It does not work like that! You know, it is not like making the pumpkin into the royal carriage. It takes time and effort but at the same time, it is not impossible as it might seem. So let’s see how to get more LinkedIn connections, shall we?
To get more LinkedIn connections, you can start by reaching out to your existing contacts and colleagues, joining relevant LinkedIn groups, actively engaging with others' content, and regularly sharing valuable and relevant content on your own profile to attract and connect with new professionals in your industry. Additionally, attending networking events, utilizing LinkedIn's "People You May Know" feature, and personalizing connection requests can also help expand your LinkedIn network.
Is it possible to get more connections instantly?
You know that your LinkedIn connections are like the magic wand of the fairy godmother for the success of your brand and of course your company page if you have one. How? By engaging with your posts and also by referring you to suitable people for different social affairs. It is a known fact that people with more connections have much more chance of getting successful in different things. They usually find decent jobs much easier (in every country), have a better chance of finding the right customers, have a better chance at hunting good investment opportunities or finding eager investors, etc. LinkedIn is no exception, I mean this platform is just like a human society, only it is so populated (with more than 875 million users), is filled with experts in every possible profession, and includes grown-ups mostly. And it seems like every single citizen walks in this society with their resumes pinned on their forehead.
There are more than 58 million active companies in this society and so many people find jobs every minute in it, so many recruiters employ every second, so many marketers promote their products and service every hour and there is a huge sales traffic going on in this society. Do you see my point here? The more people you know in this society the better your chance is to reach your goals on LinkedIn. Are you a designer? Find new projects through your connections, are you a translator? Your next client is somewhere between your connections. Do you want to learn something new about your industry and don’t know what the best option is? See who can be a good mentor between your LinkedIn connections. There are so many opportunities laying in the connection sections you just need to explore them.
So now that connections are so important, so many people would like to know how to get more connections instantly. It is very intriguing, right? More connections, more opportunities, more success, more everything. But that is not possible instantly, do not believe the headlines that are trying to deceive you. It’s like those advertisements that claim you can lose tens of pounds in less than a month just by using cream! It is not possible to have a healthy weight loss in such a short time and it also is not possible to build a healthy and efficient network on LinkedIn instantly.
Not only do you have a weekly invitation limitation, but you should also consider the quality of the connections you are making, otherwise you will end up removing some connections in order to be able to connect with more people considering the LinkedIn connections limit which is 30,000. You might think “boy what? I am considering reaching over 500 connections and she is talking about reaching the limit!” You might think that it is far away but according to my experience, once you start sending requests to random people, you will get to that number sooner than expected. Then that will be a real back-breaking task to try to filter the useless connections you previously made. So we will talk about the strategies you can use to increase the number of your connections and finding target audiences (to make the best connections network).
How to get more LinkedIn connections?
Spammers finally made LinkedIn react to the complaints of users getting spam requests. People used to be allowed to send over 700 invitations in a week and many marketers used to do it by automatic programs. But now with the new limitation that LinkedIn imposed on invitations, it decreased to 100 invitations per week for every kind of account.
So many people who were trying to expand their network as soon as possible, started to think about other ways to get more connections when the new limitation got imposed. Here, we are going to give you some strategies that always used to work but no one really ever focused on them, because they had so many requests and never really needed to use the indirect ways. But right now, we have to use them. Here we are going to mention some of them. FYI, none of them is better or worse than the other.
- The profile
As always, the first thing you need to review is your profile. It is your identity, the first impression, the most important proof that tells people you are worthy enough to make them accept your invitation. It helps them find out who you are and what you do. So it is very important to include as much information about you, your background, your current job, skills, etc. as possible. They say that looks are not everything, I say it actually is. A professional profile picture can definitely convince me and so many other people to take a look at your profile, so try to have a professional look in your picture, smile, and try to select a plain background (never use family photos or any cropped one). and don’t forget to use keywords in every possible section to help people to find you.
- Groups
LinkedIn groups are like some professional meeting rooms where people with similar interests get together and share their information, knowledge, ideas, etc. It is very beneficial for you, your brand, your company page to be active in some related groups to the industry you are working in. How is that?
Well, you are surrounded by experts like yourself in the groups. So it is only natural that when you post valuable content in groups and/or start a discussion or participate in one, you are demonstrating your knowledge, and experience around that very subject and attracting like-minded individuals to yourself. This is a perfect way to make other members notice you and make sure that they will accept your invitation, once you proved to be worthy. The statistics suggest that it is much more probable for people to accept the connection request of someone they slightly know compared to total strangers.
- Invitations
Keep the rhythm of sending requests. It is suggested to send an invitation to at least one connection every day when you want to expand your network. But it is better to first send invitations to people you know, and then go for the ones who you do not know. The thing I want to ask you here is please do not spam strangers with your invitations. I mean yeah we have no other way but to request strangers as well to expand our network but I see people who keep sending invitations to different users when they get rejected. That is one really dangerous risk to simply take. LinkedIn has this anti-spam system that will freeze your account when a specific number of users ignore your request and claim that “I don’t know (your name)” to the platform. When you get restricted, you have to message LinkedIn support to unfreeze your account. You can do it at last but why should you jump into the fire in the first place?
