Prospecting on LinkedIn: Is It Worth Sending Bulk Messages?

Reading Time: 13 minutes

Prospecting on LinkedIn—what first comes to your mind?

You have to admit that communication on LinkedIn is somewhat different than through other channels. Due to its transparency and straightforwardness, LinkedIn facilitates direct communication with the right people. However, it is more demanding and requires greater expertise.

Sending multiple messages can help in acquiring more leads and automating the sales process, regardless of the channel you choose.

And here raises the question: Is it worth sending bulk messages to my prospects? If so, how many, and how often?

After a few years of cold outreach to my prospects via LinkedIn, I’ll answer these questions as best as I can.

Have a great read!

Prospecting on LinkedIn How to Reach Your Prospects Effectively

LinkedIn, as a B2B platform, leads in lead generation. Due to its application, it helps you target the exact prospects for whom your profile is intended. Assuming you have an adequately created ICP (ideal customer profile), you’re ready to sell your product to those who are truly looking for it.

To the surprise of many salespeople, the company president is not necessarily the ideal prospect. While it’s true that they often make the final decision, contacting only them won’t necessarily lead to a successful outcome.

Look, I’ve often contacted CEOs. At first glance, this seems like the ideal option. The CEO manages the budget and makes key decisions. It couldn’t be better, right? Surprise; it could be.

Moving on, you likely haven’t received a response many times, or you’ve received a curt reply: “Thank you, but we’re not interested.” This doesn’t mean that the CEO isn’t actually interested. It means they don’t have time to even see who you are and what your company offers.

It’s time to change that. How?

Messaging on LinkedIn: Write the Right Messages to the Right Person

The following message is one that I personally often used to send. It’s not an irreplaceable message or one that you couldn’t come up with yourself. On the contrary; it should be simple, complete, and make your prospect think: “Alright, he knows what he’s talking about.” You’ve been noticed—a plus for you.

Prospecting on LinkedIn (like other platforms) is all about being seen. If your prospect saw your message—now you can move forward. Otherwise, even if you’ve crafted a perfect message, it won’t get any replies.

If you’ve come up with a good message that has been noticed, you’re likely to get a response. In the worst case, the prospect might say what they always do. You probably already know the answer. 😉 But that’s not the point of this post.

The goal is for you to receive a response like this:

Here’s a response that typically comes after this message (speaking from my experience).

So, what is crucial?

Two elements:

1. Reach out to the right person.
2. Ask (potentially the right person) about someone who is more adequate to speak with.

Which one is more important?

Reaching out to the right person < Asking about the right person

Hell yeah, it’s not up for debate.

If you’re contacting a large company or enterprise, you know that contacting the CEO is unlikely. Even if your potential client could be NVIDIA, would you reach out to Jensen Huang (even if I’ve got for you his email 👇)? Even though your ICP often says he’s the right person. Fine, you’re moving on.

The head of a specific department? For example: CTO or CMO. This could be a good target. In smaller companies (up to 100 people)—ideally, they might have time to go into details. But it can’t always be taken for granted.

That’s why it’s so important to ask about the right person. Even though, officially, the Chief Marketing Officer makes the decisions, they probably have someone designated to talk to companies like yours. If you don’t ask for that person, there’s a slim chance that they’ll reply: “Simon, awesome, thanks for reaching out! You know, I’m too swamped to dive into your solution, but contact XYZ, he’s my senior manager, he’ll sift through your product. Thanks.” Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Let’s break down the above message.

Messaging on LinkedIn: Subject Line

A simple and effective subject line is the first step to being noticed. On LinkedIn, it’s easier—your prospect sees the entire message, not just the subject line. In the case of email marketing, the situation is more challenging; a weak email subject line = no open and response rate. That’s why a perfectly crafted email or message subject line can convert a prospect into a customer.

