Getting accepted on LinkedIn sometimes seems like a mission impossible, but what about starting a sales-oriented conversation with a complete stranger? What kind of a LinkedIn Message Template should be used so you don’t come off as too mild, too aggressive, but, the way Goldilocks likes it - just right. 

We’ve been there and know how hard it can be to scale up your business. That’s why we’ve decided to speak about what happens after your LinkedIn Connection Message goes through. That is, how to approach your lead in a way to get more sales. 

Of course, no recipe works for everyone and on everyone, but there are some common ground rules that you can follow when sending cold messages on LinkedIn to get more sales. 

In this blog, we’ll cover: 

• What to do before starting your cold LinkedIn outreach;
• Dos and don’ts for LinkedIn Messages if you wish to get more sales;
• 10 sets of LinkedIn Message Templates for 10 different LinkedIn scenarios;
• A breakdown of each set of LinkedIn Message Templates in case you want/need to adjust them to your business needs.

Cold LinkedIn messages won’t get you sales unless . . . 

You fully optimize your LinkedIn profile. 

We cannot stress enough the importance of an optimized LinkedIn profile. Whether going for a LinkedIn outreach, a cold emailing, or a multichannel approach, nowadays, the first thing anyone does is check your and your company’s profile on LinkedIn. 

Your LinkedIn profile is your online business card, available to anyone at any moment. Make sure it looks neat and professional. 

As the bare minimum, you must: 

• Write a catchy LinkedIn headline that describes exactly what your job consists of. Imagine how you would describe what you do for a living, in one sentence, to someone who knows nothing about it. That’s your headline.
• Put a professional profile picture. Long story short, put a photo that you wouldn't be ashamed to show to your boss or your biggest client. 
• Upload a cover photo that portrays what you do or what your business is all about. 
• A LinkedIn summary is all about your professional highlights and keywords you would want to be associated with. 
• List relevant professional experience.
• Tell us what you studied.

You define your ICP.

Not defining your ICP equals gambling with your money, resources, and time.

And just like with casinos, the statistical probability is against you. 

The house always wins, so don’t put it all on red. You’ll end up being in the red. 

Catastrophic predictions apart, for getting more sales you need to define the companies that match your Ideal Customer Profile. 

Now, how do you define your ICP? 

1. Take into consideration both your target industry and sub-industry. 
2. Understand the location of your ICPs. 
3. Take into consideration the revenue that your best customers bring to your business.
4. Highlight your top 5 current customers that you’d like to replicate if you could and outline their positives and negatives. 

If you need more details on how to define your ICPs, the difference between ICP and Buyer Persona, and downloadable ready-to-use templates for defining both check out 4 Easy Steps To Create ICP For Lead Generation and 6 Key Steps To Create Buyer Persona For Lead Generation. 

You target what you’ve defined.

Since you’ve spent your time defining the ICP and the Buyer Persona within, and your money on Sales Navigator, you better use them to their full potential. 

With 29 Sales Navigator Lead Filters and 15 Sales Navigator Account Filters, the possibilities for quality targeting are endless. 

Whether a LinkedIn lead generation expert or a newbie to this process, having a deep knowledge of the tools at your disposal is the first step toward successful prospecting on LinkedIn. And, if you “have the moves” and know how to:

• Use the Spotlights filter;
• Apply Boolean search;
• Exclude leads from your search;
• Create a Leads List;
• Use Alerts;
• Take advantage of the View Similar option;
• Filter leads through Account Lists/Lead Lists filters 

... the sky is your limit! 

For detailed instructions (and more) check out: 

• Complete guide to Sales Navigator Lead Filters;
• Top hacks to Find Leads on LinkedIn . 

How long should a LinkedIn message be? 

LinkedIn gives you up to 300 characters for your LinkedIn Connection Request Message.

On the other hand, the LinkedIn InMail character limit is:

• Subject line: 200 characters
• InMail body: 2000 characters
• Signature: 150 characters

A regular LinkedIn Message that you can send only to your 1st-degree connections and to members of the same LinkedIn Group, only in case you are a member too, has an 8000-character limit. 

However, there is no need to use them all. When writing any of these, keep in mind that you have only few seconds to catch your prospect’s attention. Furthermore, no one wants to read a novel in their Inbox.

In your LinkedIn Message make sure that you: 

• Hook them in the Intro to read more;
• Keep them interested throughout the message to continue reading;
• Make them wish to ask questions and want to hear more. 

LinkedIn claims that messages up to 600 characters are 50% more likely to get a response. Also, remember to fit the catchy information at the beginning as this is what recipients see in their Inbox preview. 

How to cold message on LinkedIn: Dos & don’ts

DOS

• Find something that you have in common with the lead that you are talking to. Your conversation-starter LinkedIn Message should have a solid personalized hook or a good joke (‘cause, why not? Everyone likes to laugh), so you can justify further conversation, in case you didn’t put one in your Connection Request Message.
• Ask questions - but gradually. No one will tell you the main problem of their company straight out the gate, but once they feel that you genuinely care and that you might have a solution to their problem, they will open up. 
• Be prospect-oriented. Everything you say must serve the prospect and their business. No one cares what worked for you.

DON’TS

• Don’t sell in your Connection Request Message or the first LinkedIn Message.
• Don’t use the same pitch on everyone. It might seem a bit time-consuming to come up with a different LinkedIn Message copy for each lead (or group of leads), but trust us, it’s worth your time. Plus, you’ll have LinkedIn Message Templates for getting more sales down below that you can use right away or adjust to your needs if necessary.
• Don’t talk about yourself right away. Your lead will for sure check the LinkedIn profile of you and your company, so make sure it sells for you. It is fine to include a brief explanation of who you are and what your company does, but don’t use all the available characters of the LinkedIn Message for it.

10 LinkedIn message templates for 10 LinkedIn scenarios

We’ve listed for you 10 ideas of how to approach your leads and get more sales based on different business goals and LinkedIn scenarios. 

Scenario #1: Express interest in your lead’s work to form a partnership

Connection request template 

Hello {{firstName}},

I saw on your profile that you’re associated with the {{industry}} industry. 

