A common mistake businesses make when marketing on LinkedIn is ignoring their DMs. They instead post content and hope for engagement. However, when their target audience reaches out, they ignore them. This is even though an effective DM marketing strategy can be the missing link between engagement and conversion. In this article, we guide you on using LinkedIn DM to take your business to the next level.

Why Consider LinkedIn DM Marketing?

When you post content on your LinkedIn page, there is no guarantee that your target audience will see it, since the algorithm determines what people see. But when you send a DM, you can be assured they will see it. No algorithm to shadow ban the content. No competition with other brands for attention. It's just you and the recipient having a conversation that may change your business. That means mastering your LinkedIn inbox is the same as mastering your business growth strategy.

Steps in Creating a LinkedIn DM Strategy

Here are the steps in creating a LinkedIn DM strategy:

Message Your Profile Viewers

Profile views on LinkedIn are familiar with people reading your summary, assessing your experience level, and even saving your posts for later. When people do that, it's a sign that they are interested in learning more about your brand. Unfortunately, many founders ignore the potential leads in their analytics.

A good idea would be to message the people who view your profile as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours. When doing that, make sure you show your human side and do not sound like a bot.

Build Relationships Out of Connection Requests

In an era when conversations are shifting to private and niche communities, you should start by building relationships. When someone requests to connect without sending a message, this is an excellent opportunity to DM them. You can begin by appreciating their connection request and asking them why they reached out. This strategy will help you filter out the salespeople. If someone doesn't reply, forget about them; it might be that you don't have anything in common.

Focus on the ones who respond and find out exactly what made them reach out. Is it that they fell in love with your post or face a similar challenge to yours? However, there is no way to find out their challenge unless you ask them. Therefore, instead of hitting the accept button, take the time to understand the reasons for the connection request.

Send Connection Requests That Add Value

One reason cold outreach has a bad reputation is that people don't do it right. They create lengthy introductions and pitches on the first contact. They might even send a single template to everyone. However, you can do better than that by finding people you are genuinely interested in. You can refer to a specific thing they shared and ensure it's about them, not you.

Therefore, avoid sharing your long life stories or sneaky pitches. If your connections accept your DM, send a follow-up message asking about their careers. The goal here is to build relationships, as people will often give business to the brands they trust. A LinkedIn report indicates that personalized connection requests are accepted three times as often as generic ones. However, the report adds that 92% of people still send a generic message.

Make the Connection More Than Transactional

Every interaction on LinkedIn is an opportunity to connect. However, this opportunity is often missed by many founders. When someone buys your product, it offers an excellent opportunity for connection. If you know any customers personally, connect with them. Get to know them in different places and understand their world.

These kinds of conversations can provide essential insights into what is happening in your market, the challenges your customers are facing, and the solutions that aren't working. Remember, your next breakthrough or product idea may be hiding in the DMs from people who believe in your brand's mission and vision.

Make Deeper Conversations From Comments

When you create an outstanding post that prompts a thoughtful comment, that's another great invitation to connect. This is because they will raise their hands and say, "This matters to me." Therefore, take the time to reach out to them in their DMs to continue the conversation. You can begin with a statement like, "The point about home remedies for diabetes was wow."

When doing that, you are trying to avoid being another post in the feed and showing that you really care about their opinion. These people could become your best customers or collaborators in the future. Even when the LinkedIn algorithm affects your next post, a DM conversation will keep going.

LinkedIn DM Framework to Follow

You don't want to create messages that feel automated. Therefore, make use of the following LinkedIn DM Framework:

Curiosity

Remember, the LinkedIn DM preview will only show a small portion of your message. You need to make the most out of those few words by adding curiosity that makes people want to open the whole message. That means your generic Happy Friday message may not be very effective. In fact, you might be surprised that the inboxes of your prospects are full of such messages.

Therefore, your message should stand out by using a unique qualifying statement or question. Avoid making promises you cannot keep, but ensure your DM is worth opening.

Context

You don't want to write DM messages that are as long as an email, but you also want to add context for why you are reaching out. This doesn't mean you should send a sales pitch or provide an instant offer. It means clearly stating why you're sliding into their DMs. Is it because of the post they shared, a company update, etc.?

Avoid Being Pushy

While you don't have to waste people’s time, you should avoid being pushy at the same time. When you find someone to respond to and engage, get to the point. This doesn't mean you send them a sales pitch. Instead, focus on securing a future meeting. You may even try to message three people at once. In your first message, share the reason for reaching out, and in your second message, propose a day and time to schedule the chat.

Keep It Informal

While LinkedIn is a professional platform, you don't need to turn a DM into a formal letter. It should remain a text message between two people. Therefore, write it in the same way you talk. Use the lower case letter and, where necessary, do away with the punctuation if it affects the flow. 

Ensure the message is short, with one or two questions, and that the question you ask is easily answerable. When it's easy to respond, people become more responsive.

In Conclusion

A good LinkedIn DM strategy is more of an art, but it isn't hard. Just be bold without sounding pushy. Guide the recipient toward choosing your brand without making them feel pushy. If you don't know how to do that, our detailed guide will prove helpful. We also recommend that you read our guide on building a strong LinkedIn profile.