Differences Between LinkedIn Followers vs. Connections Explained

Written by: Emily Anderson
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When it comes to social media marketing, you’re going to run into the terms purpose of a lot: followers, likes, fans, and so forth.

Although these all seem to be pretty much interchangeable, the difference between LinkedIn followers vs. connections is that LinkedIn followers mean you have subscribed to the posts of that company or person. A LinkedIn connection means you are an actual friend or know each other in real life.

If you want to watch a video tutorial on LinkedIn followers vs. connections, check out this video tutorial:

In this Linkedin tutorial, we dive deeper and more accurately specify the similarities and the differences between Linkedin connections vs. followers.

What Does a LinkedIn Connection Mean and How It Works?

LinkedIn is a social network that allows you to connect with people based on your industry or job title. You can find other professionals and send them messages, as well as see who has viewed your page.

Many people look at connections as a way to ask for favors or opportunities, but they don’t realize that making connections is just as valuable for you as it is for the person you’re trying to reach out to. Here are some reasons why making connections is vital:

  • You can ask them questions or get advice.
  • You can share content that might be valuable to them.
  • You can add value by pointing them toward something useful.
  • They can refer you to clients, colleagues, potential investors-so many possibilities.

On the other hand, LinkedIn connections can lead to job opportunities, business relationships, and partnerships. If you have a connection with someone at a company that has a position open, you could get priority over applicants who don’t know anyone.

What Does a LinkedIn Follower Mean and How it Works?

LinkedIn follower refers to how many other people follow that person’s updates on the social media platform. The actual number of followers that someone has doesn’t tell you much about that person or her professional status, but it can give you an idea of how popular she is on LinkedIn and whether she is worth your time to connect with.

  • LinkedIn uses a complex algorithm to determine your follower count, and this algorithm takes more than just how many people follow your updates. It gives more weight to people who belong to groups in which you participate, people recommended by people you know, shared connections, and the quality of your relationships.
  • It can give you an idea of how popular he is on LinkedIn and whether you are worth connecting with.
  • It gives more weight to people who belong to groups in which you participate, people who are recommended by people you know.

Differences Between LinkedIn Followers vs. Connections?

If you’re using LinkedIn as part of your professional networking strategy, you may have heard the terms “followers” and “connections.” These two concepts are often used interchangeably, but they are quite different; we will examine how they are different and what factors to consider when deciding which one is right for you

  • LinkedIn Connections: The people you’ve accepted as connections. You can send messages to these people, but they cannot see your updates on their home page.
  • LinkedIn Followers: People who have chosen to follow your LinkedIn profile. They can see your updates on their home page and may send you messages through the “send a message” feature of LinkedIn.

Should I Connect With People or Follow Them?

Connecting with people is better because it lets you send them messages and see their updates. Following a company means that you can see the updates of its employees, but you cannot contact them. The main benefit of following a company is that you can apply for jobs directly from your home page without going through the job postings. You may want to connect with people at different companies so that when you decide to change jobs, there will be someone who knows you personally. You may also want to connect with companies in your field of interest.

Between LinkedIn Followers vs. Connections Which Is The Best.

It is better to have more Connections than Followers. However, there may be times when it is beneficial to have more Followers, such as before your company is well-established or looking for more business leads. It all depends on who your target audience is and the goal of your LinkedIn presence. To help you determine how many followers or connections to focus on, please consider the following question.

What Type of Business Are You In?

If you are an established business that provides a product or service directly to consumers, having more followers will benefit more than having more connections. This is because having more followers means that people interested in your business will be able to find it and get in touch with you quickly.

Are You Trying to Gain More Clients?

Having a high number of Followers than Connections makes it easier for potential customers to find your company and reach out to you if customer lead generation is one of your goals on LinkedIn.

Conclusion

Having more followers than connections in LinkedIn will slow you down in your profile as a number for your “LinkedIn network size.” Getting more followers might look great to some people, but if your connections are more than your follower, it shows that you have a stronger connection with that person and, you will be truly interested in following people.

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