The Foundation of Every Serious Outbound LinkedIn Funnel
With over 722 million members, 47% of social network ad spending, and demonstrable ROI on sales investment, LinkedIn dominates as the go-to channel for B2B marketing and sales.
Unsurprisingly, 90% of B2B organizations now have LinkedIn-based outbound strategies to capitalize on this highly valuable audience.
But standing out requires more than spamming the platform with generic connection requests. Targeting the right members with tailored value propositions converts at higher rates.
This comprehensive guide covers the core foundations for executing effective outbound campaigns on LinkedIn, with tactics optimized based on hard data.
Part 1: Building Value Propositions That Compel Action
Crafting a resonant value proposition aligns messaging for maximum impact. But what elements truly influence B2B buying decisions? Extensive research points to:
Defining the Target Audience and Buyer Journey
Outbound success requires understanding your audience. Analyze current customers with market segmentation to identify the clearest defines buyer personas.
Survey data reveals the most decisive attributes for B2B purchases include:
- Firmographic – Geo, company size, industry
- Organizational – Department, role, seniority
- Personal – Age, income, education
Surface level targeting leaves opportunities untouched. Consider psychographics and pain point triggers as well.
Researching Market Landscape and Competition
Competitor analysis uncovers tactical advantages in positioning and areas your rivals ignore.
Review not just direct competitors, but alternatives prospects consider during the buyer journey across these categories:
Document your findings in a competitive intelligence template highlighting weaknesses to capitalize on.
| Competitor | Strengths | Weaknesses | Opportunities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Comp 1 | |||
| Direct Comp 2 | |||
| Alternative 1 | |||
| Alternative 2 |
Data-driven insights into strategic gaps in competitor offerings enable crafting differentiated value props and messaging.
Quantifying Benefits and Proof Sources
Generic claims of expertise must be backed by proof sources. Analyze historical client data and case studies to derive quantifiable metrics demonstrating value delivered, including:
- Increased revenue/sales
- Cost savings
- Higher ROI
- Greater reach/exposure
- Improved operational efficiency
When possible, use before vs. after visualizations to substantiate benefits.
Incorporating Social Proof and Signals
According to influencer marketing scientists, social proof elements boost conversions by 34%.
Specifically highlight:
- Expertise endorsements
- Client testimonials
- Favorable client logos
- Media mentions
Social validation builds critical trust and credibility for outbound campaigns.
Crafting a Compelling USP
Define your competitive differentiation in your unique selling proposition (USP) at the intersection of:
- Client needs and desires
- What you deliver exceptionally well
USPs prove most persuasive when:
- Focused specifically on the target buyer
- Demonstrate quantifiable superiority
- Resonate emotionally with benefits
Test USP options directly with ideal client samples for validation before launch.
Part 2 – Optimizing LinkedIn Presence
With the foundation set in a differentiated value proposition model, prime your LinkedIn presence for outreach.
Profile: The 80/20 Impact Areas
An optimized profile establishes credibility. Prioritize elements LinkedIn‘s algorithm weights heavier based on eye-tracking studies:
| High Impact Areas | Low Impact Areas |
|---|---|
| Profile photo | Publications |
| Headline | Skills |
| Current position & company | Courses |
| Summary/about section | Projects |
| Experience | Additional background details |
Activity: Tactic Mix for Maximum Impact
Prospects review profiles before responding to gauge expertise and engagement.
Adopt a balance of organic activity types:
| % | Activity Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | Share valuable industry articles | Thought leadership |
| 20% | Comment on connections‘ posts | Community participation |
| 20% | Post unique insights | Original perspective |
| 20% | Share company updates | Benefits awareness |
| 10% | Cross-post job openings | Lead gen |
| 10% | Like and react to others’ activity | Engagement |
This distribution keeps your brand top of mind while avoiding overpromotion perceptions.
Part 3 – Identifying and Qualifying Prospects
With your value prop validated and online presence strengthened, accurately defining your total addressable market is next using LinkedIn’s unmatched B2B database.
