LinkedIn is a social media for professionals, and it’s classified as the number #1 choice for lead generation. This is because it now counts more than 900 million LinkedIn users. Moreover, 4 out of 5 of these members drive some business decisions. So no wonder that marketing, recruiting and sales teams make LinkedIn outreach part of their daily work routine.

LinkedIn outreach is a vast topic, and there are many misconceptions and good tips on how to do it. That is why we decided to create a detailed LinkedIn outreach guide that uncovers the following:

• Benefits of LinkedIn outreach;
• What medium is better to use for the outreach - LinkedIn or email;
• Strategies, rules, and methods that work best and those that do not;
• How to use LinkedIn for outreach in 6 easy steps and build positive relationships;
• Some of the best outreach message templates you can use;
• Answers to most burning questions about LinkedIn outreach.

What is LinkedInoutreach?

LinkedIn outreach is a process of sending connection requests and messages to your potential clients via LinkedIn. It’s the best way to expand your network, get in touch, warm up, and build positive relationships with your leads.

The main benefits of Linkedin outreach

It’s not just about the ability to send a connection request, InMails, or other LinkedIn messages, but what you will accomplish with them. Here are the benefits you can expect if you use LinkedIn and every aspect of it in the outreach process.

1. Reach high-quality B2B leads with ease.

LinkedIn has over 900 million professionals from every industry in the world. So it's no wonder this audience has twice the buying power of the average web audience (LinkedIn). Therefore, sales teams can rest assured that with the right filters and top LinkedIn lead generation strategies, they can find the most qualified business-to-business leads for their business. 

2. Increased reply rate.

LinkedIn is, first and foremost, a social media platform where you can find various information about your leads. That said, the secret to LinkedIn outreach is personalization and genuine conversation. That said, by looking at your lead's profile, you can search for any information to personalize your message. Whatever you find, be it a mutual connection or a post they shared, you can reference that in your outreach message and thus increase your acceptance and reply rate.

3. Target B2B leads with more precision.

Marketers no longer need to struggle to find professionals on Instagram or Facebook. Instead, they can find and reach out to their potential leads easier with targeting and retargeting options via LinkedIn ads. Moreover, they can generate greater awareness for their product or service. LinkedIn marketer can also easily contact their target audience via sponsored InMail ads and experience 2x more conversions. 

4. Find ideal employees.

One of the best perks of LinkedIn is that recruiters can publish job posts for free. However, they can also find the best employee for their business by tapping into a larger pool of talent and headhunting the ideal candidates directly.  

5. Break the wall and reach out to recruiters.

By using job posting websites, you can’t get a hold of recruiters. However, LinkedIn allows you to find, send a connection request and reach out to the hiring managers in your ideal company. This way, you can explain why you are perfect for the job or get feedback on your application, all of which you cannot do on other platforms. 

LinkedIn vs email outreach - Which one is better?

Both LinkedIn and email channels are used extensively for outreach. However, there is a "slight" advantage to LinkedIn. 

The thing is, the social media nature of LinkedIn allows more genuine communication between its users. On the other hand, cold email outreach is distant and often perceived as spammy since, among other things, you cannot always see and find out more about the person behind the cold message. 

And the end result can be measured shown in numbers.

For example, according to the official LinkedIn learning courses, InMails have an average response rate of 18 to 25%. On the contrary, cold emails have only a 3% average response rate, and this happens for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, LinkedIn outreach is more transparent since potential leads can see your LinkedIn profile, work history, bio, or posts. In other words, what they are all about. 

Secondly, LinkedIn sends a couple of alerts and reminders when the prospect receives a message. In addition, if the leads have a LinkedIn app installed, they will also receive a notification on their phone. What's more, if you send a follow-up message, LinkedIn will send the same amount of alerts, making it harder for your prospect to forget to reply or ignore. 

Lastly, if you use LinkedIn, you can find your ICP and people who work in it in the blink of an eye. This way, you can easily reach out to your potential customers without navigating multiple platforms. 

However, with LinkedIn's power, we must recognize email as the outreach channel simply because some users prefer email communication or are inactive on LinkedIn. 

That said, it's best to use both LinkedIn and email outreach for optimal results. So, we will discuss it in the LinkedIn outreach rules section below.

LinkedIn outreach methods

LinkedIn offers multiple ways you can use to reach out to your potential customers.

Connection requests

The first outreach action in line is a LinkedIn connection request. You can send a connection request to your 2nd and 3rd degree connections along with your first message. 

This cold message comes with a restriction of 300 characters, so try to keep your personalized message short and sweet. For example, you can reference a mutual connection or that you’d like to discuss the event they attended and wish to connect.

Direct messages

Once the lead accepts your invite, they become your 1st degree connection, and you can send them a direct message. This message acts as both chat and email since it’s delivered straight to your lead’s inbox along with the notification. In addition, direct messages can be 8,000 characters long or somewhere between 1142 and 2000 words.

InMail messages

If your lead ignores your connection or leaves it pending for a long time, you can always send LinkedIn InMail. These InMail messages are structured as emails and can have up to 200 characters of the subject line and a body of up to 1900 characters. However, keep in mind that shorter InMails get a better response rate.

As mentioned before, LinkedIn InMail gets far better results than emails. Especially if you write a message that will generate a high response rate. If you are not sure how to write such messages, here are a couple of LinkedIn InMail templates to get inspired. 

You can send InMails to your 2nd and 3rd degree connections. However, depending on your subscription plan, you will have different amounts of Inmail credits per month. For example, a LinkedIn premium subscription grants you 15 paid InMail credits. On the other hand, the Sales Navigator account offers 50 paid InMails per month. If you pay a Recruiter subscription, you will have 30 paid InMail credits a month. 

