To increase LinkedIn followers, first make Follow your profile's main button and allow everyone on LinkedIn to follow you, then share your personal follow link and post consistently on one clear topic. LinkedIn tells you which posts brought followers, so you can repeat what works.
LinkedIn followers matter more than most people realise. Your posts reach your followers, not just your connections, and anyone can follow you without you approving them. One setting, which most people never touch, decides whether a curious visitor can follow you in a single tap. Here's that setting first, then the habits that keep followers coming, all checked against LinkedIn's help pages as of October 2026.
The setting that changes everything: make Follow primary
LinkedIn says your 1st-degree connections automatically follow your posts and articles, and that anyone can follow you, even outside your network. But by default, many profiles show Connect as the main button, which nudges visitors into a request you have to accept. Switching the main action to Follow lets interested strangers subscribe to your posts in one tap.
- Click the Me icon at the top of LinkedIn and choose Settings & Privacy.
- Select Visibility, then Followers.
- Under Who can follow you, choose Everyone on LinkedIn.
- Under Make follow primary, turn the toggle on.
Two things LinkedIn's help notes are worth knowing. Changes can take up to 24 hours to show. And if you ever limit followers to your connections only, followers outside your network are removed and your follower number drops to match your connections. If you're unsure which button suits you, my guide to LinkedIn Follow versus Connect helps you decide.
Share your personal follow link
LinkedIn gives eligible members a Follow link or button they can put on a website, an email signature or other platforms, so anyone can follow with one click. You'll find it under Contact info in your profile's introduction section, at the bottom under Sharing on socials, with options to copy the link or the code.
Not everyone gets it. LinkedIn says access depends on a history of following its Professional Community Policies with a good standing record, and being outside mainland China. If you see Learn more instead of the link, you don't meet the criteria at the moment.
Post the kind of content people follow
| Habit | Why it brings followers |
|---|---|
| Stick to one or two topics | People follow when they know what they'll get next time |
| Open with the point | The first lines decide whether someone clicks to see more |
| Share what you've learned, with specifics | Practical posts get saved and sent, which puts you in front of new people |
| Reply to every comment early | Conversation keeps a post moving and shows you're worth following |
| Post on a steady rhythm | A follower who sees you weekly remembers you |
For a sense of rhythm, this piece on how often to post on LinkedIn each week gives a realistic starting point for busy business owners. The honest answer is that consistency beats volume: two good posts a week for three months will do more for your follower count than a burst of daily posting that stops after a fortnight.
Make your profile worth following
A post brings someone to your profile; your profile decides whether they follow. Before you push for more followers, give yourself a quick audit through a stranger's eyes. Does your headline say who you help and how, in plain words? Does your About section open with something useful rather than your job history? Do your featured posts show the topics you want to be followed for? Is there a recent post visible, so visitors know you're active?
If the answer to any of those is no, fix it first. A clear headline and two or three strong featured posts make the Follow button an easy decision, and they keep working every time someone lands on your profile from a comment or a share. If you want help writing one, these ChatGPT prompts for LinkedIn headlines are a good starting point.
Check which posts bring followers
LinkedIn shows a metric called Followers gained from this post in each post's analytics, along with profile viewers from that post. That's the number I'd watch, because it tells you which topics turn readers into followers, not just which ones got reactions.
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For the bigger picture, LinkedIn's creator analytics include audience analytics showing follower growth and follower demographics, with the top five results by job title, location, industry, seniority, company size or company. If your new followers are the people you want to reach, keep going. If they aren't, adjust your topics.
Follow others with intent
Following people is how you get noticed by them. LinkedIn says you can follow up to 5,000 people who aren't connections, and it notifies members when you begin following them again after unfollowing. Follow the people your ideal clients follow, comment thoughtfully on their posts, and some of their audience will find their way to your profile.
What doesn't work
- Engagement pods and follow swaps. They bring followers who'll never read your posts, which makes your analytics useless.
- Bought followers. They don't comment, don't hire you and don't share.
- Limiting followers to connections. It removes everyone outside your network.
My verdict
Start with the setting: Follow as the primary button, everyone allowed to follow. Then add your follow link to your email signature and website, pick one topic you can post about weekly, and check Followers gained from this post after each one. It's not glamorous, but it's the most reliable way I know to grow LinkedIn followers who are the right people.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get more followers on LinkedIn?
Make Follow your primary profile button, allow everyone on LinkedIn to follow you, share your personal follow link and post consistently on a clear topic.
How do I change Connect to Follow on LinkedIn?
Go to Settings & Privacy, Visibility, Followers, and turn on the Make follow primary toggle. LinkedIn says changes can take up to 24 hours.
Where is my LinkedIn follow link?
In Contact info on your profile, at the bottom under Sharing on socials, if you meet LinkedIn's eligibility criteria.
Can I see which post gained me followers?
Yes. Post analytics include Followers gained from this post, the number of members who followed you from that post.
How many people can I follow on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn says members can follow up to 5,000 people who aren't connections.
