Table of contents:
- Why LinkedIn for B2B sales
- How to find/segment B2B decision-makers on LinkedIn
- Adding a B2B LinkedIn message to a connection invitation
- How To Cold Message on LinkedIn for B2B: Dos & Don’ts
- Outreachly as an AI-powered prospecting and lead-gen tool to help with your B2B lead-gen efforts
- Conclusion
It shouldn’t be surprising that companies doing social media marketing get 80% of their B2B leads through LinkedIn. The platform has over 850 million members, most of whom are the whos and whom of vibrant companies. The secret to success is simple: engage senior-level influencers and decision-makers via relatable LinkedIn messages. After all, people use LinkedIn to network with other professionals.
However, despite LinkedIn being the ideal environment to pursue B2B leads, knowing how to use LinkedIn mail appropriately matters. Get the message wrong, and you may lose out on high-quality leads.
So how is it done?
This guide covers all the skills you need to get it right. Learn how to identify B2B decision-makers, add a LinkedIn message to the connection request, and craft an engaging message. Read on to discover how to harness the benefits of this approach and leverage automated prospecting and lead generation.
Why LinkedIn for B2B sales
We know LinkedIn has quite a large number of users worldwide, but Facebook has even more. Notably, the number of people using the platform isn’t what makes it a lead-generation paradise. The key in this situation is the type of people on it and what they use it for.
With LinkedIn, users are already there to build valuable relationships with other professionals. As a marketer or a salesperson, this is the best setting to share how your brand can help them meet their goals.
There are also plenty of company pages on the site, making getting to know your potential leads and business easier before diving into LinkedIn messages.
Here are a few encouraging statistics about LinkedIn selling that you may not know:
- 80% of B2B marketing leads from social media come through LinkedIn.
- 92% of B2B marketers use the LinkedIn platform over all other social media.
- 46% of social media traffic to your company site comes from LinkedIn.
- 62% of B2B marketers consider LINKEDIN to be effective
- The Top 6 social networking platforms leveraged by B2B marketers listed in order of effectiveness: leading the pack is LinkedIn (91%), Twitter (85%), Facebook (81%), and YouTube (73%)
- 77% of B2B marketers plan to increase their use of LinkedIn, but most are held back due to a lack of clarity on strategies and methodology.
How to find/segment B2B decision-makers on LinkedIn
Sending LinkedIn messages to random users on the site isn’t the best way to get started with your lead-generation efforts. Making data-driven decisions pays off; that’s why it’s best to begin your marketing process with some research into possible leads.
High-quality leads will also improve your conversion rates further down the sales funnel. To ensure you are connecting with the right people, it’s critical to segment decision-makers through thorough research. Here are a few things you can do to improve the quality of your leads.
Look through a potential lead’s profile before sending a message to understand who they are in the company. As yourself, do they influence decision-making, or can they show me the way to someone who does?
LinkedIn makes targeting users easy as necessary identifiers are displayed on their profiles. Find your ideal leads based on:
- Job Titles & Function
- Seniority
- Company Size & Location
- Industry
Adding a B2B LinkedIn message to a connection invitation
Unless you are a paid LinkedIn user (via LinkedIn Premium), you can only message people who are your connections. Thus making connection requests is the first step to growing your sales via LinkedIn.
One great trick is to add a B2B LinkedIn message to the connection requests you send—you need to know how sending a personalized request is likely to encourage the recipient to respond positively to your request. Find more insights into how to connect with people on LinkedIn in our guide here.
Sales text message examples
Here are some templates to show you how to sell on LinkedIn:
| Hi [first name], Your profile caught my eye, and I noticed you are in the fintech industry; it looks like we share some common ground. Would you be interested in connecting? Regards. John Smith |
Once your connection request is accepted, here is a LinkedIn b2b message template you can leverage to sell on LinkedIn.
| Hi [first name], Thank you for accepting me. Are you currently happy with the way that you [insert situation]? We’re currently helping Company X with development outsourcing, and I thought there might be a good fit for your company, too. Our service has helped many fintech companies keep up with their development needs, and I think it’s something that your organisation might see immediate value in. Let’s schedule a short call to discuss this further. How is Thursday? Regards. John Smith |