There are a few potential reasons why people may choose to follow you on LinkedIn rather than connect with you directly. While connecting allows for more direct communication and engagement, following can be a way for people to passively keep tabs on your updates and activity. Here are some common scenarios that may explain why some individuals opt to follow rather than connect:
They want to discreetly monitor your activity
By following you, people are able to see your posts and updates in their feed without formally connecting. This allows them to quietly keep an eye on your work and career progression. Some people use following as a way to gather intel on competitors, business partners, or potential hires without directly engaging.
They don’t want to appear overly eager to connect
Following comes across as more casual and less intrusive than sending a connection request out of the blue. Some people, especially new professional contacts, prefer to follow first to get a sense of your activity and demonstrate interest before making the ask to connect. Following first can be a polite way to initiate contact without being overly assertive.
They want to wait for you to initiate contact
Along the same lines, following you places the ball in your court to make the first move and connect. Rather than asking to connect directly, following passively signals interest in engaging while allowing you to determine if and when to connect. This can be a strategic way to put control in your hands.
They have already sent a pending connection request
In some cases, people will follow you while they have already sent a connection request. This allows them to still monitor your profile while waiting for you to accept or ignore their request. Following lets impatient prospects still track you despite not yet being connected.
They don’t feel ready to connect
Following can act as a temporary holding place for people who want to connect eventually but don’t feel ready yet. Perhaps they want to interact more informally first or need to wait for the right timing. Following allows continued visibility until they are prepared to upgrade the relationship via a connection.
When is it appropriate to follow someone instead of connect?
There are certainly legitimate circumstances where following makes more sense than immediately sending a connection request:
When dealing with high-profile individuals
Following can be a respectful way to monitor influential leaders and executives without demanding access to their inner circle right away via a connection. Following demonstrates interest in their work and perspective without overstepping.
When you want to remain distant acquaintances
If you only have a minor or casual professional relationship with someone, following may be preferable over connecting to maintain that slight separation. Following preserves a bit of distance when you want to politely remain loose contacts.
When assessing cultural fit before connecting
Following first can help you better evaluate someone’s workplace values and personality before linking your profiles. Reviewing their activity and posts allows you to make a more informed decision on whether connecting makes mutual sense.
When interacting informally at first
Following without the pressure of connecting lets you converse casually via posts and comments. You can communicate publicly and get a feel for the relationship before committing to exchanging contact details via a connection.
When needing to warm up before connecting
Shy networkers may follow at first to loosely interact and demonstrate common interests or acquantances before making the social leap to connect. Following allows engaging from a comfortable distance.
Scenario | Appropriate to Follow? |
---|---|
Interacting with the CEO of a major company | Yes |
Maintaining distance from a minor business partner | Yes |
Evaluating if a potential hire aligns culturally | Yes |
Casually discussing industry trends with an acquaintance | Yes |
Wanting to connect with a close colleague | No |
How to nurture followers to become connections
If you find that valuable contacts are following you rather than connecting, there are ways to nurture those relationships toward a connection:
Like and comment on their posts
Proactively interacting with their content shows you are paying attention and interested in what they share. This two-way engagement can organically lead to connecting.
Share their posts with your network
Resharing follower’s updates exposes your network to their work and perspective. This demonstrates endorsement of their brand and may compel them to connect formally.
Message them strategically
Leverage direct messages to have substantive dialogue about topics of shared interest, providing value and opening the door for more interaction.
Suggest meeting up in real life
Proposing an in-person meetup takes the budding relationship to a new level. Coffee, lunch or another small investment of time can nudge a follower to connect.
Send a connection request yourself
Ultimately, taking the first step yourself to connect is forward momentum. Include a friendly note highlighting your common ground and interest in staying in touch.
Strategy | Example |
---|---|
Engage with their content | Like and comment on their posts |
Endorse their brand | Reshare their updates |
Personal direct outreach | Message them directly with value |
Extend an invitation | Suggest meeting for coffee |
Take the lead | Send a connection invite yourself |
Should you follow someone who hasn’t connected back?
Just because someone chooses to follow you rather than connect does not mean you should necessarily reciprocate following over connecting. Here are some considerations on when it may or may not make sense to follow them back:
Follow back when…
– You want to maintain loose ties only
– You want to gradually build the relationship first
– You don’t feel ready to connect but want to interact
– You want to retain visibility if they decline connecting
Avoid following back when…
– You want to prioritize substantive engagement
– You are ready to strengthen ties as connections
– You feel connecting would not be mutually beneficial
– You worry following back would send the wrong signal
The decision on whether to follow back someone who has not connected comes down to the unique context of your relationship and goals. Proceed thoughtfully based on your specific circumstances.
How to convert followers into paying customers
Growing an audience of followers on LinkedIn is a major opportunity to convert them into paying customers. Here are proven strategies to monetize your base of followers:
Offer exclusive content to connections only
Compelling followers to connect to access premium content you only share with connections. Consider special reports, discounted offerings, or early access to new products.
Run retargeting ads off LinkedIn to your website
Use pixels to track followers visiting your website and serve them targeted ads across channels to lead them through your sales funnel.
Segment messaging by follower attributes
Divide followers into lists by attributes like industry, role, company size to send them targeted content and offers tailored to their profile.
Insert calls-to-action into your posts
Sprinkle your regular posts with special offers, discounts, and links to sign up or purchase to capture followers while their interest is piqued.
Partner with affiliates and influencers
Having partners promote your offerings to their own audiences taps into entirely new networks to attract potential customers.
Tactic | Example |
---|---|
Gated content | Premium whitepaper for connections only |
Retargeting | Serving website visitors ads across channels |
List segmentation | Targeted messages by follower attributes |
CTAs in posts | Offering a discount to the first 100 followers who use a link |
Affiliate marketing | Partnering with relevant influencers |
Conclusion
While being followed rather than connected with may seem counterintuitive at first, in many cases it can simply be a matter of timing and circumstances. As long as you nurture relationships with your followers by engaging their content, providing value, and eventually extending connection invites, you can convert that interest into deeper professional relationships and business opportunities. Patience and persistence with followers can pay dividends in turning them into loyal advocates over time.