So What’s Your Number In The LinkedIn® Numbers Game?

There is no getting away from the fact that numbers really do matter on LinkedIn®. There’s a reason LinkedIn® puts them right next to the headshot on EVERYONE’S LinkedIn® Profile.

You’ll read from a few people with 10,000+ followers telling you that the number of followers doesn’t matter. But that’s mostly bollox. They weren’t saying that when they were sat at 50 followers.

Contents

Can We Agree To Agree?
The Headline Numbers
My Number
More Public Numbers
The Creator Mode Numbers
The Private Numbers
Conclusion

Can We Agree To Agree?

So can you and me, now that you’re here, just agree that you and I do care about the numbers?

There is without doubt a deep need for authenticity on LinkedIn®. It’s especially vital for prospective Thought Leaders! But let’s not allow “being the authentic-me” to get in the way of growing your numbers, unless you’re planning on being a LinkedIn® Thought Leader on Authenticity.

The Headline Numbers

These are literally shown next to the headline on EVERYONE’S LinkedIn® profile.

Number of Followers
Number of Connections (Shown as 500+ once you acquire 501 connections)

I’m not a psychologist, but I do understand the draw of higher profile numbers when I’m considering following someone. I’m certainly more likely to take a punt on following someone who has bigger numbers, rather than just move on. I’m far more inclined to be more discerning when it comes to people with low numbers. Right or wrong… that’s the LinkedIn® numbers game at play right there.

So with that in mind, what’s you number?

My Number

My number is simply “more than last week”. It’s a great number! It’s the best number! This is a marathon, not a sprint. My number comes with absolutely no pressure or stress. Once I settled on “more than last week” I became more interested and focused on just creating good content. The numbers will take care of themselves if you’re creating content that people want to read and engage with.

Do not think for minute I don’t care about the numbers. I do! I regularly monitor the performance of my posts and articles to determine optimal activity in the future, but often I just say “f**k it!” and hit the post button.
Fox Tucker

More Public Numbers

Number of Post Engagements
Number of Post Comments
Number of Reposts

Why These Matter:

On my own posts these act as a quick snapshot of how a post is resonating with my followers.

When viewing other users posts I don”t care too much, but I’m less likely to join in the conversation if the numbers are high as I don’t think my comment is likely to cut through all the noise. I’m wrong course. I should comment anyway, but time is my most valuable resource. I move on quickly.

These numbers matter for different reasons to different people. Some will always comment, some will never comment. I recommend commenting if you have time. I have to recommend that you make time. It will put you on the radar of the poster.

The Creator Mode Numbers

Activate Creator Mode to unlock these features.

Number of Article Engagements
Number of Article Comments
Number of Newsletter Subscribers

The Private Numbers

Number of Post Impressions
Number of Article Impressions
Number of Newsletter Edition Impressions
Number of Profile Views
Search Appearances (How often your profile appeared in search results)

Why these matter:

These give you a much better measure of performance over time. 7, 14, 28, 90, and 365 days analytics give you great insights. You can filter the stats by Job Title, Location, Industries, Seniority, Company, and Company Size.