The above subject line is one of my many suggestions. Try others as well. Here are 5 examples:

• Hello from [Your Company] 🙂
• 🤝 Partnership Proposal: New Opportunities Together 🗝️
• 📢 [Prospect’s Company] – partnership with [Your Company]
• 🌟 Collaboration Proposal: [Prospect’s Company] & [Your Company] 🚀
• 📈 [Prospect’s Company] & [Your Company] – A Strategic Partnership 🎯

Change and A/B test your email/message subject lines based on:

• length
• open rate
• your product
• given numbers
• your experience
• relevance and specificity
• your brand recognizability
• emotional emojis (or lack of them)

Message Body on LinkedIn

Prospecting on LinkedIn is primarily about research and wordplay. Your message shouldn’t be too long (as no one will read it), but it also shouldn’t be too short (as no one will take it seriously). Aim to write messages within the range of 500–600 characters for the first message. Subsequent messages have no strict character limits and can be adjusted based on your prospects’ responses.

You can write a message with up to 1,000 characters if the situation requires it. However, even a short message like “Hey Simon, do you remember me? 😉” with just 33 characters can also be game-changing.

Nonetheless, when crafting your message, consider:

Personalization

Everyone loves receiving a personalized message. It plays a major role, especially when it comes to prospecting on LinkedIn. This way, you show your recipient that you are writing this message specifically for them. That’s why a personalized message is perceived as personal, not as spam. Moreover, your prospect will appreciate the research and effort you’ve put into your work. Personalization doesn’t carry any negative complications; use it as often as you can.

Always personalize:

• Your name
• Your company
• Prospect’s name
• Prospect’s company
• What problems your solution solve
• And more, dependent on your product & specialty.

Tone & Style

This is your first message, so it shouldn’t be too informative or too serious. Its purpose is to gather further information and move into the sales process. Your prospect needs to know that you are the right person they would want to invest money with. Experiment with different tones (formal vs. informal) and styles (question, statement, emoji use) to see what resonates best. 

Number of Characters

The message shouldn’t be too short or too long. The example I provided resonates with an appropriate length. 500–600 characters is the ideal range for a first message. Of course, the example I showed earlier includes examples of message properties, which is why it’s longer than 600 characters. However, once you apply the right information, this won’t be an issue.

Just in case, I’m pasting the message here (you can also apply it to your emails)

Hi [Prospect’s Name],

This is Simon from [Your Company].

I’m reaching out to you because I found your profile, and I see that you’re a Chief of Marketing—that’s why I think I’m speaking with the right person. 😉

We, as [Your Company], work with the biggest brands in your industry, such as X, Y & Z, and more, exclusively on a [Your Solution].

That’s why I wanted to ask you—would you find 20 minutes to talk about how we can increase [<— or something different] your [reference to the pain point]?

Alternatively, if somebody at [Prospect’s Company] is more adequate to speak with, could you tell me who’s that person?

Thank you in advance,
Simon

A/B Testing

A/B testing is one of the most desired elements in digital marketing. You apply different elements and then test which one generates the highest:

• open rate
• response rate
• conversion rate
• click-through rate (CTR)

Based on this, you choose the best solution for your LinkedIn messages (or emails, or any other digital campaign).

You can A/B test:

• message body
• message subject line
• images: adding vs. not adding
• number of characters, and more

A/B testing is super important, especially when prospecting on LinkedIn.

Pro Tip: A/B test only one element per test. If you A/B test a few elements simultaneously, how would you know what caused the change?

1 A/B test = 1 tested element

Images = Words Are Redundant

Sometimes, your follow-up can be wordless.

This email follow-up gained 75% open rate.

I sent 503 of these emails, and 376 people opened it.

Secret sauce?

Subject line: [Recipient name]

Yes, just 1 word—the name.

Email body: [waiting Pablo image]

Correct, just one image. No greetings, no sweet messages, just this image.

Try it and increase your open rate.

The outcome will leave you bewildered.

So, is it worth sending bulk messages on LinkedIn?

At this stage (though I’ll get back to it), I can answer: No.

Sending bulk messages is generic, impersonalized, and categorizes you as a lame salesperson. How your recipient perceives you reflects on how they perceive your company. The result? Feeble chances of making any sales.

Use individual and personalized messages, especially when prospecting on LinkedIn. I’ll say something you’ve probably heard from your superior (and so have I), but it’s true: fewer messages, but of higher quality, are better than more messages that make no sense.

