How To Grow Your LinkedIn Followers

How To Grow Your LinkedIn Followers
Profile picture of Nathan Clarke, the author of the blog post titled "How To Grow Your LinkedIn Followers"
Nathan Clarke

LinkedIn, the world's largest professional networking platform, has become a powerful tool for personal branding, business growth, and networking opportunities. 

Linkedin has reported having over 1 billion members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. Whether you're a professional looking to advance your career or a startup looking to establish brand authority, utilizing LinkedIn's potential can be a game changer. 

The pursuit of increasing LinkedIn followers isn't just about boosting a vanity metric, it's a strategic move towards greater professional growth, visibility, and opportunities.

Standing out in a frantic digital marketplace can be difficult. This article aims to demystify how to increase your LinkedIn follower count. Let's explore strategies that will not only improve your LinkedIn presence but also draw in followers organically.

Why Do LinkedIn Followers Matter?

At first glance, the quest for more LinkedIn followers may appear to be nothing more than an ego boost. However, delve a little deeper, and it's clear that a robust follower count is much more than a number. It's a testament to your influence, expertise, and networking capabilities. Followers extend your reach, amplify your content, and open doors to opportunities that might otherwise remain closed. Your followers can have a significant impact on your professional narrative, influencing how you're perceived within your industry, whether you're a business or individual.

The Secrets to Gaining Thousands of LinkedIn Followers

So, how do some professionals seem to effortlessly attract thousands of followers? It's about strategy, consistency, and engagement rather than chance. Building a large LinkedIn following does not happen overnight. It is the result of consistently providing valuable content, thoughtfully engaging with your network, and optimizing your profile for discoverability.

Increasing Your LinkedIn Followers in 2024

As we look towards 2024, the landscape of LinkedIn is bound to evolve, with new features, algorithms, and user behaviors shaping the platform. Staying ahead of the curve requires adaptability, continuous learning, and experimentation with new content formats and engagement strategies.

To stay relevant and continue to grow your LinkedIn followers in 2024 and beyond, embracing innovation while maintaining the core principles of value-driven content and engagement will be key. The next chapter of this post will go over the strategies for achieving this. 

How to Grow Followers on LinkedIn

Gaining a significant following on LinkedIn is a process that requires time and effort. Instant success is rare. The best strategy to approach it is about making incremental improvements to your profile and steadily engaging with the LinkedIn community. This approach is more likely to yield lasting benefits for your professional network. Therefore, if you are committed to investing the necessary effort, here are 10 practical and effective strategies to increase your follower count on LinkedIn.

1. Optimize Your Profile for the Best First Impression

First impressions matter, and your LinkedIn profile is your first handshake. According to a LinkedIn study, profiles with professional photos get 21 times more views and 36 times more messages. Begin with a high-quality, professional headshot that represents your industry. Next, write a compelling headline. It's more than just a job title, it's your professional slogan. Be creative, be specific, and above all, be you.

Remember, your summary is your story. Tell it with a blend of professionalism and personality. Use keywords relevant to your industry, but avoid jargon overload.

2. Be a Thought Leader, Not a Thought Follower

Content is king, and on LinkedIn, it is the crown jewel. The LinkedIn algorithm prefers original content, so share your perspectives, experiences, and professional learnings. But keep in mind that it's not only about what you say, but also how you say it. Keep your content engaging, informative, and, if appropriate, lightly humorous.

According to statistics, images increase article views by 94%. Take advantage of visuals. Infographics, videos, and presentations can help your content become more engaging and shareable, increasing your visibility and follower count.

In the quest to increase LinkedIn followers, personal branding emerges as a critical element. Your personal brand is the unique combination of skills, experiences, and personality that you want the world to see. It's what sets you apart and makes you memorable. By consistently communicating your personal brand through every post, article, and comment, you create a distinct identity that attracts followers aligned with your values and interests.

3. Networking Goes Beyond Just Sending Requests

Networking on LinkedIn is more than just making connections, it is also about developing relationships. Engage with the content on your network. Leave thoughtful comments, share posts that speak to you, and always aim to add value to the conversation. According to Keith Ferrazzi's book "Never Eat Alone," networking is about finding ways to help others succeed.

Don't forget to join and participate in LinkedIn groups related to your industry. It's an excellent way to showcase your expertise and network with like-minded professionals. 

