Should You Connect or Follow on LinkedIn?

Ever wondered whether you should connect with someone or just follow them on LinkedIn?

When you visit a profile, you’ll usually see either a Follow or Connect button. But what’s the difference, and which should you use?

Connections vs. Followers: What’s the Deal?

Connecting means you both become part of each other’s network. Their posts may appear in your feed, and if they accept your request, yours might show up in theirs. It’s great for people you know, have mutual connections with, or want to build a professional relationship with.

Following means you might see their posts, but they won’t see yours, unless they follow you back. I tend to follow people I don’t know personally, for example industry leaders and high-profile figures.

How to Connect on LinkedIn:

If someone has a Connect button on their profile:

On desktop, click it, and LinkedIn will ask if you’d like to send a personalised message (you should!). You get 300 characters to introduce yourself/why you want to connect.

On mobile, tap the three dots next to “Connect” and choose Personalise Invite (otherwise, LinkedIn will send a generic request).

Important: Free LinkedIn members can only send 5 personalised connection requests per month, and they get 200 characters instead of 300.

You automatically become a follower and then if your request is accepted, a connection.

How to Follow Someone on LinkedIn:

If someone has the Follow button on their profile:

Click Follow to start seeing their posts. They’ll be notified that you followed them.

Want to connect with someone who only has a Follow button?

Click the three dots next to Follow, then choose Connect to send them a request.

The Limits You Need to Know

You can have a maximum of 30,000 connections, but there’s no limit to how many people you can follow.

Connections don’t guarantee you’ll see each other’s content. LinkedIn’s algorithm still decides what shows up in your feed.

LinkedIn’s Official Advice (and Why It’s Not Quite Right)

LinkedIn suggests:

Connect when you both know each other, so you can stay in touch.

Follow when you just want to keep up with someone’s content.

Sounds simple, right? Well… not exactly.

Just because you connect with someone doesn’t mean you’ll actually see their posts. And following someone doesn’t always mean you’ll stay informed. LinkedIn’s algorithm ultimately controls what appears in your feed!

To ensure you actually see the content from the people you connect and follow, go to their profile and click on the little grey bell at the top and choose All.

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I’m Sarah, I’m a Career Coach with a specialism in using LinkedIn to get you where you want to be.