Home » How to Reach Out to People on LinkedIn? 8 Tips Every Beginner Should Learn

How to Reach Out to People on LinkedIn? 8 Tips Every Beginner Should Learn

Are you looking for the best way to reach out to people on LinkedIn? And if that’s the case, then this blog will guide you on how to reach out to people on LinkedIn. But that is not all, as we will give out some tips that every beginner should know if they plan to have a successful online presence on LinkedIn.

Scroll through the internet pages, and there are thousands of jokes about LinkedIn and how the young generation does not even accept a connection request. And that’s true; not many young people would have an account on LinkedIn. Yet, the same group would spend hours every day on their smartphones scrolling their Insta feed, sharing snaps, and whatnot. And that’s completely alright. 

LinkedIn is not a platform that is targeted or even attempting to attract young adults or teenagers. It specifically caters to a particular subset of all age groups, which is working professionals. LinkedIn is a social media platform in the truest sense, but it aims to connect professionals with common interests or working industries. And that is how LinkedIn stands apart from the rest of the more popular social media platforms present today.

LinkedIn is the place for professionals, either looking to grow their sales with LinkedIn outreach or connecting with other fellow professionals. If you are a working professional, regardless of your profession or industry – you need to have a LinkedIn profile to connect with fellow professionals. And especially if you are looking to grow in your career.

But not everything is hunky-dory with LinkedIn. There is a reason for the bad reputation of LinkedIn, particularly because of their cold messages. And if you have had a profile for less than a day on LinkedIn, you would have received at least a couple of spam messages by now. But this is not the only issue with LinkedIn, as this spamming has in a way forced people to simply ignore their inbox. On the other hand, it has made people hesitant to reach out to professionals on a social media platform that is specifically created with the same purpose. No one wants to be ignored, rejected, or possibly reported. If you have experienced this scenario before, then you are aware that you are not alone in this. But that does not mean you would have to give up on making the most of LinkedIn’s possibilities. You can also reach out to other professionals like your pro, no matter what your objective is. And whether you are looking to get hired or are simply interested in getting some advice from fellow professionals, by making use of the pointers listed below.

Also Read:- How To Become A Freelancer and Where to Find Freelance Jobs?

But First, Who to Connect With on LinkedIn?

But First, Who to Connect With on LinkedIn

A common mistake made by many first-time LinkedIn users is that they try to have as many connections as the social platform would allow them to. Now, many readers might be asking themselves, isn’t that the purpose of LinkedIn. And they are right in their assumption. Of course, LinkedIn is to connect with other professionals; in fact, LinkedIn even allows one to have up to 30,000 ‘connections’ on the platform. But this number does not really matter much. To enlighten you further, if you are looking to make the most out of LinkedIn, unlike Facebook, where maximum friends and followers mean your posts have higher outreach – it does not work the same way in this platform. 

So, now on to our original question – who to add on LinkedIn? The answer to this question depends on your intention to create a LinkedIn profile.

  • Are you searching for a new job?
  • Are you looking for new business partners to invest in your venture?
  • Lead generation
  • Are you looking to build a robust brand identity, especially in the B2B community?
  • Or are you simply looking to connect with professionals in the same industry as yours?

This is how you ensure that your feed stays relevant to what you need from your connection. The limited number of connections gives an impression that you are a serious professional looking to make meaningful connections on this social media platform.

These are some of the more common reasons professionals would opt to make a profile on LinkedIn. And if you are among them, then here are the types of people you should make a connection with on LinkedIn. 

#1. Colleagues

Your colleagues wouldn’t only be the first professionals you would want to connect with on LinkedIn; in fact, they would be the first degree connections who could recommend you to someone. That’s why one of the first people you should connect with on LinkedIn should be your colleagues. 

In addition, if you are searching for professionals to work under you, they can easily recommend someone to you as well.

Another benefit of adding your colleagues is that they would easily endorse the skills you have listed on your profile. Thus, giving it an added sense of authenticity that many LinkedIn profiles lack.

#2. Existing Clients

The very next people that you need to connect with immediately after your colleagues are your existing clientele, if you have any. LinkedIn is the platform for B2B connection; in fact, that is what it is renowned for. By connecting with your existing clients on LinkedIn, you would not only nurture your relationship with the existing clients, but they can even lead you to new clients in the future as well. There is simply no downside in connecting with your existing clients, either through the administrator profiles or directly with their business page on LinkedIn. So, if you have existing clients, then the first thing you need to do is, send them a connection request on LinkedIn immediately.

#3. Potential Clients

LinkedIn has an excellent feature that allows one to filter potential connections they are searching for easily. Based on your working preference, your designation, the location of your job, as well as the industry, you can easily filter out several potential clients for the future. The next thing to do is to connect with them immediately. Even if they are not looking to fill a vacancy in the present or looking to hire a professional at the moment, that would not always be the case. And when the time comes, you would be ready to present yourself as a viable person that can fulfill their needs.

aLinkedIn dvanced search features are quite powerful, and one should make the most of them, especially if they are looking to boost their online presence among their fellow professionals.

#4. People You Just Met

Are you someone who attends seminars or exhibitions regularly? Naturally, you would have interacted with quite a lot of people in such exhibitions and seminars, and you probably have gotten quite a few contacts as well. But it is highly unlikely that you would even contact them again, especially on their contact no. And even if you do, it is more likely that they would not have remembered you.

#5. 24 Hours

This is the amount of time one has to connect with someone they have met for the first time. But while reaching out to them on their contact number might not be a viable solution available to you. Instead, you can easily reach out to them via LinkedIn and introduce yourself anytime. LinkedIn is the go-to platform for working professionals. Anyone you find in a seminar or in an exhibition will likely have a profile on LinkedIn. So, connect with them on LinkedIn immediately.

