LinkedIn Lead Generation: A Complete Guide

LinkedIn needs no introduction, and it is the largest professional network with 900 million members across 200 countries. Doesn’t it look like a prospect haven?

Unlike other social networking platforms, LinkedIn users are solely interested in advancing their professional and business goals. Because it’s so easy to implement marketing methods like lead generation on LinkedIn, it has become the go-to platform for B2B marketers. 

Needless to say, any company that wants to generate continuous and predictable revenue should prioritize lead generation using LinkedIn. 

Are you new to LinkedIn lead generation and don’t have a concrete idea of how you should proceed?

Don’t worry. We are always there to guide you.

Know all that you need to know about using LinkedIn for lead generation. Use our tried-and-tested tips that will fetch you guaranteed results. 

What Is Lead Generation?

The term ‘lead’ refers to a person or company interested in your services or products. 

Lead generation is a marketing term that refers to getting potential customers interested in your products or services. It’s critical for your marketing and sales teams to focus on lead generation, an important aspect of the sales funnel.

Some of the benefits of using lead generation are the following

1. Increases brand recognition

The more people are aware of your brand, the better your reputation, earnings potential, and overall brand value will be. Lead generation educates and informs people in your target market about your product and its qualities, allowing ‘word of mouth’ to spread.

2. Increases sales and profit margins

Companies that use lead generation systems are more likely to convert leads into full-fledged clients, resulting in higher sales and profit margins. This can also help to boost the company’s profit margins.

3. Is cost-effective

Lead generation helps you narrow down your target audience. You can utilize your resources for those prospects who look promising to you. This way, it is possible to minimize the cost involved. It is worth noting that lead generation is more cost-effective than other forms of advertising.

4. Helps meet the needs of the target audience

Lead generation allows you to collect the required information about prospects, such as their needs and interests. Doing so will enable you to tweak the value of your product or service accordingly when your sales rep contacts the prospects

5. Increased business opportunities

When you indulge in lead-generating activities, you will come across many people from different backgrounds and industries. Even if you don’t close a sale with them, they can help you through referrals. Building networks can pay you in the long run, and you shouldn’t shy away from connecting with people. 

Why Is LinkedIn A Great B2B Lead Generation Platform?

According to Wpromote’s State of B2B Marketing Report, 89 percent of B2B marketers utilize LinkedIn for lead creation, with 62 percent claiming that it generates two times more prospects than most other popular social platforms. 

LinkedIn’s strong professional targeting filters and in-depth analytics help you connect with the right audience. 

According to the data, the platform isn’t only a decent choice for B2B marketers, but it’s the best for everyone. Conversion rates are higher than other advertising networks, and the cost per lead is lower. Moreover, several free ways to find leads on LinkedIn and a few tools make the process simple.

Benefits Of Using LinkedIn For Lead Generation 

The average user accesses the platform to 

– Stay updated on what’s going on in their business

– Find new employees 

– Discover tools, techniques, and experts to improve their performance 

In addition to the above, LinkedIn is also a terrific place to draw the attention of prospects if your company provides a solution to their problems. 

Let’s take a look at the benefits of using LinkedIn for generating leads,

1. Provides a dedicated professional networking platform

LinkedIn is a platform where you connect with professionals across different industries and skillsets. That is what sets LinkedIn apart from the rest. When searching for professionals on LinkedIn, you can filter the results based on the job title, capabilities, location, etc. This helps in performing a more targeted search based on your buyer persona. Not just that, you can also go through the company profile and gather knowledge about recent developments.

2. You can easily target decision-making authority

Statistics say that more than 20% of LinkedIn users have the authority to make purchasing choices on behalf of their companies. This increases your chances of connecting with someone you can close the deal with. In addition to that, LinkedIn is also the most popular social networking platform among Fortune 500 organizations. Therefore, you already have your target audience right in front of you.

3. Has a large number of active users

LinkedIn boasts of having millions of members which is quite a number! Most of them are active users who log in every day and engage with others. This way, using LinkedIn gives you exposure to several potential customers. 

4. Is the most efficient lead generation platform

As a huge chunk of the social media generated leads come from LinkedIn, you can name it the best platform to generate B2B leads. It gives an edge to other social media platforms. 

