Why should people connect with you on LinkedIn?

When you’re trying to figure out why your prospects aren’t accepting your connection requests on LinkedIn, it doesn’t take much to put yourself in your prospects shoes. You just have to consider, why don’t you accept connection requests? Or, more importantly, why do you?

Understanding this will help you build a profile that is worth following/connecting with. To make things a little easier, we’ve collected the main reasons people follow/connect with profiles on LinkedIn. 

Inspiration

Even on LinkedIn, people will seek an escape. This escape could come from good news stories, motivational quotes or positive personal news. As long as it’s coming from your profile, it’s a good reason for people to connect with you.

However, your purpose on LinkedIn isn’t to be an inspirational page. That’s why it’s a good idea to include industry news and your own stories as part of your content. You are providing a positive feeling for your network while still keeping things relevant.

Entertainment

It’s easy for social media content to come across as flat. We’ve already covered how personal stories and anecdotes can be a source of inspiration for your network but they can also double up as entertainment - it all depends on the story and how you’re telling it.

Not every single post you share should be about your offer and even when it is, that doesn’t mean it has to be boring and jargon-filled. Every post you share should take your audience on a journey in some way. This is what will keep them entertained and more likely to follow/connect so they don’t miss out!

Education

After entertainment, education is probably the most common reason people will follow/connect with a profile - especially when the thing you are educating them on is a pain they may not even be aware they have. 

Tutorials, how-tos and walkthroughs are all great examples of educational content you can share. Not only are you giving people a solid reason to add you to their network but you’re demonstrating your expertise in a practical, tangible way. A bonus of this content is that it’s the kind people usually like to share on their own profiles, increasing the reach of your profile.

Become more than a connection in their network

The content you post should be a mixture of inspirational, entertaining and educational content. Focusing too much on one over the other risks your audience becoming confused when you suddenly switch to promoting your offer.

Keeping your prospects at the focus of everything you do on LinkedIn will prevent this from happening, no matter what type of connection you are aiming to make with them. If you’re struggling to find the balance that will build your network with the right people, get in touch with the PINAKL team.