• LinkedIn, the leading professional networking platform, offers two distinct options: follow and connect. While these terms may seem interchangeable, they have crucial differences that can significantly impact your LinkedIn strategy.

Follow on LinkedIn

When you follow someone on LinkedIn, you are essentially subscribing to their content. That person’s posts, articles, status updates, and other activity will appear in your News Feed, even if you’re not logged in.

Benefits of tracking:

  • Stay informed about a professional’s content without having to connect with them.

  • Discover new content relevant to your industry or interests.

  • Expand your network without increasing the number of your connections.

Disadvantages of tracking:

You will not have access to posts shared only with connections.

The person being followed may not see your tracking activity.

  • Following too many people can clutter your feed.

Connect on LinkedIn

When you connect with someone on LinkedIn, you are establishing a two-way relationship. You will be able to see that person’s posts that are shared with connections, and they will be able to see yours. You can also send direct messages and interact with their posts.

Benefits of connection:

  • Access more comprehensive content and share your own content with the person.

  • Build stronger, more meaningful relationships.

  • You can contact the person directly by message.

  • Connections appear in your contact list and can be organized into groups.

Disadvantages of connection:

Connections are limited to 30,000 on LinkedIn.

  • You may receive connection requests from people you don’t know.

  • Managing a large number of connections can take time.

Which option to choose?

Choosing between following or connecting on LinkedIn depends on your specific goals. If you just want to stay informed about someone’s content without establishing a direct relationship, following is a good option. However, if you want to build stronger relationships, share content, and interact with other professionals, going online is the best choice.

Optimal strategy

An effective LinkedIn strategy wisely combines following and connecting. Follow professionals in your industry, thought leaders, and people you admire, even if you don’t intend to connect with them. Connect with people you know, have worked with, or want to make professional connections with.

By understanding the differences between following and connecting on LinkedIn, you can optimize your strategy to achieve your professional networking goals.

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