Writing the perfect LinkedIn invitation message can be tricky. You run the risk of getting blocked and losing a potential client. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid just that — and it falls under how much effort you’re willing to put out for your LinkedIn lead generation.
Contents
Putting yourself in position
What many people miss out on is the importance of creating a good first impression.
If you want solid lead generation results that can bring those conversion rates up, you’ll need:
- To be laser-specific on what you’re offering
- To find out who your target market is and why you want to sell to them
Targeting the right people means researching and pinpointing who will benefit the most from your product or service. For B2B, try to figure out which of a company’s decision-makers could bring you a sale.
Factors like company size, job description, and industry are what you’d want to look at during this stage of strategy planning.
A solid base
There’s no one way to specify your target market, and no one gets positioning right on the first try. If you’re a startup with limited funding and is about to take off, sitting down a few hours every day to figure out your market might not be the wisest business decision.
When you’re struggling with finding your market, here’s a quick formula to get you started.
“I can help [target customer] do [value or benefit you’re offering] through [how you do it].”
Plug the values, and you now have a starting point!
Step-by-step
Once you have your market, it’s time to look at your pitch or your LinkedIn invitation message. With a limit of 300 characters, it can be a challenge to fit in everything you want your leads to know about your business.
Here are tips from the industry’s best practices to get you those connections.
Pay attention to your profile.
After you send your LinkedIn invitation message, you can expect your prospects to check out your profile. And in lead generation, it pays to make a good impression.
Update your photos, your company page information, and your content. How well you maintain your profile will reflect back on your work ethic and credibility as a B2B company.
A little flattery never hurt.
When sending out your LinkedIn invitation message, sprinkle in a few compliments to flatter your lead. Mention their achievement or expertise — anything that could show your admiration for the person.
It pays to do a bit of research and inserting a quick praise could show that you took the time to learn more about them!
Introduce yourself, too.
While your LinkedIn invitation message should be all about your prospect, don’t forget to mention a thing or two about yourself before signing off. Your basic professional background and expertise could be a way to stand out among the hundreds of connection requests they’re receiving.
Another way to build a connection is to point out something you have in common. Did you graduate from the same alma mater? Go to the same company? Participate in the same LinkedIn group?
Set a common ground and let things move from there.
What’s next?
Now that you’ve established everything in your message, what’s the next step for your lead?
Suggest what you’d want to happen moving forward — whether you’re expecting a reply, a quick phone call, or a coffee meet-up. Including this information can give a clearer idea of what you want and help your prospects decide to do business with you too. When it comes to pitching, it’s best to skip vagueness.
Templates to help you out
Still struggling with your LinkedIn invitation message? We rounded up the best templates that you could tweak and send while you’re still crafting that perfect pitch.
1. An existing connection
Look no further than your circle for possible clients. It’s an excellent way to start lead generation without taking too much time on your search bar.
“Hey there, [name]!
It’s [your name], we met at/we worked together on [project or event]! I came across your page and thought it would be nice to connect. Hopefully, we could fill you in on what we do at [company], I think you’d be interested!
Talk soon, [your name]”
2. A prospect you’ve met online
Before you meet your prospects in a meeting, you first have to build a connection online. It can be quite challenging, but it isn’t impossible!
“Hi, [name]!
I came across your profile and saw that you worked on projects XYZ at [their company]. I would love to collaborate with you. We developed a [short description of what you’re offering] at [your company], and I think it would fit well with what you’re doing at [their company/project name].
Looking forward!
Best, [your name]”
3. Someone you met at a networking event
Take advantage of networking events to find prospects and level up the conversation through LinkedIn.
“Hi, [name]!
I’m [your name], we met at the [conference] a few days back! I’m glad I found you here on LinkedIn. I’m currently working on this new project for [your company], and I think it would be a great fit for you.
Hope we could catch up sometime this week!
[your name]”
4. Co-member in a LinkedIn group
LinkedIn is a gold mine of quality leads, especially its little communities through LinkedIn groups.
When connecting with a co-member, mention that you’re both part of the group and the reason behind your connection request.
“Hi, [name]!
I noticed that you’re also part of [LinkedIn group] and I genuinely appreciate your insightful posts and comments!
I work for [your company]. Right now, we’re spearheading a new project on [short description of what you’re offering]. If you’re interested, I’d love to discuss more!
Hope to speak soon,
[your name]”