Apart from paid ones, you can also send 800 free InMails per month. The trick is to find people with their LinkedIn profile set to Open. The easiest way to find people with an open profile is by going to your 2nd or 3rd-degree connection’s premium profile. Then click the Message button. If you see the text Free message at the bottom, that person has an open profile.

View profile and follow features

And if your outreach falls behind, you can always stop by your lead’s LinkedIn profile to view or follow them. The leads will receive a notification of whichever action you perform. In other words, it will almost always remind them of your message and give them a nudge to respond to you.

LinkedIn outreach in 6 easy steps

1. Define ICP and buyer persona

The first step to finding qualified prospects & leads is creating an Ideal Customer Profile and Buyer Persona.

These documents represent the aspects of your perfect leads and the company they work in.  They are the basis for quality lead generation and usually contain specifications such as: 

• Job titles; 
• The industry they work in; 
• Company size; 
• Pain points, etc. 

ICP and Buyer Persona are best created based on your current customer data, such as who:

• Has the shortest buying cycle;
• Keeps high retention rate; 
• And refers your product elsewhere.

In addition, try to keep these documents actionable. In other words, create the specifications so you can use them either for: 

• Your prospecting via LinkedIn, Recruiter, or Sales Navigator advanced search filters; 
• Or for LinkedIn outreach messaging. 

2. Find leads using LinkedIn search & creating lists

The next step is finding prospects that match your ICP and Buyer Persona.  

If you use LinkedIn Sales Navigator or Recruiter for lead generation, you are probably familiar with various advanced search filters. Simply use these filters and import all specifications from your ICP or Buyer Persona documents. Then, save the search URL, or create a list of prospects for the next step.

If you don’t have a LinkedIn Sales Navigator account, no worries. You can still use basic filters to find your ideal leads. Or you can use some of these top LinkedIn lead generation strategies.

3. LinkedIn outreach automation: Setup your campaign 

In today’s day and age, we use various tools to help us in our mundane tasks. Therefore, it’s natural for sales, marketing, and recruiting specialists to do the same. 

One of those solutions is the LinkedIn automation tool. These tools help you streamline time-consuming outreach tasks, so no wonder they become a must-have for many experts.

To set up your LinkedIn outreach campaign, let’s take our outreach automation tool, Skylead, as an example. 

First, go to your Skylead account dashboard and click Create a new campaign.

Next, choose the source of your leads. Then, paste LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Recruiter, or basic search URL. Or you can import your CSV file.

Lastly, choose the connection degree you wish to reach out to and click Next.

Now here is where you define the operative part of your campaign. Choose which options you want and set up the start and end date of your campaign.

4. Create an outreach sequence

Moving on. We’ve come to the Smart Sequence builder.

By creating the Smart Sequence, you actually create an action path that Skylead will follow to outreach your leads. In addition, what makes the sequence unique is the if/else condition, such as If connected. Thanks to these conditions, you can create countless scenarios, and Skylead will perform the scenario corresponding to the lead’s behavior.

That said, to create your coherent outreach sequence, simply drag and drop different actions and conditions. Here is an example. 

5. Craft your LinkedIn outreach message

LinkedIn outreach is all about how you craft your messages. So, here is a nifty hack for you. In general, every message, be it a connection request, InMail, or email, should contain one of the following: 

• Your background;
• The purpose of your outreach;
• Personalized points;
• The hook;
• A solution to the pain point.

And aim for the following structure:

• Personalized intro;
• Context;
• Added value;
• CTA.

6. Nurture & engage

Once the lead responds, it’s your job to engage and nurture them to conversion. People skills play a significant role here, so here are a couple of pro tips that will help you:

1. Be empathetic so you can understand their problem and how they feel about it.
2. Don’t pitch first. Instead, ask them about their specific problem and customize your pitch.
3. Be confident.
4. Listen actively.
5. Read between the lines.
6. Understand body language and voice tones when you jump on a meeting.
7. Be an expert at what your company does.

Top 8 LinkedIn outreach strategies

Less is more

When you write your outreach messages, it’s crucial to understand that people’s attention span is, on average, 8.25 seconds (The Treetop Therapy). That said, longer sentences and texts that cause TLDR are a no-go. So our first LinkedIn outreach strategy is approaching your leads with fewer words. 

Try being straightforward with your LinkedIn messages and avoid fillers such as:

• Hope you are well;
• I was just wondering; 
• Have you had the chance to;
• Just touching base;
• I’m following up on;

And so on. 

Personalize

This is the essential LinkedIn outreach strategy. By writing personalized messages, we connect on a deeper level with the people and remove any generic communication. This is a perfect base for social selling and securing the path for better response and acceptance rates.

You can personalize your LinkedIn outreach messages with their first name or job title. However, there are more detailed ways to do it, and we will mention them below. 

Send free resource

Avoid pitching in your first message. Instead, start your conversation by asking about the lead’s workflow and pain points. Then send them a free resource that helps them solve the problem they mentioned.

If you start your sales outreach this way, you will have more significant success, as you do not appear intrusive. In return, you get the necessary information to tailor your pitch accordingly.

Leverage your connections

The more you have in common with your target audience, the more honest and reliable you appear. That said, how you seem to be can make or break your LinkedIn outreach.
One of the ways to bring similarity to your LinkedIn messages is by leveraging your mutual connections. For example, people are more open to accepting your invitation if you refer someone they know. Here is an example:

Hey {{firstName}}, {{mutualConnectionName}} sent me your profile as they think you are the right person to help me out in my research about {{Topic}}. So let’s connect and talk if you’re up for it.

Leverage LinkedIn Groups

Another way to discover leads for LinkedIn outreach is by leveraging groups. Even though they are not that active anymore, you can still use them to find and reach out to people who are still in these LinkedIn groups.

Find the LinkedIn group your leads are most likely a part of, and click Show all to see all members.

In addition, you can reference a LinkedIn group post in your outreach and ask them about their opinion about it.

