LinkedIn outreach is an effective way to generate leads and build relationships with potential customers. However, done poorly, LinkedIn outreach can damage your brand and get you banned from the platform. The key is having a strategy for who you want to target, what you want to offer them, and how you will craft personalized messages at scale.
Who should I target for LinkedIn outreach?
The first step is identifying who you want to reach out to on LinkedIn. Here are some targeting tips:
- Target by job title – Reach out to relevant titles like “Director of Marketing”, “VP of Sales”, etc.
- Target by industry – Prioritize connecting with people in your ideal customer industries.
- Target by company – Identify target accounts you want to do business with.
- Target by geography – You can target location to focus on local leads.
- Target by connections – Look at who your existing connections are linked to for introductions.
- Target by interests/groups – Join relevant LinkedIn groups and see who is active there.
Focus on targeting people who would realistically benefit from your offerings, rather than blanketing all of LinkedIn. Quality over quantity.
What should I offer in my LinkedIn outreach?
Your outreach will be better received if you offer value rather than making a hard sales pitch. Here are some ideas for what to share:
- Relevant article or piece of content you created
- Industry whitepaper, report or ebook
- Discount or free trial of your product/service
- Exclusive webinar or event invite
- Data/research/statistics relevant to their work
- Advice and tips based on your expertise
Whatever asset, piece of content, or offer you do share, make sure it provides genuine value and isn’t solely promotional.
How do I craft effective LinkedIn messages?
Each message you send should be:
- Personalized – Include their name, company, location, interests, etc. Generic messages get ignored.
- Relevant – Clearly explain how your offer relates to their work and interests.
- Concise – Get to the point quickly. Avoid giant blocks of sales text.
- Helpful – Focus on how they would benefit from connecting with you.
Here is a template you can follow:
Subject Line:
Hi [First Name], advice for [industry/role]?
Message:
Hi [First Name],
My name is [Your Name] and I’m connecting with executives in [Industry] to share a few quick tips that could help drive [results e.g. leads, revenue] based on my experience working with [Companies].
Specifically, I wanted to pass along a [content offer e.g. guide] on [relevant topic] which has helped teams at [Companies] [achieve results].
Let me know if you would be interested in checking it out and getting a quick 15 minute call on the phone or over Zoom to discuss how some of these tactics could help your marketing efforts at [Company].
Either way, I hope you find the [guide] helpful. Looking forward to connecting.
Best,
[Your Name]
How can I optimize and automate my outreach?
Doing personalized outreach at scale requires optimizing and automating parts of the process. Here are some tips:
- Use a CRM or outreach tool to save templates, automate follow-ups, and track responses.
- Integrate your CRM with LinkedIn to sync contact data.
- Use email merge tags like {{FirstName}} to customize at scale.
- Set up sequences for follow-up messages if you don’t get a reply.
- Track open and response rates to refine your messaging.
- Use macros, bots, or AI writing tools to draft initial messages.
How should I follow up with unresponsive prospects?
If someone doesn’t respond to your initial LinkedIn outreach, follow up politely to provide additional value. Here are some tips for effective follow-up:
- Wait at least a week before following up again.
- Change the content or offer in your follow-up message.
- Be concise and don’t overdo it on the follow-ups.
- Consider following up with an InMail if you originally just sent a connection request.
- Focus on providing value vs. pushing them to respond.
- Personalize the message and add context.
- Ask a thoughtful question to spark engagement.
Following up once or twice is fine, but make sure you remove unresponsive prospects from your list so you can focus on warmer leads.
What mistakes should I avoid in LinkedIn outreach?
There are some common mistakes that can tank your LinkedIn outreach success. Be sure to avoid:
- Using a salesy, promotional tone
- Sending mass generic messages
- Contacting people irrelvant to your offering
- Sending overly long-winded messages
- Being impersonal or not using their name
- Providing no value to them in your message
- Not customizing messages enough
- Following up too aggressively
- Ignoring or spamming people who connected with you
Essentially, avoid anything that looks like spammy behavior instead of genuine relationship-building outreach. Being relevance, helpful, and non-promotional will make your messages stand out.
How can I expand my LinkedIn network to reach more prospects?
Here are some ways to grow your LinkedIn network for prospecting:
- Optimize your profile to attract your ideal connections.
- Engage actively by commenting on posts, joining groups, etc.
- Connect with second and third degree contacts of your existing connections.
- Search for and connect with ideal prospects directly.
- Use LinkedIn’s “People You May Know” suggestions.
- Follow companies you want to target and connect with their employees.
- Get introductions through shared connections or paid tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
- Join relevant LinkedIn Groups and connect with engaged members.
The key is being proactive about expanding your network over time, rather than only connecting with people who already know you.
Conclusion
Done right, LinkedIn outreach can be a valuable way to generate more leads for your business. Just make sure you have a relevant audience targeted, personalized messaging strategy, and value-driven approach. Avoid spammy behavior that could hurt your brand or get you banned. Focus on building relationships, networking strategically, and nurturing leads gently over time.