Cold outreach on LinkedIn can be an effective way to generate new business opportunities and connections. However, crafting an outreach message that leads to a high response rate is an art. The opening message needs to grab attention, provide value, and motivate the prospect to reply.
In this article, we’ll explore the ingredients for creating a compelling cold outreach message on LinkedIn. We’ll provide examples and data-driven insights on the optimal length, formatting, tone, triggers and structure. By the end, you’ll have a template and guidelines for crafting messages that spark engagement and conversations.
Why Cold Outreach on LinkedIn?
Here are some key reasons why LinkedIn is a prime platform for cold outreach:
– High concentration of professionals – With over 740 million members, LinkedIn provides access to a huge audience of working professionals and decision-makers.
– People join to connect – The very purpose of LinkedIn is networking and connecting with others. So members tend to be more open to inbound messages compared to other social platforms.
– Credibility and trust – LinkedIn profiles showcase detailed work histories, education, recommendations, and interests. This offers social proof and establishes credibility.
– Response metrics – LinkedIn shows if your messages are read and provides response rates. This allows testing and optimizing outreach campaigns.
– Targeting options – Detailed profile data enables precise targeting based on job title, company, interests, groups, and more.
– Relationship focus – The culture on LinkedIn values meaningful professional relationships over hard selling. This suits a personalized outreach approach.
With over 15 million monthly active sponsored InMail users and response rates around 20-25%, LinkedIn presents a sizable opportunity for generating leads through cold messages.
Ideal Length for a LinkedIn Cold Outreach Message
Let’s start with one of the most basic but important decisions – how long should your LinkedIn cold outreach be?
The data shows that longer messages tend to have higher response rates. In a 2018 test by SalesLoft, 2-3 sentence messages had a response rate of 14%, while messages with 11+ sentences achieved 34%.
However, extremely lengthy messages can also reduce engagement. According to LinkedIn, InMails over 1000 characters see lower response rates.
So what’s the sweet spot?
Most experts recommend 100 – 300 words as the ideal length.
Here is a breakdown of the opening cold outreach response rates by message length:
Message Length | Word Count Range | Response Rate % |
---|---|---|
Very short | Under 50 words | 10-15% |
Short | 50-100 words | 15-20% |
Ideal | 100-300 words | 20-30% |
Long | 300-500 words | 25-35% |
Very long | 500+ words | 15-25% |
The data indicates that once you cross 300 words, the benefits of additional length start to diminish. Ultra-long messages can end up looking like spammy sales pitches.
Of course, the ideal length depends on factors like your industry, target persona, and actual content. But for most cold outreach scenarios, the 100-300 word range strikes the right balance of being succinct yet persuasive.
Formatting for Readability
Beyond word count, formatting is critical for an outreach message that’s engaging and skimmable.
Here are some key formatting best practices:
– Use short 1-3 sentence paragraphs instead of large blocks of text.
– Add line spaces between paragraphs to aid readability.
– Break up the message into clear sections. For example, start with a personalized intro, transition into the value proposition, end with a call-to-action.
– Use bolding strategically to highlight important points or keywords.
– Include bulleted or numbered lists when presenting multiple ideas or suggestions.
– Use headings and subheadings if constructing a lengthy message.
formatting helps you share information concisely while allowing readers to skim and identify the relevance quickly. This results in higher engagement and response rates.
For example, here is a 200 word outreach message that uses spacing, bolding, headings, and bulleted lists for enhanced readability:
Subject: Quick intro [Their name]
Hi [First name],
Reconnecting on LinkedIn
We connected a while back when I was at [Company X]. I’m now working with [My Company] helping retail brands expand their online channels.
Some ways we can assist:
– Develop ecommerce platforms and apps
– Improve mobile shopping experiences
– Implement omnichannel fulfillment
– Optimize online merchandising and promotions
Next steps
I’d love to set up a 20 minute call to learn about [Their Company’s] ecommerce plans and see if there’s a fit for us to collaborate.
Are you available this Wed at 2pm EST or Thurs at 11am? Please let me know what works. I look forward to speaking!
Regards,
[My Name]
[Contact Info]
The strategic formatting transforms what could have been a dense block of text into a structured, visually appealing outreach message.
Tone and Language Style
Your tone and language style also have a big impact on LinkedIn outreach performance. Let’s explore some proven principles:
Be personal and conversational – As opposed to a formal sales pitch, use a friendly, human tone as if reaching out to an acquaintance. Refer to past interactions or interests you have in common for a personal touch.
Show authenticity – Share real examples, experiences, and details about yourself to establish a trusted connection from the outset.
Keep it professional – Avoid overly casual language, slang, or emojis which can come across as unprofessional.
Highlight value – Focus more on presenting insights and solutions than on promoting yourself or your company. Provide genuine value for the prospect.
Use positive language – Stress benefits gained rather than losses. For example, say “increase efficiency” instead of “reduce costs”.
Active voice – Use the active voice instead of passive. For instance, “I will follow up with you on Friday” rather than “You will be followed up with on Friday”.
Reader-centric – Keep the message focused on the prospect’s needs and interests, not your own.