I work in {{yourIndustry}} and would love to connect with you! 

LinkedIn message template #1

Thanks for connecting! 

I don’t know if you’ve heard the news, but {{yourCompany}} has {{customizedSellingPoint}}/{{uniqueSellingPoint}}.

You can check it out in more detail on our website {{link}}. 

I believe that {{currentCompany}} could benefit from it!

Let me know what you think! 

{{personalizedGIF}}

Personalized GIF 

These templates work because you’ve:

• Inserted a hyper-personalized GIF referencing the lead you are talking to and their company;
• Shown that you’ve done your research by referencing to the lead’s occupation/company/industry; 
• Offered a solution to their problem or some kind of service that their industry can majorly benefit from. 

Scenario #2: Investigate your lead’s current solution to pitch your product/service   

Connection request template 

Hi {{firstName}},

What is the hardest part of being a product manager? 

Explaining what you do to your parents and friends. 

Jokes apart, I would love to connect! 

LinkedIn message template #1

Hey {{firstName}},

Thank you for accepting my Connection Request. 

I saw that you are {{occupation}} at {{currentCompany}}, so I decided to reach out. 

I was curious to know if you and your team are using any customer survey tools? If yes, which one, if you wouldn’t mind sharing that info?

Thanks,

John

LinkedIn message template #2

The reason for my outreach was to introduce {{descriptionOfSolution}}. 

Briefly, {{uniqueSellingPoints}}.

How does that sound? 

These templates work because you’ve: 

• Used humor in your outreach, which is always a good choice;
• Shown that you’ve done your research by referring to the lead’s occupation and/or company that they work at;
• Asked questions to get to know their current solutions/problems/needs/rooms for improvement;
• Given a brief explanation of what you offer to hook them and make them want to hear more about it. 

Scenario #3: Content distribution and promotion

Connection request template 

Hey {{FirstName}},

I came across your profile and was really interested in your background as a {{occupation}} at {{currentCompany}}. I share a lot of content about the {{industry}} industry that could be useful to you. 

Looking forward to connecting with you! 

LinkedIn message template #1

Thank you for adding me to your network. 

I thought that this blog {{nameOfblog}} might be particularly useful for you {{link}}. 

Check it out and let me know if you have some comments and suggestions! 

These templates work because you’ve:

• Shown that you’ve done your research by referring to the lead’s occupation/company/industry; 
• Offered a resource that the lead’s industry/company can benefit from.

Scenario #4: Reach out to people who attended your event

Connection request template

Hey {{firstName}},

Thank you for attending my webinar {{webinar’sName}}! 

I would like to keep in touch. 

LinkedIn message template #1 

Thank you for adding me to your network! 

Quick question - {{question}}.

{{personalizedImage}}

Personalized image

LinkedIn message template #2

Thank you so much for sharing your feedback!

I also took some time to research your company {{currentCompany}} and wanted to share with you some resources that might help you with {{problem}}/{{roomForImprovement}}. 

Here’s a link to it - {{link}}

LinkedIn message template #3

Hey {{firstName}},

I hope that you liked the blog I’ve sent.

If you would like to know more about it and you found that resource valuable, there’s plenty where that came from! 

Let me know if you would be interested in {{service/product}}, I would be glad to help! 

These templates work because you’ve: 

• Taken some time to find the lead that attended your event and thank them for it;
• Asked for genuine feedback to connect with your lead and create trust between the two;
• Put in extra effort to make a hyper-personalized Image to ask for feedback;
• Offered to give more resources to help the lead with a particular matter;
• Shared a free gift.

Scenario #5: Invite relevant leads to join your community

Connection request template 

Hello {{firstName}},

I saw the post that you shared about {{topic}} and I really like the part where {{thePartYouLiked}} / {{postParagraph}}. 

Would love to connect! 

LinkedIn message template #1

Thank you for accepting my Connection Request.

I saw that you are {{occupation}} at {{currentCompany}}. That’s so interesting! I actually have this community dedicated to the {{industry}} industry and I wanted to invite you to join! 

We discuss {{mainTopics}}

Here’s the link - {{link}}

Wе would love to have you!

These templates work because you’ve: 

• Referred to a post that a lead shared on LinkedIn and highlighted a part that particularly resonated with you;
• Shown that you’ve done your research by referring to the lead’s occupation/company/industry; 
• Invited the lead in a non-intrusive way to join by sharing a link (no spamming);
• Told the lead what to expect from the community and showed that they have value from joining. 

Scenario #6: Invite a speaker/lecturer to your event

Connection request template 

Hello {{firstName}},

I loved your article {{title}} on {{website}}. 

Anyways, I am truly an admirer of your work and would love to connect! 

LinkedIn message template #1 

Thank you for adding me to your network!

As mentioned before, your article really meant a lot to me {{reason}}. 

Actually, I am organizing a seminar on an adjacent topic {{topic}} aimed at {{occupation}}. I would love to have you as a guest speaker. 

Let’s hop on a call and discuss it further one day this week. What do you think?

These templates work because you’ve:

• Shown that you’ve done your research and that you know their work by referencing something specific;
• Shown admiration for their work. Everyone likes compliments;
• Shared how their work helped you. Everyone likes to know that what they do is helpful to others.

Scenario #7: Connect over a mutual friend to pitch a product/service

Connection request template 

Hello {{firstName}},

I noticed that we’re both connected with {{mutualConnection}}. I worked with {{MutualConnection’sName}} at {{company}}/{{project}}, so I thought it would be nice to get in touch with you!

How do you know {{MutualConnection’sName}}? 

LinkedIn message template #1 

Hey {{firstName}},

Glad to connect!

Anyways, I saw that you work as a {{title}} at {{company}}. I have a question if you don’t mind me asking. {{question}} 

LinkedIn message template #2 

The reason I asked is that we have a new tool that {{benefit}}. 

If this is something that your business needs, I would be glad to hop on a quick call and give you some details. 

No strings attached. Let me know! 

LinkedIn message template #3

Hi {{firstName}},

You are probably very busy, so I just wanted to check in with you one last time and see if you saw my last message. 

