The new LinkedIn connection request limit

If you’ve read my book “Firing people doesn’t grow your HR consultancy” you’ll know that I have a bit of a love / hate relationship with LinkedIn already.

Here’s why I love LinkedIn:

It’s one of the most powerful B2B marketing platforms. If I’d said to you 20 years ago, “Do you know one day there’s going to be this platform and it’s going to be a database of almost everyone who’s in business and you can access this database for free?” You’d say, “Oh, that’s amazing”.

Here’s why I hate LinkedIn:

It feels like everyone is on it all the time. It feels like everyone is posting the same kind of stale content. It feels like everyone there is trying to sell.

If you do have a decent bit of content, does LinkedIn show it to as many of your followers as possible? No. The algorithm for this is unknown and annoying.

And don’t get me started on LinkedIn ads. Just from my own personal experience (I don’t want to get sued by LinkedIn here) I think they’re very expensive and the results aren’t accurate.

LinkedIn could be SO GREAT for B2B marketing, which is why I’m very passionate about this.

But, despite the challenges I’ve faced with LinkedIn, it’s been our best performing source of email list contacts.

When I work with a HR consultancy, I always focus on three areas:

1. Grow multiple audiences (including email list)
2. Build a relationship with those audiences
3. Commercialise the relationship

LinkedIn has been fabulous at helping me grow my own audience. Very cheaply too. And that’s because I’ve used LinkedIn as a massive database of potential clients.

I’ve then used automated tools like https://www.dux-soup.com/ to connect with lots of prospects and encouraged them to join my own marketing list by offering a free copy of my book.

Then, I was hit with the connection request limit and my best performing strategy no longer worked.

I know lots of people that have been affected by this change. New accounts, old accounts and established accounts with over 7000 connections. You may have been affected by this change too?

If you’ve noticed these changes, you’re probably aware that the max connection requests you can do is 100 a week. But in some cases, this has been dropped down to 50.

Since the connection request limit has come into place, I had to stop what I was doing. Which made me really sad as it was the most effective and cheapest way for me, and all of the businesses I’m working with to grow their lists.

I’ve also used Duxsoup in the past in a few different ways, including sending a personalised message to all of my connections. So, I tried doing this again to everyone that hadn’t got a book but I was hit with a warning message about using automated tools.

Naughty me!

I’ve cancelled my subscription with Duxsoup and I’m doing LinkedIn the old-fashioned way again.

This is what LinkedIn always used to be about. And it seems like they want people to start building more genuine relationships with their connections.

After my initial reaction, I’ve now come to terms with this and I’m actually excited to start using it in a way that feels more meaningful.

Here’s how I now plan to use LinkedIn, and how I’d advise you to use LinkedIn too:

1. Look at the benefits of Sales Navigator

There’s lots of stuff you can do with Sales Navigator, but the main benefits I see with using it is more of an advanced search functionality and the ability to tag accounts. Both features will help me with how I want to be more focused with my prospecting on LinkedIn.

2. Spend 60 mins a day prospecting and building relationships with people on LinkedIn

Whether this is connecting with people, interacting with people’s posts or reaching out to them – I’m going to try and spend 60 mins a day using LinkedIn. But, this is not a time to scroll LinkedIn aimlessly. When you open LinkedIn, make sure you set your intentions for how that time is going to be used and don’t get sucked in and distracted.

3. Create a new dream 100 each week and connect with 20 of your dream clients a day

After completing a persona workshop, you should have a good understanding of exactly the type of client you want to work with. You should now search for these people on LinkedIn and connect with 20 a day. Using Sales Navigator, you can then tag these clients to keep track of your progress.

I advise sending a personalised connection request.

4. Follow up with your dream 100, build a relationship and offer value

Imagine you'rE dating every single prospect. You can’t act too fast, ask for too much commitment or come on too strong - or you’ll scare them off. At this stage, it’s good to offer value and not ask for anything too heavy in return. This is when I’ll ask them if they want a free copy of my book

5. Post regularly, interact regularly and be yourself

It’s weird how there’s like an unwritten rule that LinkedIn content has to be more boring than the content you’d post on other social media channels.

I’m going to make more of a conscious effort to share more of my personal life on LinkedIn, show my humour and just be myself. I’m also going to be contributing to LinkedIn’s community way more.

For more information about how to use LinkedIn as a prospecting tool for your consultancy, or for any other marketing advice, please do not hesitate to get in touch.