Sending an effective follow-up message after connecting with a potential customer on LinkedIn can be a great way to move a sale forward. Here are some tips on crafting LinkedIn follow-up messages that get results.
Answer Their Initial Message Promptly
When someone accepts your connection request on LinkedIn, they may include a note with more context about why they want to connect. Always respond promptly, within 24 hours, to answer any questions they had and thank them for connecting.
For example, if they said “Hi John, I’d love to connect and learn more about how your product can help my marketing team,” respond with something like:
“Hi Sarah, great to connect with you here on LinkedIn. Thanks for reaching out! I’m happy to discuss how our platform can support your marketing efforts – it’s enabled companies like yours to generate more qualified leads and measure campaign performance. When would be a good time for a quick call to review your goals and see if we’re a good fit?”
Follow Up After Initial Conversations
After you’ve had an initial call, meeting, or email exchange with a prospect, use LinkedIn to continue the conversation. Send a message following up on your last discussion and suggesting next steps.
For example: “Sarah, it was great speaking with you last week to learn more about Acme Co.’s content marketing initiatives. Per our discussion, I’ve attached a case study showing how we helped Company X increase their lead conversion rate by 15%. Does it make sense to set up a call next Tuesday to walk through our proposal in more detail?”
Share Relevant Content
One effective way to stay top of mind with prospects on LinkedIn is to share content like articles, ebooks, and whitepapers that would be valuable to them. Include a quick personalized message explaining why you thought they would find it interesting.
For instance: “Sarah, thought you would find this guide useful given Acme Co.’s goals around optimizing its sales funnel. Let me know if you have any questions!”
Connect Events to Follow Up
Pay attention to triggers that allow you to follow up and add value, like the prospect’s company announcing new products or funding, job changes, work anniversaries, etc. Reach out acknowledging the event and relate it back to your solution.
For example: “Sarah, congratulations on Acme Co.’s big product launch last week! I know you mentioned needing to generate pipeline to support increased demand – we’ve helped companies ramp up lead gen quickly during major releases. Would love to brainstorm ideas that might work for Acme Co.”
Follow Up After Conferences/Events
If you meet prospects in person at events, conferences, or trade shows, always follow up after with a personalized LinkedIn message. Recap any conversations you had and suggest meeting again or having a call.
For example: “It was great to meet you at the Sales Summit last week, Sarah. I really enjoyed learning more about Acme Co.’s approach to social media marketing. As discussed, I think our platform could help you improve campaign targeting and measuring ROI. Are you free for a call next Tuesday to review some success stories?”
Send Content of Interest
Periodically following up with interesting content related to the prospect’s role or industry is another good way to stay on their radar. Choose pieces you think would capture their attention or be highly useful.
For instance: “Sarah, I thought this profile on the evolution of content marketing strategies would be right up your alley. Lots of great insights on how platforms like ours can help scale content operations. Give me a shout if you want to brainstorm ideas!”
Follow Up After Form Fills
If a prospect fills out a form to download content from your website, follow up with a personalized LinkedIn message within a day nurturing the lead. Thank them for their interest and offer to set up a call to discuss further.
For example: “Sarah, thanks so much for downloading our sample content calendar from the website. I know you mentioned needing to create more of a plan around Acme Co.’s content operations. Would love to set up some time to review our full suite of marketing workflow tools. Are you free next Monday at 10am EST?”
Share Case Studies and Testimonials
Case studies and client testimonials that are relevant to the prospect’s needs make great follow up pieces when shared via LinkedIn. Make sure to point out why you think it would be valuable to them.
For instance: “Sarah, here’s an example of how we helped Company X boost their marketing qualified leads by 25% over 6 months. Thought their story would be useful given Acme Co.’s goals around lead gen. Let me know if you’d like to discuss further!”
Follow Up on Requests for Information
If the prospect has asked for a proposal, pricing, or additional information about your product, always follow up in a timely manner. Use LinkedIn to notify them that you’ve sent over the requested info.
For example: “Hi Sarah, thanks again for taking the time to discuss Acme Co.’s marketing needs. As promised, I’ve attached our proposal detailing the solutions and investment. Give me a call anytime if you would like to review the proposal or have any other questions!”
Share Industry News and Insights
Staying on top of industry news, trends, and insights that affect the prospect’s business allows you to add value and start meaningful conversations.