I would like to tell you how to {{uniqueSellingPoint}}:

{{sellingPoints}}

You can see more details here - {{websiteLink}}

Can you take a call {{time}} to discuss it further?

No pushy sales manipulation, I promise.

I hope to hear back from you!

These templates work because you’ve: 

• Shown that you have a mutual connection. People like to work with someone who is reliable;
• Researched who they are and what they do in particular;
• Asked questions to create a deeper bond and to understand your lead’s needs/problems/rooms for improvement;
• Tried to create a hook once more by listing the unique selling points of your product/service. 

Scenario #8: Recruit the perfect candidate for your business

Connection request template 

Hello {{firstName}},

I am a recruiter at {{company}} and I came across your profile.

I would like to talk about a newly-opened position at {{company}} for which I found you to be a perfect fit. 

Let’s connect! 

LinkedIn message template #1

Thank you for accepting my Connection Request. 

As I was saying, I came across your profile and you seem to be exactly the person that we seek - {{background}}/{{skills}}. 

{{yourCompany}} is currently seeking a {{position}} with your skillset to carry out a series of tasks I would like to further discuss with you, in case this sounds interesting.

What do you say? 

These templates work because you’ve: 

• Shown that you’ve done your research and know your lead’s professional experience; 
• Highlighted a particular skill set that your lead has and that is relevant to the position that you’re offering.

Scenario #9: Target leads who attended the same LinkedIn event as you did

Connection request template 

Hello {{firstName}},

I saw that you too attended the {{eventName}} event!

I found {{topic}} particularly useful! How about you?

Let’s connect! 

LinkedIn message template #1

Thank you for adding me to your network! 

I saw that you are {{title}} at {{company}}. I help {{niche}} companies generate more leads through deep personalization on LinkedIn. 

Let’s jump on a Zoom call sometime this week? 

{{personalizedImage}}

Personalized image 

These templates work because you’ve: 

• Referred to an event that both you and the lead attended;
• Referenced something specific from the event;
• Done your research and referenced your lead’s title/company/industry;
• Done extra work to hyper-personalize an Image by making a direct reference to your lead, yourself, and a call-to-action (zoom call). 

Scenario #10: Reach out to a lead who asked a question in a post comment 

Connection request template 

Hey {{firstName}},

I found the question that you asked in {{author’sName}} post on LinkedIn very interesting!

I would love to suggest several resources that could help you solve that issue. 

LinkedIn message template #1 

Thank you for accepting my Connection Request. 

You asked {{question}}. Have you ever heard of {{product}}/{{service}}? 

I would love to hop on a call with you and explain why I find it to be a good solution to what you need right now. 

These templates work because you’ve:

• Reference a specific question that a lead asked in a comment to someone’s post;
• Offered a potential solution/resource to solve their problem. 

Frequently asked questions

How do response rates for these templates vary by industry or job role, and are there adaptations recommended for specific sectors?

Response rates to LinkedIn sales message templates can vary significantly by industry and job role. It's beneficial to customize these templates and their follow-ups to align with the specific language, challenges, and goals of your target sector to increase their effectiveness and engagement.

What follow-up strategies should be employed if there is no response to the initial LinkedIn sales message, and how soon should one follow up?

If there's no response to an initial LinkedIn sales message, a best practice is to wait for a week or two before following up. The follow-up after no response should add value proposition, perhaps by sharing relevant content or insights, and express genuine interest in helping the recipient.

Are there any data or case studies on the long-term effectiveness of these strategies in building lasting business relationships or closing sales?

While we didn’t mention case studies on the long-term effectiveness of LinkedIn sales strategies, we used these messages in our outreach templates library, so you can check them out and see the measurable results for each sequence. Generally, consistency, personalization, and providing value are critical factors in building lasting business relationships and achieving sales success.

To sum up

The hardest part on LinkedIn is getting your lead’s attention. Despite the fact that having your Connection Request accepted represents a small victory, bigger “battles” are about to happen. LinkedIn members are being bombarded with so many messages and sales offers, that the majority of them don’t even bother reading them, let alone answering. 

That’s why we’ve listed 10 LinkedIn Message Templates for different business scenarios that can help you attract that “ideal” lead’s attention. 

• Express interest in your lead’s work to form a partnership;
• Investigate your lead’s current solution to pitch your product/service; 
• Content distribution and promotion;
• Reach out to people who attended your event;
• Invite relevant leads to join your community;
• Invite a speaker/lecturer to your event;
• Connect over a mutual friend to pitch a product/service;
• Recruit the perfect candidate for your business;
• Target leads who attended the same LinkedIn event as you did;
• Reach out to a lead who asked a question in a post comment.

Whether you’re using them for networking on LinkedIn, getting new clients, partners, or doing any kind of outreach, these strategic templates could grow your chances for success.

Use them, tweak them, get inspired by them. 

And when you feel ready to scale up your business, we’ll be right here waiting for you. 

For those who have just started researching LinkedIn automation tools, SaaS startup Expandi appeared in the market in 2019. They initially created software that focused solely on LinkedIn automation. 

After years of development, many small business sales teams and recruiters started using it for Email outreach and LinkedIn lead generation. 

However, as the market has changed and other tools progressed, one question poses itself. Is Expandi the best Email and LinkedIn outreach tool? Or is there a better alternative on the market? 

Let’s check that together. We will go over what Expandi offers, its disadvantages, the comparison with other solutions, and the pricing itself. 

Expandi or alternatives?

Expandi is a LinkedIn automation and Email outreach tool. In other words, it performs the outreach activities on both platforms on autopilot, so you don’t have to.  

It is a cloud-based solution with a dedicated IP address that shields your activity. In addition, your data is stored on the internet, not servers, like in some LinkedIn automation tools.

Unlike Chrome extensions (e.g., Dux-Soup), or desktop apps (e.g., LinkedHelper), a cloud-based solution like Expandi doesn’t require you to keep your PC turned on. Moreover, it doesn’t inject code into LinkedIn and mimics human behavior. These two parameters make this software a safer solution than extension-based tools. This way, you can send connection requests and perform LinkedIn outreach carefree.

