{"id":251,"date":"2021-09-28T14:28:39","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T14:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/?p=251"},"modified":"2021-10-05T16:58:35","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T16:58:35","slug":"connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways To Connect Outside Your Network In LinkedIn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>LinkedIn has made it increasingly difficult to connect with people outside your network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article shows you three different ways to get around these difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66019f9d470fe\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-66019f9d470fe\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin\/#What_Happens_When_You_Try_To_Connect_on_LinkedIn_With_Someone_Outside_Your_Network\" title=\"What Happens When You Try To Connect on LinkedIn With Someone Outside Your Network?\">What Happens When You Try To Connect on LinkedIn With Someone Outside Your Network?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin\/#Method_1_Use_LinkedIn_Groups_To_Make_The_Connection\" title=\"Method 1: Use LinkedIn Groups To Make The Connection\">Method 1: Use LinkedIn Groups To Make The Connection<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin\/#Expand_Your_Network_On_LinkedIn_With_Your_Target_In_Mind\" title=\"Expand Your Network On LinkedIn With Your Target In Mind\">Expand Your Network On LinkedIn With Your Target In Mind<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin\/#Method_2_Add_Similar_Information_To_Your_Profile\" title=\"Method 2: Add Similar Information To Your Profile\">Method 2: Add Similar Information To Your Profile<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin\/#Method_3_Follow_Organizations_In_The_Same_Sphere\" title=\"Method 3: Follow Organizations In The Same Sphere\">Method 3: Follow Organizations In The Same Sphere<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin\/#Other_Things_To_Know_When_Viewing_Profiles_On_LinkedIn\" title=\"Other Things To Know When Viewing Profiles On LinkedIn\">Other Things To Know When Viewing Profiles On LinkedIn<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Happens_When_You_Try_To_Connect_on_LinkedIn_With_Someone_Outside_Your_Network\"><\/span>What Happens When You Try To Connect on LinkedIn With Someone Outside Your Network?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you search for people on LinkedIn, some will show up with their names not disclosed and without a Connect button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take an example from Mary Smith\u2019s account. Her search has two people in the results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"456\" height=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/people_list_no_connect.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/people_list_no_connect.jpg 456w, https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/people_list_no_connect-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 456px) 100vw, 456px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The first listing shows \u201cLinkedIn Member\u201d in the name field. However, the person\u2019s occupation, current company, and country are shown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second listing shows a full name as well as the other details (I\u2019ve blurred out the name for privacy).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No connect button<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll notice that only the second button has a Connect button. This is because this person is in the 3<sup>rd<\/sup>-degree network for Mary Smith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first listing doesn\u2019t have a Connect button. If Mary clicks on the name field link, then she will see an error message telling her she doesn\u2019t have access to this profile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"442\" height=\"166\" src=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/error_message_when_clicking_on_profile.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-254\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/error_message_when_clicking_on_profile.jpg 442w, https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/error_message_when_clicking_on_profile-300x113.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason is that the person is outside her network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let&#8217;s look at the first method to get that Connect button to appear!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_1_Use_LinkedIn_Groups_To_Make_The_Connection\"><\/span>Method 1: Use LinkedIn Groups To Make The Connection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You may see advice in other articles about joining the same groups as the person you want to connect with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem with this advice is that you can\u2019t see the profiles of people outside your network. Therefore you can\u2019t see which groups they belong to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So the first step is to make an educated guess about the kind of groups that your target will be interested in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example scenario<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In this example, the details show the person\u2019s profession. In this case, the person has described themselves as a Security Professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you search groups with \u201csecurity\u201d as a keyword, you\u2019ll see a lot of results. Scroll through to see which groups have the highest number of members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Steps to join groups for connections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow these steps to join groups that are more likely to have your target as a member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol type=\"1\"><li>Click the Home icon to go to your home page<\/li><li>Click on the \u201cGroups\u201d link in the left pane<\/li><li>Search groups using keywords such as the target person\u2019s occupation<\/li><li>Join the groups with the highest number of members<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to do after you\u2019ve joined the group<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019re accepted by the group that has your target as a member, LinkedIn will now add that person to your network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You will see the Connect button when you browse their profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, you can search the group for the person. In the example below, I\u2019m a member of a group with over 14 thousand people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"486\" height=\"189\" src=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/list_of_members_in_group.