LinkedIn lead generation: Best practices and hacks for success in 2025

LinkedIn is one of the most lucrative places for B2B lead generation, but there’s a lot to get right. From setting yourself up for success to sending an InMail that strikes the right chord, we’ve got you covered. Read expert advice from an award-winning B2B lead generation agency.

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Looking to generate more leads on LinkedIn? You’re not alone.

Our research reveals that 9 in 10 B2B marketers are already using the platform for outbound lead generation, and for good reason: it works.

LinkedIn consistently outperforms other channels when it comes to quality and conversion. HubSpot data shows that it is 277% more effective for B2B lead generation than Facebook and Twitter, while LinkedIn’s own analysis highlights how buyers are some of the most engaged and connected users on the platform.

The upshot? LinkedIn should be at the heart of your strategy if you’re serious about filling your sales pipeline with qualified prospects.

This guide walks you through everything you need to know – profile optimisation, posting strategies, network growth, Sales Navigator basics, messaging tactics, and more – so you can turn connections into conversations and conversations into customers.

Our top 10 LinkedIn lead gen tips that actually work

Time-poor but results-obsessed? We get you.

Before we dive into the full guide, here’s a summary of our team’s proven best practices for starting to generate high-quality leads on LinkedIn via B2B social prospecting.

1. Optimise your profiles (company + personal)

First impressions count. To reach the right prospects, use strong headlines, clear CTAs, and keyword-rich summaries (including the specialisms and solutions you want to be known for).

2. Use rich media to stand out

Video, decks, downloads, and case studies – bring your brand and people to life with visual proof of your expertise.

3. Post value, not volume

Frequency is important, but not if it’s at the expense of quality. Share insights, stories, and thought leadership that your audience cares about, not fluff that offers little value.

4. Engage before you pitch

Comment, like, and interact with your prospects’ content before sending that first message. This will help warm them up so it’s not an out-of-the-blue sales pitch that lands in their inbox.

5. Personalise everything

Generic connection requests and cookie-cutter InMails don’t cut it. Customise every touchpoint so it feels like you’re talking to them and them alone.

6. Leverage Sales Navigator

Use filters, saved leads, and real-time alerts to focus on the right prospects faster. If this is new to you, check out our beginner’s guide to Sales Navigator to get started.

7. Experiment with posting formats

Carousels, polls, text posts, and short videos all perform differently depending on your specific audience. Test what resonates (and what doesn’t), then use these learnings to scale your strategy effectively.

8. Use InMail wisely

InMail can be great, but only when it’s used correctly. Make messages short, clear, and relevant – and never pitch in that first message. Lead with value.

9. Add social proof

Fake news and exaggerated promises are everywhere nowadays. Include reviews, testimonials, endorsements, and mutual connections to build instant trust with prospective buyers.

10. Track, test, optimise

Use LinkedIn’s built-in analytics to measure what’s performing well and refine your strategy as you go. Working blind is a recipe for failure, so leverage data to give yourself the best possible visibility of how your efforts support your goals.

Is LinkedIn really that important for B2B marketing?

Short answer? Yes. LinkedIn is a hugely powerful tool for B2B marketing, including lead generation.

LinkedIn isn’t just another social platform; it’s the one place where business decision-makers and DMUs (decision-making units) actually go to do business. While other channels are fighting for attention between holiday snaps and B2C ads, LinkedIn has a far narrower focus: professional growth, networking, and fresh industry insights.

It’s not just us saying this, either. LinkedIn’s own lead-gen data reveals that four out of five users are involved in making business decisions, and the platform’s audience has double the buying power of the average web audience.

On top of these already impressive credentials, LinkedIn ads deliver:

• Conversion rates up to 2x higher than other platforms
• A 33% increase in purchase intent from ad exposure
• A 28% lower cost-per-lead compared to Google AdWords

All these numbers make one thing crystal clear: this is a high-intent pool of close to 1 billion professionals from around the world, meaning it’s a hive of opportunities any growth-hungry marketer can’t afford to ignore.

→ Read our LinkedIn lead generation statistics round-up for more intel.

Getting started on LinkedIn: Creating winning personal and business profiles

Setting yourself up for success on LinkedIn starts with creating profiles equipped for the task at hand. LinkedIn is a trust-first platform where people form business relationships with other people, so nailing your presence is non-negotiable.

But we’re not just talking about adding a recent profile picture of yourself and calling it a day. You can make a whole host of other optimisations to both your company and personal profiles to ensure buyers see you as a trustworthy vendor.

Why is this so important?

Sage research shows people form opinions in as little as 0.1 seconds. If your profile doesn’t look credible or active, your lead generation efforts will fall flat before they’ve even begun. Yikes.

