LinkedIn is all about building connections. And with the platform having over half a billion users around the world, it’s the leading professional networking site – especially for B2B marketers.
But, growing your LinkedIn network can often take a lot of time. And it’s hard to know where to start, particularly if you’re new to the platform. Here is some guides if you want to know how to write LinkedIn messages that work or how to reach out to a recruiter on LinkedIn.
So, how can you speed this process up without sending boring, repetitive messages?
Here’s everything you need to know about using LinkedIn, building a network, and getting new, valuable connections.
The Psychology of a Cold LinkedIn Invite Message
Cold outreach is difficult to master. Cold messages have a famously low response rate – a lot of these messages are simply ignored or deleted.
However, LinkedIn is proven to be an effective tool for outreach. It’s more effective than email and great for generating leads. But the message still needs to be cleverly crafted if you want to get a response.
So, how can you create effective cold LinkedIn invite messages?
Here are some of the most important characteristics of LinkedIn cold messages:
- Clear and concise
- Encourages connection
- Positive and interesting
- Narrow target audience
If you want a response, it’s crucial that your messages are highly personal and show interest. Also, it needs to be clear. Try not to write long, rambling messages and ensure your intentions are obvious. Let them know what you can do for them and how you plan to do it.
Sending Invites to People You Know
On LinkedIn, you may have to send cold messages, but they don’t all need to be. Starting off by connecting with people you know is a great way to start.
Think about it – there are probably already loads of people you know on LinkedIn. You can find them by looking through LinkedIn’s “Add Connections” page. You can import contacts from your email account, and then you’ll get more suggestions on people you may know.
You might be surprised by how many contacts you have, but haven’t connected with yet!
But, before you go through the list and add connections, make sure you add a personalized message.
Why should you do this?
Simply, if you don’t LinkedIn will send the default invitation message. And it’s so boring! Plus, if you don’t know them that well, they might ignore, delete it or hit I don’t know this person button.
Sending Cold Invitations to Your Target Prospects
Sending loads of generic requests by repeatedly clicking “connect” is something that’s surprisingly common. It’s something a lot of people do as an outreach strategy.
But, it’s a huge mistake!
Why?
This is one of the worst ways to prospect. And, the reason it’s dangerous is that, if enough people mark you as spam, your account could end up being suspended – or even banned.
Networking and building genuine connections is time consuming. It can also be nerve-wracking for some people. However, it’s a very effective marketing tool.
If you want your connection requests to be accepted, always personalize your requests. Write a simple message that gets to the point, and make sure it’s polite and professional. Just a couple of sentences including a personal, thoughtful detail, or explaining why you want to connect.
Get People to Send Connection Requests to You
What if you didn’t have to worry about your LinkedIn invite being declined or ignored? Or marked as spam? Or, what if you didn’t need to send a request at all?
One of our favorite strategies for rapid network growth is to get people to send you requests.
The first essential step in this is to make sure your LinkedIn profile is visible. It should also be optimized using the methods we mentioned earlier. It should clearly show who you are and what you do – as well as how you can add value for others!
You need to convince your prospects that you’re a valuable addition to their network.
There are a couple of tricks you can use to gain more requests. One is by emailing anyone that signs up to your mailing list and inviting them to connect on LinkedIn.
Or, another way you can do this is by viewing lots of profiles. When someone sees you’ve viewed their profile, some of them will view yours in return out of curiosity. This can lead to more requests to connect.
Avoid a Boring LinkedIn Invitation Message
Every LinkedIn user receives this kind of invitation once in their lifetime:
‘Hey there,
It’s James from XYZ. We help companies similar to yours generate qualified leads and drive sales on LinkedIn. I think you’ll find my company interesting. Let’s get in touch!
While this is the classic LinkedIn invitation message approach, it’s also the one that accumulates the lowest conversion rates. Moreover, this invitation message requires an exceptional profile and product-market fit to offer significant results.
Creating the ideal LinkedIn invitation message is a complex art to master, especially since you have only 300 characters to captivate your audience. However, it’s the first step to getting in touch with your prospect. And if they refuse, you won’t have a second chance.
So, avoid creating a dull and monotonous invitation message and instead write personalized and attention-grabbing notes.
The LinkedIn Group Approach
LinkedIn’s group approach is an excellent way to increase potential outreach, especially since member groups are ideal for commercial prospecting.
- Tap into LinkedIn’s groups to enjoy:
- Attracting qualified leads to your website
- Expanding your professional network and growing your client database
- Boosting your visibility, discoverability, and personal branding within your industry and sub-niche
- Improving conversion rates on your landing pages
- Connecting with new leads and guiding them further down the sales funnel
- Enhancing your prospect emailing list and boosting customer loyalty
- Finding a relevant job post and hiring managers
- Targeting hyper-specific profiles in a particular sector
Targeted Approach via the University Path
The targeted approach through the university path is ideal for users who graduated from a university, college, or school with an expansive alumni network.
Start by contacting your school or university alumni on LinkedIn that match your target audience. Send them a personalized and eye-catching message discussing your common business interest.
You may leverage the targeted approach via the university path in two ways:
- The Connect and Follow-Up Message – It breaks your message into two smaller notes:
o The Connection Message: Here, you make an introduction and tell the user that you were in the same school or university
o The Follow-Up Message: Start by appreciating the user for accepting your connection and then continue telling about your company
- The Direct Message – Here, you introduce yourself, your company, and the specific product within one message. The direct message method is ideal for alumni that match your target audience criteria
The targeted approach via the university path is a powerful way of generating new leads since it increases word-of-mouth marketing.
