Recently, the significance of LinkedIn in social media marketing has been rapidly increasing. With over 930 million members in 2023, and the goal of reaching 3 billion, LinkedIn isn’t a platform marketers should overlook.

One of the factors that will assist you in establishing a strong presence on the platform is expanding your Page’s follower base. In this guide, you’ll learn how to get more LinkedIn followers who’ll remain with you for a long time.

Why should you be concerned about gaining new LinkedIn followers?

It’s evident that businesses utilize social media platforms to expand their reach, enhance brand recognition, and attract potential customers.

Acquiring new followers doesn’t necessarily equate to gaining an equivalent number of new customers. Relying solely on the number of followers is not an accurate gauge of the success of your LinkedIn marketing.

On the other hand, having a substantial follower base will ensure that your business appears more prominently and gains more credibility in the eyes of potential customers. After all, a Company Page with 30 or 150 followers might arouse more suspicion than one with 2,660 followers.

This is why you should strive to attract new users to your profile and engage them with your communication.

Let’s now explore methods that will assist you in growing your followers.

7 Ways to Gain More LinkedIn Followers

1. Optimize your LinkedIn Company Page 

Your Company Page is one of the first things that requires attention because, in the majority of cases, it serves as the initial point of contact between your company and potential followers. Therefore, it should always leave a positive first impression, much like your homepage.

In terms of content, visitors to your Page should feel that they would be missing out on something significant if they didn’t follow it. Your Company Page should tell a compelling story, and that story should be presented in an appealing manner. This means you should have something interesting to convey, and it should be showcased through high-quality graphics, videos, or other formats.

It’s also vital to clearly articulate what your company does and the purpose of your Page so users immediately understand what to expect when they follow you.

In summary, it’s advisable to invest some time in the following:

• Adding an eye-catching profile picture.
• Updating the cover photo.
• Crafting an engaging and professional headline.
• Preparing an informative and captivating description.
• Ensuring that all the information on the Page is up-to-date.

2. Develop a well-thought-out content strategy

Even the most optimally designed Company Page will not succeed without good content. This is what attracts new users to your profile and keeps them engaged.

That’s why it’s crucial to first understand your audience’s: 

• Pain points and challenges.
• Personal and professional interests.
• Habits and preferences.

Once you’ve gained insight into these aspects and started posting content relevant to your target audience, they’ll be more inclined to interact with and share it on their profiles, which is another way to acquire new followers. It’s a snowball effect; excellent content will draw in new followers, and their shares will help you reach an even larger audience.

There are several factors to consider when crafting your strategy, such as:

1. Content formats and length – There are numerous content formats to choose from, such as carousels, articles, and videos. Test which of these formats are most engaging for your audience.
2. Hashtags – It’s recommended to include a few hashtags that make your content easier to discover, but, again, you should determine which ones have the greatest impact. 
3. Posting frequency – Quality over quantity. While you should maintain a regular posting schedule, it’s better to post content less frequently. Ensure it’s relevant and of high quality.
4. Posting times – Plan when your content will be published based on your target audience’s platform usage and interaction patterns.

3. Harness LinkedIn analytics

Analyzing your overall performance, and specifically your content performance, can play a significant role in the process of expanding your follower base.

By using social media analytics tools, you’ll gather numerous insights that’ll help you understand user preferences and fine-tune your strategy.

First and foremost, you might want to determine which posts led to the most substantial increase in the number of followers. You can easily check this with Sotrender.

Simply navigate to the ‘Audience – Number of followers’ tab.

One of the charts there will display how many followers you gained or lost on a specific day. What’s especially useful is the chart’s interactivity. By clicking on a peak, for instance, on July 27th, you can see which post was added on that day.

Changes in the number of followers measured in Sotrender

This method enables you to analyze the days with the highest peaks over a longer period to understand which content was most appealing to new followers. It’s a ready recipe for optimizing your future content strategy. 😉

Another chart worth your attention is the ‘Content performance’ chart.

This chart will inform you about which posts (based on your custom tags) were most effective in terms of organic reach or user engagement. Although this is not directly related to the follower count, it will help you understand which categories of posts were generally most effective.

Monitor which of your posts are the most effective

If a particular category, such as educational content or industry reports, consistently achieves significantly higher reach or engagement, it’s also more likely to attract new users to your profile, as they become more visible in users’ feeds.

4. Make your employees the voice of your company

In 2023, leveraging the collective power of your employees can be a game-changer. Your team members are not just your workforce; they are your most authentic brand advocates.

Encouraging and enabling them to become the voice of your company on LinkedIn can significantly boost your number of followers.

Employees can share their insights and experiences, offering a more personal and human touch to your organization’s presence. After all, people’s stories are often considered more credible than company updates.

To make this strategy effective, provide them with guidance and resources, but allow for their unique personalities to shine through. When employees feel empowered to share their passion for the company’s mission, it resonates with a broader audience, fostering trust and authenticity.

5. Partner with other industry leaders

To bolster your presence on the platform, it’s a sound idea to seek out partners who can assist you in achieving your objectives. By collaborating with other companies or influencers, you’ll mutually enhance your visibility on the platform and, in the process, gain new followers.

There are definitely a lot of players out there whose services and expertise complement your own and whose target audience might also be interested in what you offer. However, you shouldn’t partner with random companies (such as one run by a friend) that have no relevance to your business. If your target audiences are dissimilar, such a collaboration would likely be a waste of time and resources. Even if you manage to gain new followers, it’s unlikely that they’ll become your customers.

One effective method that usually works well is tagging other companies or influencers in your posts. It’s likely that they’ll like and comment on them, which will expand their reach. There’s also a high likelihood that they’ll share it with their network, thereby putting your company in front of new followers.

6. Be proactive

In most similar guides, you’ll come across advice to join LinkedIn groups or send more InMail messages. But it should go beyond that.

It’s your proactive attitude and your willingness to establish and maintain connections with other users that will ensure your company’s visibility on the platform, potentially leading to more LinkedIn followers.

Engaging in meaningful conversations, responding to user comments, networking, and sharing experiences – these are the key aspects on LinkedIn if you aim to build a robust business or a strong personal brand.

This strategy should be well-planned. In the beginning, you may be very active in LinkedIn discussions, but as your responsibilities grow, your priorities may shift. Therefore, it’s important to schedule a ‘LinkedIn networking’ task on your calendar or to-do list to ensure it’s regularly accomplished.

7. Consider investing in LinkedIn Ads

It’s a no-brainer that paid advertising can significantly assist in gaining new followers. After all, your content and your Page will become much more visible, and with the right targeting, you can be certain that your Page visits, Page impressions, and other LinkedIn metrics will surge rapidly.

This is also why crafting compelling content is crucial. Once you capture users’ attention with your ad, you’ll want to keep them on your Page for as long as possible. When they discover that you have something valuable to offer, they’ll quickly become your followers.

Check our guide on how to create top-performing LinkedIn ads. >>>

Wonder no more about how to get more LinkedIn followers

In the dynamic world of LinkedIn where opportunities and connections are boundless, the quest to gain more followers in 2024 will be an endeavor well worth the effort.

As we’ve explored, the LinkedIn landscape is shaped by personal branding, strategic content, analytics, meaningful engagement, and a forward-thinking approach. But beyond the tactics and metrics lies a profound opportunity to connect, learn, and grow. LinkedIn, more than just a platform, is a hub for cultivating professional relationships, expanding your influence, and sharing your unique story.

Even though you should be aiming at getting new LinkedIn followers, remember that it’s not just about the numbers; it’s about the connections you make, the knowledge you share, and the impact you have on this ever-evolving professional landscape.