5. Is Cost-Effective

While it is possible to generate leads on LinkedIn free of cost, you can even choose the paid options. Running ads on LinkedIn is quite cost-effective compared to other social media platforms. They may seem costlier upfront but give you a handsome conversion rate, increasing the ROI. 

6. Well-suited for B2B lead generation

Professional networking is the foundation of LinkedIn, and a majority of the businesses have listed themselves here. That is why even after having competition from Facebook ads, LinkedIn is a better choice. 

Tips For Effective B2B LinkedIn Lead Generation 

LinkedIn has unique features that fetch the best results. No other social media platform brings together as many like-minded professionals the way LinkedIn does.

We have some tips to help you leverage LinkedIn’s distinct characteristics and capabilities as a lead generation tool and networking platform. Our client Fred implemented our ideas and was able to see a 30% jump in his conversions. So, get pen and paper ready to jot down what we have for you here!

1. Create and Improve Your Sales Funnel

A good sales funnel drives leads toward conversion by addressing their concerns and meeting their demands at each step of the buying process. The top of the funnel requires content that focuses on creating brand awareness whereas sponsored content posts are best for the mid-funnel. You can deliver bottom-of-the-funnel pitches through sponsored messaging or conversational ads. And LinkedIn allows you to customize them too! 

2. Publish Relevant and Engaging Content

When professionals look for the most up-to-date information and perspectives in their industry, they turn to LinkedIn. You have an audience, but they may lose their interest faster if you come across as too salesy or self-promotional. Your audience will return for more if you provide relevant material that shares real thoughts and information. Because everyone doesn’t respond the same way to content or media, try adding variety to your content and media by including polls, videos, longer written articles, and shorter daily posts on various topics that speak about your target audience’s interests and concerns. 

3. Use lead generation forms

LinkedIn allows you to include a call-to-action to your sponsored content advertising, which is a fantastic feature. You may add a form to your advertising that auto-populates with the lead’s LinkedIn contact information. They only need to enter their email address and click submit. LinkedIn designed Lead Gen Forms with mobile users in mind, so they need not enter a lot of information to sign up for a newsletter, download an ebook, or complete whatever CTA is required. Doesn’t it look like a handy tool?

4. Use conversational ads to your advantage

Conversation Ads let you connect with professionals on LinkedIn through direct messages. These messages can include tailored content, CTA buttons, and Lead Gen Forms, making them effective in reaching out to potential consumers.

Conversation Ads, as the name implies, are more conversational by nature. You can design less formal and engaging content using the “If this, then that” approach. Use the personalization tactic here to get maximum results. 

5. Connect LinkedIn to CRM

Data is essential for generating leads and qualifying them. Therefore connect to your CRM. Connecting LinkedIn to your CRM and any automated lead generation software can help you fine-tune and personalize your sales funnel. The best thing is that CRM updates dynamically, so you don’t have to keep uploading new CSVs. 

6. Make use of LinkedIn’s Matched Audiences 

LinkedIn’s matched audiences function has targeting options that bring you business and professional data together. Matched Audiences include retargeting, contact targeting, account targeting, and lookalike targeting.

– Retargeting allows you to retarget the visitors to your website.

– Content targeting helps target a list of email contacts that you upload.

– Account targeting enables running account-based marketing campaigns. You can match the specific companies you wish to target against the millions of LinkedIn pages. 

7. Use Micro-Segmentation

To move leads down the funnel, you must address prospect issues, questions, or requirements they may have at the moment. You’ll need a more personalized approach for that. Micro-segmentation is the method for breaking down your lead pool into smaller subsets with shared characteristics. It recognizes that what one group needs may not be what the other requires. So, you have to identify what each group needs and how helpful your solutions can be. 

LinkedIn assists you in segmenting your audience by giving different landing pages for different target segments. You can organize your leads by geography, target industry, CPM, or any other criteria that makes sense to you.

8. Utilize LinkedIn to its full potential with Sales Navigator

LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator aims to help advertisers track and engage with their LinkedIn leads more efficiently. It can assist you in identifying decision-makers, learning more about your current leads, and even suggesting new leads to customers.

