James Potter
We often have people tell us how they think LinkedIn works and it is not always correct. There are a lot of myths about what it takes to make LinkedIn work so we have created a series of blog posts to dispel the most common myths we see.
Myth #2: Bigger is better: I should connect to as many people as I can
As active as I am on LinkedIn, I know for a fact that collecting a vast list of connections is not the best approach. Do a little research and you’ll find that there is one LinkedIn user in the USA with over 55,000 connections on the platform – that’s a group of “connections” the size of a small city.
Personally I consider this the wrong way to approach the platform, or indeed any social network. On a basic level this violates LinkedIn’s terms of service – to connect with users you don’t know breaks their own rules! Secondly, connecting is simply not enough. To get the most from LinkedIn you should focus on connecting with people who you truly know – and in many cases know well. That’s because it is not the act of connecting which is most important, but the relationship of trust and respect you build with your connections where you will find most value.
So there are two schools of thought on this. I have driven significant business results for myself and my clients by adopting the “connect with people you know” approach. Others, such as members of the LinkedIn Open Networker group (LION), believe that vast connections and serendipity are the answer. So they connect with almost anyone. Ultimately, you have to find your own comfort zone, but based on the thousands of people I have trained and the results I have seen (in many cases millions of sales revenue), I urge you to focus on a quality network for best results.
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