Turn events attendees into your leads

LinkedIn lead generation lets you get creative with finding your most qualified leads. One of those creative ways is reaching out to event attendees.

You can find LinkedIn events that focus on the exact problem your company solves with a product or a service. This way, you can target people who are already warmed up for your outreach message.

To get to event attendees, search for the events and click the Attend button. 

After you've attended, you can check for the list of LinkedIn users who attend this event by clicking Attendees. 

You can then go through the list and create leads in your CRM. Or, you can grab this LinkedIn search, paste it into Skylead and prepare a LinkedIn outreach campaign.

A true hack for LinkedIn outreach here is that you can write personalized messages such as this one:

Hey {{firstName}},

I’ve noticed that you attended {{eventName}}. What did you think about {{eventTakeaway}}? Let’s connect on this.

Contact companies that are hiring

Companies currently hiring or experiencing some change are more likely to be willing to test new products. In other words, these companies emit some buying signals.

Here’s how to find them for the LinkedIn outreach.

If you have a Sales Navigator, finding these companies is a piece of cake. Simply go to Account filters, and under Spotlights, select Job Opportunities.  

LinkedIn Sales Navigator will then list company names. You can also narrow your search by selecting other filters, such as Company size or Technology used. This advanced search will help you find your ICP with the buying signal.

If you are a free or Premium LinkedIn user, you can find these companies by navigating to the LinkedIn search field. Type in the job title, select Jobs and use other filters to narrow your search. Then, go through company names and mark them down in your CRM to find key decision-makers later on.

You can then reach out to the decision-makers in these companies by sending them a connection request such as this one:

Hey {{firstName}},

I noticed you are looking for a new {{Occupation}} in your company. Do you plan to change the workflow as well? If so, I have an idea that can help you improve your team's productivity and would like to connect with you.

Engage with people who reacted to a post

You don’t have to reach out only to the leads you found via LinkedIn search. If you find time, scroll through your feed or notifications and check reactions to posts. Then, whenever you see your potential lead engaging, take that opportunity to start the conversation. After all, this is one of the most natural ways to start building relationships with your network and leads.

7 LinkedIn outreach rules you need to consider

1. Have an optimized profile before you start

Before using your LinkedIn account for cold outreach, you need to sort out your LinkedIn profile and optimize it. In other words, setting up your profile includes:

• Picking the best profile picture and cover photo;
• Creating a catchy LinkedIn headline;
• Write your detailed summary;
• Fill in the experience section.  

If you do it thoroughly, people will be more prone to accept your connection request or respond to your InMail message.

2. Use safe automation tools

If you use some kind of LinkedIn automation tool, you should know that there are 3 different kinds:

• Chrome extension;
• Desktop apps and web browsers;
• And cloud-based solutions.

Chrome extensions are the least safe tool to use since they inject the code into the LinkedIn platform. This action sends LinkedIn an instant alert, and you risk getting your LinkedIn account restricted.

Desktop apps and web browsers are a bit safer. However, they don’t have a dedicated IP or the option to mimic human-like behavior. Moreover, you must have your PC turned on to keep your campaigns running. 

Unlike other solutions, cloud-based LinkedIn automation tools are safer, as they do not inject the code into the LinkedIn platform. Moreover, you get a dedicated IP address that shields your activity, and they mimic human-like behavior making it impossible for LinkedIn to detect.

That said, choose carefully which LinkedIn automation tool you will use. For example, to keep your account safe and secure, we at Skylead have 3-layered protection for your LinkedIn account:

• Human-like behavior;
• Account warm-up;
• And action limits;

3. Think multichannel

Did you know that companies with omnichannel engagement strategies retain 89% of customers (invesp)? Then, don’t just stop at LinkedIn outreach; for the best results, include email outreach as well since it’s still an essential means of correspondence. 

This way, you are showing your target audience that you care and that you are expanding your reach. What’s more, you increase the chances of getting a hold of your leads who are not active on LinkedIn. Or in case your lead leaves your invite pending for a long time.

4. Don’t be too salesy 

Nowadays, LinkedIn prospecting and cold outreach can’t do anything if your approach is too salesly or spammy. In other words, don’t talk only about your company or a product. Instead, take a legitimate interest in your target audience, build the relationship first, and connect on a human level. It’s the only way without sounding too salesy and a part of the tremendous social selling. So always choose a more genuine approach to nurturing leads. 

5. Provide value

Consistently provide value in the form of educational content or throughout the meeting. The pro tip here is to do it after you’ve asked your leads about their pain points. This way, you’re ensuring you are tailoring your value according to what they precisely need and want.

6. Follow up consistently

Leads often do not respond to your message, and it’s not always because they are not interested. Maybe they forgot or were busy at that time. 

Suppose your prospect doesn’t respond to your LinkedIn outreach message or email. Send them a follow-up one. After all, if you do, you will increase your chances of receiving a response by 25% (invesp). So why waste it?

To help put your follow–up message together, check out our templates to send follow up emails after no response and get inspired.

7. Revoke old requests

One of the main rules people doing LinkedIn outreach stick by is canceling their LinkedIn invites. 

There is a common fear that LinkedIn won’t allow you to send new requests if you accumulate unanswered ones. Unfortunately, the fear is legitimate, as quite a few people have experienced this restriction. 

If the lead doesn’t answer the LinkedIn connection request or follow-ups in months, chances are they are not interested anyways. So be sure to lean up your LinkedIn invites regularly.

5 Best LinkedIn outreach templates [Our best picks]

Linkedin outreach message templates for sales

Sales outreach is about the initial impressions, so your first message should contain at least two of the points we mentioned in the last step of LinkedIn outreach. That said, here are a couple of templates that demonstrate those exact points.

Templates

Hey {{firstName}},

I came across your LinkedIn profile and was so inspired by your background in {{industry}} and your passion for {{workAreaOfInterest}}. I’d like to connect and exchange ideas in both areas.

