LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 800 million members. Making connections on LinkedIn can help you expand your professional network, stay in touch with colleagues, and discover career opportunities. However, there’s an art to using LinkedIn effectively and making connections without coming across as spammy. In this article, we’ll explore when and how to ask someone to connect on LinkedIn.
If You Know Them Professionally
If you have worked with someone directly in a professional capacity, it is generally appropriate to send them a connection request on LinkedIn. For example, if you worked together at the same company, served on a project together as freelancers, or met at an industry conference, it makes sense to connect. Include a customized note highlighting how you know each other and refreshing their memory of your working relationship.
Some specific instances when it’s suitable to connect on LinkedIn after meeting someone professionally:
- After meeting at a networking event or conference
- When you switch companies and would like to stay in touch with former coworkers
- After working directly with someone at a company as a vendor, contractor, etc
- When you would like to continue discussing professional topics with a new connection
Essentially, if you have established some kind of direct professional interaction with someone, asking to connect on LinkedIn is fine. Just make sure your request comes across as personalized and sincere.
If Someone Works at a Company You Want to Learn More About
It can also be appropriate to connect with someone on LinkedIn if they work at a company you would like to learn more about or potentially work for. However, you want to make this request thoughtfully and strategically. Research the company, the person’s role and background, and think about ways you could strike up a mutually beneficial conversation.
Some tips for requesting to connect with someone for career research and networking purposes:
- Only connect with people at a level similar to yours or who work in your desired field. Don’t randomly add the CEO.
- Personalize your request by mentioning shared connections, groups, or interests.
- Say you would enjoy learning more about their career path and company.
- Ask if they would be open to giving career advice over coffee or a quick phone call.
The key is letting them know why you want to connect beyond just expanding your network. Offer value and make it about starting a dialogue, not just adding a contact.
If Someone Shares Your Alma Mater or Other Affiliation
Another appropriate time to request a LinkedIn connection is if you share a common university, professional association, or group affiliation. This immediately gives you some common ground. In your customized request note, mention the shared affiliation and your desire to connect with other alumni or members.
Some examples of when a shared affiliation warrants a LinkedIn request:
- They attended the same university as you
- You are both members of the same professional organization
- You participated in the same leadership program or event
- You volunteer for the same non-profit organization
Focus your message on your shared experiences and interest in connecting with others from this group. But make sure you still take time to personalize the request based on their profile and don’t make it sound like a copied template.
If Someone Shares Your Contacts or Connects With You First
It is also standard LinkedIn etiquette to accept connection requests when someone shares several common connections with you or even connects with you first.
If you receive a connection request, check out the person’s profile. Do you have shared connections or affiliations? Does their role and industry align with your network? If the request seems relevant and tailored, accept the invite.
Likewise, if you notice someone shares several contacts with you, it is often a good indication you should connect. Try mentioning the mutual connections in your request note and asking to expand your shared network.
However, always do due diligence. Make sure the request is from an established profile and be wary of any suspicious behavior like copied text or foreign languages indicating a potential bot or spammer. Use your best judgment.
If You Don’t Know Them at All
As a general rule, avoid sending LinkedIn requests to people you have had absolutely no interaction or shared affiliations with. Cold contacting strangers rarely goes over well and can hurt your LinkedIn presence if reported as spam.
But if you still feel connecting with someone without an obvious professional justification could be beneficial, proceed cautiously. Thoroughly research them and their company. Carefully craft a personalized request focused on their work, interests or network. Offer to provide value by sharing knowledge or connections. And don’t take it personally if they ignore your request.
Some other tips for cold outreach:
- Only connect with higher level professionals if you share very niche skills or affiliations.
- Emphasize common geographic locations to establish some shared context.
- Suggest meeting for an informational interview if they are in your target field.
- Reference any social media interactions you may have had.
Essentially, the more distant the connection, the more strategic you need to be in your outreach. Focus on establishing common ground and suggesting concrete ways to start a professional relationship.
