LinkedIn offers one of the very best (if not the best) platforms for businesses to generate leads and build meaningful relationships, and cold messaging is one of the top ways to utilize it. In this article (and LinkedIn newsletter), we’ll look at the benefits of cold messaging, the statistics behind its effectiveness on LinkedIn, how to write an effective cold message—that actually works—as well as 10 proven cold messaging templates to get you started and bringing in meaningful business.
What is Cold Messaging on LinkedIn?
Cold messaging is simply a form of direct communication used to initiate contact with potential customers. It is usually to people that aren’t already known, with the intent of connecting with them, pitching a product or service, and is a powerful tool for lead generation.
Cold messaging is a great way to reach out to potential customers who may not be aware of you, but the first message is everything. The key to successful cold messaging is to make sure this first contact message is relevant and engaging. Other factors are important as the conversation develops, but this decides whether you will even be considered.
Benefits of Cold Messaging on LinkedIn
Before we go too far into detail, let’s briefly cover the main benefits that cold messaging (on LinkedIn) provides, as it is important to keep in mind what, specifically, is to be gained, and why utilizing LinkedIn for this, in particular, is important.
- Cold messaging is a great cost-effective and time-efficient way to generate leads and introduce your product or service.
- Cold messaging is also an effective way to strengthen your relationships with existing clients, as it allows you to touch base with them while providing valuable key information.
- Cold messaging, on LinkedIn, is a lead generation marketing strategy that requires zero additional cost—there’s no expensive ad campaigns or complex software required.
- LinkedIn allows for you to reach out to leads that may not have their information publicly listed.
- Cold messages on LinkedIn allow you to have a more personal and real-time conversation with potential clients than what many other lead generation techniques allow.
- Cold messaging on LinkedIn is made particularly effective because it allows you to deliver more engaging messages to your recipient by taking into account their job role, work history, educational background, and any other personal details they have listed.
- Lastly, by taking into account these personal details and weaving them into a thoughtful dialogue, your cold message on LinkedIn can be significantly more likely to lead to an appointment.
There are other benefits, too, which we will progressively cover, but these are the main benefits of utilizing a cold message strategy on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Cold Message Statistics
Cold messaging is increasingly becoming an essential tool for businesses to generate leads. According to a study by BreakCold, cold messages sent via LinkedIn have an open rate of almost 100%. This is due to the notification they receive and proves that cold messaging is an effective way to reach out and engage with potential customers.
As the features of LinkedIn continue to develop and grow over time, so has cold messaging as an essential tool for businesses to generate leads.
The same study also found that the majority of cold messages sent via LinkedIn have a 39% response rate. This means that if you utilize cold messaging properly, you should be able to generate quality leads in a relatively short period of time.
In addition, the study found that the most successful cold messages are short and to the point. The longer the message, the less likely they are to be responded to, which reinforces the importance of keeping your messages succinct and relevant.
How to Cold Message on LinkedIn Successfully
Cold messaging on LinkedIn successfully requires a little bit of thought and planning, but once you get the hang of it you will probably enjoy the process. First of all, keep in mind that to cold message on LinkedIn, you will have to be a 1st degree connection, which means you will have to request the connection first. Once established, you can open up – but remember to be completely mindful of their unique background so you don’t waste the opportunity.
It’s usually best to open with a friendly but professional greeting, that shows respect for their time and thanks them for having connecting with you. Try to use the recipient’s name, and personalize it to the greatest degree that you can. You don’t want your message to be seen as generic.
Keep the message short and to the point, and don’t be overly promotional or pushy with your product or service. You want your message to be read, and if it’s too long or too obviously about your sales then there’s a high likelihood of not receiving any response—there’s enough people doing the same thing, not putting care into their messages.
Be sure to provide relevant information about your company and what you’re offering. If this isn’t applicable for the first message, and you are just warming up to the lead, then definitely do it by the second. You want to be completely clear about why you are taking up their time.
Lastly, be kind, be professional, and treat every lead like you would also like to receive an offer. You have a great opportunity to connect with someone, who even if they have no need for your product/service now, doesn’t mean they won’t later. So don’t be pushy, and invite them to collaborate if possible and if it would provide value.
Cold Messaging Tips
Cold messaging successfully is normally something you improve on over time. Rarely are people naturally gifted at cold messaging or texting, because knowing how to do so well is usually the result of much trial and error.
That said, here are some tips that will help you get started strong and give you an edge over others competing for the same time and attention of your audience.
- Thoroughly research your target audience and make sure your lead matches the profile of someone you’re looking for, completely. You don’t want to make yourself look bad targeting someone in another industry, thinking they’re in yours.
- Focus on their industry. This is an opportunity to personalize your message and be specific. If you’re focused on serving real estate agents, don’t generalize them as people or business owners. More personalization is always better.
- Make it less about you, and more about them. Almost everyone else cold messaging wants to promote themselves, but the ones converting are the ones that are able to draw the connection between that promotion and the real needs of who they are messaging.
- It’s far better to focus on measurable outcomes than it is to speak about your services generally. You and so many others are providing the same service, but what does that mean to the lead’s bottom line?
- When you go for it, have a clear and definite call to action for the recipient to follow up on. If you’re vague, you’re likely to only be seen as an annoyance, but with clear outcomes and a clear CTA, you will find a much higher interest and response rate.
- Follow up. If you don’t get a response to your first message, it’s OK. Give the conversation some breathing room, and follow up again at a later date. Remember that this is an opportunity that they opened up for you, by connecting with you, so don’t waste it and respect that they may simply be too occupied to give you attention at that moment in time.
