LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 300 million users. With such a large user base, it can be tempting to send connection requests to everyone you find on LinkedIn in hopes of expanding your network. However, sending indiscriminate connection requests is often not the best approach.
What are the pros of connecting with everyone?
Here are some potential benefits of sending connection requests to everyone on LinkedIn:
- Increased visibility – Having more connections can make your profile more visible in LinkedIn searches.
- Access to more profiles – You’ll have access to view the full profiles of all your connections.
- Ability to message – You can message anyone you’re connected with through LinkedIn.
- Looks impressive – A large number of connections can give the appearance of an extensive network.
In theory, connecting with everyone you can on LinkedIn can significantly increase the size of your visible network. However, there are also some significant downsides to consider.
What are the cons of connecting with everyone?
Here are some potential drawbacks of sending connection requests indiscriminately:
- Annoys recipients – Indiscriminate connection requests are often perceived as spammy.
- Poor signal-to-noise – Your feed gets crowded with irrelevant updates from weak ties.
- Harder to nurture – Maintaining relationships with connections you barely know is difficult.
- Low acceptance rate – Many requests from strangers are rejected or ignored.
- Risk of ban – LinkedIn may ban your account for violating their policies.
The main issue with connecting indiscriminately is that you end up with a lot of weak, low-value connections and very little meaningful engagement. This tends to undermine the usefulness of your network.
Who should I connect with?
Instead of connecting with everyone, focus on sending requests to the following groups who are more likely to accept and engage:
- People you know and trust in real life – Friends, family, coworkers, etc.
- Relevant connections in your industry – Peers, partners, vendors, etc.
- Prospects and leads – Potential new clients or business connections.
- Groups and influencers – Active niche communities and thought leaders.
The key is targeting connection requests only to those you want to develop meaningful professional relationships with.
How many connections should I have?
There are no hard rules on how many connections are best on LinkedIn. The average user has around 150 connections. Here are some benchmarks to aim for:
- 50-100: Just getting started
- 100-300: Actively networking
- 300-500: Well-connected
- 500-1000: Power user
- 1000+: LinkedIn rockstar
Focus first on making genuine connections before worrying about hitting a certain number. Quality is far more important than quantity when it comes to your network.
How fast should I grow my network?
There are no fixed rules on how quickly to grow your LinkedIn network. The most sustainable approach is to focus on steady, organic growth over time by:
- Only connecting with those you have a specific purpose for reaching out to.
- Personalizing connection requests with a note.
- Monitoring your pending invitations and nurturing new connections.
- Engaging meaningfully with your connections.
- Participating actively in relevant LinkedIn groups.
Aim to add connections at a manageable rate where you can continue to cultivate them over time. 5-10 new quality connections per week is a reasonable target.
How should I send connection requests?
To maximize your acceptance rate, personalize your connection requests:
- Use a customized message explaining why you want to connect.
- Make the request from your profile instead of the icon.
- Connect with shared groups and experiences.
- Follow up if you don’t hear back after a week.
Mass-messaging invitees with something generic like “I’d like to add you to my network” tends to get rejected. Take the time to make each request meaningful.
What is the LinkedIn connection request limit?
LinkedIn limits the number of connection requests you can send in a given period:
- Basic Accounts: 30 requests per day, 100 pending at once
- Business Accounts: 90 requests per day, 100 pending at once
- Sales Navigator Accounts: 150 requests per day, 250 pending at once
These limits reset daily. Maintaining below the maximum pending invitations helps ensure your requests are seen. Too many pending invites may disable sending more requests temporarily.
Can connections remove or block you?
Yes, LinkedIn connections can remove or block you at any time:
- Removing a connection – They disconnect from you but you can still see their public profile and send a new invite.
- Blocking your account – This stops you from viewing their profile or contacting them again in the future.
Obnoxious messaging or connection requests perceived as spam often lead to blocked accounts. Always maintain professionalism.
Is there a way to mass connect?
LinkedIn specifically prohibits using automated methods or bots to send mass connection invitations. Third party apps offering mass connection services will likely get your account restricted or banned.
The best way to efficiently grow your organic network is to:
- Spend time networking within relevant LinkedIn groups.
- Interact with LinkedIn publisher posts to connect with engaged members.
- Use search filters to find members by industry, location, job role, etc.
- Export LinkedIn profiles to Excel to organize prospects.
Putting in the time to build relationships will serve your network far better than bulk invites.
Conclusion
Sending connection requests indiscriminately to each and every LinkedIn user is unlikely to provide meaningful value. Instead, focus on selectively connecting with those who advance your professional goals and with whom you can cultivate mutually beneficial relationships over time. Aim for quality connections over quantity. The most effective networks are built through active engagement, not blind invites.