B2B Power Move - Becoming the LinkedIn Spam Lord You Never Aspired to Be

This is Part 5 of 5 on Mastering Cold Outreach: LinkedIn Edition. The final B2B super hack is- Cold Outreach on LinkedIn. Without being a SpamLord.

LinkedIn outreach is terrible.

Don’t do it.

It’s a spam fest.

This is exactly why you should never do it unless you are determined to be different.

Ever get a War-And-Peace-sized novel of content sent to you after a LinkedIn connection that looked promising?

In this Wolfcast You Will Learn

1. How terrible LinkedIn outreach is

2. How great LinkedIn outreach can be

3. How to target your ICP

4. How to pimp out your LinkedIn profile

5. How to message people to make friends, not enemies

6. How to cast out your inner SpamLord

7. Automation and Scraping Tools that you can use

and more — [or less]… read on Anti SpamLords

LinkedIn. Here is how it does.

You get a friendly invite to connect with a spiffy profile of a person.

You accept.

You immediately get a pitch.

“I am the greatest, I know your problems, and here’s an unsolicited 12-page essay in your chat on why you should buy from me.”

Douchery on high.

Mastering the art of LinkedIn outreach is not hard. 

Just follow a few simple rules

1. Don’t pitch

2. Be a human- talk to other humans.

3. Connect with people who look like your customers

4. Upgrade your profile so it’s not a billboard or your resume.

5. Do use tools like Sales Navigator, MeetAlfred, Waalaxy, and Dripify.io, or other automation software

6. Imagine you receive your message. Do you cringe? Don’t send that

Imagine you are meeting in a Coffee Shop

LinkedIn is that coffee shop. Would you start telling someone how you can solve all of their problems if you just randomly met them in a coffee shop? Would you wear track pants and a billboard sign with a Nirvana t shirt?

No. 

You’d meet them dressed for success, be friendly, and ask questions.

You’d buy them a cappuccino or tea and ask questions about them.

LinkedIn is that coffee shop. You are not a SpamLord.

Understanding LinkedIn's Landscape

Before diving into the specifics of cold outreach, it's crucial to understand LinkedIn's parameters designed to foster professional networking while preventing spam. LinkedIn imposes a limit of 400 invitations per account a month, emphasizing the quality of connections over quantity. LinkedIn allows you to send an invite with a [[non-salesy message]], nudging you towards initiating genuine conversations rather than outright pitching.

Upgrade Your Profile

When you invite someone to connect on LinkedIn, what is the first thing they do?

They check out your profile.

Most people list their titles and experience and skills on their LinkedIn. They treat this like their resume.

It’s not!

LinkedIn is a fine cocktail bar where you have the opportunity to invite guests into your lounge and serve them libations.

Transforming your LinkedIn profile into a client-centered narrative shifts the focus from a self-promotional tool to a resource that resonates with your ideal clients by addressing their needs and challenges.

Begin with your profile headline

It’s the first impression you make.

Craft a statement that clearly articulates whom you help, the industry you focus on, and the specific problems you solve, such as "I connect with Founders in the Software Industry Who Want to Scale With Cold Outreach”

This immediately tells potential clients what value you bring to the table.

For your profile summary, instead of listing your achievements, dive into the common challenges your ideal clients face and how you approach these problems. Share your philosophy that prioritizes meaningful relationships over transactions and emphasizes the success of others.

This could involve discussing your belief in collaborative success or how you’ve designed your services to tackle industry-specific hurdles.

Highlighting your commitment to real conversations and genuine connections over mere business transactions will distinguish you in a sea of profiles focused solely on self-promotion.

Enhance your visual appeal with a professional, approachable profile photo. Create a custom background image created on something like Canva or by a designer that reflects your professional ethos or the essence of the problems you solve.

Regularly share content that shows you in various professional settings, whether it's working with colleagues, attending industry events, or engaging in community service.

These images humanize your profile and demonstrate your commitment to building relationships and fostering community.

Remember, the goal is to use your LinkedIn profile not just as a digital resume but as a platform to connect, share, and solve the problems of those you aim to serve, embodying the essence of a high-value professional dedicated to making a difference.

The Ideal Client Profile

First, know this. Regular LinkedIn Search is terrible.

You type, you find nothing of value or in any volume.

Unless you pay.

That's where Sales Navigator comes in. For the bargain basement price of $99-ish a month or prepay an entire year to get 25% off - you can actually search for your Ideal Client using filters with a secret interface.

🪄🪄Magical 🌟🌟

The first step in any successful LinkedIn outreach campaign is identifying and understanding your ideal client profile (ICP). 

This involves deep market research to delineate your target audience's characteristics, needs, and professional interests. 

By "making friends" with individuals who resemble your ICP, you can tailor your outreach to address their specific challenges and aspirations, fostering a connection based on mutual understanding and respect.

Engaging Your Ideal Client, Not Pitching

The golden rule of LinkedIn outreach is to engage in actual conversations without pitching. The goal is to pique interest and offer value from the outset. Inviting potential connections to events or programs that can enhance their personal or professional status is a strategic way to build rapport. By focusing on how you can help them grow rather than what you can sell, you lay the foundation for a relationship built on trust and mutual benefit.

