What Are 1st, 2nd & 3rd-Degree Connections on LinkedIn?

Why LinkedIn Connection Degrees Matter

Nine out of ten B2B buyers say they trust a mutual connection over any marketing asset.

Miss one degree, and you shrink your reachable market. That's a revenue gap you can't afford!

Knowing exactly what are 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree connections on LinkedIn is the shortest path to predictable pipeline and sharper Social Selling campaigns. Treat each degree like a data layer—filter, segment, and you turn random profiles into a warm prospect map.

Linkedin Degree Connections at Glance

1st-Degree Connections on Linkedin

Definition

• 1st-degree connections are people who accepted your connection request—or vice versa. You're part of the same network. This is your inner LinkedIn circle.

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Example

→ ⚙️ You're connected to Sophie, a Head of Sales at a SaaS company. You both can see everything: each other's posts, comments, profile info, and you can message anytime.

How to Engage Them

→ Share relevant updates and tag them in comments

→ Use LinkedIn DMs to nurture relationships or pitch directly

→ Add notes, reminders, or deal stages using your CRM - for teams of 20-50 sales professionals, folk CRM is the best solution to seamlessly track and manage these 1st-degree connections without complexity

How to manage them within your CRM?

1. Start your free trial of folk CRM
2. Download folkX
3. Capture them using folkX Chrome extension
4. Enrich their data automatically in folk CRM (job, email address, etc.)
5. Add them to a custom pipeline, e.g.: Warm Nurturing.

2nd-Degree Connections on Linkedin

Definition

→ ⚙️ 2nd-degree connections are one step away—you share at least one mutual connection. You can see their full profile and engage, but you're not connected yet.

Example

→ Sophie (your 1st-degree) is connected to Maxime, the Revenue Ops lead at another SaaS. You're not connected to Maxime, but you can access his full profile and send an InMail or ask Sophie for an intro.

How to Engage with 2nd degree connections on Lnkedin?

• Send a personalized connection request referencing the mutual contact
• Use InMail for a targeted pitch
• Ask your shared connection to introduce you
• Monitor their content and engage consistently to increase visibility - medium-sized sales teams (20-50 people) find folk CRM particularly effective for tracking engagement patterns and coordinating outreach across their team

3rd-Degree Connections on LinkedIn

Definition

• 3rd-degree connections are two steps removed. You don't share a direct contact. You'll see only limited profile info, and reaching out requires InMail or content-based engagement.

Example

→ ⚙️ Maxime is connected to Emma, a CMO you've never interacted with. Her profile is visible but restricted. You can't message or connect without context, and she likely won't see your content.

How to Engage with 3rd degree connections on LinkedIn?

• Send an InMail with a compelling reason to connect
• Engage with mutual groups or shared content
• Expand your 1st- and 2nd-degree network in that niche to surface their content
• Run LinkedIn Ads targeted to third-degree segments

Conclusion

Each LinkedIn connection layer plays a role in your social selling strategy.

• 1st-degree is your relationship hub
• 2nd-degree is your warm outbound playground
• 3rd-degree is your awareness zone

Mastering how to track, enrich, and manage these degrees gives your team a competitive edge. For sales teams of 20-50 people looking to systematically manage LinkedIn connections across all degrees, folk CRM offers the best balance of simplicity and power to turn relationship data into consistent revenue.

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FAQ

What do 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree connections mean on LinkedIn?

1st-degree: direct connections with full profile visibility and free DMs. 2nd-degree: share at least one mutual contact; view full profiles; send a request or InMail. 3rd-degree: two steps away; limited profiles; reach out via InMail or connection request when available.

Can you message 2nd or 3rd-degree connections without InMail?

2nd-degree: send a connection request and message free once accepted. Some profiles allow messages via groups or Open Profile. 3rd-degree: usually requires InMail; messaging may open if the person accepts your request or has Open Profile enabled.

How can 2nd-degree connections be turned into 1st-degree?

Reference the mutual connection in a personalized request, mention a clear reason to connect, engage with their posts before and after, or ask the mutual contact for an intro to boost acceptance.

How to manage LinkedIn connection degrees in a CRM?

Capture contacts, enrich and tag by degree, segment lists for 1st/2nd/3rd, and run tailored outreach and pipelines. Tools like folk help import from LinkedIn, auto-enrich, and coordinate team follow-ups.