Benefits of a Large LinkedIn Network
By: Casey Botticello
Tags: Social Media, Entrepreneurship, Networking, LinkedIn, Linkedin Marketing

Since LinkedIn began hitting key growth metrics several years ago, there have been naysayers who suggest that you should “only connecting to people you know well enough to ask a favor of or do a favor for.” An article in the Harvard Business Review states:

Many users are beginning to discover, however, that a larger number of social network connections may be less valuable than a smaller, more intimate circle. With an enormous collection of friends or followers on a network, you lose the benefits of intimacy, discoverability, and trust, all of which can work better when you have fewer connections.

While larger networks may be less personal, they can also be extremely valuable. While you don’t need to hit the maximum number of connections (30,000) to see these benefits, you should aim for at least 500 to maximize your profile “completeness” from LinkedIn’s perspective.

So what constitutes a “large” LinkedIn network? I would say at least 3,000 connections.

Below are some of the reasons that you should consider making a conscious effort to expand your LinkedIn network.

Improve LinkedIn Search Results

LinkedIn Search Results| Source: Casey Botticello

Unless a recruiter is using the expensive LinkedIn Recruiter or doing a search on a person’s name, LinkedIn search results include only the people who are connected to the searcher as first, second, and third degree connections inside LinkedIn.



The more connections you have, the greater the likelihood that you will appear in someone’s search results, even if they are a third degree connection. Search results are not sorted by the degree of connection, so a third degree connection can be the top entry in search results.



Clearly, if you have a limited number of connections, your visibility in LinkedIn is extremely limited.

Increase Reach on Your Published Content

LinkedIn Post Views | Source: Casey Botticello

Once you become one of the LinkedIn elite, your published content skyrockets in popularity.

How does this come about? The LinkedIn blogging platform notifies users when a connection has published a post. This means that with more connections in your network, more users will be alerted when you publish a new piece of content. The result is a truckload of engagement with your published content — a marketer’s dream come true!

With this increased engagement also comes the increased likelihood of being featured in LinkedIn Pulse! Once you’re featured there, you’re virtually guaranteed even more engagement.

Increasing Profile Views

LinkedIn Profile Views | Source: Casey Botticello

Chances are that when you add a new user to your connections, they’ll end up checking out your profile. Once you start adding and accepting more LinkedIn connections, you’ll see your profile views dramatically increase. I went from a few profile views now and then to thousands per week! Pretty incredible.

Getting Endorsements

LinkedIn Endorsements | Source: Casey Botticello

Another great advantage of LinkedIn connection-bingeing is the huge increase in endorsements. Endorsements are like LinkedIn badges of honor, as coworkers and friends +1/endorse you for certain skills. When you’re lacking in connections, you’ve got less people in your network to endorse you.

Getting a few 99+ endorsement streaks looks fantastic on a LinkedIn profile, but it’s nearly impossible to get that many endorsements without a large connection base.