If They Are Inappropriate, Abusive or Spamming
On the other hand, there are certain LinkedIn behaviors and red flags that should deter you from connecting with someone. These include:
- Profiles with limited information and connections
- Suspicious activity like copied messages or foreign languages
- Inappropriate or unprofessional content
- Aggressive friend requests from strangers
- Offers that seem too good to be true
Essentially, trust your instincts. If someone’s profile or behavior seems suspicious, it is fine to ignore or even report them to LinkedIn. Your network’s quality is more important than random connections.
How to Ask to Connect on LinkedIn
Once you’ve determined it makes sense to connect with someone on LinkedIn, you want your request to come across as polished and personalized. Follow these best practices:
- Review their profile thoroughly and look for common ground
- Craft a customized message highlighting shared connections or interests
- Keep your request short but sincere
- Propose an idea for future interaction like meeting for coffee
- Use proper grammar and spelling
- Send individual requests rather than bulk messages
Some examples of strong connection request messages:
- “Hi Jane. I saw that we both worked at XYZ Company in the past. I would love to connect with other XYZ alumni in the area.”
- “Hi Mike. We haven’t met but I noticed we are both members of the Accounting Professionals Network. I would enjoy connecting with other members.”
- “Hi Lisa. I am looking to transition into a marketing career. I saw you work at ABC Company and would love any advice you can offer. Let me know if you would be open to a quick coffee chat.”
Make the effort to establish common ground and propose future dialogue. This helps your request seem more sincere and less random.
When to Avoid LinkedIn Connection Requests
While there are many appropriate times to connect on LinkedIn, you also want to avoid misusing or spamming connections. Some scenarios to be cautious of include:
- Making requests with copied, generic messages
- Connecting randomly without common interests or goals
- Asking to connect solely to sell a product or service
- Sending mass connection invitations without personalizing
- Contacting people far senior to you without a relevant reason
- Ignoring signs that someone does not want to connect
Essentially, avoid making requests that come across as lazy, salesy or thoughtless. This can damage your reputation and lead to rejected requests or even banned accounts. Monitor your behavior to ensure you are networking professionally.
Following Up After Connecting
Once you successfully connect with someone on LinkedIn, you want to foster an ongoing professional relationship. Here are some tips for following up:
- Send a quick thank you note reiterating your interest in their work and company
- Comment on their posts and share relevant content when appropriate
- Propose meeting or chatting by phone if you requested advice
- Introduce them to other contacts who share common interests
- Wish them well when they get promoted or change jobs
The more value you can offer, the more likely the connection will evolve into a meaningful professional relationship. Avoid simply connecting and then ignoring new contacts. Find ways to continuously engage.
Tracking Your LinkedIn Network’s Growth and Engagement
As your LinkedIn network grows, it can be helpful to track metrics related to your connections. Some data to monitor:
- Number of new connection requests sent and accepted each month
- Percentage of personalized vs. bulk connection requests
- Common job titles, companies, and industries among your connections
- Percentage of connections actively engaging with your content
- Quality of shared content and discussions within your network
Here is an example of how you could track networking metrics in a table:
Metric | Jan | Feb | March |
---|---|---|---|
New Requests Sent | 50 | 60 | 75 |
New Requests Accepted | 20 | 30 | 45 |
Personalized Requests | 45 | 50 | 60 |
Connections Engaging | 100 | 150 | 200 |
Tracking relevant data allows you to evaluate your networking strategy and make any necessary adjustments. Are you connecting with enough quality contacts each month? Is engagement increasing? Analyze the numbers regularly.
Conclusion
Adding connections on LinkedIn requires strategy and finesse. When done properly, you can vastly expand your professional network and unlock major career opportunities. But random, high volume connection requests often backfire. Focus on forging relationships with shared affiliations, goals and interests. Customize your outreach while also suggesting ways to create ongoing value for your new contacts. With a thoughtful, personalized approach, LinkedIn can become an invaluable networking resource.