When looking to connect with potential clients, partners, or recruits, email and LinkedIn are two of the top channels used. But which method is more effective – sending cold emails or LinkedIn messages? Here we’ll compare and contrast these outreach methods to help you determine the best approach.
Cold Emails
A cold email is an unsolicited email sent to a prospect with whom you have no prior relationship. This approach allows you to directly contact prospects, but risks coming across as intrusive or spammy if not done carefully.
Pros of Cold Email
- Direct contact with the prospect
- Can thoroughly customize messaging
- No character limits
- Can attach files/media
- Can prospect at scale by exporting contacts
Cons of Cold Email
- Low open and response rates
- Higher spam risk
- No existing relationship or context
- Contacts may be outdated
- Time consuming to personalize outreach
Best Practices for Cold Emailing
- Research the prospect and company
- Personalize each email with relevant details
- Keep emails concise and scannable
- Focus on providing value for the prospect
- Use a professional email address and signature
- Follow up but avoid spamming prospects
- Track open and response rates to refine approach
LinkedIn Messages
LinkedIn Messages allow you to directly contact LinkedIn members by sending them private messages. This leverages the LinkedIn platform to initiate outreach.
Pros of LinkedIn Messages
- Higher open rates than cold email
- Existing presence and context on LinkedIn
- Can see prospect’s profile and activity
- More casual messaging style
- Opportunity for ongoing nurturing
Cons of LinkedIn Messages
- Character limits on messages
- Not all prospects actively use LinkedIn
- Lower prospect volume vs email
- Harder to track and analyze at scale
- Messages can get lost in clutter
Best Practices for LinkedIn Messages
- Customize connection requests with a note
- Mention common connections when possible
- Reference their profile and activity in messages
- Keep messages casual but professional
- Follow up if no response after a week
- Segment prospects based on engagement
- Avoid copy-pasting generic messages
Key Differences
While both cold email and LinkedIn provide ways to directly contact prospects, there are some key differences between the two outreach methods:
- Relationship: With cold email you are an anonymous sender, while on LinkedIn you have a defined profile and connections.
- Open Rates: LinkedIn messages see higher open rates, while cold emails often go unopened or get marked as spam.
- Targeting: Email allows exporting and targeting company contacts at scale. LinkedIn focuses on individual prospects.
- Personalization: LinkedIn messages can be more personalized by referencing profiles, while cold emails rely more on research and customized copy.
- Automation: Email outreach can be automated more easily compared to manual LinkedIn messaging.
When to Use Each for Outreach
So when should you use cold email vs LinkedIn? Here are some best practices:
When to Use Cold Email
- Reaching contacts at a company you don’t have connections with
- Following up after in-person meetings or events
- Outreach that needs attachments or visuals
- Higher volume outbound campaigns
- Targeting senior executives that aren’t on LinkedIn
When to Use LinkedIn Messages
- Prospect is connected to your network
- You want a more personal, casual tone
- Following up after connecting at an event
- Target prospects are active LinkedIn users
- You want to leverage your LinkedIn presence
Tips for Your Outreach
Here are some final tips to make your outreach effective regardless of whether you use cold email or LinkedIn messages:
- Take the time to personalize your messages and connect them to the prospect’s interests
- Keep your initial messages focused and concise to increase open rates
- Outline clear next steps and calls to action for the prospect
- Follow up but know when to move on from unresponsive prospects
- Track open and response rates to identify what works
- Fit your outreach style to the culture and preferences of prospects
- Leverage the unique advantages of both email and LinkedIn where appropriate
Conclusion
Cold email and LinkedIn both allow for effective outreach, but are suited for different purposes. Cold email can enable high volume outreach, while LinkedIn messages leverage existing connections. Consider the type of prospects, your goals, and your resources when choosing between these methods. With proper targeting, personalization, and tracking you can maximize the impact of your outbound campaigns on either channel.
