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The Essential Check-list: 10 Ways To Boost Your LinkedIn Connection Acceptance Rate
Navigating through the professional platform LinkedIn can be quite a challenge, especially when trying to establish meaningful connections with potential employers, collaborators, or peers.
This step-by-step guide is your go-to check-list to amplify your chances of getting a connection request accepted. Each step, if followed carefully, will help you refine your approach and be more successful in expanding your professional network.
Step 1: Be Thoughtful About Whom You Are Reaching Out to and Why
It’s crucial to be clear about your intentions when reaching out to potential connections. Are you interested in their line of work? Do you want to collaborate, or do you merely admire their professional journey? Knowing why you want to connect will help you tailor your request and increase your chances of being accepted.
Step 2: Have a Compelling LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile serves as your online resume. It should be complete, up-to-date, and compelling. A well-crafted profile can increase your credibility and the likelihood that your connection requests will be accepted. The most important parts of your profile are those that are immediately visible, especially your profile picture and headline.
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Step 3: Read Their Profile and “About” Section
Before sending a connection request, spend some time reading the person’s profile and “about” section. They may have specific preferences about being contacted on LinkedIn or via other channels such as email. Respecting these preferences indicates professionalism and will increase your chances of establishing a connection.
Step 4: Make Sure You Are Reaching Out to Someone Active on LinkedIn
Check their most recent activity on their profile. If they haven’t been active with at least a “like” on a post in the last couple of weeks, they might not even see your connection request. Ensuring the person is active on LinkedIn increases the likelihood of your request being noticed and accepted.
Step 5: Prefer 2nd-Level Connections
2nd-level connections are people who are connected to your existing contacts. These people are more likely to accept your connection request because you share mutual connections. It’s a strategy based on the principle of social proof, where people tend to trust and accept individuals within their extended network.
Step 6: Be Wary of the Number of Connections
Avoid sending a connection request to someone with too few connections. This could indicate that they don’t use LinkedIn often or prefer not to connect on the platform. Prefer people with at least 1000 connections. If possible, send connection requests to people with more than 3000 connections, to improve your chances of acceptance.
Step 7: With Big LinkedIn Influencers, Consider Following Instead
Those with a large number of connections may also not accept your request to connect, especially if they are close to LinkedIn’s limit of 30,000. If the person you’re interested in connecting with has too many followers, consider following them instead. Once you follow them, you can engage with their posts and send them an InMail.
Step 8: Send a Blank Connection Request
While it may seem counterintuitive, there can be advantages to sending a blank connection request. A blank request can intrigue the recipient, sparking their curiosity and prompting them to check out your profile.
What’s interesting is that according to our data, adding a note to a connection request doesn’t necessarily improve its chances of being accepted. Of course, this strategy emphasizes the importance of having a compelling LinkedIn profile. When your profile is strong and engaging, it can stand on its own, attracting connections without the need for an accompanying note.
One of the key advantages of sending a blank connection request is the significant time saving it offers. Instead of spending precious minutes crafting a personalized note for each request, you can focus on sending out more requests efficiently. This approach allows you to reach a wider network in a shorter span of time.
Once your connection request is accepted, you then have the opportunity to personalize your message. This approach ensures your effort in personalizing a message is directed only to those who have shown an initial interest, thus making your networking process more efficient and effective.
Step 9: Timing is Key
Try to send your connection requests during business hours in the person’s time zone. People are more likely to check their LinkedIn during these hours, increasing the chances that they’ll see and accept your request promptly.
Step 10: Engage First
If you have the time, consider engaging with the person’s content before sending a connection request. You could comment on a post or even just “like” their recent post. This strategy can help you get noticed and build rapport before making the connection request.
conclusion
By following this 10-step check-list guide, you’ll be well on your way to building a valuable network on LinkedIn. Remember, the goal is not just to expand your network, but to build meaningful connections that can lead to fruitful professional relationships.