If you want to ensure the success of your first Linkedin lead generation campaign, it’s all about removing risk from the equation.
At SalesBread it boils down to finding the perfect prospects to reach out to, writing ultra-personalized outreach messages, and following up consistently.
By using this approach, we have managed to generate close to 7000 qualified leads for our clients in the past 24 months.
So if you want your b2b lead generations to succeed, use the following strategy.
(Or if you lack the time to do this yourself, or aren’t happy with the number of leads coming in, let’s chat on a free 15-minute strategy call.
Also if you’re more interested in an article about Linkedin ads and not outbound lead generation, read this article)
Build 2-3 different lists
If you have been reading our articles, you will know that we obsess about list building. When we build prospecting lists, we ensure that these lists are based on current buyers’ data.
But in a nutshell, look at who has purchased your product/service within the last 6 months.
Ask yourself, what do all these buyers have in common?
- Are they all in the same industry? Saas, marketing, social media advertising, HR?
- Are all these buying companies located in the same place? USA? India? 30 miles from California?
- Do they all make use of Linkedin ads in their marketing campaigns?
- How many employees do they have? Greater than 100 or less than 50?
- Do they use the same CRM tool? Like Hubspot?
- Are they all making use of content marketing?
- Who are the decision-makers? Is it the founder? Or someone else?
- Do all buyers have the same job title?
- What are their demographics?
The video below is an example of how we would start to build prospecting lists based on data.
Once you start finding patterns, it’s easy to build look-alike lists of your ideal target audience.
So if you notice that companies buying from you:
Are SEO agencies in the USA that have 10-50 employees that use a specific conversion tracking tool like Ahrefs, then you will know to go after similar SEO agencies that tick the same criteria.
You can then play around and build 2 lists and see which list performs the best.
The same applies to when you start your copywriting. Write 2-3 different personalized connection requests and see which type of message performs the best.
When you create 2-3 different lists along with 2-3 different messages, it ensures that you aren’t putting all your eggs into 1 basket.
So if you didn’t strike gold with your first approach, you can then test out the other 1-2 approaches to help you reduce risk.
Show your messages to a few trusted clients
It can take time to figure out the perfect outreach message.
So don’t feel bad if you mess up the first time. The chances are, you probably will, and that’s totally okay.
But to reduce the risk of failure, do this:
Before you send your first message ask a potential end user to weigh in and tell you how your message stacks up against the typical LinkedIn messages that they are used to receiving.
This step is vitally important for removing risk.
You want your campaign to work within the first week.
If your messaging gets reviewed by a third party that you trust, who’s in the same market, then you’re probably going to have twice as good a message as your competitors right away.
Copywriting tips
Use ultra-personalized messages
Go beyond using a prospect’s first name or company name.
You’re actually going to have to research each prospect on your list and write a personalized, customized intro sentence for each person.
Look at their LinkedIn profile and find something to use in your messaging.
For example:
- If the prospect was recently promoted, congratulate them
- If your company solves a pain point that their company might be experiencing, ask them how they are solving their specific pain point.
- Or if you both have a common connection on LinkedIn, mention that person.
This method is known as our CCQ formula. It stands for – Compliments, commonalities, and questions. So when writing a personalized message, compliment the prospect, ask them a question, or mention a commonality.
We use this method and are seeing great results when it comes to getting positive replies.
Below are some replies that we have received from prospects for our clients.
Don’t be salesy
The fastest way to make a prospect run for the hills is if you try to sell your product to them in your messages.
Don’t do this.
Below is an example of a competitor’s copywriting…
You will notice that it is very salesy:
This isn’t the type of messaging that will get a reply.
Have a low commitment CTA (call to action)
Make it as easy as possible for your prospects to respond. Don’t ask them to watch a 45-minute webinar, or hop on an hour sales call.
Keep it simple.
Ideal CTAs allow the prospect to know exactly what you want from them, as well as a “simple ask”.
Here are some examples:
- Can we hop on a quick 15-minute call?
- Just reply with “Yes” and I will send you the information
- Here is my calendar link if you would like to book a slot
- How does next week sound for a quick chat?
Double-check Your List
If you’re unsure, it means that your list building isn’t finished just yet. Maybe you just went into Linkedin Sales Navigator and did a really broad search.
It’s likely not going to work, and unfortunately, you won’t have given yourself the best shot at success.
Double-check everyone on the list to make sure that they are a perfect fit.
Have a team member go through each website, or Linkedin profile (especially in the beginning) to make sure that if your campaign fails, it’s not because the list wasn’t put together properly.
Let the campaign run for 2 weeks
Before you decide whether to scrap the campaign and try a new one, let it run for at least 2 weeks.
You might have a winner on your hands, but if you start making changes after a day or 2 you’re not going to allow the campaign to prove that it works.
Use lots of personalization
As mentioned above make sure to use tons of personalization. Personalization won’t win the sale for you, but it will allow you to start conversations to get your foot in the door.
This article shares 60 connection request templates that you can use for inspiration.
Lastly… Take any negative feedback as a learning curve
For any negative response that comes in from a prospect, follow up and ask what it was that they weren’t interested in.
Tell them that you’re trying to understand where the message didn’t resonate with them.
And ask if they could just provide a quick one-word answer…
For example:
Was it:
A.) This is not a need right now
B.) You don’t have the budget right now
C.) You just aren’t a good fit
Or
D.) Something else?
If you do this, you will start to very quickly improve your results based on qualitative feedback you get from real prospects.
If you need new leads, let’s talk…
If your conversion rates are low, or if you aren’t getting immediate results from digital marketing, it might be time to give outbound lead generation a try.
SalesBread is a done-for-you Linkedin and cold email lead generation service.
We guarantee 1 qualified sales lead per day, or your money back (t’s and c’s apply.)
And 95% of our clients see their first lead within 48 hours after launching their campaigns.
Click on the button below for a free 15-minute strategy call.
