LinkedIn

How to write a LinkedIn connection request

October 2, 2026 · Bradley Jacobs

Write a LinkedIn connection request like you walked into a coffee shop. Say who you are and what you do. Do not sell. Do not ask for a call. Add people in your ideal customer profile every day, then let your content build familiarity before you ever pitch.

I grow my following every single day this way. LinkedIn usually lets you add about 100 new connections a week. Sometimes it is 75. Sometimes it is closer to 200. Every account is a little different. The note is simple. The habit is what compounds.

Mylance is a LinkedIn content system that turns what you know and do into LinkedIn posts that sound like you.

What should a LinkedIn connection request say?

A short intro. Not a pitch deck in a note.

When I add a new connection, I introduce myself. I do not sell them. I do not try and get them to do something. I just tell them who I am, as if I walked into a coffee shop and said, hey, I am Bradley, this is what I do. Then I let my content do the work.

That is the whole template most people overcomplicate. Name yourself. Name what you help with in one plain line. Optionally reference why you reached out if it is real, like a post they wrote or a mutual context. Then stop. The request is a handshake, not a sales call.

Should I personalize every LinkedIn connection request?

Personalize when you have a real reason. Stay short either way.

If someone just commented on your post, or you share a niche, say that in one sentence. If you are adding ICP contacts in batch, a clean coffee shop intro still beats a fake "loved your insights" line you copy-pasted fifty times. People can smell AI slop in a connection note the same way they smell it in a post.

I add contacts that are in my ICP. People who are likely to buy from me someday, not random titles that look impressive. Narrow beats broad. My own example of that ICP is U.S.-based fractional executives running one to five person practices where most clients still come from referrals and LinkedIn content is inconsistent. Yours will sound different. It should.

How many LinkedIn connection requests should I send?

Aim for a daily habit inside LinkedIn's weekly limit, not a once-a-month binge.

I cannot recommend this more highly: add new connections every single day. People in your ICP. It is not complicated. I am adding new people and building trust with them. Adding more people. Building more trust. Growing a trusted network every day.

In practice that usually means roughly 100 new connections a week. Respect the limit LinkedIn gives your account. Done is better than perfect. A small daily stack beats a heroic Sunday where you blast fifty notes and then disappear for two weeks.

What is a good LinkedIn connection request acceptance rate?

Mine sits around 35%. That is not failure.

Frankly, a lot of people are not going to care enough to accept. My connection request acceptance rate is about 35%. I know those 35%. They are logging in. The other 65% are not giving me a signal, and that is fine. Acceptance rate is a filter, not a grade.

If your rate is near zero, your targeting is off or your note sounds like a pitch. If you are in the 30% to 50% range with a clear ICP, keep going. Measure over weeks, not one afternoon.

What should I do after someone accepts?

Let content warm them. Do not jump into a hard sell.

I am not connecting with people and then immediately selling them. That does not work anymore. It might have worked ten years ago. I add them. I let my content do the work. Content means experiences, learnings, wins, mistakes. First-person posts on a boring cadence.

Then maybe a month later I can reach out and ask if they have the problem I help with. It is a different conversation because they have been seeing my content. They know who I am. Reply rates after a month of content are going to be wildly higher than a cold outbound note that says hey, I am Bradley, I promise I am legit, you should buy from me.

My simple loop is still the same: post on LinkedIn, comment, DM when it makes sense, and add new connections. Content first. Connection notes second. Outreach third.

Examples of LinkedIn connection request messages

Keep these short. Swap in your real niche.

Coffee shop baseline: "Hey FirstName, I am Bradley. I help business owners turn what they know into LinkedIn posts that sound like them. Would be glad to connect."

After they engaged: "Hey FirstName, saw your comment on the post about [topic]. I work with [niche] on [outcome]. Happy to connect."

Shared niche, no pitch: "Hey FirstName, I work with fractional operators on consistent LinkedIn content. Not selling anything here. Just wanted to connect."

What not to send: a paragraph about your offer, a Calendly link, three questions, or "quick chat?" in the first note. That is the opposite of a coffee shop hello.

A simple weekly plan

Do this for 90 days before you invent a fancier system.

1. Lock your ICP in one sentence. Narrow enough that a stranger could say yes or no.
2. Add ICP connections daily inside your weekly limit.
3. Use a coffee shop note. No sell. No ask.
4. Ship specific first-person posts at least three times a week so new connections actually see who you are.
5. Wait. When trust is there, DM. Not the same day you connect.

FAQ

Do I need a note at all?

A blank request can work for some people. I still prefer a one-line intro when I am targeting ICP contacts. It costs almost nothing and filters out confusion.

Should I connect with everyone who comments?

Look at who they are. If a fractional CFO in your world comments on your post, that is a warm signal. If it is a vendor pitching you, skip it. Fit beats volume.

Is connecting the same as getting clients?

No. Connecting grows the room where your content can build trust. Content and conversations do the rest. Do not treat accept rate as a pipeline forecast.

What if I hate writing the note?

Save one coffee shop line and reuse the structure. This does not need to be overly complicated. Ship the simple version.

Bottom line

Write the LinkedIn connection request like a human hello. Target your ICP. Add people daily. Skip the pitch. Let posts build trust. Follow up later when they already know who you are. The note is easy. The forcing function is doing it every day without turning it into theater.

Author: Bradley Jacobs. Published October 2, 2026. Updated October 2, 2026.