How to Grow LinkedIn Followers: 15 Proven Strategies (2026)

Growing your LinkedIn followers matters when those followers are the right people—potential clients, employers, collaborators, or industry peers. Here's how to build a following that actually helps your career. Need a complete strategy? Generate your LinkedIn marketing plan first.

Skip to: Profile Optimization | Content Strategy | Engagement Tactics | Growth Hacks

Why LinkedIn Followers Matter

Followers see your content in their feed. More relevant followers means:

• Higher engagement on your posts
• More reach for your ideas
• Greater visibility for opportunities
• Stronger professional network

Quality over quantity. 1,000 engaged followers in your industry beats 10,000 random connections.

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Optimize Your Profile First

Before focusing on growth, make your profile worth following.

1. Perfect Your Headline

Your headline appears in feeds and search results. Make it clear why someone should follow you.

Weak: "Marketing Manager at Company X"

Strong: "B2B Marketing Leader | Sharing growth strategies for SaaS companies | Ex-HubSpot"

See our 150+ LinkedIn Headline Examples for inspiration.

2. Use a Professional Photo

Profiles with photos get significantly more views and connection requests.

Photo checklist:

• Clear, recent headshot
• Professional attire for your industry
• Good lighting, clean background
• Face takes up 60% of frame

Read our LinkedIn Profile Picture Guide for details.

3. Write a Compelling About Section

Tell visitors:

• What you do
• Who you help
• Why they should follow you
• A call-to-action

Example structure:

I help [audience] achieve [outcome].

After [experience], I learned [insight].

Follow me for [content type] about [topics].

[CTA: Send a connection request / Follow for weekly insights]

4. Turn On Creator Mode

Creator mode unlocks:

• Follow button (instead of Connect)
• Featured topics under your name
• Access to LinkedIn Live and newsletters
• Analytics on your content

To enable: Settings → Resources → Creator mode → Turn on

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Content Strategy for Growth

Consistent, valuable content is the foundation of follower growth.

5. Post Consistently

Consistency matters more than frequency. Three posts per week, every week, beats daily posts that stop after a month.

6. Focus on Value-First Content

Content that grows followers:

Content that doesn't work:

• Pure self-promotion
• Company press releases
• Generic motivational quotes
• Content with no clear point

7. Use Native Formats

LinkedIn prioritizes native content:

Best performers:

• Text-only posts (surprisingly effective)
• Document carousels (PDF slides)
• Native video (uploaded directly)
• Polls (high engagement)

Lower reach:

• External links (LinkedIn wants to keep users on platform)
• Shared articles
• Reposts without commentary

8. Write Strong Hooks

The first line determines if people keep reading.

Effective hook formulas:

• "I [did something surprising] and here's what happened..."
• "Stop doing [common mistake]."
• "[Controversial statement]. Here's why..."
• "[Number] things I learned from [experience]..."
• "The truth about [topic] that nobody talks about..."

Example:

"I turned down a $200K job offer. Everyone thought I was crazy. Here's why it was the best decision I ever made..."

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Engagement Strategy

Engagement is a two-way street. Give before you expect to receive.

9. Comment on Others' Posts

Commenting is the fastest way to get noticed.

High-value comments:

• Add a new perspective
• Share relevant experience
• Ask thoughtful questions
• Build on the original point

Low-value comments:

• "Great post!"
• "I agree"
• Emoji-only responses
• Self-promotional replies

Daily goal: 10-15 thoughtful comments on posts from people you want to connect with.

10. Reply to Every Comment on Your Posts

When people comment:

• Reply within 2 hours (helps the algorithm)
• Ask follow-up questions
• Thank them specifically
• Continue the conversation

This signals to LinkedIn that your content is engaging.

11. Send Personalized Connection Requests

Generic requests get ignored. Stand out:

Template:

"Hi [Name], I saw your post about [topic] and really connected with [specific point]. I write about [your topics] here on LinkedIn. Would love to connect and learn from each other."

Connect with:

• People who engage with your content
• Thought leaders in your niche
• People at companies you admire
• Alumni and former colleagues

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Growth Tactics

12. Enable Follow (Creator Mode)

With Creator mode on, people can follow without connecting. This:

• Lowers the barrier to follow
• Builds your audience faster
• Keeps your connections list clean
• Shows you're a content creator

13. Cross-Promote Your LinkedIn

Let your other audiences know you're active on LinkedIn:

• Email signature link
• Other social media bios
• Website/blog author box
• Newsletter mentions
• Podcast/video outros
• Speaking engagement slides

14. Collaborate with Others

Strategies:

• Comment on and amplify peers' content
• Co-create content (interviews, discussions)
• Tag relevant people in posts (when genuine)
• Participate in LinkedIn Audio events
• Join industry-specific groups

15. Analyze and Iterate

Check your analytics weekly:

How to access: Profile → Analytics → Your activity

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What Not to Do

Avoid These Mistakes

Buying followers:

• Against LinkedIn TOS
• Followers won't engage
• Damages credibility
• Risk of account restriction

Follow-for-follow schemes:

• Attracts wrong audience
• No genuine engagement
• Wastes your time

Engagement pods:

• Artificial engagement signals
• LinkedIn's algorithm detects this
• Can hurt your reach

Posting and ghosting:

• Algorithm punishes lack of engagement
• Misses connection opportunities
• Looks inauthentic

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Growth Timeline Expectations

Realistic growth depends on consistency:

Note: Early growth is slower. Momentum builds over time as your content gets more reach.

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Quick Wins for Today

10-minute tasks:

• Update your headline
• Enable Creator mode
• Comment on 5 relevant posts
• Schedule one post for this week

30-minute tasks:

• Revamp your About section
• Update your profile photo
• Create a content plan for the week
• Send 10 personalized connection requests

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Content Ideas to Start

Related Resources

LinkedIn Profile Optimization:

• LinkedIn Premium Pricing Guide
• 150+ LinkedIn Headline Examples
• LinkedIn Profile Picture Guide
• LinkedIn Banner Size Guide
• How to Add Certifications to LinkedIn
• How to Add Resume to LinkedIn

LinkedIn Content Strategy:

• LinkedIn Post Ideas Guide
• Best Time to Post on LinkedIn
• How to Schedule LinkedIn Posts
• How Often to Post on LinkedIn
• How to Become a LinkedIn Top Voice

LinkedIn Engagement:

• LinkedIn Connection Message Templates
• Best LinkedIn Hashtags

LinkedIn AI Tools:

• Supergrow Review - AI carousels and scheduling ($19-49/mo)
• MagicPost Review - Simple LinkedIn AI posting ($27-39/mo)
• Supergrow vs Taplio - Which tool wins
• MagicPost vs Supergrow - Compare budget options

Free LinkedIn Tools:

• LinkedIn Headline Generator
• LinkedIn Post Generator
• LinkedIn Growth Strategy Generator
• LinkedIn Content Ideas Generator