See who is already coming to #socialrecruiting summit in November!

Blog Network

SittingXlegged

Corporate recruitment: what works and what doesn't plus other musings.

LinkedIn Promiscuity Survey follow this blog post

posted by on Aug. 5, 2007

When I wrote Expanding Your LinkedIn Network I wondered what effect the ERE Daily would have on my network. I received lots of LinkedIn invitations from ERE Daily readers and my network continued to grow. As it grew my profile became more and more visible and the invitations never slowed down. I still get 5-10 invitations every day. At that rate I'll add over 2,700 connections in a year!

We'll get to the LinkedIn Promiscuity Survey in a moment, but first a little background for those new to LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn network can be broken down into the following categories that you can view at the bottom of your LinkedIn home page and expand by clicking on View full network stats:

1st Level Connections - Your trusted friends and colleagues

2nd Level Connections - Friends of friends (two degrees away from you)

3rd Level Connections - Their friends (three degrees away from you)

Total users you can contact through an Introduction (Reach)

The LinkedIn Promiscuity survey will collect and report on the reach and efficiency of our LinkedIn networks. In this way we'll be able to compare our networks with the networks of others. Clearly this survey will be limited to readers of SittingXlegged so it is unlikely that the results will say much about LinkedIn networks as a whole. But lets see who responds and what data we collect.

Shally Steckerl defined The Promiscuity Ratio as your first degree contacts divided by the total number of contacts you can reach. I'm not sure if I'll use the ratio as defined or will create something new.

I invite you to either post your LinkedIn network stats as a comment here or email me at simon@martinandsimon.com if you prefer to keep them private. I'll crunch the numbers and will report the results of the LinkedIn Promiscuity Survey in a future blog here on SittingXlegged.

Oh, in case you're wondering, here are my stats:

1st Level Connections - 1044

2nd Level Connections - 323,000+

3rd Level Connections - 4,439,300+

Total users I can contact through an Introduction - 4,763,400+

| 25 comments | flag

25 comments

Log in or register to post a reply.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Hi Frank,

    Thanks for the great comment! I understand your thought on diminishing returns but wonder why you would "just have to stop"? It's true that at some point adding new connections won't significantly increase your total reach but each new connection is potentially valuable and LI is growing all the time. Also, you never know which new connection will tap you into a new group of people you didn't know existed. I say keep connecting!

    Thanks,

    Simon

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Simon,

    If you look back through all the stats provided it's evident that some people have very large direct connection bases, but relatively smaller total connection numbers.

    Must be something in there about the kind of people who connect to you, and to whom you connect. Do extroverts get other extroverts to connect to them? How do they know each other? :>) Is there a relationship to how early you joined Linkedin?

    And so on....

    Then there is also clear diminishing returns as you add new contacts who are connected to the same people you are. At some point you just have to stop.

    My stats:

    Connections Your colleagues 2,980

    Two degrees Friends of friends 872,700+

    Three degrees Their friends 6,486,200+

    BTW, I have Shally to thank for my large base. See here ... http://english.talent-software.com/?p=57

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Sorry I couldn't participate. I tried, and I asked many times for the required info, but once a network exceeds a certain size the stats are no longer displayed. I've asked for this information to be pulled some other way but so far my request has not be answered, and so I can't complete the survey.

    Last I remember I was at 6.9MM on 3rd degree, and could see an additional 1.4MM via groups, etc. So that means at the time (about four months ago) I could see about 8.3MM. Now it must be 9MM or so but that's an educated guess and possibly innacruate. I've added a ton of groups so I know my "other" must be much higher than 1.4MM. BTW I have 13k first degree and a search for all people sorted by number of connections still shows my profile as #27 with most connections out of almost 15 million. That brings my ratio to 0.0015 or an efficiency ratio as you defined it of 1.5 which is horribly low in comparison to all the others.

    However I'll add one more twist to this story and that is that large networks, though inefficient, lead to more search results. Another benefit is that by virtue of having a deep reach new users conducting searches for people from their employers, universites, etc. are more frequently finding and inviting me, which in return gathers a critical mass that yields a perpetually growing network yet reducing the effort required to grow. Plust its a network that can discover far more unique contacts that smaller networks can't see because there are about 5.2 million people on LinkedIn who have five or less connections! In other words, about one third out of the 16.5 million users on LinkedIn have five or fewer connections so only those with large, inefficient yet deep networks can reach many of them. A few simple search engine searches

    1 connection: 2,930,000 2 connections: 1,020,000 3 connections: 600,000 4 connections: 383,000 5 connections: 274,000

    Compare that to users with 500+ (anything 500 and over shows up as just 500) and that number is 5,570. So a relatively insignificant percentage of the LinkedIn population (0.3%%) have over 500 contacts.

    So what?

    There are 300,000 recruiters on LinkedIn yet only 5,570 of users are in the 500+ range, meaning that anyone with 500+ contacts is already at a clear advantange but then within that group anyone with a low efficiency ratio (numbers higher than 1.0) is better able to reach those 5.2 million LinkedIn users with 5 or fewer connections.

    Cheers, Shally

    P.S. Check out my new LinkedIn Resources page: http://www.jobmachine.net/sourcer/communities/linkedin

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    1st 207 2nd 93,800+ 3rd 3,302,100+

    Total users you can contact through an Introduction Your network also includes 130 users in your 4 LinkedIn Groups. 3,396,200+

    15,772 new people in your network since August 23

    I am very open to new contacts!