PointDrive is a tool in Sales Navigator that allows you a variety of robust choices for tracking lead engagement and delivering customized multimedia content. You can also install a Sales Navigator plugin to your web browser to identify and show the LinkedIn profile information linked with any email address you connect with.

B2B LinkedIn Lead Generation Strategies

Instead of waiting for one particular strategy, we propose using a variety of techniques to get yourself established on the platform and in front of your target audience. Many of the things you already do on LinkedIn daily can help you find leads. You may only need to think a little more tactically to make the most out of your time on the platform.

Free LinkedIn Lead Generation Techniques

1. Post regular updates 

Keeping your LinkedIn Page up to date is a terrific approach to stay top-of-mind with your connections. Your updates will display on their feed, resulting in organic advertising. Here are a few ideas for you,

– Repurpose the content you shared on other social media platforms.

– Add links to your site’s existing blog posts or resources. 

– Share your thoughts on industry-related news.

2. Publish articles

Articles are the most effective approach to show potential clients that you are an authority in your field. Publishing articles on LinkedIn is a good idea as it has the following benefits to offer:-

– Your content appears in the news feeds of your connections and followers on LinkedIn and they may even get notified. 

– Those who are not a part of your network can follow you after reading your article. This will help you get more followers. 

–  Anyone can search your article both on and off the platform if your profile is visible.

3. Join LinkedIn Groups

LinkedIn Groups usually have users belonging to the same industry. Professionals talk about the common interests they share, ask questions and express their thoughts there. Groups allow networking with prospects and showcase your knowledge by answering their questions and providing relevant resources. Most importantly, make sure that you don’t openly pitch your product as soon as you join a group. It will backfire on you. Instead, your focus should be on building a bond with the prospects. 

4. Engage with certain groups of people

As a business, you have an ideal customer profile or ICP. It is better to find users who are a perfect match to it. You can then create a list of users you should begin connecting with. 

Unlike other social media platforms, LinkedIn users prefer accepting connection requests from people they have interacted with. You have to look for other avenues to engage with them. For example, try leaving a comment on a post they have shared. 

If your connection request gets accepted, you can start nurturing the lead by complimenting them or expressing your happiness for a new project they are working on. Slowly, you can introduce your product or service to them.

5. Ask existing clients for referrals

If you are looking for new leads, you can ask your existing clients for help. Try to get referrals from them as it is a great way to acquire leads. Therefore, it is a good idea to build strong bonds with your clients so that when you ask them for a favor, they will oblige you. Try your best to stay on top of their minds. 

Paid Lead Generation Strategies On LinkedIn

If you do not have the time or resources to leverage LinkedIn’s free lead generation tactics, look into the platform’s paid advertising possibilities.

1. Sponsored content

All of LinkedIn’s native ad formats fall in the category of Sponsored Content. You have to specify the audience you want to target, and these ads will run in their feeds on all devices such as PC and mobile. 

The formats include the following:

• Single image ads
• Video ads
• Carousel image ads

Sharing content in the feed without publishing it on your LinkedIn Page or Showcase Page is possible when you opt for Direct Sponsored content. 

It works in your favor if you want to run slightly different versions of a campaign aiming at different target audiences.

2. Sponsored InMail

With Sponsored InMail, you can reach out to your audience by sending personalized messages using LinkedIn Messenger. It is possible to send invitations to events, promote your product or service or let them download resources that they will find useful. 

It is worth noting that the Sponsored InMail messages reach the user only when the person is active on LinkedIn. Apart from that, there is a limit on the delivery frequency to ensure that your message doesn’t fall through the crack. You can leverage the power of LinkedIn InMail Templates for sales outreach to people who seem to be promising prospects.

3. Lead Gen Forms

Lead Gen Forms can be a part of your Sponsored Content or Sponsored InMail to help collect leads without the need to make visitors leave the platform. It is a great idea to provide them with something of value like an ebook, whitepaper, or checklist in exchange for the information they share. The best part is that leads don’t have to put in the effort to fill these forms, as LinkedIn automatically populates the form with the user’s information. This way, you can get your forms filled, and the user also doesn’t have to waste time. Doesn’t it seem like a win-win situation?