Leveraging Sales Navigator and Automation Tools

Sales Navigator, LinkedIn's premium tool, offers advanced search capabilities and personalized insights, enabling you to pinpoint and connect with your ICP with greater precision. When used in conjunction with automation tools like MeetAlfred, Waalaxy, or Dripify.io, Sales Navigator becomes even more powerful. These tools automate the outreach process, from sending personalized connection requests to following up with tailored messages.

Strategic Automation

Automating the initial connection request with a personalized, non-salesy message can set a positive tone for the interaction.

Then, an automated follow-up that invites a short conversation about a topic of mutual interest can further the relationship without coming across as pushy.

It's crucial, however, to keep these messages concise, ideally under 140-ish to max 300 characters, treating them like tweets. This brevity ensures that your message is direct and to the point, respecting the recipient's time and attention.

Data Scraping and Email Follow-Up

Another powerful strategy is to scrape data for email follow-ups. Tools like MeetAlfred and Dripify.io offer features that allow you to extract email addresses from LinkedIn profiles. This enables you to extend the conversation beyond LinkedIn, opening up another channel for engagement. However, it's vital to ensure that these email follow-ups are personalized and relevant, offering clear value to the recipient.

Examples of scraping tools like Wiza or Seamless.ai all have good scraping chrome plugins. Automation outreach tools like Waalaxy and MeetAlfred will also let you pull results from a Sales Navigator Search and use them in both LinkedIn outreach and email outreach campaigns.

You will want to of course validate email addresses and make sure they are business not personal (Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook.com etc) if you are using this data for email outreach

You can then use this data in email or LinkedIn outreach

Shameless Pitch Opps.ai

You can also use Opps.ai to find data on your ideal client profile. You can use this data in cold email outreach using our Opps Plus features and then in a tool like Waalaxy or Drippify. Most records have both the ICP prospect’s business email and LinkedIn URL

Use code WolfCast1kFree for a free month of our PRO plan that includes 1,000 free records to find data on your Ideal Client or Ideal Investor. We use this data in cold outreach emails and LinkedIn campaigns.

Building Genuine Connections

Ultimately, the success of your LinkedIn outreach hinges on your ability to build genuine connections. This means focusing on the needs and interests of your potential clients, making them the heroes of your interactions. By engaging them in meaningful conversations and offering solutions that can genuinely enhance their professional lives, you transform cold outreach into warm engagement.

Crafting high-value calls to action (CTAs) is essential in engaging your LinkedIn connections meaningfully, especially when you aim to elevate their profile and status. 

Here are five examples of CTAs that can not only intrigue your contacts but also provide them with tangible value, thereby fostering a deeper, more beneficial relationship:

1. Podcast Guest Invitation: Inviting someone to be a guest on a well-regarded podcast within their industry serves as a potent CTA. It offers them a platform to share their expertise, stories, and insights, significantly boosting their visibility and positioning them as thought leaders. This gesture acknowledges their expertise and contributes to their professional brand.

2. Advisory Council Membership Offer: Proposing membership to an advisory council or a think tank is an excellent way to recognize and utilize the professional acumen of your contact. Such an invitation not only flatters them by valuing their opinions and expertise but also provides networking opportunities with other high-caliber professionals, enhancing their industry standing.

3. Exclusive VIP Event Invitation: Extending an invite to an exclusive, invite-only event or webinar that is relevant to their interests or industry is a fantastic way to make your contacts feel valued. These events are often perceived as high-status opportunities to network, learn, and grow, making your invitation a gateway to potential personal and professional development.

4. Feature Article Proposal: Offering to feature your contact in an article, blog post, or case study that highlights their success stories, insights, or contributions can significantly elevate their professional profile. Such content not only showcases their expertise to a broader audience but also adds to their portfolio of public recognition.

5. Personalized Professional Development Opportunity: Suggesting a personalized professional development opportunity, such as a tailored workshop, mentorship session, or a strategic introduction to a key influencer in their field, can be highly appealing. This CTA demonstrates your commitment to their growth and success, reinforcing the value of your relationship.

Each of these CTAs is designed to provide substantial value to the recipient, elevating their profile and endorsing their expertise. By carefully selecting and personalizing your approach, you can make meaningful connections that are mutually beneficial and grounded in genuine professional respect and admiration.

Navigating LinkedIn's Limits

Awareness of LinkedIn's limits, including the 400 invitation cap and the nuances of message personalization, is essential. These constraints are not barriers but rather guidelines to encourage more meaningful engagements. By strategically navigating these limits, you can maximize your outreach efforts without compromising the quality of your connections.

LinkedIn cold outreach, when executed with a focus on genuine engagement and strategic use of automation tools, can be a powerful avenue for building professional relationships. 

You can enhance your digital marketing and sales efforts by understanding your ideal client profile, crafting engaging conversations, and judiciously leveraging tools like Sales Navigator, MeetAlfred, Waalaxy, and Dripify.io. 

Remember, the essence of successful LinkedIn outreach lies in making genuine connections, where the value you offer speaks louder than any pitch could.