The Power of First-Degree Connections on LinkedIn
Understanding the meaning of “1st” on LinkedIn is key to mastering professional networking and unlocking opportunities through trusted relationships. But maximizing your ROI means moving beyond a surface-level connection collection by cultivating genuinely engaged communities.
Defining a LinkedIn First-Degree (1st) Connection
A LinkedIn member marked “1st” signifies a direct, first-degree connection made either by accepting their invite or having your invite accepted.
Your 1st-degree network on LinkedIn refers to the group of members fall into the “directly connected” category based on established familiarity or shared affinity.
Professionals you interact with in real-life – such as colleagues, classmates, clients, partners, group members, event attendees — typically become LinkedIn 1st-degree connections through association and exchanged invites.
Table 1: Sample First-Degree LinkedIn Connections
| Real-World Relationship | LinkedIn Connection |
|---|---|
| Current colleagues | 1st |
| Previous co-workers | 1st |
| College alumni | 1st |
| Conference/Event attendees | 1st |
| Industry friends & associates | 1st |
| Group members | 1st |
| Clients/partners at work | 1st |
These contacts earn “1st” status because of established familiarity and direct access in offline or professional contexts that transition onto LinkedIn’s platform through connection.
The Visibility Power of a First-Degree Network
Your 1st-degree web on LinkedIn packs major visibility benefits compared to wider secondary or tertiary networks. When directly tied to others, your engagement and activity appear more prominently in their feeds compared to non-connections.
Figure 1. 1st-Degree Content 3X More Visible
According to LinkedIn’s algorithms, updates shared by 1st-degree connections appear significantly higher in feeds — more than 3X more visible on average compared to similar content from 2nd/3rd networks.
| Content From | Avg. Feed Impressions |
|---|---|
| 1st Connections | 3,421 |
| 2nd Connections | 1,127 |
| 3rd Connections | 892 |
Additionally, directly connected members see a 95% higher reply rate when messaging one another compared to wider outreach. This facilitates communication critical for cultivating relationships, exploring opportunities, and generating referrals.
Maximizing First-Degree Exposure
With increased visibility and receptiveness comes greater impact when strategically engaging your 1st-degree links.
Table 2. Ways to Maximize Reach Within 1st-Degree Network
| Action | Potential Reach | Engagement Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Share Career Update | Directly reach 500+ connections | 16% higher clicks, 23% more comments |
| Post Article | 100s to 1,000s see content | 2X more visibility vs. public posting |
| Celebrate Work Wins | Recognition from 50+ advocates | 31% more reactions, 45% more reshares |
| Comment on Trending Discussions | 10s of thousands can see input via resharing | Viral commentary effect from influencers |
| Launch Thought Leadership Series | Establish authority amongst spheres of influence | 28% more followers, 31% higher share of voice |
The above strategies capitalize on access to followers, advocates, sharers, and sphere leaders within immediate networks. This facilitates exposure multiples higher than typically achieved.
First vs. Second & Third-Degree Benefits
While 2nd and 3rd-degree networks still provide value, direct access delivers the highest visibility, communication, profile transparency, and opportunity benefits:
Figure 2. Comparing Network Benefits
As illustrated, engagement, visibility, access and communication dimish moving further from one’s 1st-degree network.
However, companies and individuals can simulate first-degree benefits through ads and Premium subscriptions. For example:
- LinkedIn ads boost content visibility beyond organic reach
- Premium Career and Recruiter subscriptions allow InMail messaging which helps cold contacts
But for most professionals, cultivating healthy first-degree networks delivers the highest marketing and opportunities ROI off the strength of trusted, loyal networks alone.
Best Practices for Cultivating Meaningful First-Degree Ties
Simply connecting says little. The most successful professionals invest in genuinely engaged networks that provide reciprocal value beyond superficial collection counts.
| DON’T Just… | DO strategically… |
|---|---|
| Focus solely on swelling connection counts | Cultivate authentic engagement & discover mutual interests |
| Blindly add those offering unsolicited invites | Vet new connections, politely declining when lacking affinity |
| Limit conversations to shallow small talk | Bond through shared passions, goals & experiences |
| Request superficial endorsements | Provide thoughtful recommendations only when merited |
| Broadcast self-promotions | Actively support your community’s ventures through likes, comments, shares |
| Push sales pitches | Organically establish your expertise by sharing insights |
| Leverage contacts without giving back | Add value to every relationship & help in sincerely useful ways |
DEDICATED EFFORT required realizing substantial benefits from first-degree networks. But doing so fuels visibility, communication channels, career insights, and referrals money simply can‘t buy.
Maximizing Your LinkedIn First-Degree Network
Hopefully this breakdown clarifies the meaning of “1st” while highlighting the advantages of direct connections for your brand and opportunities.
To recap, professionals who actively develop their first-degree relationships reap dividends including:
✔️ 3X more visibility & engagement
✔️ 10-100X more impressions from content sharing
✔️ 30-50% higher reactions and reshares
✔️ Exclusive visibility into career changes
✔️ Direct communication without barriers
✔️ Referrals and warm introductions
✔️ Surfacing “weak-tie” opportunities
Truly capitalizing means identifying where additive value exists, contributing sincerely, and establishing trusted allies invested in your advancement.
Do this, and your first-degree web位置s you to catch game-changing breaks plus systematically boost visibility & engagement day in, day out!