Many small businesses, and startups teams use Expandi for LinkedIn prospecting and lead generation. These professionals include salespeople, recruiters, and even outbound marketing managers.

You can use Expandi with any LinkedIn account. To clarify, you can create campaigns based on Sales Navigator, Recruiter, or Premium and basic LinkedIn search URL. Moreover, you can create an outreach campaign with a CSV file.

Lastly, Expandi can integrate with any other tool via Zapier webhooks or API. 

Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s get into the specific features.

Expandi features

Smart Sequences

To clarify, Smart Sequence is an algorithm that streamlines LinkedIn activities you create in a workflow. In other words, it performs each action you set for each lead from the target audience source on autopilot. 

Expandi introduced a Smart Sequence feature almost a year after Skylead did (another LinkedIn automation & Cold Email software). 

With Expandi, you can automate various activities: 

• Viewing another LinkedIn profile, 
• Sending LinkedIn connection requests, 
• Follow-up messages once connected, 
• Or LinkedIn InMails. 

Expandi also provides non-essential steps for lead generation, such as LinkedIn Post liking, Skill Endorsement, and Following Company.  

Email outreach

Expandi added Email outreach to their features list so you can use multichannel as part of the Smart Sequence workflow. In other words, this feature allows you to expand your LinkedIn lead generation to another channel. By using email as your secondary channel, you can connect with less active leads on LinkedIn. 

What’s more, Expandi offers attractive metrics analysis and A/B testing, so you can test what messaging works best for you and optimize your campaign. Or you can choose to use one of their message templates. 

Disadvantages

Expandi lacks some outreach features. Firstly, even though it offers Image & GIF hyper-personalization, Expandi outsources this feature to Hyperise. So, what does this mean for you? First, you pay an additional monthly price if you wish to use this feature. In addition, Hyperise itself limits this feature depending on the number of templates and impressions(counted each time someone sees the image). Thus, for example, the lowest Hyperise package of $69 limits the use of 5 templates and 5000 impressions.

Secondly, Expandi doesn’t have Email Discovery & Verification features, meaning it cannot find leads’ business email addresses and verify them. Even though Expandi can scrape publicly-available personal email addresses from LinkedIn profiles, it can do so only after the prospects accept your connection request.

Therefore, if the lead isn’t responsive on LinkedIn or doesn’t accept, you cannot reach them via Email as Expandi cannot find their address. Therefore, you miss the shot to multichannel your outreach and get in touch with that lead. Moreover, you risk a high bounce rate and having your domain damaged. So, if you wish to find business emails, you cannot do it in Expandi. In other words, you would need to find an Email Discovery tool and increase your monthly subscription.  

Lastly, if you use Expandi yourself or read reviews, you will notice that most users reported that this tool had become buggy lately. Too buggy to use. Moreover, their customer support team is not the most responsive, nor are the issues solved promptly.

Pricing

Expandi offers one pricing plan of $99 for one seat a month and a whitelabel solution. However, if you decide to use Hyperise Image & GIF personalization feature, you end up with a monthly receipt of $168 per 1 seat. And if you wish to include Email Discovery & Verification, count an additional $50+ per month, at least. Therefore the total monthly pricing for 1 Expandi account with all the features is $218 minimum. 

However, some Expandi alternatives possess the same, better, or similar features at different prices. So, let’s check them out.

5 best Explandi alternatives

Whether you’ve found out about Expandi recently or are not satisfied with this tool and looking for a change, here is the list of Expandi alternatives. 

1. Skylead

The first and best Expandi alternative is Skylead. Yes, that is us 🙂 Hello.

Skylead is an All-In-One solution that helps founders, sales teams, recruiters, marketers, and others streamline their outreach efforts.

Skylead is the best LinkedIn automation tool & Cold Email software with all outreach native features. In other words, it is a perfectly-rounded Lead generation tool.  

As opposed to Chrome extensions like Dux-Soup, or desktop apps like LinkedHelper, Skylead is a cloud-based solution. In other words, each user gets a dedicated IP address that shields their activity. In addition, it mimics human behavior and performs a different number of actions in real-time each day. These features make Skylead the safest software out there.

Being a cloud-based software comes with additional perks. For example, Skylead offers an integrated inbox that gathers all messages in one place and an option to operate with multiple accounts.

Like Expandi, you can use it with any LinkedIn account type, including all Sales Navigator and Recruiter subscription plans.

Thanks to these integrations, you can use Skylead to create outreach campaigns and target audiences from 8 different sources:

• LinkedIn search results; 
• Sales Navigator search results;
• Recruiter search results;
• Event attendees (available with all LinkedIn account types);
• Recruiter Talent Pool or Pipeline URL;
• CSV file with native or custom variables to increase response rate (available with all LinkedIn account types);
• People who reacted to the specific LinkedIn post (available with all LinkedIn account types);
• Sales Navigator Lead Lists;

Moreover, Skylead supports integration with your CRM or any other tool via Zapier webhooks or API.

Lastly, with Skylead, you can scrape publicly available data only, such as email and phone numbers. Or you can choose to create an outreach campaign.

Now that we've covered the basics let's jump to more features Skylead offers.

Skylead features

Smart Sequences

Skylead is the first tool that launched Smart Sequences on the market and thus has changed how the entire market performed its outreach. As previously mentioned, this groundbreaking algorithm executes steps in the order you set, according to your leads’ behavior. 

The If/Else conditions make the Smart Sequences special. In other words, Skylead can recognize what path your leads choose to follow in your workflow and perform future actions in real time.

You can create a sequence from any outreach action you imagine. These actions include sending free and paid InMails, and connection requests. You can create custom conditions as well. 

Fear not, though. If you do not wish to create the sequence from scratch, you can always use one of Skylead’s pretested sequence templates along with its message templates. 

With Smart Sequences, you don’t spend countless hours reaching out to every single lead manually. Skylead does it all for you.

Email outreach 

Having a multichannel outreach will give your LinkedIn prospects a well-rounded lead-generation experience. But, more importantly, it will show that you wish to help them resolve any problems they might have. 

