LinkedIn Outreach in 2024: What Still Works

LinkedIn outreach has gotten harder. Inboxes are flooded, connection acceptance rates are down, and spam detection has improved. Here's what's working now.

The Connection Request

No note often outperforms bad notes. If you include a note, make it genuinely personalized—reference specific content they've posted or a mutual connection. "I see we're both in SaaS" isn't personalization.

The First Message

Don't pitch immediately. The pattern of connect-then-immediately-pitch is so common that any pitch in the first message triggers spam reflexes. Start with value or genuine conversation.

Content as Outreach

Commenting thoughtfully on prospects' posts warms them up before you message. They recognize your name, you've demonstrated you pay attention. This scales poorly but converts well.

What Doesn't Work

Automation that's obviously automation. Long messages. Fake personalization. "I noticed you're the [job title] at [company]"—that's not noticing anything, that's reading their profile.