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How to choose who to invite on LinkedIn
The quality of your network depends on who you invite. Choosing well gets you more acceptances, more visibility with the people who matter to you and better opportunities. Here’s how to define an audience on LinkedIn.
Start with your goal
Are you after clients, partners, candidates or visibility in your industry? Each goal changes the audience. A fashion consultant will want brand and purchasing directors; a recruiting agency, HR leaders.
The four criteria that work best
| Criterion | When to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Industry | You want to grow in a specific market. | Fashion, including fashion schools and lecturers |
| Job title | You care about a particular type of decision-maker. | Sales director, founder, head of purchasing |
| Company list | You have clear target accounts. | Ten brands you’d love to work with |
| Location | Your business is local or country-based. | New York first, then the whole United States |
Industry: look at what the company does, not just the job title
Someone in finance at a fashion brand is part of the fashion industry too. That’s why it pays to look at the company each person works for and what that company does, not just at their headline.
Location by priority
Start with the area closest to your business and widen it once you run out. That way your first invitations go to the people it’s easiest to meet or work with.
Filters worth applying every time
- Active people: 500+ connections or, if that isn’t shown, lots of followers or mutual connections.
- Real people only: no company pages, schools, associations, alumni groups or brands.
- No repeats: skip anyone who is already a first-degree connection or has a pending invitation.
- Blocklist: competitors, your own company or anyone you’d rather not reach.
Review your results every week
Compare acceptance rates by industry, job title and company. If one company accepts a lot, look for similar ones; if a job title doesn’t respond, change it.
Want the full picture? Read how to get more LinkedIn connections.
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