4. Dynamic Ads

You find these ads in the LinkedIn sidebar, and they work in multiple ways. You have Follower Ads that are just like their name; they drive users to follow your LinkedIn Page or Showcase Page.  

Then you have the Spotlight Ads. They are, in a way, like Follower Ads but have a clear call-to-action that directs users to your website or landing page.

Next up are Content Ads that let users download resources like white paper. The details of the lead get stored straightaway to your LinkedIn Campaign Manager. 

5. Display Ads

When you use LinkedIn, the images in the right column above the fold are called display ads. Statistics say that when you expose users to both Sponsored Content and Display Ads, they are thrice likely to engage with the content. 

LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator – Best For Lead Generation

Sales Navigator is LinkedIn’s in-house tool that helps generate more leads. The advanced filters allow you to narrow down your search and identify prospects who match your ICP (ideal customer profile). The tool makes it possible to reach out to the prospects individually via messaging even when you haven’t sent them a connection request. 

Apart from that, Sales Navigator lets you find a common interest to kickstart meaningful conversations with prospects. You will get alerts based on trigger events as well that will help you find the right moment to put your offer forward. You get lead recommendations based on your existing saved leads to further help with lead generation. 

LinkedIn Outreach

Finding and reaching out to those who could have an interest in your products and services – is what LinkedIn outreach is all about. Because LinkedIn’s primary one-to-one communication mechanism is direct messages, the LinkedIn outreach process revolves around messaging. Learn more about Best LinkedIn Messages Outreach Strategy.

Personalizing your message is one of the effective strategies to increase the results of any outreach attempt. Customers should never receive the same automated communications. It’s a waste of both their time and yours. 

Personalization can get more high-quality leads because it is more than casually addressing someone. It’s also about reaching out to someone with content relevant to their interests and addressing any difficulties they may be facing. You’ll make deep connections and leave a pleasant and long-lasting impact on everyone in your network by personalizing your material.

LinkedIn Outreach Templates

Here are a few LinkedIn outreach templates for you to steal!

1. Sales outreach in its broadest sense

Hello {{firstName}},

I am reaching out to you as I’ve noted you’ve been working as {{occupation}} for
{{years}} in {{Company}}.

I’d like to connect with you since I’m interested in learning more about {{occupation}} and the business challenges you may face. 

It is a plain and direct way of reaching out to a prospect with elements of personalization. The recipient will appreciate that you have done your homework before sending the message. 

2. Cold outreach using the prospect’s original content as a cue 

I’m reaching out to you since I read your latest essay {{ArticleName}}, in which you stressed {{The Point}}. {{PainPoint}} was one of the sentences that struck a chord with me.

What if I told you that {{Solution or an alternative}} can easily overcome {{PainPoint}}? So, I was wondering whether you’ve ever heard of {{Your Product or service}}?

This is yet another personalized template mentioning about the recent essay the prospect wrote. It works as an ice-breaker and gets the ball rolling. At the same time, it lets you pitch the product. 

3. Cold outreach based on the prospect’s participation in an event

{{Greetings} {{first_Name}},

I noticed you were present for {{webinar_name}}. 

What were your thoughts on {{Pain_Point}}? I was curious as to how {Prospect’s_company}} handles such a situation.

In this template, there is the use of personalization and an attempt at asking probing questions to the prospect. There is a reference of attending the same webinar to bring in a common ground so that the prospect can relate better with the message. 

4. Cold outreach based on a prospect’s characteristics

Hello {{first_Name}},

Your profile statement regarding the {{Pain_Point}} was quite appealing to me. The phrase {{Pain_Point}} was thought-provoking. 

What if you could easily overcome the {{Pain_Point}}?

This one is yet another template that uses personalization to get the attention of the recipient. Moreover, the last line can make the prospect feel curious and likely to send in a reply. 

5. Cold outreach using the prospect’s hobby as a cue

Hello {{firstName}},

I observed that you {{hobby}} as your Hobby. (something eye-catching or an interesting fact about the prospect’s hobby).

