At StraightIn, we facilitate and ensure the success of thousands of campaigns across various industries, including manufacturing, hospitality, and finance; in over 32 countries worldwide.
With such a large volume of campaigns, it’s easy for them to become overly complex – a common issue our clients face, which often leads them to seek out our expertise in LinkedIn advertising strategies.
Ultimately, a successful campaign boils down to several key factors. Read on to find out what these are and how they are necessary in helping your business obtain the results it needs…
Why is LinkedIn outreach important?
LinkedIn outreach is important for three main reasons. For example, an effective outreach campaign on the platform helps to:
Increase credibility
LinkedIn outreach helps to increase your credibility on the platform, which is important when it comes to positioning yourself as an expert within your industry and engaging potential customers.
For example, outreach strategies such as sending InMail messages that highlight your customer/client testimonials, or sharing valuable insight offer proof that your products/services really work, encourage prospects to engage with you.
Improve engagement
LinkedIn outreach also helps to improve engagement amongst your audience and prospects by allowing you to interact with your audience. For example, using an outreach strategy that focuses on creating content that asks questions and prompts responses from your connections; ultimately increasing engagement amongst them.
This engagement allows them to build a rapport with you and your brand; enabling them to develop trust in your business. Ultimately, this helps to improve the likelihood of them wanting to use your products/services.
Generate high-quality leads
Another benefit of using LinkedIn outreach strategies is that it can generate higher-quality leads. For example, a good outreach strategy will identify your customer persona and engage with people who suit your profile.
And as you engage with higher-quality leads as part of your strategy, you’ll have a higher likelihood of them interacting with your business and converting.
1. Output: How many people are we contacting per month?
You can have the best pick-up line in the world, but if you’re not talking to enough people, you’ll never find the right prospects. The same goes for LinkedIn. If your messaging isn’t reaching a wide enough audience, you won’t generate the results you’re after.
At StraightIn, we ensure your message gets out there. All of our packages include messaging a minimum of 500 prospects per month. We push LinkedIn’s limits to the edge, but we don’t stop there. We also follow up with every prospect who hasn’t replied within seven days because let’s face it, sometimes the second message is the one that gets the job done. And since we’re often reaching out to CEOs or other high-level executives, persistence is key.
But high volume isn’t just about increasing your chances of booking calls and seeing a return on investment; it’s also about gathering valuable insights. Every response, whether positive, negative, or no response at all, is an opportunity for market research and better results. Consider the below when outreaching on the platform:
- Are certain job titles or industries consistently uninterested? Don’t waste your time, cut them from your outreach.
- Are prospects turning you down due to budget constraints or no requirement? Re-evaluate your target company size.
- Are the personas you’re targeting too limited? If a particular title is oversaturated with messages, broaden your scope.
A response, no matter the content, gives you data to work with. It’s the silence that’s the real challenge.
2. Targeting: ensure you identify your brand’s ideal customers
So you’re sending plenty of messages, and you’re confident they’re reaching the right people, but you’re not getting any responses.
Here’s the hard truth: Many businesses believe their target market is X when it’s not even Y – it’s not even on the same scale. To perform target audience profiling, you need to ask yourself three crucial questions:
- Is my product/service enhancing or replacing the prospect’s job?
Answer: If it’s enhancing their role, go directly to them. But if it’s a replacement, you need to target their boss. Otherwise, your response rate will be 100% negative (if they’re polite enough to reply at all).
- Does the prospect have decision-making power?
Answer: Focus on the person who pulls the strings or at least influences the one who does. Many businesses make the mistake of targeting end users, forgetting that these individuals often aren’t the ones making the purchasing decisions.
- What’s the likelihood that they’ll accept my connection request or respond to my InMail?
Answer: Be realistic. For example, if you’re an entry-level sales manager, unfortunately, the CEO of PepsiCo is unlikely to respond to your connection request. Instead, try finding some common ground. Generally, the more senior the person, the better the acceptance rate, but similarities also help. At StraightIn, our Demand Generation Manager, Tom, uses his profile to reach out to other Heads of Operations. In August 2024, there were 21 calls booked with 21 leads through his profile. Meanwhile, our CEO, Zac Hancox, targets SME business owners in Manchester and Chicago. His acceptance rate? 64%.
Many clients are hesitant to reach out to multiple contacts within the same company, but in reality, it should be encouraged. By expanding your reach to a few more titles, you’ve increased your chances of success with minimal effort.
3. Make sure your message connects before they disconnect
Now your output is strong and your targeting is perfect, it’s time to refine your messaging. Here are 3 tips for crafting a compelling Linkedin connection message:
- Maintain an “on the go” mentality. No one wants to receive the dreaded 3-scroll text message. The same rule applies to LinkedIn. Your message should be simple and concise, almost as if you quickly sent it off during your commute.
- Know your audience: What matters to the person you’re messaging? Are they focused on boosting efficiency to wrap up their day sooner so they can make happy hour? Aiming to expand their business? Struggling to keep their team motivated? Research your target and tailor your message to resonate with them individually, even when addressing a broader audience.
- Avoid links: Smart people are generally hesitant to click on links from strangers whether through laziness, fear, or both. Don’t waste the limited words you have by looking like a bot.
And remember InMail messages require a subject line. Treat it like an email – what will make them want to open it?
4. Include a call to action (CTA)
There’s no point in an outreach strategy that doesn’t encourage your prospects to take action and engage with your brand. That’s why you must ensure all your messaging and content includes a CTA.
A CTA is anything that will instruct your audience to interact with your business. For example, at the end of your content or messaging, you could ask readers to ‘get in touch’ or ‘fill in a contact form’.
If they like what you’ve had to say, including a CTA will increase the likelihood of them wanting to engage with your brand further – and find out more about your products/services.
5. Personalise your outreach messages
And finally, ensure you personalise all your outreach campaigns. This means addressing the person by their name, and even identifying them by mentioning the company they work for, or their current job role.
Avoid using spammy messages and generic templates to target prospects. Many are typically put off when it feels like you’re just casting the net out wide, instead of addressing their specific problems.
Taking the time to personalise your messages can go a long way in engaging prospects, and helping you stand out from competitors who reuse the same sales pitch.
Perfect your LinkedIn outreach strategies with help from StraightIn…
Struggling to get your head around creating an effective LinkedIn outreach strategy? Get help from the experts at StraightIn.
We have three dedicated teams of trained Linkedin marketing professionals across three continents, working around the clock to create and optimise campaigns for businesses just like yours.
Our services include Outreach Marketing, LinkedIn Advertising, Content Marketing, and Personal Branding.
Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help you. Call 0161 518 4740, or email grow@straight-in.co.uk.