Prospecting on LinkedIn: How to Find Your Leads?

Now you know how to create a message that will get noticed. However, a key question arises: how to find your leads on LinkedIn?

There are dedicated outreach tools for this purpose, which I use on a daily basis. They help me find leads, send personalized messages, and automate the messaging process (which would take hours manually…).

I’ll introduce you to 2 solutions that I’ve used and that work really well.

Apollo.io: An Outreach Tool #1

Apollo.io is my definite number #1. I’ve been using it for more than 3 years, and I choose it invariably. Here are 6 areas where Apollo.io will solve your problems and automate your sales funnel:

Lead Generation

Apollo.io offers an extensive database of business contacts, making it easy to find and connect with potential leads. You can search for prospects based on various filters, such as industry, company size, job title, and more, ensuring you target the right audience.

Contact Enrichment

The platform provides enriched data about each contact, including email addresses, phone numbers, and social media profiles. This comprehensive information allows you to personalize your outreach and improve the chances of engagement.

Automated Outreach

Apollo.io allows you to create automated email sequences, allowing you to reach out to multiple leads simultaneously without losing the personal touch. You can schedule follow-ups, set triggers for different actions, and customize messages based on the recipient’s behavior.

CRM Integration

Apollo.io integrates with various CRM systems, streamlining your workflow and ensuring that all your sales data is centralized. This integration helps you keep track of interactions with leads, monitor their journey through the sales funnel, and update records automatically.

Analytics and Reporting

The platform provides detailed analytics and reporting features, helping you track the performance of your outreach campaigns. You can analyze open rates, response rates, and other key metrics to refine your strategy and improve your results.

Sales Engagement Tools

Apollo.io offers additional tools like task management, team collaboration features, and call tracking. These tools help you stay organized, coordinate with your team, and maintain a consistent follow-up strategy.

If you haven’t had much experience with lead generation tools before, I understand that Apollo.io might come as a bit of a surprise. No worries, I’ve got something for you! With this in mind, I’ve prepared an in-depth (but really easy to go through) review about Apollo: Apollo.io Review: The Best Outreach Tool on the Market.

ZoomInfo: The Best Outreach Tool for Mid & Bigger Companies

ZoomInfo is a major player in the market for lead generation and outreach tools. If you’re prospecting on LinkedIn, especially on a larger scale and with a larger sales team, this solution will be ideal for you.

ZoomInfo is currently considered one of the most comprehensive and advanced tools for working on LinkedIn, but it doesn’t stop there. ZoomInfo also automates your entire sales process: from acquiring your prospect’s contact information to generating sequences and cold calling. Literally, the entire sales process is at your fingertips.

AuthoredUp: This Is How to Automate Prospecting on LinkedIn

The next step to focus on is automating your work on LinkedIn.

If you want to generate leads through LinkedIn, you need to be active on the platform, regardless of your industry. This is where AuthoredUp comes in.

AuthoredUp is a content creation and lead generation tool designed specifically for LinkedIn. If you’re looking to automate processes on other channels, AuthoredUp isn’t the solution. However, for LinkedIn, it’s indispensable, especially for the most demanding tasks.

Here are three features that will help convert your prospects into customers:

Data-Driven Performance

AuthoredUp provides detailed analytics on your posts’ performance, helping you understand what content resonates most with your audience. This insight allows you to refine your strategy, focusing on content that drives engagement and leads.

Interestingly, I’ve used AuthoredUp for managing a LinkedIn account for a client and received feedback that it works exceptionally well. If it wasn’t effective, I wouldn’t use it or recommend it here. Fortunately, it is.

If you want to know what posts work, why they work, and the direction of your social selling, check out AuthoredUp.

Post Scheduling

This feature allows you to plan and automate your LinkedIn posts, ensuring consistent engagement with your audience without manual effort. By scheduling content in advance, you can maintain a steady flow of posts, improving visibility and interaction rates.

Post scheduling with AuthoredUp is above all convenient and time-saving. You can prepare content in one weekend for up to 2 months in advance, and this tool will do all the work for you. Sure, you can keep everything in Google Docs and add it manually every day, but is it worth it?

