LinkedIn prospecting is, simply put, the process of identifying your ideal customers on LinkedIn and building rapport with them.
That means you need to sift through the millions of LinkedIn users to find those who are just the right fit for your product or service.
And that’s only the beginning, as you’ll have to work hard to create a genuine, lasting relationship with them.
Sounds tough, doesn’t it?
Source: Tenor.com
However, investing resources into LinkedIn prospecting will be well worth the trouble, and here’s why.
What makes LinkedIn prospecting a cant-do-without?
Ready to be 💥wowed💥?
Source: Tenor.com
👉 LinkedIn is the #1 choice for professionals to stay connected and informed, advance their careers, and work smarter
👉 Marketers see up to 2x higher conversion rates on LinkedIn
👉 LinkedIn has 46 million B2B decision-makers and 17 million opinion leaders
👉 4 out of 5 people on LinkedIn drive business decisions
👉 LinkedIn is 277% more effective at generating leads than Facebook and Twitter
Not too shabby, huh?
And as LinkedIn is apparently a downright goldmine when it comes to lead generation and prospecting, it’s not something you’d want to miss out on. 😉
So, to help you make this year the best so far for your LinkedIn sales & outreach game, we’ll share some foolproof tips on LinkedIn prospecting that have been tested and tried over and time again.
Here are our top 9 tips for LinkedIn Prospecting:
- Determine your ideal customer profile
- Comb through LinkedIn for potential prospects
- Send personalized messages to build rapport
- Make brand advocates out of satisfied customers
- Remember to follow up
- Share content that provides value
- Pin a welcome video on your profile
- Reengage prospects who’ve turned cold
- Track your stats
Without further ado, let’s dig right in!
Source: Tenor.com
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #1: Determine your ideal customer profile
First things first: you can’t start looking for your target audience unless you know who to look for.
Start with answering questions such as:
- What industry are your customers in?
- What is their job role or occupation?
- What age group do they fall into?
- Where are they predominantly from?
- What is their main pain problem?
Once you know who is most likely interested in the solution you have to offer, you can start searching for LinkedIn users who fit the profile in tip no 2.
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #2: Comb through LinkedIn for potential prospects
When you’ve successfully pinned down your ICP, it’s time to look for LinkedIn users who fall match that persona.
To sift through LinkedIn in the most effective way possible:
- Make the most of Advanced Search Filters on LinkedIn;
Source: LinkedIn.com
- Try out Sales Navigator, as it has even more filters, for a more segmented search
- Check out fellow group members and event attendees
- Pay attention to users who’ve engaged with your content on LinkedIn
- Use the “People Also Viewed” to find profiles similar to your confirmed prospects or customers, as there’s a chance they’ll be interested in your product as well
Source: LinkedIn.com
- Consider using a LinkedIn automation tool, as they can significantly leverage your outreach.
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #3: Send personalized messages to build rapport;
Although LinkedIn inboxes are not as overcrowded as email ones, you still need some extra ✨sparkle✨ to cut through the noise when reaching out to potential prospects.
That’s why sending highly-personalized messages is never a bad idea.
After all, providing audiences with a personalized experience is becoming a must for any serious business, and we have some more stats incoming to prove that:
👉 72% of consumers claim they will only engage with personalized messaging
👉 Half of Millennials and Gen Zers generally ignore communications from companies that don’t personalize their content
👉 84% of customers say being treated like a person, not a number, is crucial to winning their wallet share (Salesforce)
👉 63% of consumers see personalization as a standard of service
👉 90% of marketers report a measurable lift in business results attributable to personalization, and 58% say that lift is greater than 10%
And you know what’s the single most effective - and easy - way to make any message hyper-personalized in mere minutes?
That’s right, folks, it’s videos! 🎥
Videos have become a staple point in sales, a crucial part of B2B sales funnels and sales enablement strategies, in addition to being super effective on LinkedIn as well - all for a good reason:
💥 LinkedIn video posts are five times more likely to start a conversation
💥 59% of senior executives claim that if both options are available, they prefer watching a video on a topic over reading it in text
💥 Campaigns on LinkedIn with videos have view rates of 50%
💥 Video posts on LinkedIn are shared 20 times more than other content formats
And this is just the tip of the iceberg when the greatness of videos is concerned.
Therefore, sending prospects video messages, rather than plain, old, generic text ones, is sure to help your message stand out from the crowd smoothly.
Not to mention that making that all-important eye contact is bound to give you significant leverage in winning your prospects over.
After all, putting a friendly face to the brand is the most effective way to create a very personal relationship with potential prospects. 😉
Source: Sendspark.com
With Sendspark, you can record and send LinkedIn video messages with a few clicks.
Thanks to an integration with LinkedIn, you can record a video directly from the compose message window.
Source: Sendspark.com
Rather than adding the video file to your message, Sendspark adds a preview image and a link to a dedicated video landing page - which you have the power to customize with your own branding, a welcome message, a call to action button, and more.
Source: Sendspark.com
And that’s not all - thanks to a host of video templates and the possibility of creating and customizing your own, you can scale your LinkedIn prospecting and save time.
