LinkedIn pitches are an important part of networking and building relationships on LinkedIn. A LinkedIn pitch, also known as an “elevator pitch”, is a brief introduction you can use when reaching out to connect with someone new. An effective LinkedIn pitch should be customized, compelling, and concise. But with limited space to make an impression, many wonder—just how long should your LinkedIn pitch be?
What is a LinkedIn Pitch?
A LinkedIn pitch, or elevator pitch, is a brief summary used to introduce yourself professionally. It highlights who you are, what value you provide, and why the person should connect with you. A LinkedIn pitch is typically included when sending someone a LinkedIn connection request. You can also incorporate it into the summary and about sections of your LinkedIn profile.
The goal of a LinkedIn pitch is to catch someone’s interest and make them want to learn more. An impactful pitch gives the other person a sense of who you are as a professional, what skills and experience you have, and why connecting would be mutually beneficial.
Key Elements of an Effective LinkedIn Pitch
An effective LinkedIn pitch should include the following elements:
- Brief professional background: For example, “Marketing professional with 5+ years experience in digital marketing for Fortune 500 companies.”
- Value proposition: Highlight the value you provide. For example, “Experienced at building comprehensive digital marketing strategies to increase brand awareness and lead generation.”
- Objective for connecting: Share your reason for wanting to connect. For example, “I’d love to connect to discuss digital marketing trends and strategies to drive growth.”
- Call to action: Include a specific request to move the relationship forward. For example, “Let’s schedule a call next week to explore potential collaborations.”
Your LinkedIn pitch should be customized for each person you reach out to. Make it relatable by highlighting shared connections, groups, or interests you have in common.
Ideal Length for a LinkedIn Pitch
So exactly how long should your LinkedIn pitch be? Here are some recommended lengths to follow:
- Connection Request Message: 50-100 words
- Summary Section: 2-3 short paragraphs or bullet points
- About Section: 3-5 concise paragraphs
Your pitch should be as long as necessary to communicate your background, skills, and value proposition—but as short as possible to remain engaging. Most experts recommend a LinkedIn pitch of 50-300 words in total for the initial outreach.
Anything shorter than 50 words may not provide enough detail. Anything longer than 300 words risks losing the recipient’s interest or coming across as too salesy. The sweet spot is typically 100-250 words.
How to Keep Your LinkedIn Pitch Concise
Here are some tips to help keep your LinkedIn pitch brief, yet compelling:
- Highlight only the most relevant information
- Focus on skills and value you provide
- Use concise phrasing and avoid extraneous words
- Lead with the most important information
- Use bullet points rather than long paragraphs
- Get straight to the point
- Prioritize quality over quantity of information
Examine each sentence and phrase, and remove anything that doesn’t directly support your pitch. Also avoid overused cliches and industry jargon. The goal is to make every word count.
Sample LinkedIn Pitch
Here is an example of an effective 130-word LinkedIn pitch:
“Hi [name], I hope you’re doing well! I came across your profile and saw that you’re a marketing manager at [company] with extensive experience in digital media campaigns. As a digital marketing consultant helping companies drive growth through social media and paid advertising, I’d love to connect with you. I’m passionate about leveraging data-driven insights to craft digital strategies that deliver real business impact. It would be great to chat sometime about industry trends and exchanging ideas on how we each approach digital marketing. Looking forward to connecting!”
This sample pitch establishes common ground, highlights the value provided, and includes a specific call to action—all in a few concise, engaging sentences.
Customizing Your LinkedIn Pitch
While you can have a standard LinkedIn pitch template, it’s important to customize each pitch you send. Personalize it with the recipient’s name, company, and any common connections or interests you share.
Research the person’s profile and highlight something specific that caught your attention. This shows you took the time to understand who they are and why connecting would be mutually beneficial.
Instead of a generic pitch, send one tailored to each recipient to demonstrate genuine interest in starting a relationship.