The Catchy Approach that Breaks Codes
Go beyond sending dull and overused LinkedIn invite messages and try sending something bold or amusing. For instance,
‘Hey (User Name),
I came across your profile while mindlessly scrolling through the void. Your job position and rank caught my attention since I’m popularly known as the master of problem-solving of (your profession) in (sub-niche). Want to learn more about my company and me? Let’s get in touch!’
Remember that the catchy approach is not suitable for every prospect, especially CEOs. Try this invite message if you want to connect with a younger audience. Or you can use this approach to stand out from the standardized notes and create a relaxed and fun image.
A Personalized Approach for the Problem
A personalized approach to sending an invite message allows you to foster organic and long-lasting relationships with prospects.
Here’s an example of personalized LinkedIn invite messages:
Hello (User Name),
I crossed your profile and noticed that you are in (title). I’m enthusiastic about understanding the industry’s needs to offer well-tailored solutions. What, according to you, are the 3 most critical issues in (specific subject matter).
Looking forward to discussing this topic with you.’
The Approach to Request Advice or Expertise
Another way of sending an invite message is by requesting advice or expertise. The approach is ideal for users who have a blog.
This way, you can generate qualified leads while accumulating high-quality content. The main idea is to request advice on a particular subject and send a backlink in response.
Here’s an example:
‘Hey, there (User Name),
I’m writing a blog on (topic) and incorporating expert advice. As a (user’s job title), what advice do you have for (specific question)?
(Add the site link) Looking forward to your advice.
Save Time with Automation
LinkedIn can be one of the most effective platforms for outreach. But, following the above tips can take up a lot of time.
If you’re looking for a quicker option without compromising on quality or results, automation is a great choice.
Octopus CRM LinkedIn automation can help you do this. By taking a lot of the hard work out of the process, you have more time to focus on other areas of your business.
Our tool can send automated, personalized connection requests to potential clients, as well as follow-ups and thank you messages. In fat, you can automate your funnel so it’s suited to your business model.
Octopus can sweep through thousands of profiles at once and send requests to 2nd and 3rd degree connections.
Plus, it can auto view profiles and endorse your connections’ skills in bulk, making it much easier to adopt the strategy we’ve just mentioned.
By automating this process, you can quickly see improvements in your results on LinkedIn. You can transform your lead generation funnel whilst staying fully in control of your account.
What do People Reply To?
B2B industry leaders and decision-makers tend to open and respond to selected messages, especially since they’re flooded daily with millions of new invitation requests.
When sending an invite message on LinkedIn, consider following these steps to encourage a greater response rate:
- Personalization – Sending a personalized invite message is an excellent way of catching the reader’s attention instantly. Consider mentioning or sending something specific
- Appropriateness – Pitching a sale from the get-go can be a complete turn-off. Instead, try building a connection before you reach out
- Applicability – Add value to your invite message by identifying what benefits your audience can get out of your product/service
Reasons You Can’t Connect with People
You may notice that the ‘Connect Button’ doesn’t appear on all profiles. You won’t see the connect feature on LinkedIn if:
- You failed to confirm your primary email
- Your email bounced
- Your new email information requires confirmation
- You’re already connected to the user (you may check this by looking at the connection level)
- You send the profile a connection request previously
- The member is outside your network or has a private profile
What Do You Do If the Connect Button Doesn’t Appear?
If you followed the steps discussed above but still can’t connect with a prospect. You may try:
- Sending an InMail – The number of InMails you can send within one month varies depending on your account type. Moreover, you can send messages to open profiles
- Following a LinkedIn Member – Another way of appearing on your target audience’s radar is following them. This way, your activity will appear in their notification bar, and they may send you a connection invite
- Visiting a Prospect’s Profile – Viewing a LinkedIn members’ profile triggers a notification that lets the prospect know you checked out their page. This way, your target audience may take an interest in your profile
- Liking Your Prospect’s Content – Engaging with your prospect’s LinkedIn profile is excellent for driving engagement
- Attending Similar Events – Attending the same event as your prospect allows you to message them without connecting
- Joining LinkedIn Groups – Becoming a part of a LinkedIn Group enables you to send messages without connecting
How Should You Reach Out to a New Connection?
If you’re the recipient of a connection request, you may engage with the LinkedIn profile by sending them a ‘thank you’ message. Don’t miss out on your chance at networking and finding leads.
- Let’s discuss several ways you can reach out to a new connection:
- Instead of introducing yourself and your company, ask them their job title and where they work
- Focus on identifying things you can do for your prospect and their business instead of sending pitching a sale
- Discuss something you and your prospect have in common, such as a mutual connection, university/college, or related interests
Best Practices when Reaching Out to a New Connection
The most critical part of LinkedIn invitations is brainstorming an attention-grabbing messaging. Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating a super-effective and eye-catching invite message:
- Having a Clear Subject – Go beyond using a boring ‘Hello’ and ask yourself, ‘why am I sending this message?’
- Introduce Yourself – Personalize your introduction so that the reader can better associate with your messaging
- Explain Why and What You’re Writing – Most invite messages don’t include a clear explanation of the message’s purpose. Make your invite message credible by using the ‘push and pull’ method
- Keeping it Short and Concise – Write a short, sweet, and attention-grabbing invite message that covers the introduction, purpose of the note, and what you expect from the reader
Conclusion
If you want to find new contacts and connect on LinkedIn, this can sometimes be a lengthy process. But, it doesn’t need to be!
Finding people on LinkedIn is much easier with the right tools. And, you can hugely improve your chances of your requests being accepted.
Octopus CRM gives you everything you need to build your network and build professional relationships using the techniques in this article – and more!