LinkedIn Follow vs Connect: What’s the Difference?

You are only allowed 30,000 first-degree LinkedIn connections and 5,000 connection requests.

The numbers may seem extremely large.

However, when you are a company trying to recruit potential talents or a brand trying to enlarge its professional online base, these connections get used up quickly.

The Follow feature in LinkedIn was initially only available for verified accounts belonging to huge public figures and high-profile brands.

Now, the option can be activated from the settings of any profile wishing to switch.

Following a profile means getting access to all content uploaded by the user without the need for a LinkedIn connection request.

It allows companies to expand their on-target reach and lead discussions with whoever is interested.

In other words, it’s nothing different from the Follow concept of other special media platforms.

Like any influencer, when you allow users to follow you, you get to share your insights with people and engage with an audience you don’t know.

By definition, when you connect with a profile, you automatically follow them.

That said, you always have control over what appears on your LinkedIn feed.

Unfollowing a connection is possible if you no longer wish to see the posts and updates uploaded by the profile but maintain all additional benefits of being connected to them.

It’s straightforward to switch the default Connect button to a Follow button.

All you have to do is head over to LinkedIn settings, into the Me drop-down menu, where you will find the Privacy option.

Once opened, click on the LinkedIn Followers option in the Visibility tab.

From there, all left is to select the Make Follow Primary to display the Follow button as your primary prompt on your user page.

As for following someone with the connect button on display, access the Follow option from the More… tab.

However, do remember that connecting with someone automatically means you are following them.

This brings us to the center of our discussion. When given a choice, which should you choose: LinkedIn Follow vs Connect?

First, let’s summarize the differences between the two networking approaches to answer this question.

When you connect with someone, not only do you get to see their posts and updates, but you also get to interact with the user profiles on a personal level.

You only get to invite your connections to events and endorse them through written service reviews or recommendations.

It is a mutual LinkedIn connection typically between users who know each other.

On the other hand, following profiles is a one-sided interaction.

Sure, it may sound counter-intuitive to select an option with limited reciprocity.

However, to optimize the experience, having a smaller network of people and a larger following is sometimes the most convenient.

If you are relatively new to the platform, you should focus on building connections and enlarging your network.

In such situations, the connect option is your best bet.

By connecting to LinkedIn profile users, you can meet new people, converse with them, and exchange useful information.

However, it may be overwhelming for large corporations, industry-leading figures, and renowned businesses to respond to hundreds of connection requests.

By opting for the following feature instead, people can view and stay up-to-date with the latest news without sending a connection invite or waiting to be accepted.

Public figures also won’t need to worry about sharing their personal or professional information with everyone following them.

This feature is most useful for companies intending to use LinkedIn as a lead generation and recruitment platform rather than building personal contacts.

You don’t want to spend time and effort searching for potential prospects to connect with. With the Follow feature, you will get to reach a larger audience.

That said, a little extra help from online services won’t hurt.

Searching LinkedIn to find the right people to connect with can be extremely time-consuming, especially for big firms and companies.

With an automated tool like ProspectLadder, generating leads and recruiting talent from LinkedIn will no longer be an issue.

This tool can also help sales, recruitment, and business development teams through its Connector and Messenger Campaigns options.

You can use it to run automated, scheduled, and custom campaigns and exchange direct messages with prospects.

Since it is a DIY software, you ensure your business gets good exposure and traffic. This is a nice shortcut for increasing your followers and broadening your target user profile.

Whether it is qualified job candidates or potential sales prospects, ProspectLadder can do all the searching and connecting for you.

For years now, LinkedIn has been a favorite online networking environment for companies and brands to meet potential prospects and engage in relevant conversations.

By allowing all LinkedIn users to connect and follow other LinkedIn profiles, it has offered a lot of growing businesses the opportunity to utilize the platform to their advantage fully.

Building relationships with people has always been the foundation for professional growth and success.

The more connections and bigger following you have, the better your network is.

Knowing when to Follow vs Connect is the first step toward optimizing your professional network. And if you don’t know who to connect with or to follow, don’t worry. You can always use ProspectLadder to generate the best leads and find the perfect talents to meet and recruit.

Now, it’s time to start growing your network.