You've built your network around those you know, but now you're hoping to expand your reach and start assembling a group of professionals who can take your professional plans and goals to new heights. So, how do you tactfully reach out to new people you've never formally met and interest them in connecting with you and continuing a conversation?

This article will cover the dos and don'ts when creating and sending cold messages on LinkedIn and the steps you can take to continue the conversation.

To begin, let's review what Cold Messaging is:

Do you know those emails that usually get sent to your spam folder? Those are a form of cold messaging. A cold message is sent to a person who is not expecting the outreach – typically, to people you have never met.

However, compared to those pesky messages that bombard our inbox, a LinkedIn cold message should be a request to connect with a fellow professional who shares a common interest, can solve a problem for the business, has a unique job or mentorship opportunity, etc. Otherwise, you risk being reported (LinkedIn takes spammers seriously) or disregarded entirely.

Nevertheless, much like those emails we delete instantly or those phone calls we ignore without hesitation, a cold message on LinkedIn can't come across as spammy.

On LinkedIn, a cold message can only be sent using a Sales Navigator or LinkedIn Premium subscription, so if you want to take advantage of this marketing and outreach tool, you will need to subscribe to one of LinkedIn's three Sales Navigator plans or switch to LinkedIn Premium.

As the world's largest professional network, LinkedIn provides the perfect opportunity for those looking to enter the arena as a thought leader, find new job opportunities, recruit new prospects, expand a network, and achieve professional growth.

Networking success does not just happen. There is an art to networking, especially when you're doing it through the flat screen of social media rather than in person at events such as conferences. We will list our tips below.

Before reaching out on LinkedIn, you should have a good idea of your ideal audience. For example, are you searching for people in a specific region? Are you looking for particular skill sets or roles? Are there companies you want to target or avoid altogether? Then, once you have developed a plan of attack, you can create lists through LinkedIn to receive outreach recommendations that line up with your ideal audience.

If you have a Sales Navigator subscription and want more information on creating targeted lists, click here.

Now, what tactics should you follow (and not follow) to have the best outreach results?

Have a solid plan regarding the demographic of people you want to target and why you're reaching out.

You want to enter the conversation knowing your purpose. Are you looking for new hires? Are you hoping to gain new prospective clients? Are you looking to switch jobs? Do you want speaking opportunities? Are you looking for feedback?

Whatever your goals are, you don't want to send messages willy-nilly just to increase your numbers or make friends. When you come up with a plan, you will find it easier to search for the right people, and it will help you form your message wording.

Top performers on LinkedIn research the industry and their prospective connections ahead of time, learn about their potential competitors and are well versed in their arena. They don't simply click the connect button over and over again without reason.

Remember, LinkedIn is a network of professionals, so you want to present yourself as a respectable professional.

Learn the etiquette of cold messaging.

Think about the messages you receive in your inbox. What makes you click the delete button instantly? You don't want to come off spam-like, as it can ruin your reputation and future LinkedIn endeavors, so be sure to remain personable, authentic, friendly, and relevant.

How is this done?

📌 To begin, you want to resonate with the recipients of your messages. Find things you have in common whenever possible (schools, shared interests, jobs, close networks, etc.). LinkedIn reports the chance of receiving an appointment is upwards of 70% when you lead your message with a shared connection.

📌 Personalize your message for the individual. If you don't have a shared connection, personalize your message by complimenting the individual on a recent post they wrote, their perceived work ethic, job history, etc. Personalized messaging performs 15% better than those sent in mass.

📌 Capture the reader's attention in the first sentence so they're inclined to read more.

📌 Keep it short and direct. More concise messages perform significantly better than longer messages. Nobody wants to read a dissertation when they're scrolling through their messages. So stay personable and friendly, but also cut to the chase.

An Invitation to Connect is limited to 299 characters.

📌 Understand that your timing is everything. LinkedIn shows that the ideal time to send your message is Monday-Thursday between 9 and 10 am. Still, we also understand that it can be hard to consistently stay in that morning timeframe, so the biggest takeaway is to avoid trying to connect from Friday-Sunday.

📌 Only ask for one thing in that first message. Sending too many questions at once will likely be met with unanswered questions and connection requests, so don't bombard them immediately.

📌 Don't apologize. You are on a platform for professionals. You don't need to apologize for messaging them or taking time from their busy day. Chances are if a person is bothered by outreach attempts, they aren't worth your time.

Examples That Work:

Whether you're looking to expand your team or jump into new beginnings, lead generation accompanied by solid networking efforts is essential to growth. So it's time to get out there and show the world of LinkedIn just how valuable you are.

If you would rather pass the networking baton off to the professionals, contact Linkability today.

The Moving Forward Newsletter is a bi-weekly advice column by Kim Peterson Stone, the CEO of Linkability.us where we give you a peek behind the curtains into what it takes to put together campaigns that help you grow your business and career on LinkedIn and in Real Life.

If you have friends or peers that you believe would benefit from this content, please feel free to share it!

Moving Forward by Kim Peterson Stone

How to Send Cold Messages on LinkedIn That…