Cold calling will never become extinct as a lead generation strategy, but it does face an uphill battle because people have the tendency to screen and block nuisance phone calls. Social media, however, can build your brand, help you reach a broader audience and establish stronger relationships with people. So, have you made a serious commitment to social media, specifically LinkedIn?

Show me success 

I have had success with this platform. After about eight months of effort in 2021, I built a base of 2,008 first-level LinkedIn connections, and 39.3% wrote back to me via messaging. Was I a one-hit wonder? In 2022, my network grew to 4,038 connections and, measuring in three different ways, my engagement rates exceeded 37%. You might wonder how these results could be possible with an audience I had never met in person? I decided I wanted to build a following in Asia and started building a list of managers and other influencers from insurance companies there. The group grew to 440 through sending invitations to connect. Every week, I sent messages with some personal news and a link to one of my recent articles. After a year, 40.7% of those connections engaged by either liking or sharing a post or by sending a message.

How do I start? 

What I did is easy for you to duplicate. It does not require buying a system, hiring a coach or outsourcing the operation. Your only cost is time. Because firms are different, you will need to confirm your compliance department allows you to message back and forth with your connections.

Build a network. Find people on LinkedIn with the potential to do business. Alumni from your college are a good starting point. Every day, send out a few invitations to connect. Customize your message to include why it is a benefit for them to accept your connection. I usually say, “I write articles about prospecting. LinkedIn is a good way to share them.”

Reach out. When you have a significant number of connections, send a few customized messages every day seeking to get to know each of them better. I reference details like how long we have been connected and where I live and some personal details to show that the message is not automated. I mention that this is a note to start a conversation, sort of like meeting at a party, and it’s time to get to know each other better. Sending 12 messages like these a day does not take too long.

Pay attention to notifications. You will receive prompts concerning birthdays, work anniversaries and job changes. Every morning, I respond by sending short messages to each one.

Post regularly. You should have access to compliance-approved educational articles through your firm. Ideally you include a few words of introduction explaining why it’s worth the recipient’s time to read the article.

Answer every response and comment. This is obvious. These actions count as engagement. My favorite expression is, “Thank you for taking time to send a message back.” That often starts a dialogue. 

Join groups. Posting should make your connections aware of your articles. What about the rest of the world? Find LinkedIn groups aligned with your ideal client profile. If you added college alumni as connections, see if the school has a LinkedIn group you can join. Posting content to groups puts your articles in front of people who are not yet connections. If they take time to comment, that is a good-enough reason to reach out and ask them to connect.

Drip market to your connections. I organized most of my first-level connections into five groups. Once a month, I send a message to every person in each group and include a link to an article. It is a copy-and-paste exercise. My text mentions this is my “once a month” message, and from time to time I add: “Let me know if once a month is too many.” It is polite to give people the option to drop out, although they will simply drop you and disappear if they aren’t interested.

When will I see a payoff?

Do not expect immediate results. Some people will develop into great correspondents. Others might respond once a year. Using my Asia list as an example, I send my connections weekly messages every Tuesday. With a base of about 400, I hear back from an average of 25 every week and sometimes the response rate is almost 10%. A few people message back regularly, but very often it’s different people who respond every week. Measured across the year, it’s about 40% for this group. You will discover people write back and say: “I enjoy your posts.” If you think silence implies disinterest, you are often wrong.

One of the beauties of this strategy is its ease of execution. It takes time, but that is your only expense. Unlike other prospecting methods, you can catch up on LinkedIn at any hour you choose. It can be a rainy-day weekend activity. The key is you should stay on top of it every day.