The LinkedIn platform is quickly gaining traction with over 400 million users and counting. Most people use it for different types of engagements, but the platform has now become a useful communication outlet. One may use the platform to build a professional network, run recruitments for vacancies in a company, or find consumers for services. You must send a few cold messages to accomplish any of these tasks. The question is, how can you create a perfect LinkedIn outreach message that is assured of a response every time? Remember, a single response gets you closer to your ultimate goal.
LinkedIn is a perfect tool for growing and maintaining your professional network. It is an effective tool for maintaining communication with friends and colleagues. It also helps you build a virtual network of contacts. Unlike a business card that can get lost, LinkedIn contacts will always be there. This can be quite helpful when searching for a better job later in your career. LinkedIn has become the ideal place for growing networks and promoting products and services. Likewise, the best place you can think of when trying and testing B2B marketing strategies. However, it can be a bit daunting when you think of the effort involved in contacting hundreds of potential customers and key contacts within your industry. To help you save time and maximise your ROI, you can turn to software to automate your LinkedIn outreach campaigns, such as Salesflow.
Professional groups on LinkedIn offer a great place to share ideas, ask for help, or start a discussion. Hiring managers of various companies also use the platform to search for suitable job candidates. A presence on LinkedIn ensures you don't miss better job opportunities from top employers. It also offers an excellent platform for personal brand strengthening and development. Thus increasing your visibility as an individual, raising your company's profile in the process. Marketing is never easy, but having a tool like LinkedIn as a lead generation strategy makes a big difference. It provides an easier way of connecting with thousands of potential clients without compromising your marketing budget.
It is relatively easy to find LinkedIn prospects, but it can get tricky if you don't have a proven messaging strategy. Let us look over the ingredients needed to craft a winning LinkedIn outreach message.
Common Ground LinkedIn as an outreach tool avails all the relevant information about an individual's work history, job role, education background, and interests. When you spot a potential customer on LinkedIn, and you would like to establish a connection with them, it is essential that you first scan their profile to find common ground with the person. If the person is an active LinkedIn member, keenly observe and read what they are sharing and interested in. Pay attention to their important personal details, such as their current work position, how long they have worked with that company, past professional experiences, and the LinkedIn groups they belong to.
The objective is to find some commonalities between you and the leads. If you find anything in common, take it into account when creating the first message. The first outreach message should be personal and targeted. Be careful not to send a similar message to every single lead you are reaching out to. Use the information gathered from their LinkedIn profile to tailor a message to each lead, and they will appreciate that you actually paid attention to their profile.
Common mistake business owners make when sending LinkedIn messages to their prospects is giving up for not getting a response after a first or second message. The "4 touchpoints" rule is worth a try. Until the client responds to your message, strive to make 4 touch points with the prospect for up to two months. Here is an example of a 4 touch points rule.
The objective of these touchpoints rule is to remain persistent in pursuing the lead without coming off as being spammy. It also ensures that you only send a safe number of messages. Otherwise, LinkedIn can flag you as spam and put a hold on your account.
When a stranger sends you a message, the chances are you don’t give a quick reply unless there is a good reason. Although the initial contact should focus on establishing rapport with the lead, it is good to include some motivation to keep the conversation going. You can include a question at the end of the message so that the prospect will have a reason to respond.
The query could be based on their interests, personal experiences, mutual connection, or work position. Also, ensure you ask a relevant question that only someone in their professional capacity can answer. People naturally love being helpful, so ask the prospect a question that is in line with their expertise, making them more inclined to answer.
Figure out if you have connections in common with the lead you are pursuing. It is always easy to approach a stranger when there is a third party who can vouch for you. If you have a former co-worker in common or mutual friends, you may ask one of your shared connections to introduce you. Also, keep the message short. Refrain from sending long paragraphs when just a few concise sentences will do. The shorter and more straightforward the message is, the higher the chances of being read by the prospect. It is also good to be visible to the leads before sending the message by visiting their profiles, contributing to any discussions they are involved in, and commenting and liking any of their status updates.
Reaching out to people you barely know can be uncomfortable, but that is what you must do to take your business to the next level by leveraging LinkedIn. Use the above three ingredients to write a winning LinkedIn message that will undoubtedly guarantee impressive results.
