How to generate leads on LinkedIn? You can generate leads on LinkedIn by optimizing your profile, growing your network, designing a content strategy, using platform tools, and investing in paid ads.
As the world’s largest online professional network, LinkedIn can be a goldmine for generating leads. According to Demand Wave, 59% of B2B marketers “generate leads from LinkedIn” while up to 78% consider LinkedIn as “the most effective social media platform to achieve their business target.”
Meanwhile, a Hubspot report also points out that LinkedIn is 277% more effective at lead generation than Facebook and Twitter.
LinkedIn users who want to unlock the platform’s full potential and find more quality leads may check out courses like Justin Welsh’s LinkedIn Operating System. This course teaches strategies on content creation, lead generation, and personal brand growth.
In this feature, we share how to generate leads on LinkedIn using 5 proven methods, plus we share examples and pro tips on helping you make the most of your LinkedIn profile. We also discuss why local lead generation - as a business model - can be the easiest way to earn passive income online.
5 Ways To Find High-Quality Leads on LinkedIn
1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile.
Optimizing your LinkedIn profile allows you to make a positive first impression, build trust, increase connections, and find leads. It basically works as your digital business card so you want it to fulfill its purposes.
Have a good profile picture & banner
First, a good profile picture on LinkedIn can lead to opportunities. Anwesha Jalan, VP of Growth & Product Management in Strava, says that “simply having a profile photo” can result in “up to 21x more profile views and 9x more connection requests.”
When picking a photo, get the size right and include 60% of your face to build brand recognition. Also, keep in mind that your banner can help in spreading awareness and attracting your target audience. So choose a background that highlights who you are and what you do. If you can, include your logo, awards, business motto, or a call to action in your banner.
Write a concise headline
A concise headline is another important recipe for an effective LinkedIn profile. This short description is displayed directly below your username and appears in search results. A headline has a maximum word count limit of 220 characters, so be sure to use the space wisely. You want people to know about what you do or your job title (if any) so they would take interest in you and click your profile.
Your LinkedIn headline can help in generating leads by hooking your target audience using power and industry keywords. Keep your headline simple and specific, writing it in a way that it invokes:
- Value
- Curiosity
- Proposition
If you need help with analyzing your headline, you can use LinkedIn optimization tools like Career Flow, Hiration, Jobscan, Resume Worded, and Teal.
Build your About section
Building your About section can also help in your LinkedIn lead generation efforts. This section
lets you tell a longer story than your headline because it has a word limit of 2,600 characters. With that, you can write more about who you are, what you do, and what sets you apart from others.
In a LinkedIn Talent Blog article by content strategist Kate Reilly, we read that the About section (or summary) “is your chance to put your best self out there.” In fact, it can help “strengthen your first impression in a way no other Profile section can.”
Kate then shares several examples of excellent About sections. Case in point, Karen Abbate made good use of the section by using “a numbered list to highlight her main career achievements and defining moments.”
List your Experiences
The Experience section sums up your professional journey. Share relevant information that validates your background and builds your credibility. Concentrate on fundamentals like:
- Relevancy
- Chronological order
- Use of action and keywords
Highlight your skills & endorsements
Highlighting your relevant abilities and skills can help build your online reputation.
"If you have at least five skills listed on your LinkedIn profile you will may receive up to 17x more profile views." LinkedIn
Endorsements also give you extra credibility as an industry authority. These endorsements come from people you’ve worked with or are currently working with. To get endorsements, endorse other people, post valuable content, and ask colleagues or past clients and employers. Ideally, you should get at least 1 endorsement for every listed skill.
Get recommendations
Recommendations are business assets that provide social proof of your professional experiences. According to LinkedIn, a recommendation is “a commendation written by a LinkedIn member to recognize your work.”
These recommendations build trust, establish recognition, advertise your value, highlight strengths, and create a competitive edge.
“Recommendations on LinkedIn are powerful in that they become published content on the Internet for all on LinkedIn to see”. Forbes
Ideally, your recommendations should be less about buzzwords and more about the hook. They should be objective and showcase how you solved a problem as a professional. Also the more detailed, the better.
Key Takeaways:
- Profiles with photos get 21x more views.
- Banner images spread awareness and attract the attention of your target audience.
- Your headline is valuable. It follows you everywhere and is your hook.
- Use power words in your About Section.
- Get a minimum of 5 skills endorsed to improve your visibility.
- Detailed and quality recommendations power up your profile.
