Top 4 Tips for Cold Outreach on LinkedIn 

Cold outreach is an essential part of the marketing process for many business owners.

LinkedIn has become one of the go-to platforms for this technique. 

Use it the wrong way, however, and it can completely backfire on you. 

These 4 tips will help give you the most successful outcome when it comes to cold outreach on LinkedIn.

1. Make the right connections

When sending connection requests on LinkedIn, don’t add just anyone. 

The more the merrier only holds true for relevant connections. 

There’s really no point in connecting with people that have nothing to do with your industry. Unless you know them, of course.

Always start with people that are already in your network. They’re the easiest to connect with, and the chances that they’ll actually read your message are much higher. Once they’ve accepted your request, your message will appear in their inbox.

While it is possible to contact people who are not in your network, it’s a slower process that doesn’t always guarantee that they will see the message.

This is where LinkedIn’s “InMail” feature comes in handy. Although it’s a premium feature, InMail allows you to message LinkedIn members you’re not connected to. The only downside is that you can’t track whether they received the message, but if it’s a rather important request, this may be worth the risk.

Bonus tip: When sending out your desired connection requests, be sure to check each profile for an email address. These can typically be found in the “contact info” section of a profile.

2. Try to establish some common ground

Your messages should always be personal. Try to think of something that you have in common with the person to establish some initial rapport before asking anything of them.

For example, consider sending them a message about something they’ve posted, commented on, or liked in the past. It will add to your credibility, and they’ll be impressed that you’ve taken the time to personalize your outreach.

You can also mention a shared interest or recent event that you both attended, but keep your message short. Only include the necessary details of what happened in order to establish rapport with them. The last thing anyone needs is an essay from someone they don’t know.

It’s important to note that a single cold message may not work on its own.

There are a multitude of reasons why people might not respond to you. They may be too busy or have their settings configured so they won’t receive messages from unknown sources. If someone doesn’t reply after two weeks, try following up with them.

3. Craft an offer that will appeal to their needs or desires

You need to craft an offer that appeals to the needs or desires of your target market.

Some people are more motivated by money, whereas others may be concerned with helping a cause they care about.

For example, if you’re a business broker looking for clients, find a few business owners and offer to send them a free eBook on “4 Keys to Maximize Your Business Valuation”.

4. Pay attention to how they react to your offers

The key to successful cold outreach is understanding and adapting. Make sure not to limit yourself by only using one type of offer when reaching out. 

The more you experiment with different types of offers, the better your chances will be at finding a message that resonates with your target audience.

Take note of which offers work and which don’t. 

Generating leads on LinkedIn requires lots of patience and marketing knowledge. Leave it to the professionals at Bizzuka to help you manage your social media and generate more leads. Schedule a free strategy call with us today for expert advice on optimizing your LinkedIn profile and overall social media plan!