Let’s break down what a great LinkedIn profile setup looks like…

How to optimise your company’s LinkedIn profile

Your company page reflects your brand’s professionalism, credibility, and culture. Done right, it builds trust before a prospect ever talks to you.

Step 1: Fill in every detail

Profile gaps mean unanswered questions and room for doubts about your brand’s capabilities to grow. Not messages we want to be sending. As a minimum, make sure you’ve got:

• A high-resolution logo
• A striking banner image that resonates with your industry, product, or service offering, and culture
• A clear, benefit-led description of your services
• Up-to-date contact information
• A custom button so users can easily navigate to your website

Step 2: Create a custom URL

This is a major quick-win. If you’re still stuck with the auto-generated string of numbers LinkedIn gave you when you created your account, it’s time to change it. Set a clean, custom URL that’s easy to recognise and reflects your brand.

For example, if your business is Amazing Technologies Ltd, set your business profile’s URL to linkedin.com/company/amazing-technologies-ltd (or the next best thing, if that’s already taken).

You can change this by navigating to the “edit page” tab in your company page’s admin panel and specifying the new URL in the box highlighted below.

Step 3: Make your headline work harder

This is prime real estate. Your headline should communicate what your company does and why it matters…fast. Remember the 0.1-second rule – if people aren’t hooked in an instant, they’re lost and on their way to a competitor.

Step 4: Write an “About Us” section that’s actually about them

Seem counterintuitive? Stay with us.

Assume that people don’t actually care about your business. They care about what your business will do for them and how it will solve the problems they face.

Keep your company’s about us section short, sharp, and benefits-led, focusing on your core mission. Be sure to reference who you help and the main problems you solve, not just a list of services with no tangible links to real-life obstacles.

Step 5: Optimise for search

Yep, LinkedIn is actually a search engine (of sorts)! Leverage this by using relevant keywords that your target audience might use when searching for the products, services, or solutions you provide strategically throughout your profile, especially the ‘Overview’ and ‘Specialties’ sections.

Think key industry terms, pain points, and widely-used service names – the closer you are to how people actually search, the better.

Step 6: Showcase your hero products and services

We don’t mean a full catalogue, but showcasing your key offerings is essential.

Take advantage of LinkedIn Product Pages to shine a spotlight on hero products, including strong keyword-rich descriptions, links, and rich media, while listing your services in the Specialties section of your ‘About’ tab.

Step 7: Reinforce trust signals with social proof

Don’t expect B2B buyers to take your word at face value. To earn lasting credibility, you need to show genuine recommendations from existing customers, testimonials, and authentic reviews.

Step 8: Don’t forget about your internal experts

We know people do business with people, so make sure prospective clients can find and reach out to your teams via the ‘People’ section of your company’s profile. This will build authenticity and give your organisation a face with experience, expertise, and authority.

How to optimise your personal LinkedIn profile

A business presence is one thing, but buyers don’t just do their due diligence on brands. LinkedIn is where the people behind the brands come under just as much (if not more) scrutiny.

This is why your profile needs to work as hard as your company page if you’re going to see success when generating leads and closing deals on LinkedIn.

Step 1: Use a high-quality, professional headshot

While you don’t need to organise a full-scale photoshoot, using a professional, clear image as your LinkedIn profile picture is a must. Any blurry, cropped photos of you on holiday or the default avatar won’t cut it – prospects need to see you mean business at first glance.

Don’t believe us? Well, get this: LinkedIn confirms that profiles with a quality photo get double the views and triple the connection requests than those without. Talk about a visibility boost.

Step 2: Share your story, but keep it relevant

Use the summary to quickly explain:

• What you do
• Who you help
• The expertise you have
• How you’ll deliver results for them

Don’t just list job titles and years of experience; make it about the value that resonates with the audience you’re trying to engage.

Step 3: Include rich media

This isn’t a paper CV, so you can get much more creative in bringing your experience section to life. Mix it up with rich media and enhance your profile with decks, articles, portfolio snips, and videos to demonstrate the sheer breadth of your expertise.

Step 4: Focus on outcomes and impact

This links back to the benefits-led narrative you need to use on your company’s profile. In your personal ‘Experience’ section, highlight the tangible impacts you’ve made in your previous roles. It’s not a place to share what you’ve done, but why it all mattered and the value it brought to your then colleagues and clients.

Step 5: Build social proof

Ask colleagues, clients, and partners (past and present) to recommend you for certain services, leveraging word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing to its fullest potential within the platform.

Also, ask for endorsements for skills that reflect your area of expertise so that potential customers can see others vouch for your capabilities.

Step 6: Keep it current

Outdated profiles are a major red flag. Think about it, what was your next move the last time you landed on someone’s profile and saw they hadn’t shared or updated anything in over three years? You probably didn’t put them at the top of your must-message list, right?