LinkedIn connection request example

Bonus points if you can reference mutual connection. And if you feel like being humorous, you can spice up your invite with an industry-related joke, such as this one:

How many {{leadPositionTitle}} does it take to screw in a light bulb? None – they’ve automated it. 🙂 Just kidding, {{firstName}}.

But if you really wish to automate almost every part of your {{leadSectorName}} workflow, let’s chat. I’d like to show you something that would make your life easier. Let’s connect.

LinkedIn connection request example

However, if all fall short and your lead doesn’t accept your invite, you can always send a LinkedIn InMail such as this one:

Subject line: There is a key to solving {{painPoint}}

InMail message:

Hey {{firstName}},

My name is {{yourName}}, and I tried reaching out and connecting via LinkedIn invite. It appears that we didn’t get the chance to connect.

I was very much impressed with your LinkedIn profile. So, I believe your experience and dedication to {{workAreaOfInterest}} make you the perfect person to introduce you to our groundbreaking {{toolSpecification}} tool {{yourSoftwareName}}.

Our tool is created by {{leadPositionTitle}} for {{leadPositionTitle}} and it helps you:

1# {{Benefit }}

2# {{Benefit}}

3# {{Benefit}}

4# {{Benefit}}

I'd love to offer a personalized demo, so you can see hands-on how it works. Let me know if you're up for it, and we'll schedule a 15-minute call asap.

Best, {{yourName}}

InMail example

LinkedIn outreach message templates for recruiters

For example, let’s say you wish to reach out to your perfect candidate for the job in your company. Your LinkedIn connection request can sound like this:

Hey {{firstName}},

My name is {{yourName}}, and we’re currently seeking a {{Occupation}}, and I truly believe that this role offers you a platform to leverage your skills and make a significant impact at our company. I’d be happy to share more details about the role and benefits we offer.

LinkedIn connection request example

If, however, your ideal candidate doesn’t reply, use InMail format to land straight in their inbox.

Subject line: Exciting job opportunity at {{yourCompanyName}}

InMail message:

Hey {{firstName}},

I understand that you may not be actively seeking new opportunities at this time. Still, I truly believe that this role provides you with a platform to leverage your {{Occupation}} skills and make a significant impact at {{yourCompanyName}}.

{{yourCompanyName}} is a {{shortDescription}}, where we take care of our employees and offer the very best, including:

1# {{Benefit 1}}

2# {{Benefit 2}}

3#{{Benefit 3}}

If this opportunity piques your interest, I would be happy to share more details about the role over the call. So let me know, and we can schedule an initial meeting at your earliest convenience.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Warm regards, {{yourName}}

InMail example

LinkedIn outreach message template for job search

We’ve all been there at one point - reaching out to companies and trying to get ahold of recruiters. Thankfully, you don’t need to search for their email addresses, as LinkedIn allows you to contact a recruiter from your ideal company directly. However, if you really wish to catch their attention, use this connection message template.

Templates

Hello {{firstName}},

I have been following {{companyName}} and I’m impressed by your values, and dedication to innovation. As a skilled {{Occupation}} and enthusiast for {{companyIndustry}} I believe your company could benefit from my background. Let’s meet each other and talk about it.

LinkedIn connection request example

Moreover, if you have a LinkedIn Premium account, even better. You could send them an InMail that looks like this:

Subject line: Proactive and passionate {{Occupation}} ready to make a difference at {{companyName}}

InMail message:

Hey {{firstName}},

My name is {{yourName}}, and I am a skilled {{Occupation}} with extensive experience in {{companyIndustry}}. I have been following {{companyName}} for some time now, and I am incredibly impressed by your {{Achievement}}, values, and dedication to innovation.

As someone really passionate about {{companyIndustry}}, I believe my background and skill set make me an ideal candidate to contribute to your team’s ongoing success.

I have achieved {{specificAccomplishmentOrResult}}, which has led me to {{quantifiable outcome}}. In addition, my expertise in {{specificSkill}} has allowed me to make a significant impact on my team’s performance and overall business growth.

I am excited about the prospect of bringing my skills and enthusiasm to {{companyName}}. I have attached my resume for your review and would be grateful for the opportunity to speak with you about how I could contribute to your team.

If there are any open positions or upcoming opportunities that align with my background, I would appreciate your consideration.

Thank you for taking the time to read my message, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best, {{yourName}}

InMail example

LinkedIn outreach stats

1. Users who have 70+ SSI have 45% more opportunities and are 51% more likely to hit sales targets. Moreover, it will grant you 20% more reach. (Tribal impact)

2. LinkedIn is 277% more effective for lead generation, far more than platforms like Facebook and Twitter. (HubSpot)

3. 92% of potential clients are willing to engage with an industry thought leader, making the thought leadership LinkedIn lead generation strategy very effective (CH Consulting Group). 

4. Marketing managers experience up to 2 times higher conversion rates on LinkedIn. (LinkedIn)

5. Sending a personalized InMail will increase your response rate by up to 30%. (LinkedIn)

6. Lead conversion rates on LinkedIn are 3x higher than other ad platforms. (LinkedIn)

7. Audiences exposed to brand and acquisition messages on LinkedIn are 6x more likely to convert. (LinkedIn)

Frequently asked questions about Linkedin outreach

Those were some fascinating stats, ha? 🙂 Before we conclude this blog, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about the topics we didn’t get the chance to mention above.

Is prospecting on LinkedIn worth it?

Yes. LinkedIn prospecting helps you find your ICP and Buyer Persona with filtering options such as company size or industry. Moreover, the lead’s LinkedIn profile usually contains publicly available contact information, such as phone numbers or email addresses, that you can use to contact your leads outside LinkedIn.

What is the success rate of LinkedIn outreach?

