Following vs. Connecting on Linkedin: Let's discuss

As I write this, I am consumed by the sounds of the Chicago Air and Water show happening outside. I’m very close to Lake Michigan, and if you’re in Chicago in August, that means the Air and Water show is usually right out your window; well, the sounds at least.

Episode 11 is dedicated to a topic that I think we don’t talk about enough; connecting with people on Linkedin vs following people on Linkedin. Let’s talk about it.

I can’t remember how long ago this was, but at some point in my Linkedin journey, I learned you could change your primary profile CTA from Connect to Follow. I immediately made the change. I know, probably not that deep, but to me, it was pretty important, both as the profile owner and a Linkedin end user visiting other people’s profiles.

Let’s talk about me on the side of the profile owner.

I would prefer that folks have the option to follow me, at least at the onset. It’s more so for folks whom I’ve never met or have never worked with. That way, they can connect with my content, before directly connecting with me. In addition to that, following is only one-way. If I don’t want to follow their content (for whatever reason, not personal), they can still follow mine if they want.

Let’s talk about me as the end user; on the flip side, visiting people’s profiles.

If we have worked together or we’ve met, I will usually aim for the connection request. If I have never met you but I suddenly came across content of yours that I liked, I will most definitely follow you. Even if you have Connect as the primary, I will still proactively just Follow you. Because who is to say you will find what I share interesting? I find what you have to say interesting, and as I said before, Follow is one-way. I can follow your content; you don’t need to follow mine if you don’t want to. I practice what I preach when it comes to the Follow strategy.

Linkedin does still allow people to choose Connect when connecting with someone, even if Follow is the primary. It’s usually nested under the more actions menu though, so it’s a few more clicks to get to.

Not a huge deal to me; I do wish though that Linkedin had another layer to that. Follow should be the primary across the board if you ask me. With Connect requiring more actions. I almost wish Connect was a toggle on/off???? Maybe???? (to show it even at all, on your profile)

And again, it’s not personal if I choose not to connect with you. On Linkedin, I’m trying to curate a feed (and network) for myself that I find most interesting and valuable. There’s no such thing as being interested in everything. That doesn’t exist. Here’s a simpler breakdown; how I think about this:

Follow someone when:

• You like their content but have never met them

• You want to learn something new in your field without a personal connection attached to it

• They’re a public figure and/or high profile; likely not accepting a request (don’t come for me on this one; I know there are execeptions lol)

Connect with someone when:

• You’ve worked together or have met directly

• You both want to collaborate on a project (usually not the first time you’re connecting; it’s been in the works by the time you connect on Linkedin)

• You want to establish a stronger professional relationship with them (again, similar to bullet 2, usually not the first time you’re connecting is via a connection request on Linkedin)

So how do you make the Follow button primary?

1. Click your profile picture in the upper left

2. Click Settings & privacy

3. Click Visibility

4. Click “Followers”

5. Toggle on “Make follow primary”

Boom. Follow is on. Connect is nested away.

Thanks for reading and for being here. I don’t take for granted that you care what I have to say. Or even if you don’t care, and you’re still here; thanks for being a fan anyway. ❣️

Let’s connect!