Source: Sendspark.com
So, instead of making a new video each time for every potential lead that comes your way, you can simply use one of the pre-made templates, customize it a little, and you’re ready to go!
That way, you’ll provide your prospects with a fully customized experience that will look and feel like it’s been made for them alone.
At the same time, they will be none the wiser that you’ve taken somewhat of a shortcut in your approach. 😏
Sign up for free today, and start recording!
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #4: Turn satisfied customers into brand advocates
You know what potential customers like the most?
Source: Tenor.com
They like hearing about your product from other customers rather than yourself, and the reason is quite simple.
Reviews from people who aren’t biased, nor have any material gain from speaking about your product, can significantly weigh in your favor and help build trust with prospects.
Moreover, when asking for feedback, you’ll show both present and potential customers that their opinions matter to you.
Customer testimonials can come in various forms and formats, but you won’t go wrong in using videos for this as well.
Having prospects see and hear satisfied customers talk about their experience with your product is invaluable.
Nothing can better convey actual human touch than video, which allows people to make the most of both verbal and non-verbal communication to get their message across.
Source: Sendspark.com
Sendspark allows you to get customer feedback via Request Video feature easily.
Source: Sendspark.com
All your users need do is click on the link you’ve sent them, and they’ll start recording without having to install anything.
The video will then automatically be uploaded to you, and voila - you’ll be provided with ample social proof to showcase just how great your product is.
Those testimonials will be a real heavyweight player in your prospecting, as you can include them in your video sales letters, share them as a regular LinkedIn post, or send them directly to prospects’ inboxes.
It’s as simple as that! 😎
To get top-quality customer testimonials for your prospecting campaigns, just remember to:
- Ask the right questions
- Make it as simple as possible for your customers to create a video testimonial
- Distribute those testimonials across all the channels your prospects can be found in - including LinkedIn, email, etc
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #5: Remember to follow up
Regular follow-ups are a must if you intend to keep those prospects engaged and interested, especially if they are not ripe for conversion yet.
When that’s the case, you’ll want to make sure you stay at the top of their minds until the time is right, or they might be tempted to opt for your competitors.
And since 60% of customers say no four times before saying yes, you obviously can’t afford to throw in the towel after just one measly attempt.
Fortunately, there are many ways to follow up with prospects without giving off the infamous salesy vibe everyone detests.
You can always engage them with short and fun videos that will feel more like a friendly checking-in with them than a blatant sale.
For example, you can send videos that:
- Congratulate your prospects on their business achievements, milestones reached, promotions, new jobs, etc.
- Celebrate important dates such as their birthdays, as research has shown that birthday emails tend to generate 342% more revenue per email than standard promotional emails, and video messages perform even better
- Give them a heads-up on product updates or new products they might find interesting
Source: Sendspark.com
- Introduce them further to your brand by making a custom-tailored offer that’s made to fit their specific issues and pain points - that way, you’ll show them you’ve taken the time to consider what they need the most
Just make sure to personalize your video to get optimal results because few things can put off prospective customers more than feeling like they’re being sold to.
Some boxes you’ll want to tick in order for your follow-up video to be as personalized as possible are:
✅ Emphasize all the vital tidbits, which you can easily achieve with Sendspark’s camera spotlight - whenever you need to make a point, just take the central stage;
Source: Sendspark.com
✅ Create a customized thumbnail - opting for a GIF made from a part of your video is always a win, as we’re naturally drawn to movement
Source: Sendspark.com
✅ Custom-tailor a landing page for every prospect - just add their company’s logo, a witty caption, and a CTA button that will direct them anywhere you want to, and you’re ready to rock
Source: Sendspark.com
Bonus tip: when online prospects are concerned, timing is everything. ⏰
They can go from scorching hot to freezing cold in a matter of mere hours.
In fact, 35-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first.
With Sendspark, you get instant alerts when a prospect watches your video and when they click on the CTA button.
Source: Sendspark.com
That way, you’ll avoid losing a lead just because you were tardy in following up.
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #6: Share content that provides value
Did you know that there are 9 billion content impressions in the LinkedIn feed every week?
Source: Tenor.com
It’s no wonder then that as many as 91% of marketing executives list LinkedIn as the top place to find quality content.
It’s as straightforward as it gets: sharing content on LinkedIn is one of the crucial steps of any marketing campaign - prospecting included.
When deciding on the type of content you’re going to share with fellow professionals, consider that:
💥 Video posts are 5X more likely to get comments
💥 Videos on LinkedIn are getting shared 20+ times more than any other content
💥 Video posts also earn 3X the engagement of text-only posts
If you want your video content to deliver such fantastic results, bear in mind that you’ll have to provide your audience with some sort of value, something that will intrigue them, educate them, or amuse them enough to want to stay tuned.