10 Proven Cold Messaging Templates
The best cold messages take into account as much personalization as possible, and vary between industries. Keep in mind that what may work somewhere, for someone, may not work for another. However, these 10 cold messaging templates may be the perfect stepping out point to help you get started and connecting:
1 ―
Hi [Name],
I hope this finds you at the right time.
I was thinking, and I know of a perfect way that your company could increase its sales by [Amount]. I’d love to explain this to you if you’re interested in giving me just 10 minutes of your time.
Hope to hear back soon.
Thanks, [Your_Name]
2 ―
Hi [Name],
I recently came across [Article] and thought you might find it interesting. [Write a line or two about the article.]
I also wanted to let you know that [Your_Company] offers a similar [Solution] to help [Target_Audience]. Would you like to hear some of the details? It will only take a moment, and I will understand if it’s not a good fit for you.
Thanks, [Your_Name]
3 ―
Hi [Name],
Thanks for connecting with me earlier this week. While I was researching [Company], I happened to recognize one of the key problems that used to affect us, [Key Relatable Problem]. Fortunately, we found a solution, which was [Solution].
If you’re free to give me a few minutes I can explain how my company, [Your_Company], can help you quickly resolve it.
Thanks!
[Your_Name]
4 ―
Hi [Name],
Thanks for connecting with me. I was exploring your platform and found that it had [Problem] which my company, [Your_Company], specially helps out with. I don’t want to pressure you into anything, but if you would like to hear about our solution then it will only take 10 minutes of your time.
Thank you!
[Your_Name]
5 ―
Hi [Name],
What if I told you that I could help [Company] increase their [Metric] by [Amount]?
Would you believe me? And would you want to learn a little more?
Because my company, [Your_Company], has helped many other businesses, just like yours, do that very thing.
You can read some of our client reviews here if you’re interested: [link]
Hope to chat with you soon.
[Your_Name]
6 ―
Hi [Name],
Thanks for connecting with me. I came across your profile and after briefly researching, found you were using one of our competitor’s platforms for [Service].
If you don’t mind me asking, how have your results with them been till now?
Some of our clients used them in the past, and faced [Problem]. Have you ever experienced the same while using it?
If you’re interested in learning a little more about our [Service], I can show you how much better our [Product] is, in as little as 15 minutes.
Thanks again.
[Your_Name]
7 ―
Hi [Name],
I noticed the social media post [Company] made today, and [some thoughts on the post].
Related to that, some of the clients we serve experienced [results relatable to the post]. With our help, they have [positive effects of service].
If you’re interested in sitting down with me for 10 or 15 minutes, we could discuss how you could experience the same [positive effects of service].
Hope to hear from you.
[Your_Name]
8 ―
Hi [Name],
Imagine if you didn’t have to manage [Daily_Task] every single day, what would your day be like? You would probably have a lot more time to focus on other important tasks!
With [Your_Service], you can do just that. We help business owners like yourself focus on what’s most important.
Let’s have a quick chat if this interests you.
Thanks for connecting,
[Your_Name]
9 ―
Hi [Name],
I know we haven’t spoken in a while, but my company [Your_Company] is having an incredible promotion of [Promotion]. Being in the [X Industry], I thought you might find a use in [Your_Service].
I just thought I’d let you know, and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
Thanks!
[Your_Name]
10 ―
Hi [Name],
Thanks for connecting with me last week. I don’t want to take up any unnecessary time, but I noticed that your company, [Company], doesn’t have a [Missing_Value], and my company specializes in providing that very thing.
You don’t have to take my word for it though, as we have many client testimonials describing our services in detail, you can check them out at [link].
Have a great rest of your day, and I’m open to any and all questions you may have.
[Your_Name]
How to Track Your Cold Messaging Results
Like any marketing effort, tracking and measuring the results of your cold messaging campaign is key to a successful and winning strategy. However, how to do this may not be obvious. Here are some tips that will help you to keep track of what is and isn’t working for you:
- Use a spreadsheet to keep track of all your LI cold messages. Include the recipient’s name, the message you sent, the date it was sent, and the response you received. The best option on the market for this is currently Cleverly and tracks other key performance metrics with it.
- Track your open rates. Monitor how many people opened your message and how long it took them to open it. Open rates for messaging on LinkedIn should normally be high due to the notifications received.
- Track your response rates. Monitor how many people responded to your message and how long it took them to respond. This is the key metric you want to track, and is key to the success of your cold messaging campaign. Even if you’re unable to convert your leads, having a good response rate means you’re on the right track.
- Track your click-through rates for any links provided. Even if a message isn’t replied to, they may still be curious enough to visit any link you’ve provided them. Ensure that you are able to track your links using an affordable and versatile linking service like Clickmeter.
Conclusion
Cold messaging on Linkedin is a free and valuable lead generation tool that businesses can use to network and build relationships. It is an effective means of reaching out to potential clients that don’t know about you or what your company offers, as well as existing customers.
By following the tips outlined in this article, you can get a solid start on creating your first cold messaging marketing campaign. Remember that a great cold message will prioritize personalization at all levels, which includes their name, company, industry, their needs, their problems, solutions to their problems, and a strong, clear call-to-action.
Software and tools can help ease the learning curve and give you an edge, but the for the best results you will need to be willing to jump in and learn as you go. There are no mistakes, because every new conversation and connection you make along the way will further lead you to what works well for you.