LinkedIn outreach success rate depends on your goal and personalization level, but it’s usually high overall. For example, one of our sales team’s campaigns has the following result: out of 2782 connections sent, they experienced a 33% acceptance rate and 17% response. In some cases, the results go even higher.

What is a respectable number of LinkedIn connections?

You can have up to 30,000 connections, but the respected number depends on what you want to achieve. For example, for salespeople and recruiters, it’s essential to connect with as many people as possible to expand their network, thus reaching people outside of it and getting more leads.

Is it better to have followers or connections on LinkedIn?

Followers and connections are equally important, so it depends on your goals. For example, if you are a LinkedIn marketer and wish to focus on sharing content, gaining followers might be better for you. However, salespeople benefit better from the connections, as building relationships is the basis for successful selling.

Ready for LinkedIn outreach?

That’s a wrap-up for LinkedIn lead generation! This has been a wild ride.

Naturally, you can’t memorize everything from this article. Therefore, make sure to bookmark it, so you can return to it and remind yourself about best practices for LinkedIn lead generation.

Just remember to follow these 6 steps to start your outreach campaign:

• Define your ICP and Buyer Persona;
• Generate leads using the LinkedIn search or other methods;
• Set up your outreach campaign;
• Create a sequence;
• Write and personalize your messages;
• And nurture and engage.

If you need more inspiration on how to write your messages, feel free to use templates we have listed in this blog and throughout other blogs.

And don’t forget about the golden LinkedIn outreach strategies and rules we’ve mentioned in this article. You’ll experience a surge of qualified leads if you truly follow them.

Happy outreaching!

Here are 13 proven LinkedIn InMail examples for 13 different LinkedIn scenarios to get you inspired and help you save the necessary time to compose compelling messages that get responses. 

LinkedIn InMails are for many platform members a mystery, therefore underused and often wasted. That’s quite a shame, taking into account that, according to the official LinkedIn learning courses, InMails have an average response rate of between 18 to 25% compared to cold emails’ 3% average response rate. 

For this reason, we’ve dedicated an entire resource to a detailed explanation of what LinkedIn InMails are, how many InMail credits each subscription plan has, how to check the status of your InMails, how to know whether you’re sending a free or paid LinkedIn InMail, and much more. 

After you know this extremely useful LinkedIn feature to its finest details, check out our guidelines for writing a LinkedIn InMail that is likely to get a response and get inspired by the LinkedIn InMail examples shared below. 

Some of the templates were directly used by our Sales Team in their outreach efforts, and some were directly inspired by our other teams’ examples used for LinkedIn lead generation, recruitment, and content promotion.

For more InMail examples, detailed outreach strategy, and sales templates for every step of the multichannel approach, check out our Sales E-Book: Sales Templates That Leveled Up Skylead. It is available for free download.

What makes a good LinkedIn InMail?

• Personalizing your InMails.
  
  Not personalizing your InMails will make them look more like spam. Even if you wrote a compelling sales message and maybe even highly relevant to your lead, you MUST show that you’ve done your research. I mean, there’s no way to convey relevance by sending a generalized InMail anyway. This implies that personalizing your InMail should go beyond calling your prospect by name. Good LinkedIn prospecting starts with thorough research of who you are talking to and their pain points.

• Don’t make it all about yourself. 
  
  The 1900+ InMail characters at your disposal are not for self-promotion. Briefly introducing yourself and what your business is about can be beneficial for the outcome of your LinkedIn InMail. However, make sure it doesn’t take up all the space. Always focus on making it about the person reading the InMail. 

• Investing time into coming up with a catchy subject line.
  
  Think of a LinkedIn InMail as a cold email. Your open rate will depend on the subject line and your response rate on how much relevance you manage to convey through the body of your email. But, we'll get to that later. For now, think about how to get your lead to open your InMail.

• Keeping it to a reasonable length.
  
  Yes, we said that one of the LinkedIn InMail benefits is for sure its extensive character limit. However, this doesn't mean that you have to use all of it. Busy decision-makers that you are trying to reach out to via InMail are still very busy even when they do open your InMail. Practice the art of writing compelling and straight-to-the-point sales messages. 

LinkedIn InMail template #1: Reach out to a potential collaborator

InMail example with variables 

Subject line: Are you still providing {{service/product}} services?

InMail message: 

Hey {{firstName}},

I am currently in need of a {{occupation}} in the {{industry}} industry. After doing some research, I came across your profile. I decided to reach out to you, due to {{reason}}. 

Do you still provide {{service}} services?

If yes, I would love to discuss it further with you. 

Thank you in advance! 

Kind regards,

{{yourName}}

{{yourCompany}}

{{contact}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example 

This InMail template works because: 

• It is clear that you’ve researched and picked a handful of LinkedIn members whose professional background you found relevant to the type of collaboration you need. 
• You approached with a concrete reason and reference. 
• Even if your lead is not interested in collaboration at the moment, it is always good to connect with someone who is a potential collaborator in the future. 

LinkedIn InMail template #2 Invite your lead to an event 

InMail example with variables 

Subject line: Join us for {{event}}

InMail message: 

Hello {{firstName}},

{{CompanyName}} is organizing the {{event}} event in {{location}} on {{date}}. Our goal is {{goal}}. 

Since you work as {{occupation}}, I thought it would be interesting for you to check it out. Some of the main topics that will be covered are:

• {{topic1}}
• {{topic2}}
• {{topic3}}

If it sounds interesting, here are more details on the link - {{link}}. 

In case you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me.

Best regards, 

{{Name}} 

{{Title}} at {{Company}}

{{Contact}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Join us for Best Digital Practices for 2023

InMail message:

Hello John,

TMS Advertising is organizing the Best Digital Practices for 2022 event in the Marriott Hotel on December 5, 2022. Our goal is to gather digital marketing professionals and discuss innovative digital practices and predictions for 2023.