4. LinkedIn Analytics: These Numbers Tell a True Story

Understanding what works and what doesn’t is vital for growth. LinkedIn provides analytics for your posts and profile, giving insights into which content performs best, who your audience is, and how they interact with your content. By analyzing these metrics, you can fine-tune your content strategy, focusing on the topics and formats that resonate most with your audience.

Check your LinkedIn analytics on a regular basis to see what types of content are most popular with your audience. Examine the posts that received the most engagement and determine why they were successful. Was it the time of posting, the type of content, or how you interacted with your audience? Use these insights to improve your content strategy.

This data-driven approach ensures that your efforts are not just a shot in the dark but are strategically aligned with your follower growth objectives.

5. Consistency is Key

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a LinkedIn following. Consistency in posting and engaging is essential. Create a posting schedule and stick to it. Consistent posting, whether weekly, biweekly, or daily, will keep your profile active and engaging for your followers.

6. Leverage LinkedIn Features

Keep up with LinkedIn's latest features and use them to boost your visibility. For example, LinkedIn Live, despite its early stage, has been shown to significantly increase engagement rates. Be an early adopter, and you might start a trend.

Innovate with Video and Live Content

Video content has been rising in popularity across all social media platforms, and LinkedIn is no exception. With LinkedIn Live and native videos, professionals have the opportunity to connect with their audience in a more personal and engaging manner. Live broadcasts allow for real-time interaction, offering a platform for Q&As, panel discussions, and live tutorials. By incorporating video content into your strategy, you can captivate your audience's attention and foster a stronger sense of community, encouraging more users to follow you.

7. Use SEO To Your Profile Advantage

In the grand chess game of digital visibility, optimizing your LinkedIn profile for search engines like Google and Bing is a winning move. Think of your profile and page descriptions as personal digital billboards. By incorporating a strategic mix of keywords, you are essentially waving a neon sign at potential followers and customers. Longer posts serve an interesting dual purpose. They not only engage readers, but they also serve as keyword-rich fields, allowing search engines to find and highlight your profile. This technique is analogous to casting a wider net in the vast ocean of the internet, increasing the likelihood of catching the right fish.

8. Learn from Competitors

Examining competitors' LinkedIn tactics is more than just understanding what they're doing well. It's also about identifying their pain points and turning them into opportunities for your own strategy. This reconnaissance mission provides a clearer view of the battlefield, allowing you to fine-tune your strategy. This approach not only keeps you informed, but it also keeps you one step ahead in the LinkedIn maze of influence and connections.

9. Promote Your Linkedin Content on Other Platforms

Begin by sharing content on LinkedIn that resonates so strongly with your audience that they want to hear more from you on other stages. Then, seamlessly integrate your LinkedIn profile into your other social media accounts. Consider sending out a tweet that is more of an invitation to your Twitter followers to join your LinkedIn network. Alternatively, you could create a Facebook post that serves as a bridge, connecting your friends and followers to your LinkedIn profile.

How to Rapidly Increase Your Followers on LinkedIn

Looking to turbocharge your follower growth? Here are some accelerated strategies:

1. Leverage LinkedIn Articles

Publishing articles on LinkedIn is a powerful way to showcase your expertise and insights. Articles have a longer shelf life than posts and can attract followers from beyond your immediate network. By covering trending topics, sharing unique perspectives, and providing actionable advice, you can capture the attention of a broader audience.

2. Utilize LinkedIn Groups

Participating in or even creating LinkedIn groups related to your industry can significantly boost your visibility and follower count. Groups offer a platform for sharing your content, engaging in discussions, and connecting with like-minded professionals. By providing value within these groups, you can attract followers interested in your expertise.

3. Network Strategically

Networking on LinkedIn is about building meaningful relationships. Engage with industry leaders, potential clients, and peers with thoughtful comments and messages. By being selective and strategic in your networking efforts, you can attract followers who are genuinely interested in your professional journey.

As we look towards the future, remember that each follower represents a potential opportunity for collaboration, learning, and professional advancement. With the right strategies in place, your LinkedIn profile can become a powerful platform for personal branding, thought leadership, and career development. The path to increasing your LinkedIn followers is both a challenge and an opportunity to enrich your professional life and make meaningful connections in the global professional community.