2. Grow Your Network & Community
With over 1 billion users globally, the professional social media platform definitely provides plenty of opportunities for lead generation. So you need to invest the time to build your network and grow your community.
Build your network
Build your network using language that converts and drives conversations into your DMs. Identify pain points and provide a solution with relevant and authentic content. And the more extensive your network, the greater your exposure.
More Engagement = Better Outreach
In his YouTube channel, Jacob Sotiris - LinkedIn Expert shares that the “easiest practical way” to do lead generation on LinkedIn is to send non-salesy messages to your contacts. He also shares a template he uses when he sends such messages to other professionals on LinkedIn.
Aside from sending direct messages, you can also join LinkedIn groups and follow industry influencers. Post regularly and comment often on other people’s posts. Be sociable and solution-based. Be at the forefront of people's minds. You should be their first thought when looking for a product or service you provide.
Get more connections
There are three types of connections on LinkedIn:
- 1st Degree: People you've connected with.
- 2nd Degree: People connected to your first-degree connections.
- 3rd Degree: People connected to your second-degree connections.
Build your connections by uploading contact lists from your database to LinkedIn. Personally connect with individuals through their profile pages. Sending a connection request to someone you don't know? Add relevancy or ask a genuine question. Be consistent and have a clear plan on building your network. To get more connections and generate more leads, you should:
- Comment on posts and use hashtags
- Congratulate wins and endorse others
- Post status updates
- Share valuable and pertinent content
- Join groups and follow influencers
- Be relatable in more than just your business niche
Key Takeaways:
- Upload your contact list to build your network.
- Personalize connection requests and keep them short.
- Engage in groups to improve visibility and make more connections.
- Comment, congratulate and endorse connections.
- Connect with influencers and comment/share their posts.
3. Design A Content Strategy
Your content strategy can establish your reputation as a thought leader in your industry. Post regularly. Keep it interesting, informative, and helpful. As you do so, remember you need a mix of organic and data-driven content to stand out and generate potential leads.
A few ways to share content on LinkedIn include:
- Comments
- Posts & status updates
- Long-form LinkedIn articles
- Collaborative articles
- Videos & live events
Comments
Comment before you post to prime the algorithms. The goal of your comments is to share value. Comment on 10 posts (5 prospects & 5 industry influencers) daily and this will boost your engagement and increase your organic reach.
- Get noticed by responding to comments with open-ended questions.
- Add thought-invoking and relatable comments to establish trust.
Posts & status updates
Post and updates give people a snapshot of your brand so keep them relevant, enticing, and to the point. Write about your work or even about your business struggles and accomplishments to boost authenticity. You may also want to spotlight a customer testimonial or review to show how you've helped people succeed. Include helpful industry tips and hacks in your posts to broaden reach. Share media and marketing collateral relevant to your target audience including photos and clips of webinars.
“4-1-1 rule says for every single piece of content you share you should share an update from another source and, most importantly, share 4 pieces of content written by others”. LinkedIn
Long-form LinkedIn articles
LinkedIn Articles are longer-form articles with a word limit of up to 110,000 characters. They allow you to add a title to your post, include images, and use formatting tools. You can also utilize SEO settings, save drafts, and schedule publishing time as needed.
Create valuable content that represents your brand and increases engagement. You can use LinkedIn's Content Suggestions Tool to find topics of interest among your target audience.
A few writing styles that perform well as long-form content include:
- In-depth how-to's
- List-style posts
- Original data & industry news/research
- Blog-style posts
“Being a content producer is the highest level of influence that you can have within LinkedIn". Neil Patel
With written long-form content, you can improve your visibility, increase engagement, or even grow your audience and leads. According to SEM Rush, “91.4% of organizations doing thought leadership create articles.” An Edelman study also reveals that 35% of B2B buyers review thought leadership content for around 1 to 3 hours per week. Also, 45% of LinkedIn articles readers are in high-level positions.
Collaborative articles
Collaborative articles offer “a new way to tap into the collective knowledge of the LinkedIn community.” This type of content taps experts to contribute answers on frequently-asked industry questions. According to LinkedIn, collaborative articles are usually “AI-powered conversation starters” or are created by “members, organizations, and LinkedIn Editors.”
When offering insights in these articles, make sure that you provide valuable information and demonstrate industry expertise. Besides, collaborative articles and expert contributions are public, so they can be another excellent way of boosting your traffic, reputation and presence on LinkedIn.