What if I told you that {{hobby}} is pretty much like {{Your_service}}.

Have you ever heard of a product called {{YourCompanyProduct}}?

In the above template, there is the use of personalization and an attempt to introduce the product to the prospect. 

Common Mistakes To Avoid During LinkedIn Lead Generation

Budgets are being allocated to everything that can generate more conversion-worthy leads. However, big and small organizations make some big blunders in the race to use online platforms and increase outreach channels.

Here’s a rundown of common mistakes to avoid if you want results, 

1. Not nurturing leads 

Only about 10% of the people who enter their information on your landing page are ready to make a purchase; the rest are in the research stage. They’d be willing to try another brand if they find it welcoming. Effective sales techniques are all about timing. The hallmark of a successful lead generation campaign is a robust follow-up strategy to understand the purchase stage, awareness, selection, and so on.

2. Not adding value up-front

You can get plenty of hot leads by providing value upfront. Most people try to sell without first offering something initially. The truth is that people enjoy shopping but despise being sold to. The prospects will show you the door if you connect with someone on LinkedIn and almost immediately send a message trying to sell them something. Have a CTA, but you should offer something valuable to them so that your potential customer feels obligated to you.

3. Forgetting to add a clear call to action

LinkedIn content creation should be a component of your lead generation plan. The text should lead to a CTA. If your content resonates with the right audience, they will be more likely to take action. You’ll lose that client if you don’t express what you want them to do.

Tools That Help With LinkedIn Lead Generation 

Here’s a list of LinkedIn lead generation tools that can simplify your task,

1. LinkedIn Sales Navigator

It is LinkedIn’s own prospecting and lead generation platform. It improves on the platform’s current features to provide a more premium experience. Its Advanced Lead Search feature is a huge plus as it helps find relevant prospects. You also have lead recommendations to get customized suggestions of the right people. It’ll help you find your ideal client easily. The tool can also suggest who you should connect with within the prospect company. You get to save leads and accounts you interact with, thereby helping you keep track. 

Pricing – Sales Navigator starts at $64.99 per month. You can always sign up for a 30-day free trial. 

2. Expandi

It is an effective LinkedIn tool that is quite easy to set up. It is also possible to link the tool with other marketing tools. With this tool, you get a smart inbox that better manages your messages, especially when you have more than one account. Expandi makes sure that none of the messages fall through the crack. What’s more, you can personalize the messages you send with Expandi. 

Pricing – Expandi starts at $99 per seat per month and comes with a free 7-day trial.

3. Phantombuster

Phantombuster is a tool that helps automate the actions you perform on LinkedIn. You can send invitations to connect automatically, scrape prospect data from various LinkedIn profiles, send personalized messages and comment automatically. The tool is basically for anyone who wants to speed up the tasks they perform on LinkedIn.

Pricing – The tool can cost you between $0 and $900 based on your needs.

4. TexAu

TexAu is yet another tool that automates your tasks and helps save time. Apart from LinkedIn, you can use it for other Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram platforms. With this tool, you can get a list of leads from Sales Navigator. It even lets you scrape emails from profiles and groups. Plus, you can automate tasks like commenting and messaging. It is a handy tool for better LinkedIn outreach. 

Pricing – The tool can cost you between $29 per month and $199 per month.

5. WeConnect

WeConnect is a LinkedIn automation tool that is more secure than most browser tools as it is cloud-based. It lets you run several campaigns, easily engage with prospects, and track campaign performance from one dashboard. It is the most suitable tool for sales teams and marketing professionals. 

Pricing – WeConnect starts at $49 per user per month.  

Get started with LinkedIn B2B lead generation 

Your business may experience cycles of feast and famine if you don’t have a consistent source of leads. It will help if you try to discover a way to deliver value to LinkedIn’s built-in audience while also being visible. The techniques and tools you choose to generate LinkedIn leads will greatly impact your outcomes. Various paid and free tactics are available to assist you in your search, but some of them might be laborious and time-consuming.

Your network expands due to connecting with individuals, as does your opportunity to work with them, sell them products and services, and keep your firm afloat. Don’t allow a lack of leads to drive you out of business! 

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