Research Parameters
Combining filters and search syntax focuses viable targets:
| Category | Tactics | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Firmographics | Company name, Industry, Geo, Employees range | "Fortune 1000", "software", "San Francisco Bay Area", "51-200 employees" |
| Seniority | Seniority filters, Job seniority keywords | "Director", "VP", "C-level" |
| Functional Area | Department, Job function filters/terms | "IT", "engineering", "finance" |
| Persona | Grouping filters, Buyer persona keywords | "IT decision maker", "technology executive" |
| Technology | Product, technology keywords | "cloud migration”, “Android mobile” |
| Growth | Employee growth filter, Funding keywords | "51-200 employees", "series A” |
Layer filters to target niche audiences. Apply negative filters to suppress irrelevant members.
Exporting and Scrubbing Prospect Lists
Export search results to cleanse manually in Excel based on:
- Industry alignment
- Technology use cases
- Organizational hierarchy
Appending key prospect data improves prioritization:
| Prospect Data | Source | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Contact info | Email finding tools | Direct outreach |
| Team insights | LinkedIn profile stalking | Tailor messaging |
| Trigger events | Account intelligence tools | Timely outreach when new funding, hires, tech adoption |
| Firmographic intel | Data enrichment platforms | Identify high-fit accounts for account-based marketing |
This level of proprietary data powers more effective targeting and personalization.
Part 4 – Launching Outreach Campaigns
With your audience clarity and prospect list cleaned, execute messaging and sequencing strategy for conversion.
Connection Request Messaging
With a 300 character limit, convey value quickly in invites while guiding to a specific next action using research-backed tactics:
| Tactic | Example |
|---|---|
| Address by first name | "Hi [FirstName]" |
| Establish common ground | "As a fellow [Industry] leader…" "Given [Company‘s] recent [Milestone/Event]" |
| Ask a thoughtful question | "I’m curious if you’re exploring [Solution] to address [Problem] challenges? |
| Include a value-add | "Here’s a [relevant guide/template/case study] that helps executives plan for [Problem]" |
| Direct to next step communication channel | "Would you have 20 minutes for a quick call to discuss optimizing [Process Relevant to Them]? If so, here‘s a calendar link to grab time on my schedule…" |
Response rates to generic invites hover around 10-20%. Personalization achieves 30-50%+.
Optimizing Early Messenger Exchanges
Post connection, messaging sequences convert prospects to calls most effectively when:
| Principle | Tactic |
|---|---|
| Reciprocity & Consistency Bias | Send initial value-add promised in invite |
| Social Proof & Liking | Provide example of help given to similar company |
| Authority & Consensus | Quote recommendation from recognized industry executive |
| Scarcity | Highlight limited availability for offering due to demand |
| Unitasking | Link to calendar for booking call |
Ancillary tactics like video, screening questions, and drip sequences extend messaging impact.
Guiding Prospects Off Platform
LinkedIn limits prospect interactions, so transitions to email or calls provide room for substantive dialogue on needs and value propositions.
Smoothly transition prospects via:
| Channel | Transition Tactic |
|---|---|
| Send capabilities deck, request discovery call meeting on calendar | |
| Phone | For warmest leads, directly call after social proof to capitalize on interest |
| Meeting | For enterprise accounts, use LinkedIn Elevate to request brief video introduction |
Measure channel conversion rates over time and shift budgets to optimize results.
Conclusion
This comprehensive technical guide arms B2B marketers with a research-backed framework for executing effective outbound campaigns on LinkedIn at scale, including:
- Crafting differentiated and customer-focused value propositions
- Optimizing brand visibility across LinkedIn presence
- Leveraging LinkedIn data and tools to accurately target ideal prospects
- Employing marketing psychology and automation tactics to convert net-new opportunities
With maturation of the B2B buying journey shifting predominately online, a formidable outbound approach is now a competitive necessity to capture rising revenue opportunities on today’s top channel – LinkedIn.
The foundations outlined here allow organizations to tap directly into LinkedIn’s remarkably lucrative 730M+ member professional base with messaging that compels action.
Equipped with these proven inbound foundations and accompanying execution tactics, your marketing and sales teams can start streamlining previously arduous outreach processes to efficiently drive qualified opportunities, improve team productivity, and accelerate pipeline velocity.