#6. People that Might Help You

LinkedIn is an excellent place to connect with professionals, especially for professionals who have just started to ply their trade in their field. You will find several professionals on LinkedIn who will help you out in not only understanding how to best make use of LinkedIn to connect with fellow professionals but also who will assist you in your work as well.

Some other Tips that Will Help Your Profile on LinkedIn and Every Beginner Should Know

Some other Tips that Will Help Your Profile on LinkedIn and Every Beginner Should Know
  • Make sure that your profile and feed look professional in approach. One common mistake made by beginners on LinkedIn is that they assume since it is a social networking platform, they can post their life happenings or random thoughts on their feed or mention it on their profile. This is not the purpose of LinkedIn, and frankly, it would turn any potential recruiter off from your profile.
  • Optimize your LinkedIn profile to the best of your abilities. LinkedIn is a powerful medium for those looking to connect with fellow professionals. But it only works when one optimizes their profile to the fullest. Mention your work experience; current, and past positions, educations, skills, and other relevant stuff easier for recruiters to make sense of your abilities and stand out from the rest of the herd.
  • Target the right people. Now, if you have gone through the points above, you can understand how essential it is to target folks and businesses relevant to your work. And this is crucial to get the best possible result and not waste your energy unnecessarily.
  • Use LinkedIn advanced search to the fullest. Find potential openings, professionals of interest, companies, and more by making the best use of LinkedIn’s advanced search tool.

Tips When Reaching Out to Someone on LinkedIn

Tips When Reaching Out to Someone on LinkedIn

Connecting with someone on LinkedIn is the easy part. But the next step is where the trouble begins. Because of daily spamming, it is highly unlikely that a stranger would read your message. And on top of that, if you are not directly in your approach, the chances of getting a response would be minimal. Here are some tips that you could follow which will help you get a response, especially if you are reaching out for a job.

1. Never Apologize for Messaging

One of the basic ways people approach a potential recruiter is by first apologizing for bothering them. Do not do that! LinkedIn is a social media platform made by professionals for professionals to connect with each other. And that is why you should never start your message with ‘I know you are busy, but..’, no, you only need to be professional in your message, and that is all you should do.

2. Be Crystal Clear With Your Purpose

While you should never apologize for messaging someone on LinkedIn, it does not mean that they have all the time in the world to read your message. In fact, on average, one only gives about 20 seconds on a message on LinkedIn. This means you only have a limited amount of time to catch their attention. And the only way you can do that is by being clear in your message. State who you are and what you want immediately, without adding any wordy phrase or jargon. The more direct you are, the more likely you are to get a response from your LinkedIn connection.

But it would be best if you kept in mind not to be too generic in your messaging. Messages like ‘can we connect on call’ or ‘Hi, how are you?’ are unlikely to receive a positive response, if any, from the professional on the other end. You can also ask a direct question if you are looking for a response. This usually results in an answer from the other end.

3. Ask for One Thing Only

Another common mistake made by beginners on LinkedIn is that they are not focused on asking for one thing in their first cold message. Instead, the key to getting a positive response depends on your request being uncomplicated and straightforward. And if you get a response from the other end, then you can always follow up on your other queries later. But the first thing you need to do is ensure that the professional on the other end communicates with you.

4. Ensure that Your Message is Short and Concise

Take this tip to your heart – your message should not exceed the limit of over 100 words. In fact, if your message is within 50 to 75 words, then that would be ideal. Not only this way can you ensure that your complete message is read, but it is highly likely that you will get a response this way. Also, give proper spacing in the message, which will ensure that it is easily readable.

5. Customize Your Message for Each Person

Often beginners think that if they can create one simple message for their connection and save some time. That is not the case. There is no hack for getting a genuine connection on LinkedIn, which is why you need to invest some time in messaging each individual and not using a prompt. Copying and pasting a message will not earn you any attention from experienced professionals on LinkedIn. You can make use of a template or style, but your message should be unique.

6. Avoid Attachments

Using attachments on your first cold message on LinkedIn ensures that you do not get any response from the other side. Sending an attachment to someone you have never spoken to before sends the wrong single, which is too aggressive. You should not even do that not when applying for a job unless the recruiter asks for it themselves.

7. Look for a Mutual Connection

Before messaging a professional, go through their profile and see whether or not you have any mutual connection between you. If that is the case, then you ask them for an introduction which will significantly bolster your chances of successfully starting a conversation with that person.

But if that is not possible, then you can simply drop the mutual name to attract their attention. Simply mentioning the company’s name in your background or the common college you both have attended will go a long way in forging a connection and improving your odds.

8. Give Before You Get

You are not likely to get a favor from someone from LinkedIn if you are unwilling to help the other person in return. Therefore, do not hesitate to help someone in need on LinkedIn, especially if they are looking for a job and want you to amplify their post reach by simply commenting on it. This will ensure their help in the future if you require it.

Read more:- People You Need to Follow on LinkedIn if You Are Looking for a Job

Conclusion

LinkedIn is a straightforward social media platform catering to a specific niche and is easy to master. This is why it is quite surprising to see so many people struggling to get the most from what LinkedIn offers. If you are someone who has been struggling on LinkedIn, either with connecting with other people or with getting professionals to respond to your messages – you can boost your LinkedIn game by following the above tips and pointers to the letter. If you simply follow the above-listed tips and keep in mind the don’ts on LinkedIn, you are sure to see a massive improvement in the LinkedIn game within a few months.