    Best Wishes, Karla Porter

    karla.porter@gmail.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlaporter

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Simon, Here are my numbers: 1st : 99 2nd: 13,300 3rd: 1,259,300 I am curious to see the outcome of this... Very interesting....

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Hi Jeremy,

    Funny!

    promiscuous 1603, "consisting of a disorderly mixture of people or things," from L. promiscuus "mixed, indiscriminate," from pro- "forward" + miscere "to mix"

    promiscuous. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/promiscuous (accessed: August 17, 2007).

    Thanks,

    Simon

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Promiscuity is the practice of making relatively unselective, casual and indiscriminate choices. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promiscuity

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Simon, I look forward to seeing the full results of your survey, and think it's a great idea!

    First degree 653 Two degrees away 252,000+ Three degrees away 4,296,400+ Total users 4,549,100+ My network also includes 143 users in my 5 LinkedIn Groups.

    I'm always happy to expand my network with more quality connections.

    Best regards, Florrie Wallace www.linkedin.com/in/florrie (florrie_wallace@hotmail.com)

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Shally read a feature article from Business 2.0 magazine last December about LinkedIn where I was the profiled recruiter/sourcer. That piece coined the term "promiscuous linker" (article linked from my LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/in/gutmach -- feel free to connect to me directly & make my million-plus connections at 2nd degree immediately part of your viewable/searchable 3rd-degree network - send invitation directly to firstname.lastname@microsoft.com and you can use the www.linkedin.com/inviteMany page - note the capital M in that URL - if you want to invite others, too)

    1st degree - 5961 2nd degree - 1,004,000+ 3rd degree - 5,901,300+ total users - 6,911,500+

    Brenda, they may be a great company in other respects, but they're not helping you do your job. Are you sure this contract is right for you?

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Connections Your colleagues 815 Two degrees Friends of friends 305,600+ Three degrees Their friends 4,551,500

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Hi, Simon, My Linkedin Stats are as follow:

    1st Level Connections - 1,699

    2nd Level Connections - 540,300+

    3rd Level Connections - 5,131,600+

    Total users I can contact through an Introduction including 1,400+ users in 31 LinkedIn Groups - 5,673,700+

    Thanks, Vincent

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Hi Brenda,

    Very stinky indeed! I wonder what conversations you could have internally to get that policy changed?

    Simon

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Hi There,

    Please feel free to invite your friends and colleagues to post their stats here as a comment or email them to me at simon@martinandsimon.com if they prefer to keep them private. I plan to collect data for 30 days before reporting on the results.

    Thanks,

    Simon

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    The whole company is blocked from any social user groups, and they will NOT make special allowances for the staffing/sourcing department....and they wonder why they have to seek outside vendors! It is a shame because they are a great company, worth milti billions $$, and have a great reputation.

    B

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    ...her to find good candidates!! :)

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    "My new company does not allow me to use linkedin..."

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    1st: 69 2nd: 12,700 3rd: 1,056,000+ Total: 1,068,800+

    I only accept people I know as I am inundated with invites. It's a great networking tool, but can be cumbersome. I'll be curious to see your final stats.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues 576 Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections 173,000+ Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend and one of their friends 3,784,700+ Total users you can contact through an Introduction Your network also includes 59 users in your 4 LinkedIn Groups. 3,958,300+

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I just started a new contract and do not have time to get my stats, but I would love to receive new invites from linkedin....my email is BL934 at msn . com

    My new company does not allow me to use linkedin, but I will still use it when I am in my home office.

    Brenda Lepick

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues 681

    Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections 313,400+

    Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend and one of their friends 4,477,600+

    Total users you can contact through an Introduction Your network also includes 126 users in your 4 LinkedIn Groups. 4,791,700+

    20,340 new people in your network since August 6

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    1st degree: 1,095

    2nd degree: 468,700+

    3rd degree: 4,892,200+

    Total users you can contact through an Introduction: 5,362,000+

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues 378

    Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections 86,300+

    Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend and one of their friends 2,997,300+

    Total users you can contact through an Introduction Your network also includes 500+ Forbes.com Personal Technology Forum members. 3,084,000+

    17,019 new people in your network since August 5

    I'm not nearly as connected as Maureen, Amybeth or Scott-I better get cracking!!

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues 1,490 Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections 114,500+ Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend and one of their friends 3,075,600+ Total users you can contact through an Introduction Your network also includes 71 users in your 2 LinkedIn Groups. 3,191,700+

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues 1,052 Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections 279,400+ Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend and one of their friends 4,340,400+ Total users you can contact through an Introduction Your network also includes 700+ users in your 5 LinkedIn Groups. 4,620,800+

    10,411 new people in your network since August 4

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    You are at the center of your network. Your connections can introduce you to 6,320,800+ professionals ? here?s how your network breaks down: Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues 3,558 Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections 797,000+ Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend and one of their friends 5,520,200+

    Total users you can contact through an Introduction Your network also includes 104 users in your 5 LinkedIn Groups. 6,320,800+

    16,007 new people in your network since August 3

    Your higher productivity = my network "promiscuity"? How can I make my network more productive? Only link with high network individuals? I accept everyone nondiscriminatingly who invites me (or what's a network for?) and if you invite me I will accept you too!

    maureen at techtrak.com