Why can I only follow someone on LinkedIn and not connect?

LinkedIn offers two main options for interacting with other users on the platform – following them or connecting with them. Both options allow you to see updates from that user in your feed, but there are some key differences between following and connecting.

Following Users on LinkedIn

Following a user on LinkedIn is a one-way connection – you can follow them, but they do not have to follow you back. When you follow someone, you can see their posts and updates in your feed.

Some of the key things to know about following users on LinkedIn:

• You can follow any user on LinkedIn, you don’t need their permission.
• The user you follow will not be notified when you start following them.
• You can see all public updates from a user you follow in your feed.
• Private messages or connection requests cannot be sent to someone you follow.
• Following allows you to customize your feed with updates from users you find interesting.
• You can unfollow a user at any time to stop seeing their updates.

Following is a good option if you want to keep up with news and updates from a particular LinkedIn user, but don’t necessarily need to connect with them directly.

Connecting on LinkedIn

Connecting to another LinkedIn member is a two-way connection that both parties must agree to. When you connect with someone, you become part of each other’s professional networks on LinkedIn.

Here are some key things to know about connecting on LinkedIn:

• To connect with someone, you must send them an invitation which they can accept or ignore.
• When you connect, you and the other user will be notified and the connection will show up in your profiles.
• You can see limited profile updates from your connections in your feed.
• You can message connections directly and network with them.
• Connecting allows you to expand your professional network.
• You can remove a connection at any time.

Connecting is useful when you want to build relationships and network directly with other professionals. It makes it easier to communicate and share opportunities.

Differences Between Following and Connecting

Here is a summary of the main differences between following someone and connecting on LinkedIn:

Why You May Only Be Able to Follow Someone

There are a few potential reasons why you may only be able to follow someone on LinkedIn, but not connect with them:

• They have limited their connections. Some users only accept connection requests from people they know. They limit connections to keep their network focused.
• They are outside of your network. LinkedIn suggests connections based on shared networks and interactions. Users outside your network are less likely to accept connection requests.
• You’ve hit the connection limit. LinkedIn caps connections at 30,000. Once you hit that limit, you can only follow new users.
• You don’t share any common connections. Having a shared connection increases the chance your request will be accepted.
• Your profile lacks completeness. Incomplete profiles with few details often get rejected when requesting connections.
• You’ve never interacted with them. Users are more likely to accept requests if they recognize your name from liking posts or commenting.

In many cases, the best option is to follow the user to stay updated on their posts while looking for ways to organically connect through shared connections, interactions, and improving your profile.

Building Connections on LinkedIn

Here are some tips to build your connections effectively on LinkedIn:

• Personalize connection requests with a note highlighting shared experiences or interests.
• Identify points of commonality like alumni status, associations, or groups.
• Increase interactions by commenting on posts, sharing content, and liking updates.
• Make thoughtful, relevant introductions through shared connections.
• Participate actively in LinkedIn groups and discussions to widen your network.
• Build authority by sharing valuable insights and content to attract connections.
• Follow up after in-person networking events or meetings to connect.
• Take advantage of premium subscription options like InMail to contact users.
• Complete your profile 100% and showcase your expertise to establish credibility.

It takes effort to thoughtfully build connections on LinkedIn. Focus on quality over quantity by identifying shared interests and values with the users you want to connect with. Follow relevant users to stay informed while organically developing mutual connections.

Tips for Following Users Effectively

To get the most out of following other users on LinkedIn, keep these tips in mind:

• Follow influencers and thought leaders in your industry to discover content and insights.
• Look for users sharing content you find valuable and follow them for more.
• Follow companies you want to work for to stay on top of their updates.
• Use hashtags and keywords to find users discussing topics of interest.
• Follow former colleagues, classmates, or alumni from your university.
• Follow organizers of events or conferences you attend.
• Look through the followers of leaders you admire and follow interesting users.
• Unfollow users who don’t provide value to keep your feed useful.
• Apply privacy settings so you control what followers can see.
• Assess your feed frequently and fine-tune who you follow.

Strategic following allows you to stay aware of news, job openings, content, and updates from a diverse mix of relevant users. Curate your feed purposefully by being selective about who you follow.

Maintaining Productive Connections

It’s important to cultivate your connections on LinkedIn so they remain productive. Here are some tips:

• Congratulate connections on work anniversaries, promotions, or new jobs.
• Comment frequently and thoughtfully on connections’ posts and updates.
• Share connections’ content when it’s relevant for your own network.
• Participate actively in common LinkedIn groups to sustain interactions.
• Respond promptly to messages and meeting invitations from your network.
• Proactively reach out to engage your connections and build rapport.
• Provide recommendations and endorse skills to support your connections.
• Flag job openings and opportunities suited to connections’ interests.
• Respect privacy settings and be judicious sharing personal information.
• Remember special occasions like birthdays or work milestones.

Tend to your connections regularly so they remain a vibrant, engaged part of your network. Provide value to connections through insights, content, and opportunities.

Conclusion

Following and connecting allow for different types of interactions on LinkedIn. Following enables you to discover interesting updates from professionals outside your network. Connecting facilitates direct communication and relationship building with new contacts. To develop the most effective LinkedIn network, use both following and connecting strategically. Follow users with valuable insights to enrich your feed. Connect to build relationships and cultivate an active community of professional contacts. With a balanced approach, you can derive maximum value from the connections you follow and the followers you connect with over time.