That is why Skylead has an integrated Email Outreach feature that you can combine with LinkedIn outreach in one sequence. In addition, Skylead’s email outreach offers various personalization variables so you can write your most converting messages and follow-up emails. 

In addition, as opposed to Expandi or any other tool from this list, Skylead allows you to connect unlimited email accounts. In other words, you can send thousands of emails daily without damaging your domain and at no additional cost.

Lastly, unlike Expandi, with Skylead, you can use Email outreach at its full potential. Here’s how. 

Email discovery & verification

Skylead recognized how mandatory Email Discovery & Verification steps are in multichannel outreach. Thus they created both features for the users. Using these features, you can find business emails, thus lowering the bounce rate, saving your domain authority, and maximizing getting in touch with leads. 

Moreover, you can find and verify your prospects’ emails without linking your LinkedIn profile with Skylead.

Email Discovery & Verification features are native, meaning you don’t pay an extra monthly price for it. Lastly, Skylead is the only solution on the market that allows users to use both of these features without limitations. In other words, Skylead offers unlimited Email Discovery & Verification credits, meaning it doesn’t charge an additional monthly sum. 

Native image & GIF hyper personalization

To maximize your response rate, Skylead introduced a native Image & GIF Hyper-Personalization feature. This way, you can send LinkedIn InMails, messages, emails, or follow-ups in a more personalized and unique way and catch your prospects’ attention.

Skylead personalizes your chosen images and GIF on autopilot by pulling the person’s profile picture, company logo, and other information from the profile. So you don’t need to personalize countless versions of the same image. Instead, Skylead does it all for you.

Report and analytics

Skylead offers 3 levels of detailed, real-time insight:

• Graph Metrics - perfect for visual representations of the ratio between the actions;
• Table view - best for spotting trends that happen during specific days;
• Sequence Steps - if you wish to examine steps in detail, this interactive report is for you.

Therefore, you can analyze the metrics of every aspect of your outreach campaigns. Moreover, with Skylead, you can A/B test your messaging, subject, line, or connection requests, see what works best and optimize your efforts. 

Pricing

Skylead is an All-In-One tool you need for your multichannel outreach, and it costs $100 per 1 account/month. Unlike other LinkedIn automation and lead generation tools such as Expandi or Zopto, Skylead doesn’t limit the features by the number of uses. Moreover, Skylead has a very dedicated customer support team that is ready to help you any time. 

Lastly, like Expandi, Skylead provides a Whitelabel solution to its partners.

Expandi vs. Skylead

To simplify the analysis, we’ve created a comparison table between Expandi and Skylead. In addition, we included the most important to less essential features of both software, so you can make your decision easier.

2. Zopto

LinkedIn automation tool, Zopto, is another cloud-based solution and Expandi.io alternative. It is compatible with Sales Navigator, LinkedIn Premium, and Recruiter accounts. 

What distinguishes Zopto and Expandi is that Zopto offers an Email Enrichment feature. In other words, Zopto can find and verify business emails like Skylead. However, the downside is that Zopto limits how many leads you can enrich with the email, depending on the pricing plan. 

As opposed to other mutual features, like A/B testing, Zopto offers a LinkedIn Post scheduling feature. It means you can create and schedule posts on LinkedIn using this software. Moreover, Zopto expanded incomplete automation to another social media channel - Twitter. In other words, it can automate only post likes on Twitter. 

Lastly, being a cloud-based solution, Zopto has combined Inbox, as well as CRM, and Hubspot integration through Zapier webhooks and API.

Another major disadvantage is that Zopto doesn’t have Smart Sequence functionality. Instead, it offers a simple 4-step drip campaign without any conditions. 

Pricing

Zopto’s pricing includes 3 plans. Each plan comes with an assigned account manager.

• Personal - $215 per month (1 account included)
• Grow - $344 per month (2 accounts included)
• Agency - $860 per month (5+ accounts included)

This price for all packages is higher considering other tools, features they offer, and the pricing itself.

Expandi vs. Zopto

Having in mind all other features mentioned above, here is a total comparison between Skylead, Expandi and Zopto.

3. MeetAlfred

This is another SaaS startup that developed an outreach solution for small businesses, salespeople, and agencies. MeetAlfred primarily automates social media activities, including scheduling Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn posts.  

MeetAlfred is a cloud-based solution with an internal CRM. It means that, like Expandi.io and Skylead, you can easily access and manage your leads. In addition, this tool also offers integrated inbox and Email Outreach features. However, you can only send emails to 1-degree LinkedIn connections, like Expandi.io, making it an incomplete multichannel outreach tool.

Lastly, MeetAlfred supports Zapier integration or integration with any other tool via webhooks.

One of the most significant disadvantages is that MeetAlfred doesn’t offer Smart Sequences. Instead, it only provides a simple drip outreach campaign. However, it does offer more steps in a sequence than Zopto.

Secondly, MeetAlfred doesn’t have email discovery and verification features. Moreover, it doesn’t have a native Image & GIF hyper-personalization. But, they have a Hyperise integration as Expand.io that increases your monthly subscription cost.

Pricing

MeetAlfred has 3 pricing plans: 

• $49 for single users and limited features (limited by 3 active campaigns), 
• $89 for Sales Navigator users,
• $699 for large sales teams.

To this day, MeetAlfer doesn’t offer a Whitelabel solution.

Expandi vs. MeetAlfred 

MeetAlfred tries hard to follow the amount of features Expandi, Skylead and Zopto introduced. However, they balance these lacks in pricing.

4. LinkedFusion

Another great LinkedIn automation tool like Expandi is LinkedFusion. It is a cloud-based solution that offers an integrated inbox. Furthermore, you can outreach your target audience using any LinkedIn account or CSV file. 

You can link LinkedFusion with any other app through Zapier webhooks. Moreover, this tool has Hubspot and Google Sheets native integration, unlike Expandi. 

Moreover, they offer message templates they claim to be tested and conversion-driven.

Should you need any help, LinkedFusion also has a technical customer support team at your disposal 24/7.