- Personalization
Personalize your invitations, people might receive so many requests and busy people really do not have enough time to view all of their profiles one by one. Once I used to be a member of an HR team, and there were times that I could receive over one hundred requests in just one day. They were such a headache for me since my more important notifications could get lost in so many requests. That was why the first thing I used to do every morning was to reject every request, except for the ones with something eye-catching about them. When the requests are having a nice and personalized message the chance of your request getting accepted can increase so much. So the next time you click on that connect button, write a message for your invitation. Have a short introduction, tell them why you want to connect, and bold some common points (if there are some) like a common college, skills, etc.
- Follow up
As we said, people are much more likely to accept your request if they know you. Building a good network is also possible in the real world. Many of us go to different events every now and then, for example, a conference, a meeting, an exhibition, etc. And we might meet some people whom we believe are good to know and can be beneficial in different things in the future. So it is suggested to make connections in these events and then follow them up on LinkedIn. Believe it or not, the requests you send to them get accepted better now that they just recently met you.
- Don’t rush it
Building a network is a slow process. There is no magical spell for you to increase your 25 connections to 500+ connections over one week. The thing you can do is to keep that rhythm and decide your goals into smaller pieces, for instance, 78 connections in 10 days.
- Be active
Being active is also one of the ways you can use it to make people notice you. Publishing valuable posts can help you get noticed by people out of your network (for the snowball effect that your connections can create by reacting or commenting on your posts) is one of the best strategies to demonstrate your knowledge. You can also persuade people to view your profile by leaving comments under different posts, discussing a subject in the comment section, etc. That can actually get you some valuable and enthused connections that you can always count on for getting more and more noticed by the users out of your network (at least).
- Use LinkedIn pulse
It is said that publishing articles on the LinkedIn pulse is a good way to increase your connections.
- Alumni
This option is one of a kind. You can get connected with your professors, classmates, elite people whom you may have worked on a project with, etc. But that is not all, in fact, you can find people in different industries, who studied in different fields, who work in different companies, with the year they started and finished their studies. And guess what? You are not limited to the colleges and universities that you have attended! The alumni option is usable on any LinkedIn academic pages.
- URL
Are you advertising your profession, brand, or products on your business card, CV, website, etc.? Add your LinkedIn URL to all of them. You do not know how many people might get persuaded to take a look at your profile and you also do not know how many of them will click on that connect button. Even if you are able to make just one valuable connection, this is worth the URL promotion.
- Visuals
Posting images and videos on LinkedIn can significantly increase the level of engagement of your connections and that means more and more engagement and of course more and more connection invitations.
Conclusion
Connections are too important in any society and since LinkedIn is one of the biggest virtual societies, it is no exception. They can act like a magic spell for your success on this platform and they have this interesting feature that the more they become the more users get attracted to your profile and the more chances you get to expand it. So now that you know how to get more LinkedIn connections, start building your plan to do so.
FAQ
How do I get 500+ connections on LinkedIn?
Achieving 500+ connections on LinkedIn requires consistent networking. Start by connecting with colleagues, classmates, and friends. Regularly engage with their content by liking, sharing, and commenting. Attend LinkedIn webinars or events and connect with attendees. Also, personalize your connection requests, explaining how you know the person or why you’d like to connect. Joining and participating in LinkedIn groups related to your industry can further expand your network.
How to get 1,000 connections on LinkedIn?
To reach 1,000 connections, expand on the strategies used for 500 connections. Consistently share valuable content, write articles on LinkedIn, and be active in multiple industry-related groups. Engage with influencers in your field and participate in trending discussions. Use the “Alumni” tool on university pages to connect with fellow alumni. Ensure your profile is complete and professional, as a polished presence can attract more connection requests.
Does having 500+ connections on LinkedIn matter?
Having 500+ connections on LinkedIn can be seen as a networking milestone. It can give the impression of a well-connected and active LinkedIn user. Some believe it can improve profile visibility and ranking in search results. However, the quality of connections is more crucial than quantity. It’s better to have meaningful relationships with your connections rather than simply aiming for a high number.
Can you get more connection requests on LinkedIn?
Yes, to increase connection requests on LinkedIn, optimize your profile with a clear photo, headline, and detailed summary. Being active, sharing insightful content, and engaging with others increases your visibility, leading to more connection requests. Engaging in popular LinkedIn hashtags and being active in groups can also expose your profile to a wider audience. Always maintain a professional demeanor, and ensure your posts reflect value to potential connections.
Is 100 connections on LinkedIn good?
While 100 connections might seem modest compared to those with 500+ or even thousands, it’s a solid start. What matters most is the quality of those connections. If those 100 connections are people you genuinely know, have worked with, or share professional interests, they can be more valuable than hundreds of random connections. Focus on building strong, meaningful relationships with your connections.
How do you unfollow LinkedIn connections?
To unfollow a LinkedIn connection, go to their profile and click the three dots next to the “Connect” button. Then select “Unfollow [name]” from the dropdown menu. This will stop their updates from appearing in your feed, but you will still remain connected to them.
How do I bypass LinkedIn connection limit?
LinkedIn has a daily connection request limit and an overall 30,000 connection limit. To work within these constraints, prioritize quality over quantity. When close to the daily limit, space out your requests. If nearing the 30,000 limit, consider removing inactive or less relevant connections. Always be cautious, as trying to game the system or sending too many requests at once can lead to restrictions on your account.