Since you work as a Digital Marketer, I thought it would be interesting for you to check it out. Some of the main topics that will be covered are:

- 2022 tendencies expected to die out in 2023.

- Top challenges of 2022 digital marketers, and how to solve them in 2022.

- New types of influencers and how to approach them.

If it sounds interesting, here are more details on the link - http://www.bestpracticesevent2023.com.

In case you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Jennifer Collins

Head of Growth at TMS Advertising

jencol@tmsadvertising.com

This InMail template works because: 

• You’ve done the research, know who you are talking to and that the event can be of your lead’s interest.
• Mention their occupation to specify at whom the event is aimed Leads can work in different industries, yet it is their role/title in that specific industry that counts. 

LinkedIn InMail template #3 Offer your service/product to a decision-maker 

InMail example with variables 

Subject line: Need help with {{problem}}?

InMail message

Hello {{firstName}},

We are currently helping {{companyType}} companies to {{service/product}}. I see that you are {{occupation}} at {{currentCompany}}, so I thought you might see the value in it. 

{{product/service}} can provide the following for your business:

• {{problem1}}
• {{problem2}}
• {{problem3}}

However, our {{product/service}} is not limited to this!

I would love to have a chance to jump on a quick call and discuss each challenge you meet at your workplace that our {{product/service}} could help solve. 

Have a great day. 

Best,

{{yourName}}

{{occupation}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Need help with intent data?

InMail message:

Hello Steven,

We are currently helping SaaS companies to understand their audience and know exactly whom to target.

I see that you are the Head of Marketing at GetLeads, so I thought you might see the value in it.

DataCollector can provide the following for your business.

- Accurate analytics

- Increased on-site conversion

- Targeting specific prospects with ads

However, DataCollector is not limited to this! I would love to have a chance to jump on a quick call and discuss each challenge you meet at your workplace that DataCollector could help solve.

Have a great day.

Best,

Anna-Marie Peterson

Head of Sales

This InMail template works because: 

• You reached out to a lead with a concrete reference. 
• The person to whom you sent an InMail is a decision-maker. You’ve done your research and made a reference to it. 
• Even if currently not interested in your product/service, they will probably still want to connect because it is the product/service that could be relevant for their business in the future. 

LinkedIn InMail template #4 Content promotion 

InMail example with variables 

Subject line: To answer your question in {{group/post}} 

InMail message

Hello {{firstName}},

I saw that you asked {{question}} in {{group}} / as a comment to {{name}}’s post, and I thought that the blog that we recently posted {{blogTitle}} could help answer your question.

Either way, I see that you work in the {{industry}} industry, and the content that we publish might generally be of your interest. If so, check it out here - {{link}}. 

Let me know if you found {{blogTitle}} useful. 

Best, 

{{yourName}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: To answer your question in Jane Durst’s post comment

InMail message:

Hello Susan,

I saw that you asked how to target leads attending a specific LinkedIn event as a comment to Jane Durst’s post, and I thought that the blog that we recently posted “How to target LinkedIn event attendees: A Full Guide” could help answer your question.

Either way, I see that you work in the Lead Generation industry, and the content that we publish might generally be of your interest.

If so, check it out here - www.leadgencontent.com.

Let me know if you found “How to target LinkedIn event attendees: A Full Guide” useful. Best,

Jane Johnson

This InMail template works because: 

• You made a concrete reference to a comment a LinkedIn member left. 
• The content you sent is relevant to their question and business/field of work. 
• They are more likely to connect with you because your work is relevant to their business/industry. 

LinkedIn InMail template #5 Reach out to a mutual connection by recommendation 

InMail example with variables 

Subject line: {{mutualConnection}} recommended I reach out

InMail message

Hi {{firstName}},

Our mutual connection, {{mutualConnection}}, and I were talking about {{topic/issue/specialty}}. I heard you are an expert on the issue. 

I might need relevant insight on {{topic/issue/specialty}} for my business and would love to schedule a meeting with you. If yes, let’s connect on LinkedIn or you can send me an email to the address in the signature section. 

Let me know what works for you. 

Best regards, 

{{yourName}}

{{contact}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Helen Goldberg recommended I reach out

InMail message:

Hi Jasmine,

Our mutual connection, Helen Goldberg, and I were talking about the difficulty and importance of building and maintaining an online presence of a business. I heard you are an expert on the issue.

I might need relevant insight on building and maintaining an online presence for my business and would love to schedule a meeting with you. If yes, let’s connect on LinkedIn or you can send me an email to the address in the signature section.

Let me know what works for you.

Best regards,

Justin Greene

justin.g@jbselectronics.com

This InMail template works because:

• The lead came to you as recommended.
• You made a concrete reference to a person who recommended the lead, and how their name came up.
• You are familiar with the person’s expertise. 
• By expressing the need for concrete service/business help, your intention is clear.

LinkedIn InMail template #6 Reach out to a lead as a recruiter 

InMail example with variables 

Subject line: Loved your LinkedIn post on {{topic}}

InMail message:

Hello {{firstName}},

First of all, I loved your LinkedIn post on {{topic}}! It spurred me to reach out to you, as you seem to be the right fit for the position of {{position}} at {{company}}. I also see that you studied {{studies}} at {{university}} which I find to be a great asset to this role. 

Anyways, as you may have guessed, I am a recruiter at {{company}}. I would love to take this conversation further in case you are interested. Here’s a link to the job description - {{link}}. 

Please let me know!

Best, 

{{yourName}}

{{Contact}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Loved your LinkedIn post on paid advertising on social media

InMail message:

Hello Nicolas,

First of all, I loved your LinkedIn post on paid advertising on social media! It spurred me to reach out to you, as you seem to be the right fit for the position of digital marketer at Jeffrey & Co. I also see that you studied Marketing at the University of Cleveland which I find to be a great asset to this role.

