LinkedIn termsUpdated
LinkedIn follower
Also called: followers vs connections, follow vs connect
Definition
A LinkedIn follower is someone who has chosen to see your public posts and articles in their feed. Following is one-way: unlike a connection, it needs no acceptance and doesn't make either of you part of the other's network.
Follower vs connection
| Follower | Connection | |
|---|---|---|
| Direction | One-way | Two-way |
| Needs acceptance | No | Yes, an invitation has to be accepted |
| What they see | Your public posts and articles | Your posts and updates, including ones limited to connections |
| Direct messages | Following alone doesn't add this | Yes |
| Works for Pages | Yes, Pages are followed | No |
Which to ask for
A sensible rule is to connect with people you know and follow people whose updates you want without a personal relationship. For your own profile, asking strangers to follow rather than connect keeps your network meaningful while still letting your posts reach them. If your work depends on one-to-one conversations, such as recruiting or sales, Connect may still be the better main button, because connections can message each other directly.
Follower counts on websites
A follower count is one of the quickest trust signals a visitor can read. LinkedInEmbed's profile card can show connections and followers, and the company page card shows a Page's followers next to a Follow button that opens the Page on LinkedIn. If your count is still small, lead with your posts instead of the number. Counts in a widget update when it refreshes, so they stay close to what LinkedIn shows instead of freezing on the day you built the page.
Sources
Related terms
- LinkedIn connection degrees
- Connection degrees show how far another member is from you on LinkedIn. 1st-degree members are directly connected to you, 2nd-degree members are connected to your 1st-degree connections, and 3rd-degree members are connected to your 2nd-degree connections.
- LinkedIn Page
- A LinkedIn Page is an organization's presence on LinkedIn, such as a company, school or brand. Members follow a Page rather than connect with it, and the Page's admins publish posts, manage job listings and view analytics for the organization.
- LinkedIn post impressions
- On LinkedIn, impressions count how many times a post was shown on screen. Because one person can see a post several times, LinkedIn also reports members reached: the number of distinct members and Pages that saw it.
- Social proof
- Social proof is evidence that other people trust, use or recommend you, such as testimonials, reviews, client logos, follower counts or endorsements. Visitors lean on it as a shortcut when deciding whether a business or person is credible.
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