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We’ve all been there, right? You connect with someone on LinkedIn, start a great conversation, and then when you reach out again, silence. You never hear from that person again. Ouch – looks like you got ghosted by a LinkedIn connection.
Ghosting is when someone abruptly stops communicating with someone else, and it happens all of the time when it comes to online networking.
But why did this happen to you? What went wrong? When you’ve been ghosted by a LinkedIn connection, a few things could have happened. Here are some reasons why they haven’t gotten back to you.
#1. They’re too busy.
We live in a crazy, busy time. Everyone has things going on, and answering LinkedIn messages might not be everyone’s first priority. Cut this person some slack – they might just be swamped with other commitments right now.
#2. They’re “on” LinkedIn, but they’re not really “active” on it.
Just because you live on LinkedIn doesn’t mean that everyone else does. In fact, there are tons of people out there who have a LinkedIn profile because they’re required to have one or because they feel they should have one, but they don’t actively use it. So, if you haven’t heard back from a LinkedIn connection in some time, don’t take it personally.
#3. They saw your message, but simply forgot to message you back.
This person might have gotten distracted and forgot to return your message. Again, we live in an incredibly busy time and things come up. Just because they didn’t respond doesn’t mean they weren’t intending to do so.
#4. You’re too aggressive.
Sure, sending LinkedIn messages, commenting on his/her updates, and liking his/her activity on LinkedIn is fine in moderation, but if you’re too aggressive, you can scare away or irritate your LinkedIn connections.
#5. You didn’t make an effort to get to know them.
Did you make an effort to get to know them and their goals? Or did you make it all about you? Monopolizing the conversation with your story, heartaches, and needs is one of the easiest ways to get ghosted by a LinkedIn connection. Who wants to talk to someone who just talks about him/herself? Boring. Selfish. No thanks.
#6. You asked for something right away.
Asking for favors too soon can really turn off people. You need to take time to get to know them, offer value, and establish a relationship. Otherwise, they might feel like you’re just using them. No one likes that!
#7. You gave them a creepy vibe.
Whether you meant to or not, you might have done something that gave this person the creeps. If you were too aggressive with your networking strategy, this person might have gotten a bad vibe about you. Or, if you straight up said something inappropriate (i.e., commented on his/her looks, confessed your love, sent messages/images that are so NSFW, etc.), this person very likely isn’t going to be a fan. You might laugh at this, but it actually happens all of the time. Don’t be a creep!
#8. You ghosted them first.
Ohh what a plot TWIST! You’ve been M. Night Shyamalan’d.
You might not realize it when you do it, but if you connect with someone on LinkedIn and you don’t reach out, you’re ghosting them from the get-go. If you reach out weeks, months, or years later expecting them to return your message, they might not know who you are, why you’re connected, or why they should talk with you. Always start a conversation when you connect with someone on LinkedIn!
If you’ve been ghosted by a LinkedIn connection, think about what you could’ve done differently. Are there problems with your current strategy? Also, take into consideration that it’s not always your fault that you don’t hear back. Sometimes it’s on the other end. If that’s the case, try following up again in a few months to get a conversation started again. Or, move on to someone else.
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