How Many Connections on LinkedIn are Enough?
This is a great question. Many people have strong opinions and there is no single right answer. Should you keep a small trusted network of 30 or so connections? Or should you build an expansive network of thousands? It really depends on what you are trying to achieve. There are proponents of each approach.
I believe that the answer is somewhere in the middle.
It really is no different than face to face business networking. Is it better to network with a small group that you get to know very well? Or is it better to attend many networking groups and keep your name and your business in front of a larger audience? It really depends on your business and your goals.
On LinkedIn you can connect with professional colleagues from virtually any city in hundreds of different industries. Currently there are over 20 million people in the LinkedIn network and this is rapidly growing.
In selecting your connections, it should be quality over quantity. Before extending an invitation or accepting one, consider if this person will strengthen your network. Consider industry, location; are they potentially a good partner to give referrals to? Or receive referrals from? Quality should never just be someone with a lot of connections.
Develop your own criteria for building a quality network. Do you want like minded individuals with similar interests? Do you want to connect with people from a certain geographic area? Do you want people from specific industries or professions? You can include customers, people you work for, people who are working for you, and with you.
Connecting should mean that you are agreeing to collaborate. It is a gesture of trust. It should also be an opportunity for both parties. Whether you decide to build a small or large network, your goal should be to build a quality network that will help you meet your business goals.
I agree that it’s important to have people in your LinkedIn account who will collaborate with you. If you have thousands of people in your connections, but they don’t really help you out, then it’s like they’re not even there. These connections should really be reciprocal — we’re all in this together so we should help people out when we can.
Comment by morgan — April 16, 2008 @ 1:55 pm
i used to think ‘the more the merrier’ but then i figured that ‘quality over quanitity’ is a better route to go
~George
Comment by Online Survey Software — April 16, 2008 @ 3:14 pm