Tips for an Engaging LinkedIn Pitch
Here are some additional tips for making your LinkedIn pitch more engaging and effective:
- Establish common ground and explain why you want to connect specifically with this person
- Convey enthusiasm and use a warm, friendly tone
- Ask an open-ended question to spark conversation
- Include a specific call to action, don’t just say “Let’s connect”
- Be transparent about your intentions and what value you can provide
- Focus on how you can help them, not just what you want from them
- Use your unique personality and voice
Following up after connecting also improves response rates. Refer back to your initial message and continue the dialogue.
Common LinkedIn Pitch Mistakes to Avoid
While crafting your LinkedIn pitch, be sure to avoid these common mistakes:
- Using a generic pitch that wasn’t customized
- Making it all about you rather than showing value to the other person
- Using overly salesy or promotional language
- Providing too much (or too little) information
- Making it too long and wordy
- Focusing on accomplishments rather than skills and value
- Not having a specific call to action
- Using cliches or buzzwords that sound inauthentic
- Forgetting to follow up after connecting
Avoid sounding like you’re promoting yourself or just looking to make a sales pitch. Focus on starting a mutually beneficial relationship.
Tools to Help Write Your Pitch
Here are some tools that can help you craft and refine your LinkedIn pitch:
- LinkedIn profile summary generator: Uses AI to analyze your profile and generate an optimized pitch
- Web browser extensions: Tools like Clearbit Connect and Sellhack provide insights on LinkedIn profiles to help personalize outreach
- Saved reply templates: Write customized pitches you can save and reuse
- Online resume builders: Convert your resume to help summarize professional background
- Grammarly and Hemingway: Check spelling, grammar, and improve readability
Start by drafting your pitch in a Word document or Google Doc. Then use tools to refine and enhance your content before copying it into LinkedIn connection requests and your profile.
Examples of Excellent LinkedIn Pitches
Here are a few examples of effective LinkedIn pitches:
Pitch | Word Count |
---|---|
“Hi [name], I hope all is well! I saw on your profile that you’re an HR manager at [company] with extensive experience in talent acquisition. I lead recruiting efforts for [my company] and just opened a new role that looks to be a great fit based on your background. Would you have 20 minutes to connect on a call this week to discuss the opportunity and see if there’s potential for us to work together? Looking forward to chatting soon if your schedule allows!” | 101 |
“Good morning [name]! As a fellow marketing professional, I really admire the work you’ve done building [company’s] social media presence. I lead social media at [my company] and would love to connect to exchange ideas on engagement strategies, trends we’re seeing, and experiences using different social platforms for marketing. Let me know if you’d be open to connecting over coffee or a virtual chat in the coming weeks. Wishing you continued success!” | 119 |
“Hi [name], I hope you’re having a great week! My name is [name] – I’m a account manager at [company] helping clients optimize their Google Ads campaigns. I came across your profile and saw we have several shared connections. I’m really interested in your experience with lead gen and conversion rate optimization for Google Ads. Would love to connect to discuss strategies and approaches sometime. Have a great rest of your week!” | 116 |
These examples highlight shared connections, convey enthusiasm, speak to common experiences, and include a specific call to action—all in a friendly, conversational tone under 125 words.
How to Measure Your LinkedIn Pitch Success
It’s important to track metrics to evaluate how effective your LinkedIn pitches are at generating connections, engagement, and opportunities. Here are some key metrics to measure:
- Connection acceptance rate: Percentage of connection requests accepted
- Response rate: Percentage who respond to your initial message
- Click-through rate: Percentage who click your profile links
- Meetings set: How many virtual coffee meetings, calls, etc. are booked
- Conversion rate: Percentage who convert from connections to opportunities
Compare these metrics over time and optimize your pitch based on what works best. Higher quality connections and conversations are more important than quantity.
Conclusion
A LinkedIn pitch should be brief yet compelling. Follow the 50-300 word guideline when reaching out to connect, and customize your pitch for each recipient. Avoid common mistakes like being too generic or salesy. With an engaging and personalized pitch, you can start building meaningful relationships that drive career and business opportunities.
Focus on crafting quality connections over quantity. And don’t forget to continue the conversation after connecting to build rapport. With a refined, value-focused LinkedIn pitch, you can showcase yourself professionally and start mutually beneficial relationships.