8 Reasons I didn’t accept your LinkedIn invitation
Updated 1 March 2023
Would you rush into an industry function, give everyone a business card a race off? No? I didn't think so. Yet somehow people do the equivalent online.
Yes of course you can invite strangers to connect. But it has to make sense from a business perspective:
Here are the reasons I ignore invitations, and I’m certainly not unique. So if your response rate isn’t great, you might like to consider whether these apply to you:
Personalise your invitation
If you want to connect with a stranger, send them a personalised invitation. Don’t just click the connect button; tell them why you want to connect. Perhaps you’ve read some of their posts, and found them interesting, or liked what they had to say in a group discussion. But if you send only the standard invitation message, and I have no idea who you are, I'm unlikely to see much reason to link up with you.
Include a decent photo
I don’t have a great memory for names, so when I get an invitation from an unfamiliar name, I check their profile to see if I recognize the face. If you don't have a photo, I'm no wiser. Besides, if you don’t have a photo, you’re unlikely to use LinkedIn effectively, so there’s no point in connecting. A good selfie is fine, so stop making excuses. And there’s a bonus: profiles with photos get more views on LinkedIn.
Introduce yourself
Use your “About” section to tell me who you are, what you do and what matters to you. Give me an opportunity to see if we have anything in common.
Find the shift key
If you write your name in all lowercase, I can’t take you seriously. And if you use ALL CAPS for your profile, it’s like shouting. Either way, you lost me before you started.
Show, don't tell
It’s all very well to tell me how fabulous you are in your profile. But just announcing that you’re energetic and committed probably won’t convince me. Give me a reason to believe you. And consider listing your skills in the appropriate section and asking people to recommend or endorse you.
Not everyone’s a writer
You might not be confident in your writing skills, and that’s fine. We all have different strengths. But if you lay claim to being in communications, one way to showcase your expertise is to communicate! Simply clicking the connect button doesn’t quite hack it.
I don't want to be hounded
Of course, you can use LinkedIn to find leads and it's a good idea. The whole point of networking is to grow your business. But I don't want to connect with someone who instantly tries to sell me something. I might be interested once I get to know you, but I definitely don't want to hear a total stranger's sales spiel.
A profile should be personal
If you’re using a personal profile for your business, you’re contravening LinkedIn’s user agreement - which means they could delete your account instantly if they come across your profile. It also means you don't really understand how to use LinkedIn.
Use a company page for your business and a personal profile for yourself.
Company pages are free and they also offer the advantage of analytics so you’ll know what’s working for you. Once you have your company page up, feel free to come back and invite me to follow it.
Does your profile look like a fake account?
Fake accounts are used mainly to:
You might be genuine, but if your profile has the warning signs of a fake profile, I won’t accept your invitation. So avoid these mistakes: your name is in lowercase, you have very few connections, your photo is indistinct, and your profile is vague. Your account might be real, but if I don’t know you I'm not going to risk connecting with you.
Independent Civil Engineering Professional
7yVery true
Senior copywriter, conceptmaker, strateeg en p.r. + communicatieadviseur bij Aad Lips Communicatie - Venlo.
8yHow did you do that...? You read my mind....!
Inventory Supervisor at Livespot360
9yyour point is spot on.
Ports & Silos General Manager | Directeur Général Des Ports & Silos | Порты и элеваторы Генеральный | Генеральний менеджер портів і силосів | 港口和筒仓总经理 | Ports & Silo's Algemeen directeur
9yVery valid and good post ... Thank you
International Motivational Safety Speaker, Moving Safety from our Heads to our HEARTS
9yVery good points, Ann!