Overall, a helpful, genuine, and professional tone drives engagement while hard-selling usually backfires. Study your prospects’ profiles to determine the right tone and language style for their preferences.
Triggers to Increase Response Rates
Using proven psychological triggers in your messaging can further boost response rates. Here are some of the most effective cold email triggers to incorporate:
Reciprocity – Offer something of value to the reader upfront without asking for anything in return. This creates a sense of obligation to respond. For instance, share an insightful article or proposal.
Social proof – Reference reputable companies or business leaders you have successfully worked with to highlight social credibility.
Scarcity – Create a fear of missing out by mentioning limited slots, upcoming deadlines, or exclusive opportunities. But use genuine scarcity, not false pretenses.
Consistency – Align your messaging with the prospect’s known interests, goals, and motivations for cognitive consistency.
Liking – Develop rapport by highlighting similarities, paying compliments, and expressing enthusiasm about their work. People prefer to say yes to those they know and like.
Authority – Where possible, mention media coverage, testimonials, achievements, certifications, or clients that establish your expertise. But avoid overselling.
Unity – Use inclusive language like “we”, “us”, and “let’s” to foster a sense of unity with the reader.
Sprinkling in these psychological triggers markedly increases the odds of a reply. But only use triggers that come across as authentic and natural, not manipulative sales ploys.
Structuring a LinkedIn Cold Message
Let’s examine how to structure a winning cold message on LinkedIn from start to finish:
Personalized Greeting – Ideally include their first name and company to show you customized the message.
Intro – Refresh their memory on where you met or why you’re reaching out. If no prior contact, establish common ground.
Relevance – Quickly transition into why this matters to them; focus on their needs and interests.
Value-Add – Provide recommendations, useful information, or solutions tailored to what you know about the prospect from their profile and context. Offer unexpected value without overtly selling.
Call-to-Action – After demonstrating value, include a specific, reasonable call-to-action, like requesting a meeting or phone call.
Appreciation – Thank them or compliment their work to end on a positive note. Express interest in connecting.
Signature – Close with your name, company, contact info, and an invitation to continue the conversation.
This structure works well for both brief messages and longer outreach sequences. The key is leading with value instead of launching straight into a pitch.
Here’s an example 300 word outreach applying the recommended structure:
Subject: Meeting Request – [Company Name]
Hi [First Name],
I hope this message finds you well. We previously met at the Digital Marketing Summit in London representing Acme Inc, where I enjoyed your presentation on optimizing sales funnels.
I’m reaching out because I see that [Company Name] is aiming to double lead gen this year. My current company, XYZ Marketing, has helped dozens of SaaS firms boost conversions through lead nurturing. I’d love to set up a quick call to introduce our lead scoring and drip campaign services.
Based on [Company Name’s] tech focus, I believe our automated and AI-powered solutions could be a great match to support your aggressive lead goals for 2022. A few powerful benefits:
– Increase sales qualified lead conversion rate by 2-3x
– Cut sales team’s lead follow-up workload by 50%
– Improve lead targeting with custom scoring algorithms
– Nurture cold leads into MQLs with personalized content streams
Are you available for a 15 minute intro call this Thursday at 2pm EST or Friday 10am? Just let me know what time works best. Looking forward to speaking and learning more about your lead gen challenges.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Company]
[Contact Info]
This message hits all the key ingredients – personalized intro, relevance to them, unexpected value, clear CTA, appreciation, and signature. Structuring messages this way results in substantially higher response rates versus unstructured, generic outreach.
Best Practices Summary
Here is a recap of the top practices for structuring a winning cold outreach on LinkedIn:
– Length of 100 – 300 words
– Formatting for skimmability – spacing, headings, lists
– Conversational yet professional tone
– Include psychological response triggers
– Personalized greeting and introduction
– Demonstrate relevance
– Lead with value, not sales pitch
– Clear, specific CTA
– Appreciation and positive closing
– Structured around value, not promotion
Of course, you’ll want to customize your approach based on factors like your industry, offer, and target audience. But following these evidence-based best practices will significantly increase the effectiveness of your cold outreach on LinkedIn.
Apply A/B testing to continue optimizing and refining your messages. With a strategic approach, LinkedIn outreach can become a valuable channel for expanding your pipeline and connecting with new prospects.
Conclusion
Cold outreach on LinkedIn can generate quality leads, strategic partnerships, and new business opportunities. But simply sending blanket connection requests and sales pitches results in abysmal response rates.
The opening message needs to demonstrate relevance, deliver value, and persuade the reader to engage further. While each situation requires some customization, following the best practices in this article will help craft more compelling outreach.
To summarize:
– Keep messages concise at 100-300 words
– Use formatting for easy skimming
– Establish a personal, conversational but professional tone
– Incorporate psychological response triggers
– Personalize the message with their name and concerns
– Provide unexpected insights, ideas and resources rather than selling
– Include a specific CTA after demonstrating value
– Show appreciation and sign off professionally
– Structure the flow around relevance and value
With the right strategy and some testing, your cold outreach results on LinkedIn can rival warm leads. The opportunity is there to expand connections and drive business growth. Applying the tips in this guide will help create messages that get opened, read and generate responses.