Curating Your LinkedIn Network: Why Quality is Better than Quantity

How can you increase your engagement rate on LinkedIn?  

Of course, good content matters, especially today with so many AI-generated posts, but if you’re sharing thoughtful posts and not seeing many comments, likes or shares, it could be that you’re simply not talking to the right people.  

To increase your influence and engagement rate on LinkedIn, it’s not just about having a big network—it’s about having the right network. That means curating your connections to the people who are most likely to appreciate your insights—those who work in your industry, are based in your geography and are active and engaged on the platform. This is the only way your content is going to get the traction it deserves.  

After all, the algorithm doesn’t reward crickets.

So, how do you build a strong, engaged and strategic network? Below, I’ve broken it down into two main parts:

Part One: Target & Grow

Who Do I Actually Want in My Network?

Your network should reflect where you work, who you work with and who you want to learn from. For me, that means:

• Business leaders

• Senior HR professionals

• Industry specialists

• Corporate influencers

Since I focus primarily on the Canadian market, my connections are 95% based in Canada. It wouldn’t make sense for me to have large clusters of connections in Europe or Asia if my work is centred here.

Think about your own audience:

• Where do they work?

• What titles do they hold?

• What industries are they in?

• What kind of content do they engage with?

To find them, use the LinkedIn search bar with filters like job title, location and industry (e.g., “President Markham” or “EVP HR Vancouver”). And keep in mind, locations can vary by how users list them (e.g., "Canada" vs. "Toronto").

If you’re unsure who to add, check out the connections of people you admire.  

• Who comments on their posts?  

• Who shows up in their replies?  

That’s your cue.

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Should I Personalize My Connection Requests?

I get asked this all the time. My answer: Not always.

I ran a test a couple of years ago — sent 500 invites with a custom note and 500 without. The acceptance rate? Exactly the same. So, unless you’re saying thanks after meeting someone in person or there’s a specific reason to personalize it, don’t overthink it.

If you do write a note, make it brief and avoid hard returns (those line breaks that cut your message off). Say what you need to say quickly because the average person looks at your profile for about eight seconds before deciding whether to connect. Make that message count.

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The Big Debate:

Small, tight-knit network of people I know
vs.
Big, broad network of professionals in my industry

LinkedIn’s algorithm prefers smaller, more engaged networks because more comments = better content visibility. But personally? I think too small of a network risks becoming an echo chamber. It’s always the same people commenting in the same way on the same people’s posts.  

I want to learn new things, read different opinions and hear new insights that challenge my thinking, and that means opening up my network to an extended circle. The key is making sure it’s still relevant to my work.  

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on your goals. But whatever you choose, be strategic about it.

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Part Two: Reduce & Refine

How Do I Clean Up My Network?

Here’s the part most people skip. But trust me, it matters.

LinkedIn’s algorithm doesn’t just promote your content to your whole network; it selectively shows your posts to a small group of connections first, and if that group doesn't engage (like, comment, share), the post dies there.

If your network is filled with inactive users or people who don’t care about your content, your post has less chance of being seen — even by the people you do want to reach.

Bottom line: The more engaged and relevant your network, the further your posts will travel.

That’s why every month, I do a quick LinkedIn clean-up:

Here’s how:

1. Click My Network > “Connections.”

2. Use filters to search by country, location, sector or title.

3. To remove a connection who isn’t relevant anymore:  

• Click the three dots beside the person’s name, and then click “Remove connection.” Note: They won’t see that you have removed them.  
• Click OK to confirm. Note: If you had followed the connection as well, be sure to “Unfollow” them.

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I regularly remove connections who have:

• No activity (no posts, no likes, no engagement)

• Completely unrelated roles or regions

• No obvious value for future connections or new insights

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Also, if you send a lot of connection requests, don’t forget to delete your oldest pending requests every month to stay in LinkedIn’s good books.  

Click “My Network” > “Manage” > “Sent” > Withdraw.

Pro Tip: Download the LinkedIn mobile app — it’s faster and easier to remove or withdraw requests.

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Remember You Only Get 30,000 Connections

It sounds like a lot, but if you’re growing strategically, you want to reserve space for future meaningful connections. There’s no value in filling up your network with people who will never engage with your posts, support your goals or collaborate professionally.

And with LinkedIn’s weekly invite cap (typically around 100–200), your capacity is already limited, so make each connection count.

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Final Thoughts: Curate With Purpose

Whether you want a tight group of 500 high-value connections or 30,000 relevant ones in your industry, be intentional.

You don’t need to be connected to the whole world. You just need the right people to see your content, hear your voice and engage with your ideas.

So go ahead and curate. Your future opportunities might be one connection away.

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