Anyways, as you may have guessed, I am a recruiter at Jeffrey & Co.

I would love to take this conversation further in case you are interested. Here’s a link to the job description - www.jeffreyco/careers/digitalmarketer.

Please let me know if you are interested.

Best,

Nancy Nicolson

n.nicolson@jeffreyco.com

This InMail template works because: 

• You reached out with a concrete reference not only to the person’s education and/or experience but to their contribution to the LinkedIn community. 
• It’s not just a random InMail, the person is truly qualified for the position and you are acknowledging it. 
• Even if the person is not interested in the job offer, they will want to stay in touch with a recruiter who did not just randomly throw a link to a job post at them.

LinkedIn InMail template #7 Reach out to a recruiter for a specific position

InMail example with variables 

Subject line: Inquiring about the {{occupation}} job opening

InMail message:

Hello {{firstName}},

I see that you’re the recruiter in charge of the {{occupation}} position at {{company}}. 

As a {{occupation}} with over {{years}} years of experience in the {{industry}} industry, I am currently in search of {{positionType}} position in this sector. 

I am interested in applying but would like to ask you a few questions first. 

Let’s schedule a call. 

Best, 

{{yourName}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Inquiring about the Head of Sales job opening

InMail message:

Hello Tatiana,

I see you’re the recruiter in charge of the Head of Sales position at MTS Logistics.

As a Senior Sales Specialist with over 6 years of experience in the Transportation and Logistics industry, I am currently in search of a leadership position in this sector.

I am interested in applying but would like to ask you a few questions first. Let’s schedule a call.

Best,

Rosie Goldstein

This InMail template works because: 

• You didn’t talk too much about yourself but highlighted the aspects of your career that are relevant to the position you’re applying for. 
• There’s a hook, enough to schedule a call. On the call, you can discuss your qualifications, and also get the know the company and its culture. 
• By sending this InMail, you will most likely stand out in the selection process. 

LinkedIn InMail template #8 Reach out to a recruiter as a job seeker 

InMail example with variables 

Subject line: Inquiring about your {{department}}

InMail message:

Hello {{firstName}}, 

I saw that you are a recruiter at {{company}}. 

I am a {{occupation}} with over {{years}} of experience in the {{industry}} industry, currently seeking new opportunities.

I’d like to schedule a call and further discuss my qualifications, as I am very open to hearing more about {{company}} and the dynamics of your {{department}}.

Best regards, 

{{yourName}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Inquiring about your Sales and Marketing departments

InMail message:

Hello Miriam,

I saw that you are a recruiter at MTS Logistics.

I am a Lead Generation Specialist with over 10 years of experience in the Transportation and Logistics industry, currently seeking new opportunities.

I’d like to connect and chat to see if my background fits any of your openings.

I would like to schedule a call with you and further discuss my qualifications, as I am very open to hearing more about MTS Logistics and the dynamics of your Sales and Marketing departments.

Best regards,

Helen Rosenberg

This InMail template works because: 

• You’ve done your research and know that your expertise could be relevant to the company to which recruiter you're approaching. 
• The recruiter can tell you right away if they have a job opening or if you could potentially even be a fit for some positions. 
• You included data that are relevant to the recruiter but didn’t talk about yourself all the time nor you said too much. 
• You asked to schedule a call where you can obtain additional information about the company, and allow the recruiter to get to know you better. 

LinkedIn InMail template #9 Invite industry professionals to join your community 

InMail example with variables  

Subject line: Invite to join {{communityName}}

InMail message:

Hello {{firstName}},

I would love to officially invite you to join {{communityName}}. It is a {{typeOfcommunity}} community aimed towards {{industry}} professionals with the goal of {{goal}}. 

We would really love it if you joined. Your vast experience as {{occupation}} spurred me to reach out.

Here is the link - {{link}}, check it out and see. 

Hope to see you there. 

Have a great day,

{{yourName}}

{{occupation}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Invite to join Ads Growth Hacker

InMail message:

Hello Matt,

I would love to officially invite you to join Ads Growth Hacker. It is a Facebook community aimed toward advertising professionals with the goal of sharing knowledge, discussing current and past trends, and exchanging ideas on how to improve and grow your business through ads.

We would really love it if you joined. Your vast experience as an advertising manager spurred me to reach out.

Here’s the link - www.facebook.com/groups/adsgrowthhacker, check it out and see.

Hope to see you there.

Have a great day,

Michelle J. Spears

Director of Advertising

This InMail template works because: 

• The lead’s occupation is relevant to the community. It is not just some random person you’ve invited to join your community. 
• The community is relevant to the person’s occupation too. 
• You briefly explained what the community is all about. 

LinkedIn InMail template #10 Invite a guest speaker to your event 

InMail example with variables  

Subject line: Be our guest speaker

InMail message: 

Hello {{firstName}},

I would like to use this opportunity to invite you to be a guest speaker at {{nameEvent}} event. 

Due to your {{numberOfyears}} years of experience in the {{industry}} industry, we felt that your insight on {{topic}} would be an invaluable asset to the {{industry}} industry. 

Here is a link to the organizer if you would like to check it out beforehand - {{link}}. 

Please let me know if this sounds interesting to you. 

Best regards,

{{yourName}}

{{title}}

{{contact}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Be our guest speaker!

InMail message:

Hello Ellis,

I would like to use this opportunity to invite you to be a guest speaker at the 2022 Online Sales Hacks & Tendencies event.

Due to your 8 years of experience in the Sales industry, we felt that your insight on the dying trends in online sales would be an invaluable asset to the Sales industry.

Here’s a link to the organizer if you would like to check it out beforehand - www.mpadvisory.com/events/educational/online-sales-hacks-tendencies.

Please let me know if this sounds interesting to you.