Videos & live events
59% of executives prefer to consume video content over written articles. Videos are an interactive way to build your brand. They also establish a personal connection with your target audience and set you apart from the competition.
Cover topics like:
- Products and services demonstrations or FAQs.
- Industry-related instructional or educational videos.
- Interviews and case studies/testimonials.
Use LinkedIn Live to host in-person events through your organic reach or paid ads. It is worth noting that LinkedIn reports live videos generate 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than native videos.
Key Takeaways:
- Comment on 10 posts daily.
- Post content regularly using the 4-1-1 rule.
- Write long-form articles to become an industry authority in your niche.
- Contribute on collaborative articles to broaden your reach.
- Videos and live events build deeper connections.
4. Use Lead Generation Tools
Using available lead generation tools can be an easy way to achieve your goals. LinkedIn offers organic and paid tools to help you find qualified leads. You just need to use them correctly and adhere to their policies to avoid the risks of being removed from the platform.
Top LinkedIn Tools For Lead Generation
Sales Navigator is an ideal tool “for sales teams, enabling reps, managers, and ops leaders” aiming to make the most of the platform’s full potential in lead generation and LinkedIn outreach.
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core: $99.99 per month
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced: $149.99 per month
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus: Custom pricing
Expandi is a cloud-based automation tool that allows users to set up outreach campaigns so they can “complete actions on Linkedin on autopilot.”
- Expandi Business: $99 per month
- Expandi Agency: Custom pricing
Phantombuster is a lead generation software that automates data collection and outreach. It also promises to generate quality leads “in minutes, not hours.”
- Phantombuster Starter: $56 per month
- Phantombuster Pro $128 per month
- Phantombuster: $352 per month
TexAu is a growth automation tool that helps users find new leads and contact them quickly.
- TexAu Cloud Starter: $29 per month
- TexAu Cloud Growth: $79 per month
- TexAuu Cloud Agency $199 per month
Key Takeaways:
- Automation tools can be a quick way to simplify the lead generation processes and broaden your reach.
- Follow LinkedIn’s guidelines or risk removal.
5. Invest In Paid Ads
Paid LinkedIn Ads make it possible for you to target direct users and generate leads for less CPC than other online platforms. In fact, LinkedIn beats Google Ads by up to 28% on CPC.
Paid LinkedIn Ads make it possible for you to target direct users and generate leads for less CPC than other online platforms. In fact, LinkedIn beats Google Ads by up to 28% on CPC.
Conversions tend to be higher as your ads are connecting directly with decision-makers, based on their job titles, companies, and industries. A paid LinkedIn ad allows you to focus on your target niche, drive brand awareness, and generate high-quality leads.
There are multiple ad formats to choose from on LinkedIn, including:
- Sponsored Content
- Sponsored Messaging
- Text Ad
- Video Ad
- Carousel Ad
- Dynamic Ad
Key Takeaways:
- Automation tools can be a quick way to simplify the lead generation processes and broaden your reach.
- Follow LinkedIn’s guidelines or risk removal.
Why Am I Not Getting Leads on LinkedIn?
You may not be getting leads on LinkedIn if you have an incomplete profile, are not engaging or networking with other professionals, are not using target keywords, do not have recommendations and endorsements, or are not posting content regularly. Consistency plays a big role in successful LinkedIn lead generation so you have to stick to proven practices.
On Quora, marketer and copywriter Aiza Coronado shares how she generated “700+ high quality leads for a SaaS B2B client” using LinkedIn. According to her post, all she did was to define a specific target audience, deliver offers that address people’s pain points, create a value-driven funnel, and use LinkedIn Ads.
Why Local Lead Generation Can Be a Great Business Idea
LinkedIn lead generation can be perfect if you’re trying to gain attention for your brand. However, it has its limitations since your campaign is entirely dependent on the LinkedIn platform. Running your own lead generation business can be a great idea if you’re aiming to make money online from customers who need your services.
With local lead generation, your goal is to build business websites using specific locations and niche keywords. You then implement SEO tactics to drive these sites to the top of search engine results so they can attract organic traffic. Once you achieve that, you can start contacting local business owners and offer your sites for rent. Businesses will be more than happy to pay you $500 to $3,000 per month as your site provides them with a constant stream of leads.
I've been doing this since 2016 and now that I own multiple lead gen sites, I earn up to $52,000 per month in passive income. I also teach a lead generation coaching program where we’ve made it easy for learners to understand the business model even if they’re not too tech savvy.
