more regularly.
Follow Up After Connecting
After sending a connection request, follow up if accepted. Send a message thanking them for connecting and feel free to ask for a brief informational interview or call to learn more about their career path and industry. Offer to help them in any way you can. By proactively engaging, you change a digital connection into a real mutually beneficial relationship.
Connect With Coworkers First
If new to LinkedIn, gain experience by first sending connections requests to coworkers, clients, partners, and vendors you already know professionally. Getting comfortable within your existing network will make reaching out to strangers easier later. Ask colleagues for introductions to their useful connections too.
Join Industry or Local Groups
Join relevant LinkedIn Groups based on your location, profession, industry, school, passions, etc. Once a member, you can connect with group members directly more easily. Participate in Group discussions to establish yourself as an expert and valuable member of the community before making connections.
Focus on Quality Over Quantity
Avoid trying to connect with as many people as possible on LinkedIn. Focus only on sending thoughtful requests to mutually beneficial contacts aligned with your goals. Having 500 random connections does little good compared to 50 strategic, engaged contacts at companies you want to work for or do business with.
Make Use of LinkedIn Premium
Upgrading to a Premium LinkedIn account gives you greater access to advanced networking features. This includes seeing unlimited profiles, sending unlimited InMails, seeing full profiles of everyone who viewed you, expanded search filters, and more.
Follow Up on Meetings and Interviews
After meeting someone in person that you’d like to connect with on LinkedIn, follow up right away by sending a request. Mention getting together recently and thank them for their time. This is much better than an out-of-the-blue request later.
Connect With Your Network’s Connections
Study who your existing LinkedIn connections are connected to. Look for mutual contacts and ask your connections to introduce you to any of their relationships who you’d like to meet. This gives you a credible referral.
Make Your Profile Discoverable
To boost the chances of receiving connection requests, ensure your LinkedIn profile is complete and optimized to be discovered. This includes having a professional photo, headline, summary, key skills, experience, and recommendations. Profiles with more complete information tend to perform better in LinkedIn search results and invites.
Don’t Be Too Sales-Focused
Avoid sending LinkedIn connection requests that only focus on selling yourself, pitching services, or asking for a job. Relationship-building should be the priority rather than short-term selling. Lead with the desire to give value, and business will naturally follow.
Align with Company Values and Priorities
Study the LinkedIn company pages of businesses you’d like to get connected with. Understand their company culture, mission, values, and priorities. Then make connections highlighting how you align with these focuses and can contribute to their goals.
Make Warm Introductions When Possible
The best way to connect on LinkedIn is to ask someone who knows both you and the desired contact to make a warm introduction. This carries so much more weight than an unknown person making a cold outreach. Take advantage of mutual connections to get introduced whenever possible.
Add Value and Build Trust Over Time
After connecting on LinkedIn, continue to engage with new contacts by commenting on updates, liking posts, and sharing valuable content. Don’t just connect and then disappear. Demonstrate you genuinely want to build a relationship, add value, and establish trust.
Start Local
Consider attending local professional events and networking meetups in your city. Meet new professionals face-to-face in your community first. Then after making a good impression, follow up by connecting on LinkedIn after mentioning meeting them recently.
Join Project Groups
Browse LinkedIn Groups related to volunteer projects, nonprofits, special causes, and other initiatives you care about. Introduce yourself and get involved with the group. Once you’ve engaged with fellow members, organically connect by mentioning your shared Group participation.
Recommend Connections
Help grow your trusted network on LinkedIn by recommending connections between your contacts who you feel would benefit from knowing each other. Introduce them first before making the recommendations to provide helpful context.
Share Career Advice
Establish yourself as a mentor and valuable connection by volunteering free career advice and insights. Respond to questions posted by Group members or publish your own “Ask Me Anything” post where you provide guidance openly.
Follow Companies You Admire
Follow company pages on LinkedIn for brands, businesses and organizations you admire or aspire to work for. Engage with their content and company updates. Get on their radar before eventually asking an employee to connect you for an informational interview.
Give Before You Ask to Receive
Build goodwill by freely sharing advice, tips, articles, job leads, introductions or other professional support with your network. Don’t just connect expecting others to help you. Focus on giving first without expecting anything, and connections will more readily want to help you later.
Spotlight Shared Interests and Causes
If you want to connect with someone on LinkedIn who shares common interests, groups, volunteering activities or other personal passions, mention these in your request. Align around shared interests separate from work to develop a deeper relationship.
Comment Thoughtfully
Before sending a LinkedIn connection request to someone you don’t know, comment on their content first. This could be an article they posted, an interesting update, or a piece of content they engaged with. Start a conversation so you’re on their radar before asking to connect.
Use Advanced Search Filters
Leverage LinkedIn’s advanced search features and filters to target your connection requests more precisely. Search by location, company, job title, school, shared connections, interests, skills, language, age, etc. Requesting people with these commonalities makes sense.
Suggest Becoming an Expert
If someone you’d like to connect with on LinkedIn has listed numerous skills and areas of expertise, suggest they become a LinkedIn Expert! Experts receive badges for their profiles and increased visibility. Recommending this shows you want to help boost their professional brand and credibility.
Attend Industry Conferences
Identify the key conferences and events for your profession or industry and attend annually. Introduce yourself to new people and collect business cards. Afterward, send personalized LinkedIn requests mentioning meeting them at the recent conference.
Conclusion
Sending thoughtful, customized LinkedIn connection requests is crucial for building relationships with professionals you don’t know yet. Do your research, personalize your message, identify common connections and focus on adding value rather than just expanding your network randomly. Relationship-building on LinkedIn is a long-term investment that can pay huge dividends for advancing your career if done strategically.