The major disadvantage of LinkedFusion is that it doesn’t have Smart Sequences functionality, so you cannot fully control your outreach. 

Lastly, this tool offers image personalization. However, you can do it only through Hyperise integration. 

Pricing

LinkedInFusion has 3 subscription plans. They all depend on the number of connection requests, messages you can send per day, and other features:

• Professional: $65
• Grow: $95.95
• Ultimate: $135.95

Expandi vs. LinkedFusion

One of the best things about Expandi and Skylead is the Smart Sequence function. However, if this is not something you’re interested in, look at other features found in LinkedFusion.

5. LinkedHelper 2

Linked Helper 2 is another LinkedIn automation tool. However, unlike Expandi, it is a desktop app, meaning it doesn't have a dedicated IP address and the functionality to run multiple accounts. Moreover, your PC needs to be kept on for LinkedHelper to run. 

On a brighter note, LinkedHelper offers Recruiter-based campaigns, unlike LinkedFusion and MeetAlfred. Moreover, you have your internal CRM to monitor the contacts' history.

Sadly, LinkedHelper doesn't have Image & GIF personalization in any form, so you cannot hyper-personalize your outreach. Moreover, it doesn't support post-engagement campaign type, Smart Sequences or A/B testing functionality.

Pricing

What lacks in functionality, LinkedHelper V2 makes up for in pricing. However, they limit pricing plans based on the number of messages and connection requests you can send per day:

• Standard: $15
• Pro: $45 (unlimited number of features)

Expandi vs. LinkedHelper V2

Apart from the difference in basic functionality type (cloud-based and desktop app), here is the list of other differences between Expandi and LinkedHelper. 

6. Phantombuster

Last but not least, we have Phantombuster - an extension-based tool like Dux-Soup. Although it isn’t an automation tool like Expandi, it contributes to lead generation since its algorithm focuses on data extraction. In other words, Phantombuster automates data scraping from any social media platform, including LinkedIn. 

This tool is an excellent addition to your outreach, saving time scraping the data for your CSV-based campaigns. Moreover, Phantombuster has an email discovery feature but cannot verify them. 

Phantombuster offers some automated actions on LinkedIn. For example, it can only send connection requests and messages on autopilot. However, it doesn’t have Smart Sequence functionality nor is it safe to use as it injects the code in the LinkedIn platform. Therefore, it works best as a social media scraper tool that you can combine with other LinkedIn automation tools like Expandi or Skylead. 

Lastly, Phantombuster offers Hubspot & Pipedrive CRM enrichment via integration through API key.

Pricing

PhantomBuster has 3 pricing plans depending on the number of automated actions and the time it runs during 1 month:

• Starter: $59 per month
• Pro: $139 per month
• Team: $399 per month

Expandi vs. Phantombuster

Feature-wise, Phantombuster may be different from other LinkedIn automation tools. However, you may reconsider it if you plan to create a campaign based on a CSV file using other tools.

How to cancel Expandi?

If you are unsatisfied with Expandi and want to try out other tools from our list, here is how to cancel your Expandi account.

First, log into your account and click the Profile Settings button in the side menu. Then, navigate to the Subscription Plan section.

Next, click the Remove button. 

Expandi will ask you to state the reason why you wish to cancel. You cannot proceed unless you do. 

Once you cancel your account, you won’t be able to access your dashboard anymore, and you will be done. 

Frequently asked questions

How do these alternative tools compare in terms of overall cost-efficiency, particularly for small businesses or individual entrepreneurs?

The overall cost-efficiency of alternative tools varies, with some offering more advanced features at a higher price point. For small businesses or solo entrepreneurs, choosing a tool that balances functionality with affordability is key to maximizing ROI.

What specific advantages do these alternatives offer over Expandi in terms of features like A/B testing, integration capabilities, and customer support responsiveness?

Compared to Expandi, these alternatives, such as Skylead may offer unique features such as more robust A/B testing capabilities, seamless integrations with other tools, and superior customer support, providing a tailored approach to LinkedIn automation and cold emailing strategies.

How user-friendly are these alternatives for someone with minimal experience in LinkedIn automation or cold emailing strategies?

The user-friendliness of these alternatives ranges widely, with some prioritizing a straightforward interface and guided setup processes to accommodate users new to LinkedIn automation, while others may offer advanced customization options suited for experienced marketers.

Ready to try other tools from the list?

Now that you know other Expandi alternatives and their main features, choose the best LinkedIn automation tool for you to test. The good practice is to analyze what you personally need for your outreach and the budget you have.

To recap, let's go over all Expandi alternatives' features compared to one another. 

Would you like to give Skylead a try? 🙂

Then sign up for a 7-day Free Trial. Or if you have any questions, drop by and say hi via chat on our website. We will be happy to meet you!

In today’s crowded Inboxes, the struggle to get a response is real. 

Whether you are reaching out via LinkedIn or email, it has never been easier to get in touch with someone. It’s just that now, standing out in the sea of messages has become an art to be mastered. 

There are many reasons why your ideal lead is not replying. However, each solution to this problem starts with catching their attention. One of the approaches that might not be as popular (yet!) with sales reps, but that showed itself pretty effective is including personalized GIFs and Images into your outreach routine. 

But before you say that personalized GIFs and Images seem unprofessional or that they exceed too much work, let me tell you that I too was skeptical in the beginning. I came across several personalized GIFs our Sales Team uses in their outreach campaigns, and thought to myself - this looks kind of weird. 

However, not until I saw their response rates that went up by 63% and experimented with some outreach campaigns of my own, did I realize the power of personalized GIFs and Images. 

That’s why I decided to share tips and tricks picked up by talking to sales reps that scaled up Skylead and following top industry professionals on and off LinkedIn. 

In this blog, we’ll touch upon: 

• How to prepare for outreach to increase your response rates;
• Why personalized GIFs and Images make people reply to your message;
• Dos and Don’ts when including personalized Images & GIFs;
• 10 templates of personalized Images & GIFs that helped level up our Sales Team’s response rates. 

