Do you connect with people first or engage with their LinkedIn content before sending a request?

I think engaging with their posts first works better. It makes the connection feel more natural, and by the time you send a request, there's already some familiarity. Genuine interactions always go a long way.

I'd compare the outcomes beyond accepted requests. Engaging first also selects people who post regularly, so an apparent improvement could partly come from comparing different kinds of prospects.

A useful test would be to take two small, similar groups in the same role and industry, use a clear professional reason for every invitation, and track actual conversations after acceptance. Count the time spent engaging as well. That would tell you whether the extra step helps your particular networking goal, without assuming a higher acceptance rate always means better connections.

Send a brief note after commenting on a post because LinkedIn caps at 100 invites per week and the note raises acceptance rates I usually like their recent posts and then use the Add a note field to reference the article I engaged with

In my experience, reaching out on LinkedIn works best when you have a Premium account and the person you’re contacting is at least a 2nd-degree connection. Premium gives you more visibility and direct messaging options, and a shared connection makes your outreach feel warmer and far more likely to get a reply than a cold message.

I usually like to comment on a recent post using a quick note, then send the request and note that LinkedIn caps at 100 invites per week, and I've used PhantomBuster to schedule the follow-up message