For instance: “Sarah, did you see this article on the shift towards video content in B2B marketing? With the research showing ROI is higher, it could be a great opportunity for Acme Co. to pilot some new video campaigns. Let me know if you want to brainstorm ideas!”
Connect Articles to Pain Points
If you come across content that provides solutions for pain points the prospect has mentioned, send it over with a message connecting the dots for them.
For example: “Remember when you mentioned Acme Co. is having trouble nurturing leads across a long sales cycle? This guide has some great strategies that could help. Give me a shout if you want to discuss applying any of these tactics!”
Highlight Award Wins and Accomplishments
When your company or product wins awards or achieves milestones like securing major funding, let key prospects know via LinkedIn.
For instance: “Wanted to let you know that we recently won Best Marketing Platform at the SaaS Awards. This recognizes our rapid growth and product innovation over the past year. Really reinforces how we can help take Acme Co.’s marketing to the next level!”
Review Proposals and Presentations
If you’ve sent over a detailed proposal, use LinkedIn follow up messages to offer to review the document live, take questions, and ensure they understand the value.
For example: “Sarah, wanted to make sure you had a chance to review the proposal I sent over last week. Let me know if you would like me to walk through our recommendations on a call – I’m happy to go through them in detail and answer any questions you have!”
Connect Around Common Interests
Beyond just business content, you can also follow up with interesting articles, books, podcasts etc. related to common interests you’ve discussed to build rapport.
For instance: “I remember you mentioning you’re training for a marathon this year. Here’s a great podcast episode I thought you might like with tips for first-time marathoners!”
Summarize Takeaways from Meetings
Follow up any in-person meetings or calls with a LinkedIn message summarizing key takeaways, action items, and next steps so everyone is aligned.
For example: “It was great meeting you and your team yesterday, Sarah. To recap, we’ll put together a proposed social media calendar and send it over in the next week. We’d also love to schedule a call to walk through our analytics dashboards. Just let me know what works for you!”
Send Content from Your Blog
If your company publishes helpful content on your blog related to the prospect’s needs, share this with them in your LinkedIn follow ups along with personalized insight.
For instance: “On our blog recently we published ideas for creating more shareable social media content. Thought you’d find the tactics useful given Acme Co.’s goal of increasing community engagement. Let me know if you want to brainstorm further!”
Provide Platform Tips and Tricks
For prospects who are current customers, provide helpful tips and tricks for using your platform more effectively. Share links to blog posts, help docs, or online seminars.
For example: “One thing we find really moves the needle is creating LinkedIn ads targeted to lookalike audiences. Here’s a tutorial walking through how to set this up effectively in our platform.”
Share a Relevant Video
Following up with a short, insightful video that provides tips related to the prospect’s needs can help you stand out. Choose videos 3 minutes max that are professional, easy to digest, and educational.
For instance: “Here’s a quick video with 5 tips for writing compelling LinkedIn posts that generate more engagement. Thought it could give you some new ideas for Acme Co.’s content strategy!”
Provide Quick Answers to Questions
If the prospect asks specific questions over LinkedIn messages, email etc., provide quick answers to show responsiveness. Even if it’s a quick 1-2 sentences, responding promptly builds trust.
For example: “Thanks for reaching out with the question about our integration capabilities, Sarah. In short – our platform offers turnkey integrations with the top 10 marketing & sales tools through APIs and Zapier. Let me know if you need any other details!”
Ask for a Testimonial
For happy long-time customers, follow up asking them to provide a testimonial for your website or LinkedIn that highlights the value they get from your solution.
For instance: “Sarah, I wanted to reach out because Acme Co. has been a customer for over a year now. We’re always looking for compelling stories and testimonials for our website – would you be open to providing a quote on your experience?”
Review Renewals and Upsells
Use LinkedIn messages to follow up with existing customers on upcoming subscription renewals or potential upsells of additional products/features.
For example: “I wanted to touch base since your annual contract is coming up for renewal next month. We’re happy to fast track a renewal to ensure no disruption in service. We can also review new solutions like our analytics module that might benefit Acme Co.”
Those are 30 tips and examples for crafting compelling LinkedIn follow up messages to nurture leads and engage customers. The key is personalizing your messages, and providing value by sharing relevant content, insights, and answers to their questions. Implementing a consistent LinkedIn follow up strategy helps build relationships that drive more sales.