Sometimes, instead of sending bulk messages on LinkedIn, it’s enough to announce it with a few posts that you add on LinkedIn. How does it work?

Imagine you frequently inform clients about case studies. You have a great client, and you want to share that—obviously. You send 50 messages one week, another batch the next week, and so on for a quarter. You’ve sent over 500 messages and received less than 1% response. Quite an effort for relatively low engagement. Here, AuthoredUp can help solve this problem. You just need to create posts about these case studies, short videos, and add them to your LinkedIn at the right frequency. This builds engagement; prospects start liking, commenting, and the community sees that you and your company are doing great work. It works; I use AuthoredUp for this purpose myself.

Content Analytics

The platform offers comprehensive content analysis, including metrics on impressions, engagements, and trends. By understanding which types of content perform best, you can optimize future posts to better capture your audience’s attention and drive conversions.

AuthoredUp sounds new to you? No worries, I get your point. I’ve written a comprehensive review about AuthoredUp, and how to use it effectively. Feel free to dive into it: AuthoredUp Review: The Best Content Tool for LinkedIn.

Bulk Messages & Prospecting on LinkedIn: Expert’s Opinion

Manual work vs. automatic bulk messages. This is an ongoing debate in sales.

Sending bulk messages helps you reach a mass of prospects at the same time, just in a while. The pitfalls? These messages are generic, don’t carry a specific message, and mostly pitch your product or service. I guess, as a client, you’re not a fan of messages like these either.

On the other hand, dedicated, well-thought-out, and research-backed messages greatly increase the chances of reaching the person. However, you can only send a limited number per day (unless you enjoy working overtime).

Considering all the facts, pros, and cons, I really recommend sending fewer messages, but better and more specific ones.

If you have a well-defined ICP (ideal customer profile), you increase the probability of making a sale. At this stage, it’s better to send fewer but better messages. Let me provide you with an industry-based example.

Let’s imagine you contact 500 prospects per month. Each message is repetitive, you send them in bulk, and in fact, these messages don’t make the prospect know what to do. Should they buy? Should they reply with interest? Or should they pass it on to someone else in their department? These are the questions that come to prospect’s mind. The message is not specific, often lacks a call to action (and if it does, it’s generic, let me know what you think). So, out of 500 messages, if you get a 1% response rate, you have just 5 prospects saying “perhaps.” If 1 buys, you have one new client per month. It could be way better, you know it. Not to mention the potential for boredom or burnout…

On the other hand, you have researched-backed and well-personalized messages. You know what your prospect does, and they know that you’re a knowledgeable salesperson. Therefore, they trust you and your company.

You send 300 messages per month. You get 30 good responses, which means you’ve achieved a 10% response rate (cool!). 5% of them bought, so you’ve got 15 new clients. That’s the definition of adequate personalization and research-backed messages, instead of bulk ones.

Sounds like a plan?

FAQs for Prospecting on LinkedIn

Now you what is prospecting on LinkedIn about. What’s your takeaway; is it worth sending bulk messages?

Let me know what’s your standpoint, and if you have any questions—feel free to hit me up!

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, you can always drink a coffee with me. 😉 Find the link below! 👇

Thank you for reading and contributing,
Simon

Author Profile

Simon Gorlak

Simon Gorlak is a Digital Marketing Expert with over 8 years of experience. He specializes in 3 areas: SEO, Lead Generation on LinkedIn, and Email Marketing. Simon's blog gathers knowledge that helps Marketers & C-level to increase profits from their online businesses. Also, his content helps to reach the most difficult customers, make others' content to be read & purchased. Besides digital marketing, Simon speaks 4 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish & works as a Head of Business at an Indian Start-up.

Latest entries

• October 15, 2024Social Media Tools9 Best Strategies to Generate B2B Leads on LinkedIn
• September 17, 2024Email MarketingEmail Marketing: The Most Comprehensive Guide (+ Tips)
• September 13, 2024SEO for Business6 Key Elements of an Effective SEO Product Description
• September 9, 2024SEO for Business5 Expert Tips on How to Double Traffic with Graphics