LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that allows users to connect with other professionals in their industry or location. One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to leverage your network through connections. This is known as the concept of 3 degree separation.
What is 3 degree separation?
The idea behind 3 degree separation is that you are connected to anyone else on LinkedIn within 3 connections. For example, if you are connected to person A, and person A is connected to person B, and person B is connected to person C, then you are 3 connections away from person C. This means that through your 1st level connections, you can reach their 1st level connections (your 2nd level connections) and through your 2nd level connections, you can reach their 1st level connections (your 3rd level connections).
On LinkedIn, your 1st level connections are people you are directly connected with. Your 2nd level connections are people that your 1st level connections are connected to. Your 3rd level connections are people that your 2nd level connections are connected to, making them 3 connections away from you.
The concept of 3 degree separation suggests that you are no more than 3 connections away from anyone else on LinkedIn. By going through your connections and their connections, you can reach a large number of professionals on the platform.
Why is 3 degree separation important?
Here are some key reasons why LinkedIn’s 3 degree separation is valuable:
- Expands your reach – With 3 degree separation, you can connect with professionals way beyond just your direct connections.
- Surface hidden opportunities – You can find jobs, prospects, business partners, or expertise through your 2nd and 3rd degree networks.
- Gain access to insights – By connecting with a wider pool of professionals, you can gain valuable insights, advice and perspectives.
- Boost visibility – You can raise your profile and share content with a larger audience through expanded networks.
In essence, 3 degree separation allows you to tap into the greater LinkedIn community and access a broader range of opportunities and information.
How many LinkedIn members are within 3 connections?
As of October 2022, LinkedIn has over 875 million members globally across more than 200 countries and territories. With 3 degree separation, this means you can reach a significant percentage of LinkedIn’s user base within 3 connections.
According to LinkedIn’s website:
- You are connected to over 22 million professionals at 2nd degree.
- You can reach more than 40 million members at the 3rd degree.
So theoretically, you can reach over 62 million LinkedIn members through your own network and their connections alone. The total number you can actually reach depends on the size and diversity of your own network. But 3 degree separation gives you access to a sizable audience.
How to maximize 3 degree connections?
Here are some tips to maximize your 3 degree separation on LinkedIn:
Build a robust 1st degree network
Focus on making meaningful connections with professionals in your industry, location, company, school, groups, and interests. The larger your 1st degree network, the more 2nd and 3rd degree reach you will have.
Engage with your connections
Interact regularly with your 1st level connections by liking, commenting, sharing content, and messaging. This raises your visibility and keeps you top of mind.
Get introduced to new people
Use the “Get Introduced” feature to help expand your network. This allows you to connect with 2nd degree connections through a shared 1st degree contact.
Join industry groups
Participate in niche professional groups aligned with your field or interests to connect with a more targeted audience.
Follow companies
Follow companies you are interested in to unlock employees at those companies in your 2nd and 3rd degree networks.
Use advanced search
Leverage advanced search filters like location, company, job title, skills, interests etc. to find qualified professional connections.
Tips to connect with 3rd degree profiles
To turn 3rd degree connections into actual connections, you can:
- See who you share mutual connections with as they likely know both of you.
- Review their profile to find common ground such as university, employer, interests etc. to establish relevancy in your outreach.
- Personalize your connection request by referencing shared connections, experiences, or interests highlighted on their profile.
- Send an InMail if you share no connections since they allow you to message anyone.
- Upgrade to a premium account which lets you message 15 more 3rd degree connections for free per month.
How to find 3rd degree connections
Here are some ways to find 3rd degree connections on LinkedIn:
Contact search filters
Use filters like 3rd degree connections under “Relationship” in the search bar.
Mutual connections
Check the “People Also Viewed” section on profiles to surface 3rd degrees with shared connections.
Group search
Join industry relevant groups and use the group member search to uncover 3rd degree connections.
“People You May Know”
LinkedIn’s algorithm will suggest 3rd degree connections in the “People You May Know” section based on your profile and activity.
Advanced search filters
You can combine filters like location, company, job title etc. along with 3rd degree connection in advanced search.
Sales Navigator
Premium Sales Navigator subscribers can access lead recommendations from 3rd degree networks.
Turning 3rd into 2nd degree connections
To turn 3rd degree connections into 2nd degrees, you can take the following steps:
- Review their profile and look for shared connections, experiences, interests etc. This gives you relevancy for your outreach.
- Personalize your connection request by highlighting common connections or interests you share.
- Send an InMail explaining why you’d like to connect if you have no shared connections.
- Comment or like their posts to establish familiarity before connecting.
- See if a shared 1st degree connection can introduce you through the “Get Introduced” feature.
- Interact consistently over time by commenting on updates, messaging, sharing articles etc. to build rapport.
- Upgrade to premium to message 15 3rd degrees at no extra cost per month.
Turning 2nd into 1st degree connections
Similarly, you can turn 2nd degree connections into 1st degrees by:
- Learning about their experiences, interests from their profile to personalize your outreach.
- Mentioning mutual connections or experiences in your customized connection request.
- Engaging consistently by liking and commenting on their posts over time.
- Reaching out directly via InMail or OpenMessage to establish a rapport.
- Suggesting meeting up for coffee or a quick call to get acquainted.
- Interacting in shared LinkedIn groups by commenting, liking their posts in the group.
- Contacting common connections and asking for an email introduction.
Limits of 3 degree separation
While 3 degree separation is powerful, it does have some limitations to be aware of:
- Your actual reachable network size depends on the size and diversity of your own 1st degree connections.
- It becomes harder to establish relevancy and trust beyond 1st degree connections.
- Response rates tend to diminish as connections become indirect.
- You have limited profile visibility and messaging ability with 2nd and 3rd degree connections.
- It’s largely dependent on the willingness of your extended network.
- Advanced filters like job title and seniority reduce your reachable 3rd degree pool size.
- There may be overlapping or repetitive connections in your extended network.
Key takeaways
Here are the key takeaways on maximizing LinkedIn’s 3 degree separation:
- Build a robust 1st degree network to expand your reach to 2nd and 3rd degrees.
- Actively engage with your connections to strengthen and maintain relationships.
- Leverage features like search filters, groups and Sales Navigator to uncover opportunities.
- Personalize invitation messages to show relevancy based on profiles.
- Turn 3rd degree connections into stronger 2nd and 1st degrees using engagement and introductions over time.
- Understand limitations like reducing reach size and response rates at higher degrees.
Conclusion
LinkedIn’s 3 degree separation allows you to significantly expand your reach to access opportunities and information. By strategically building your network, engaging regularly with connections, and personalizing outreach, you can maximize 3rd, 2nd, and 1st degree relationships. While manage your expectations on response rates and network size as you move further out. Overall, 3 degree separation is a valuable LinkedIn feature to leverage for your professional networking and growth.