And there are a bunch of different videos you can share to raise brand awareness, build trust, and introduce prospects to the solution you have for their pain points, including:
- Product demo videos, since there’s no better way to warm prospects up than by showing your product in action - screen and face recording options combined work like a charm when it comes to this;
Source: Sendspark.com
- How-to videos - detailed explanations on common pain points that come with powerful takeaways and solutions that are easy to implement always work well with prospects (bonus points if you manage to weave your product into the storyline and show its best use cases)
- Videos that give valuable insights into your industry - by doing that, you’ll establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry, which will, in turn, help with building trust with prospects
- Videos with sensational yet educational material - if you succeed in bringing fun to dry data, you’re bound to charm prospects;
- Videos that tell your story - whether it’s the history of your brand, the journey you’ve been on, or a story on how you came up with the idea for your product, storytelling adds a human touch to your business, as it always comes from a very personal place
And who can tell your story in a more compelling way than yourself?
Source: Sendspark.com
- Teaser videos to create just the right amount of hype - there’s no better way to announce that next big update or exciting new product release than a short and intriguing behind-the-scenes sneak peek video.
On a side note, before you start sharing videos on LinkedIn, make sure that they comply with the LinkedIn video specs. 👍
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #7: Pin a welcome video on your profile
Like many other social networks, LinkedIn comes with an option for pinning posts on your profile.
Pinned or featured posts are status updates you choose to stay at the top of your timeline, meaning they won't slip further down with new content you’ve added.
Source: LinkedIn.com
That means that pinned content will be the first thing people see when they click on your LinkedIn profile, making it the perfect spot for a welcome video.
A welcome video can introduce people to what you do, how and why you do it, and what it is exactly that you offer them.
As such, it’s an ideal means of establishing your brand, sharing your story, and showing potential prospects what you’re all about.
And although you may be tempted to pour your soul into that video and make it the most epic piece of visual content anyone has ever seen, keep in mind that more doesn’t necessarily mean better.
Source: Tenor.com
If you consider that about 33% of people will stop watching a video after only 30 seconds and that after two minutes, about 60% will no longer be watching a video, try to keep it simple, actionable, and straight to the point for optimal results.
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #8: Reengage prospects who’ve turned cold
Sometimes, a once warm and engaged prospect goes a little cold.
Source: Tenor.com
But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of all hope, as you can still beckon them back to your side of the playfield. 🙃
You can always send them short, custom-tailored videos to check in with them and remind them of your existence.
After all, putting a friendly face to the name makes it all the more difficult for a prospect to ghost you.
Source: Sendspark.com
You can include a one-of-a-kind special offer that you’ve created for them alone to make them feel valued and important or suggest hopping on a quick catch-up call at a time that best suits them.
Just add a customized CTA for scheduling a meeting at the bottom of your personalized video, hit send, and you’re ready to go.
Source: Sendspark.com
LinkedIn Prospecting Tip #9: Track your stats
Although you may often feel like prospecting is more of a guessing game than an exact science, the truth is it doesn’t have to be like that.
If you make a habit of tracking your analytics, you’ll get vital insights into what parts of your sales funnel work and which could do with some improvement.
There are several avenues you can take when it comes to tracking the stats on your LinkedIn content performance.
For instance, you could use:
- Smart Links - an option you get when you opt for Sales Navigator that enables you to see how your audience engages with the content you’ve sent them.
Source: LinkedIn.com
On the downside, you can only use this for content you’ve sent via messages, and your users have to click to consent to data collection before they’re shown the content you’ve sent.
- Sendspark’s in-app analytics for tracking video content engagement - with features like viewer insights and video heatmaps, you can see things like viewer sessions and identify users by name and location.
Source: Sendspark.com
Moreover, you’ll be provided with insight into what parts of your video were the most compelling and at which point most viewers stopped watching.
Source: Sendspark.com
- An app devised specifically for tracking LinkedIn analytics - there are lots of apps on the market that take notice of various LinkedIn metrics and present them in the form of actionable reports. All you need to do is find the one that’s just right for you.
Key takeaways
You know what time it is, guys?
You’ve guessed it right - it’s time for a brief recap of all the useful info we’ve just bombarded you with.
Source: Giphy.com
When starting out with your epic quest for prospects on LinkedIn, keep these things front of mind at all times:
📓 Do your homework well and pinpoint your ICP before anything else
🕵️♀️ Sift through LinkedIn to find users who fit the profile just right
🎥 Create a customized experience for each prospect - videos are top-game for this
🎉 Provide prospects with ample social proof of your greatness - and video testimonials are the way to go
💗 Follow up with prospects regularly to generate warm relationships that last
💡 Share visually compelling content that inspires, engages, and builds trust
👋 Include a welcome video in featured content on your LinkedIn page to introduce yourself upfront
🥶 Rekindle business flames that have cooled off and died down
📊 When you don’t want to shoot blanks, analytics are your best friend
With LinkedIn being such a great source of prospects, we bet you can’t wait to give it a go and see what magic awaits. And if you’re keen on seeing the best results - and fast - make sure to make videos a staple point of every prospecting campaign.
Sendspark is just the tool for recording or importing videos and sharing them across LinkedIn without breaking a sweat. Besides, why take just our word for it? Sign up today and try it out for yourself.
And as there’s no limited trial period, you can take all the time you need. 😉