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-252\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/list_of_members_in_group.jpg 486w, https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/list_of_members_in_group-300x117.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 486px) 100vw, 486px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The group page gives you a search box to look for specific people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019ve located your person of interest, you can either message the individual or send a connection request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Be sure to mention the group<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember, this person has no idea that you are a member of the same group. After all, you\u2019ve only just joined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This may be the only common ground between you. So, be sure to mention the group when you send a message or a connection request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This can be as simple as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p><em>\u201cWe\u2019re both members of X on LinkedIn\u2026I\u2019m contacting you because\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expand_Your_Network_On_LinkedIn_With_Your_Target_In_Mind\"><\/span>Expand Your Network On LinkedIn With Your Target In Mind<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LinkedIn<\/a> has made it increasingly difficult over the years to connect with people. This is partly due to privacy concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it is also because the company wants members to increase their footprint or presence on the platform. It\u2019s why they\u2019re so keen to get their hooks into your email list! This is something I won\u2019t do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But LinkedIn will gradually expand your network if you throw them a bone in other ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from joining groups, here are some other ways to expand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_2_Add_Similar_Information_To_Your_Profile\"><\/span>Method 2: Add Similar Information To Your Profile<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you know where your person of interest works and\/or where they went to University? You may be able to get this information from a Facebook page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, you can add the same information to your profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note that I\u2019m not recommending that you say you spent four years at a University in a different country. Or that you currently work in a company you\u2019ve never heard of.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually, you want to make contact with your person of interest. You don\u2019t want to field awkward questions like \u2013 \u201c<em>I work in a company with ten people, why haven\u2019t we met?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Education<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the safest option as it\u2019s easy to explain as attending a brief seminar years ago at the same university. It could even have been an online seminar!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enter the university, and put a vague description for the degree. Choose a start date and end date to span a single month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is an example, and I\u2019ve never even been to Phoenix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"536\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/education_section.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/education_section.jpg 536w, https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/education_section-300x81.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can take one simple step to be completely ethical about this. Many universities have free online courses. Some are even on YouTube.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enroll for free in the college platform or watch one of their YouTube videos. Then enter the appropriate dates in the Education section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Work Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Be more cautious with this. I\u2019d only take this step if it\u2019s a large or multinational company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you do want to add this section, be sure to set a brief date span that\u2019s in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Method_3_Follow_Organizations_In_The_Same_Sphere\"><\/span>Method 3: Follow Organizations In The Same Sphere<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As with groups, the hope here is that the person has also followed this organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they work (or worked) for a company that has a page on LinkedIn, be sure to follow that company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider their occupation and the type of organizations and institutions they would be likely to follow. Then, go and follow those too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there are influential personalities on LinkedIn that share that occupation, you should also follow those people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Other_Things_To_Know_When_Viewing_Profiles_On_LinkedIn\"><\/span>Other Things To Know When Viewing Profiles On LinkedIn<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know that when you view someone&#8217;s profile on LinkedIn, they may get a notification that lets them see your name and other details?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have several options that controls your visibility. We explain it all in our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/privacy-when-viewing-people-on-linkedin\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"258\">how to control your privacy when viewing people on LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LinkedIn has made it increasingly difficult to connect with people outside your network. This article shows you three different ways to get around these difficulties. What Happens When You Try To Connect on LinkedIn With Someone Outside Your Network? When you search for people on LinkedIn, some will show up with their names not disclosed &#8230; <a title=\"3 Ways To Connect Outside Your Network In LinkedIn\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/connect-outside-your-network-in-linkedin\/\" aria-label=\"More on 3 Ways To Connect Outside Your Network In LinkedIn\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":295,"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251\/revisions\/295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bandittracker.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}