Best regards,

Joshua Henricks

Head of Training and Development

joshua.h@mpadvisory.com

This InMail template works because: 

• You are making a concrete reference to the person’s years of experience and expertise. It points out that you’ve done your research and are not inviting a random person to be a guest speaker. 
• There is a link to the event so the potential guest can inform themselves on the subject. 
• Of the soft call-to-action at the end.

LinkedIn InMail template #11 Reach out to someone who’s using your competitor’s product or service 

InMail example with variables

Subject line: {{competitor}} alternative 

InMail message:

Hello {{firstName}}, 

The reason for my outreach is that I saw that your company {{company}} is using  {{competitor’sProduct}} to {{mainPurpose}}. 

{{yourProduct}} is {{uniqueSellingProposition}}. 

If you would like to hear more about {{yourProduct}} and how it can benefit your business, I would be happy to chat with you. 

Let me know! 

{{yourName}}

{{contact}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: FunkyMonkey alternative

InMail message:

Hello Jennifer,

The reason for my outreach is that I saw that your company FunkyMonkey is using SurveyGo to collect feedback on customer satisfaction.

UpSurv is also a customer-survey tool that has the option of exporting individual and all reports as a CSV file, comparing results among different data sources, and finding data matches.

These options speed up the entire survey and data analysis process 3 times. If you would like to hear more about UpSurv and how it can benefit your business, I would be happy to chat with you.

Let me know!

James Uri

jameruri@upsurv.com

This InMail template works because: 

• You’ve done your research, and know that the company you are reaching out to uses your competitor’s solution.  
• You’ve highlighted your solution’s unique selling propositions instead of just saying how your product is “better”. 
• The InMail is wrapped up with a soft call to action. 

LinkedIn InMail template #12 Value proposition 

InMail example with variables

Subject line: Let me show you {{painPoint}}

InMail message:  

Hello {{firstName}},

I heard about the amazing job your {{company}} has done by helping {{client}} {{result}}. Good job on that! 

I wanted to reach out because {{whatYourBusinessSolves}}. 

This way, you will be able to {{valueProposition}}. 

I would like to show you my plan of {{personalizedHook}}. Let’s chat!

Best regards, 

{{your Name}} 

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Let me show you how you can get 3x more leads in less time

InMail message:

Hello Jimmy,

I heard about the amazing job your lead generation agency has done by helping Scavo's level up their business. Good job on that!

I wanted to reach out because our software takes care of time-consuming lead generation tasks and allows you to focus your efforts on finding quality leads and turning them into prospects for your clients.

This way, you will be able to manage more clients and make their companies grow more and faster. I would like to show you my plan of getting 3x more leads for your clients in 6h less a week.

Let’s chat!

Best regards,

Annie Matis

This InMail template works because: 

• You’ve done your research and mentioned one of the biggest success stories of your clients. 
• You connected your product with that story and showed them that their story could be even greater success with your solution. 
• There’s a call to action with a concrete reference to what you can do for your potential client. 

LinkedIn InMail template #13 Use InMail as the last resource 

InMail example with variables

Subject line: Did I cross the line? 

InMail message:

Hey {{firstName}},

I tried reaching you via email, so just wanted to check here one last time if I’ve crossed the line. Hopefully not. 

Maybe it's me, but I get the feeling now is not the right time to connect.

As a parting gift, I wanted to share with you templates that could help you in your outreach {{gift}}.

I won't be sending you any more messages, don't worry.

All the best,

{{yourName}}

{{title}}

LinkedIn InMail real-life example

Subject line: Did I cross the line?

InMail message:

Hey John,

I tried reaching you via email, so just wanted to check here one last time if I’ve crossed the line. Hopefully not.

Maybe it’s me, but I get the feeling now is not the right time to connect.

As a parting gift, I wanted to share a templates that could help you in your outreach: www.skylead.io/templates.

I won’t be sending you any more messages, don’t worry.

All the best,

Nick Jefferson

Head of Sales

This InMail template works because: 

• You tried multi-channel outreach, and nothing worked. That’s why you are using InMail as the last resource to reach your lead.  
• There is a free resource included. 
• You ask for an apology in case you crossed the line. People are more likely to either respond by saying that they haven’t seen your previous messages/emails/InMails or respond knowing you will not “bother” them anymore. 

Frequently asked question

How can one tailor these InMail templates for highly specialized industries or roles to ensure relevance and increase response rates?

Tailoring InMail templates for specialized industries or roles involves researching the recipient's industry trends, challenges, and language. Incorporating this insight can make your message more relevant and compelling, thus increasing response rates.

What are the metrics or indicators to measure the success of these InMail strategies beyond the reply rate?

Beyond reply rate, success metrics for InMail strategies can include conversion rates (e.g., leads to meetings or sales), long-term engagement (follow-ups or continued conversations), and the growth of your professional network within your target industry.

Are there specific follow-up strategies recommended if the initial InMail does not receive a response, considering LinkedIn's limitations on InMail credits?

For follow-up strategies without a response, you should wait a few weeks before sending a polite follow-up InMail. Highlight new information or value you can provide while being mindful of LinkedIn's limitations on InMail credits to ensure efficient use. You can also check if a lead has an open profile. In that case, you can send free InMails without spending credits once a week.

Summary

With this blog, we’ve covered the main things you need for effective and smart use of a LinkedIn InMail, together with 13 LinkedIn InMail examples with a 25% reply rate formula for 13 different LinkedIn scenarios. 

The above 13 LinkedIn InMail examples with a proven response rate can be used as they are or adjusted to fit your business goals. 

Furthermore, if you wish to speed up your sales processes, and put time-consuming tasks such as - finding the perfect path to your ideal leads, on autopilot, test out Skylead 7 days FREE of charge. 

See how Skylead can help you focus on finding the qualified leads for your business and on closing the deal, while the platform thinks of the rest.