Poor targeting equals poor response rates 

Yes, we’ve gathered here to talk about how to increase your response rates by implementing personalized GIFs & Images into your outreach routine. However, there is one thing that we cannot stress enough. The absolute prerequisite to skyrocketing the number of your replies, Her Majesty - the Targeting. 

You can have the best copy in the world and be the most skilled sales rep that ever walked this Earth, but if you are talking to the wrong person, not much can be done. Yes, there is always a way to ask to be redirected to someone else, but why waste resources? Put some time into LinkedIn prospecting and coming up with a quality outreach plan (messages, channels, segmentation strategy, Images & GIFs), and then just focus on closing the deal. 

Good sales reps have a clear understanding of who they want to reach out to and they handpick leads even when using a sales engagement platform to make their lives easier (‘cause, why not? We do live in the 21st century, after all). You would be surprised how many sales reps don’t reach their quotas just because they feel lazy to put some time into quality targeting. It’s quite a shame, especially because LinkedIn offers lots of options to find different profiles for those who think strategically. 

• Target leads that attended a LinkedIn event of your interest;
• Use the LinkedIn poll to survey your ideal prospects and then reach out to your target group;
• Connect with LinkedIn members that commented or engaged with a certain LinkedIn post;
• Join a LinkedIn group to make meaningful connections and eventually reach out to other members. Choose a community where your target audience gathers for this approach to work. The more specific the niche, the better the result; 
• Sign up for Sales Navigator and take full advantage of its advanced filtering options;
• Apply Sales Navigator hacks that only top-notch industry professionals use when targeting leads.

Why personalized GIFs and images work

They’re eye-catching

GIFs, images, and even vector graphics especially if personalized, are more interesting, dynamic, and eye-catching in comparison to static text. The studies have shown that the average person sees over 5000 marketing messages per day. This number goes up when it comes to decision-makers and top-level managers. Therefore, your message has about 8 seconds to capture your lead’s attention. That’s why, when the lead opens your message, even if initially they didn’t want to reply back, receiving a personalized GIF or Image will stick their minds. Consequently, the chances of getting a response are increasing.

You show extra effort 

Some leads that receive a personalized GIF or Image respond just because they recognize the effort you put into your outreach. And we know that in sales, sometimes all you need is that one response to spiral up the conversation in the right direction. 

They don’t come off as salesy 

Instead of sending a reminder message or trying to sell straight off the bat (which is always a big no-no), going with a personalized GIF or Image seems more low-key, yet far more effective for you lead generation on LinkedIn (or off). It might even make your lead laugh a little bit! And that’s always memorable. 

What to pay attention to 

• Using humor in your outreach is always a good idea. This applies to personalized GIFs and Images as well. However, before making a joke do your research. Consider each person’s unique cultural background, and avoid anything you even have the smallest doubt might conflict with it. 
• Don’t use GIFs or Images that make fun of your or your lead’s competition. It’s just a sign of bad sportsmanship and never comes off well. 
• Keep it short and to the point.
• Be prepared that not everyone will appreciate it. Sending personalized GIFs and Images can be a two-edged sword. But - If you don't take risks, you don't drink champagne.
• Know when to stop. If the first doesn’t work and you don’t get a response, don’t send another personalized GIF or Image. Go with a backup plan. 
• A/B test different personalized GIFs or Images to get a response that you wish for. 

How to make a personalized GIF or image? 

There are two ways to personalize a GIF or Image - manually or through a sales engagement platform. 

I and our Sales Team use Skylead’s native Image & GIF hyper-personalization feature. However, you can do it manually with any other tool you feel comfortable with. 

As far as Images and GIFs are concerned, we simply download them from the internet or from Giphy, for instance. More creative ones take their own photos or mini videos that turn into GIFs on Ezgif (super-easy, btw) and then personalize them to fit their leads (and needs). 

If you’re using Skylead for your outreach, this is how including a personalized GIF or Image looks on LinkedIn and in an email. 

LinkedIn message

A personalized GIF or Image shows as a link with a preview. That way your lead is more likely to click on it, as people tend not to open these kinds of files otherwise. 

Email message

A personalized GIF or Image is fully embedded in the body of the email and it shows as represented below.

10 templates of personalized images & GIFs

Send a personalized Image to your lead to invite them for a zoom chat. 

Hello Amie, 

Thank you for adding me to your network! 

I saw that you’re a Head of Marketing at Edge Project. I help B2B companies generate more leads through deep personalization on LinkedIn. 

Let’s jump on a Zoom call sometime this week?

Example #2 Conversation starter 

Thank your lead for accepting your Connection Request. This can be an excellent conversation starter. Adding a message copy is optional, as this personalized GIF speaks for itself. 

Example #3 Humanize your pitch

People want to talk to real people not company pages anymore. This is the number one concept ​​of social selling. Yes, LinkedIn has account profiles as well, but outreach should always be done by people who work in these companies and should represent the personification of that brand. Showing your face in the outreach improves response rates.

Example #4 Overcome common sales objections in a humorous way 

One of the most common objection handling situations is I already have a solution. If you don’t know how to approach it, break the tension with a humorous personalized GIF or Image, and then take it from there. 

Example #5 Ask for something 

Asking complete strangers to fill out a survey or give your their feedback (or anything for that matter) is a really arduous task, as they don’t owe you anything. The truth is, no one owes you anything. However, feedback and surveys help you and your business grow. Always be listening to your customers, right? Here’s a fun way to get a response.

Hello Iris, 

Thank you for attending my webinar “Content Marketing For Niche Markets”. 

Quick question - what were the most valuable lectures for you? Is there anything you found redundant for your niche in particular? 

Example #6 Make your email invite more casual 

There are so many different professional communities and popping a link to your lead to join yours is not enough anymore. You can always lighten up your message with a personalized GIF and make your lead click on the link to at least check it out for a start. It will definitely draw attention among others who just write something like Join my community here {{link}}. 

Hello Marie, 

I saw that you are Head of Sales at FlyProject. I have this community dedicated to the sales industry that I would love you to join.

We discuss - cold outreach, growth tactics, and anything sales-related. 

