LinkedIn’s “People You May Know” feature is both helpful and annoying. On one hand, it can connect you with old colleagues, classmates, and new professional contacts. On the other hand, constantly getting prompted about people can be distracting and seem intrusive. So why does LinkedIn keep asking if you know someone? There are a few key reasons behind this.
Maximizing Network Growth
LinkedIn’s main goal is to connect professionals around the world and maximize each user’s network. The “People You May Know” feature helps LinkedIn rapidly expand every individual’s network by suggesting new connections. The more interconnected LinkedIn users are, the more value LinkedIn provides.
Here are some key stats on LinkedIn’s network growth:
| Year | LinkedIn Members |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 90 million |
| 2015 | 347 million |
| 2023 | 840 million |
As you can see, LinkedIn’s membership has grown enormously over the past decade. The “People You May Know” suggestions have accelerated this growth by proactively connecting new pairs of users.
Leveraging Data and Algorithms
How does LinkedIn know who you may know? LinkedIn uses sophisticated data science algorithms that analyze your connections, work history, education, location, interests, profile views, and more. The algorithms look for patterns that indicate two people are likely to know each other.
Some of the key signals LinkedIn may use:
– You went to the same school or university at the same time
– You work or previously worked at the same company
– You have shared connections in your network
– You have similar job titles, skills, or interests
– You are in the same geographic area
As LinkedIn gathers more behavioral data, the suggestions get smarter. For example, if you view someone’s profile multiple times, LinkedIn may assume interest and recommend connecting.
Driving Engagement
LinkedIn wants to keep users engaged on the platform. The “People You May Know” prompts help drive engagement in a couple ways:
1. By connecting users with more relevant contacts, they will have more reason to interact on LinkedIn. New connections expand your network’s value.
2. The prompts grab your attention and get you browsing LinkedIn profiles. Even if you dismiss the suggestions, LinkedIn succeeds in driving some incremental engagement.
Little engagements add up. LinkedIn likely A/B tests different timing and triggers for the “People You May Know” prompts to see what drives the most referrals and interactions.
Monetization Opportunities
While “People You May Know” helps users expand their networks, it also directly aids LinkedIn’s advertising-based business model. Here are two key ways it generates revenue:
1. Sponsored Suggestions – LinkedIn allows advertisers to pay to be inserted into the suggestions with a “Sponsored” tag. This is valuable placement real estate since users are actively looking at the content.
2. Broader Reach – The larger and more interconnected a user’s network, the more LinkedIn can charge to reach their network with sponsored content and ads. More connections and more data make marketing on LinkedIn more valuable.
In summary, “People You May Know” improves monetization both directly through sponsored suggestions, and indirectly by increasing users’ network value.
Risks of Overdoing Suggestions
While the prompts provide value, LinkedIn also risks annoying users if they become too aggressive. Here are some potential drawbacks to overdoing the suggestions:
– Users may get distracted from more important tasks on LinkedIn like messaging connections, viewing jobs, or publishing content.
– Users may second guess or doubt the algorithm if low quality suggestions are shown, damaging trust.
– Users may remove the mobile app if they feel harassed to connect with people they do not know well.
– Attention and engagement may decrease if the prompts become white noise that users train themselves to ignore.
Balancing Value and Annoyance
The risks above likely explain why LinkedIn paces out the suggestions and does not show them too frequently. LinkedIn’s product team works to find the right balance between showing enough prompts to drive network expansion, while not showing so many that users get overwhelmed.
This balance also varies by user. For example, someone new to LinkedIn likely welcomes more suggestions to make connections, while a longtime user may be more annoyed if they get suggestions for people they definitely do not know.
Conclusion
While the “People You May Know” prompts can seem intrusive, they are central to LinkedIn fulfilling its mission of creating economic opportunity for every professional. The suggestions may be annoying at times, but ultimately provide tremendous value by connecting users with new contacts and opportunities.
LinkedIn leverages data science algorithms to maximize the relevance of each suggestion. The prompts are carefully designed to expand every user’s network while balancing value and annoyance. In moderation, the feature makes LinkedIn’s platform stickier, drives engagement, and improves monetization.
So next time LinkedIn asks if you know someone, think carefully before dismissing it. That suggestion could lead to your next business partner, employee, or career opportunity down the road. But if the prompts ever do become excessive, LinkedIn generally provides options to dismiss or reduce them.