Here’s the link https://www.facebook.com/groups/sales.tribe.community

Example #7 Make them ask you for more information

Experiment. Play with your outreach. You will only know if you try. Yes, some might say that this message should maybe give more information about the event itself. However, have in mind that nowadays everyone checks out you and your company on LinkedIn before replying to any sort of message either way. 

Hey Helen, 

Wanna join my…

Example #8 Pinpoint a problem that you offer a solution to 

You can make an industry-related joke and strengthen it with a personalized GIF so that your offer doesn’t seem too salesy. 

Hey Jeremy,

What does the SEO professional see when they see twins?

Duplicated content.

Jokes aside, every business needs an SEO touch-up, and I just might be your girl! 

Example #9 Illustrate your end-goal in a non-salesy manner 

As mentioned above, GIFs and Images in outreach can be an excellent alternative to a salesy message. Or, at least, then can soften it a bit. 

Hello James, 

I don’t know if you’ve heard the news, but JKL Transportation & Logistics has a truck shipment that currently offers the highest number of destinations around the world. 

Since you expressed some concerns regarding truck shipment in David Jones’ post, I just wanted to offer help and clarification regarding some issues. I truly believe that E-jewel can benefit from it! 

Let me know what you think! 

Example #10 Pump up your lead’s enthusiasm

Booking a call or scheduling an appointment should not be taken for granted! Not only did you work hard for it, but it is equally important to keep your lead pumped for it as well! Replying simply with Ok, it’s a deal can be substituted with something like this. It will keep your lead excited as well and eager to hear what you have to say! 

Alright, Danny! 

It’s a date! Monday, at 3 pm. 

To sum up

Yes, the struggle to get a response is real but pretty overcomeable with the willingness to think outside the box.

‘Cause, what would you rather - work hard and book less or work smart and book more? 

The way you do your outreach directly mirrors the way you do your business. People recognize that. Putting extra effort into addressing your leads communicates that you are the person who always strives to deliver more than expected. And who wouldn’t want to work with someone like that?

Speaking of, you know who also strives to deliver more than expected? Skylead. Sign up for a 7-day free trial, and see it for yourself! 

Multichannel outreach implies using different channels to get in touch, connect, and engage with your target leads.

First and foremost, it is important to find out what platform your prospects prefer to use when interacting with other brands and businesses. 

Clarifying your message and communicating it in the way your leads want to hear it will make them interested in finding out more and potentially doing business with you. 

As it turns out, the multichannel outreach obtains the best results. 

However, have in mind the importance of seamlessly integrating different channels of communication for an optimal outcome.

Advice for a more effective multichannel outreach:

• Focus on at least 2-3 channels;
• Create personalized messages;
• Set up reasonable time between sending them;
• Analyze results and stay with the strategy or change it. 

What are the benefits of a multichannel outreach?

A well-planned multichannel outreach campaign will bring brand awareness, lead generation, and conversion. Also:

Your lead will not feel like some mistargeted recipient

The best case practice is to do the prospecting on LinkedIn well and know what kind of approach or content will most likely draw their attention of your target audience. Have in mind that you are the one required to know your prospects' preferences and communicate them in an authentic and trustworthy way. 

Customers that notice that you “have done your homework” and reached out to them on their preferred channel will perceive you as loyal and forward-thinking. Additionally, if you share targeted content (as you should be doing) you are giving your leads an extra opportunity to engage valuable information.

Excuses, excuses! 

Exactly, no more excuses! 

Let’s say you choose to reach out through LinkedIn, but your lead does not answer for whatever reason. You always have the option of sending a follow-up Email and checking up on your prospect.

Maybe they did not see the first message. Or LinkedIn is not their preferred platform. Have you ever thought that their LinkedIn or Email is overloaded and therefore it makes it hard for you to get noticed among numerous messages? The reasons are infinite. 

Skylead, for example, has LinkedIn Messages, Emails, and LinkedIn InMails integrated and at your disposal at any time. The additional benefit lies in the automated messaging stopping at each platform the moment the lead answers. You have the option of replying manually or getting the prospect back to the campaign. 

Furthermore, Skylead has an advantage of an all-in-one-place chat room filtrable by the campaign and conversation independently from the channel you used. No need to log in and out of a LinkedIn account, Sales Navigator, or Email Inbox to manage different conversations, just switch from one lead to another and see where you stand.

By knowing their interests you will conquer their hearts 

Using different channels allows you to get to know your leads’ habits, interests, and preferences. Sending targeted content via messages, Emails, LinkedIn InMails, or other channels, such as social media, will increase customer engagement and conversion rates. 

Why is customer engagement so important, you might wonder. 

Let’s say you publish a post on LinkedIn and lots of people comment, share, or like it. Thanks to Skylead’s “Post Engagement” campaign, where just by copying the URL of the post, you can collect the available leads’ data and connect to those interested in this type of content. Every now and then take some time to send out similar material via Email or LinkedIn messages. Feed your prospects’ interests. 

By building this kind of relationship, your clients will feel loyal to your business. Therefore they will be more prone to purchase from you than from your competitors. There is nothing more valuable than conquering your prospects’ loyalty and keeping your brand on top of their minds. And that's part of generating leads on LinkedIn or via email done right.

Patience, patience, please! 

Multichannel Outreach is especially useful if you are a small business and don’t have many resources to invest in advertising. The multichannel approach allows you to broaden your reach to an enviable number of clients with little or no extra cost. 

If you are a small business indeed, here is an extra tip to make your outreach campaigns stand out.

Think about some creative ways to draw attention to your product/service and make your outreach fun, easy, and moving! Check out Skylead’s Image and GIF hyper-personalization feature and let your creativity flow.

Analyze and adapt

By reaching out through multiple channels you get the chance to analyze which one of them brings the best results and if they interfere with each other in any way. You will easily spot where you need to make improvements or maybe even consider removing a channel that continuously underperforms. 

Extra tip: Whatever channel (or more) you opt for, make reasonable time in between messages. You don’t want your leads to know that you are using an automation tool or bombard them with content and make them mark you as a spammer.