Regularly update your profile with posts, comments, new wins, case studies, articles, role changes, promotions, and certifications if you want to stay top of mind.

What to post on LinkedIn to generate leads

The content you share with your LinkedIn connections is the conversations you have with prospective buyers.

Ever tried networking at an event without saying a single word? Of course you haven’t.

You need to provide value and insight for the people you want to engage if they’re going to pay attention, and this means the content you post needs to be top-tier.

For B2B lead generation, we’re not talking about content created for vanity metrics. We’re talking about forging genuine, lasting relationships, building credibility, and creating reasons for prospects to start a dialogue with you.

Here are our social prospecting expert’s 7 top tips for crafting high-value, engaging content for LinkedIn:

1. Focus on value, not just visibility

Posting for the sake of it isn’t the way to go – your audience is knowledgeable and experienced, meaning they’ll see right through it.

Instead of posting to stay active, share content that solves real problems, challenges assumptions, or teaches your target audience something valuable. Your goal should be to become a trusted, authoritative voice in your space, not just more noise on your prospects’ feeds.

2. Talk to the person behind the persona

Generic messaging will fall flat on LinkedIn, especially with the rise of AI-generated content, which is making it easier and easier for people to create bang-average posts (you know what we’re talking about).

Whether your ideal customer profile (ICP) is made up of CTOs, operations managers, CEOs, or marketing directors, write in a way that feels human and, most importantly, authentic to your voice. If you end up sounding like everyone else, you’ll blend into the background.

3. Vary your media types

LinkedIn isn’t one-size-fits-all, and your content shouldn’t be either. Switching up formats keeps your feed fresh, appeals to different types of buyers, and increases your chances of cutting through the noise.

• Text posts → These are perfect for sharing unique personal takes on industry issues, walking your audience through strategic processes, or asking questions that spark discussions.
• Images and infographics → Need to get a message across fast? Images are your best bet. A 3M and the University of Minnesota study found that the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. Talk about speed. The key is ensuring that images or infographics add value to your post and stay aligned with the message you want to convey.
• Videos → If reach is your goal, video is your go-to. LinkedIn data shows that video posts are 20x more likely to be shared than other formats. When it comes to using video in prospecting, though, our advice is to keep it authentic – no one needs another corporate promo reel.
• Documents and carousels → This is your chance to share a mini slide deck of bite-sized, swipe-able graphics. Carousel posts are great for showing step-by-step processes, breaking down complex frameworks, or repurposing blog content.
• Polls → Paid market research outside your budget for this quarter? No problem; lean on your LinkedIn audience instead. Use native polls to generate quick engagement wins, gather opinions, test hypotheses, and spark debates. Our tip is to keep polls as simple as possible (short questions with 3-4 options) so people don’t get decision fatigue.

4. Don’t be afraid to have a point of view

People trust people, and real people have real opinions. Don’t shy away from challenging an outdated industry mindset or sharing what didn’t work in a recent campaign. Showing your thinking builds connection and highlights your authenticity.

5. Time your posts to perfection

Here’s an inconvenient truth: you could write the best damn LinkedIn post of your life, but if you hit publish when no one’s online or your audience is busy, it’s going nowhere.

LinkedIn’s algorithm favours recency. If your audience doesn’t engage quickly (reacting, commenting, sharing, etc.), your post fades into the feed. So, timing isn’t just nice to have, it’s make or break.

The best days to post on LinkedIn are:

• Tuesday to Thursday – The middle of the week is the best time to post as your audience is in full work mode and not slipping into the weekend.

According to 2025 Buffer data, the best times to post on LinkedIn are:

• Mid-morning (between 10 and 11am) is the sweet spot for the highest engagement rates.
• Early afternoon (between 2 and 3pm) sees slightly lower engagement rates, but it’s still a good bet.
• First thing on weekdays (8am) is also a good option, as people will scroll through their feeds when they’re commuting or just logging on for the day.

Bonus tip: Use best practice data with caution, not as a direct replacement for checking your analytics. Every audience is different, so use LinkedIn’s built-in tools to see when your connections and followers are most responsive.

6. Mix education with credibility

Thought leadership is great, but it becomes even better when combined with real proof. Share insights from customer wins, highlight your team’s expertise, and use content to show, not just tell, what you do.

7. Engage, don’t just broadcast

You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours, or so the saying goes. Social media content shouldn’t be one-way, so end posts with questions, jump into comment threads on your network’s posts, and respond to feedback. Visibility without engagement won’t drive leads.

Pssst…this guide is focused on generating B2B leads, but if you’re looking for a full breakdown of what to post, when, and how to plan a content mix that actually gets seen, check out our companion guide on what to post when on LinkedIn.

Growing your LinkedIn network to generate more leads

Let’s be honest: a bigger LinkedIn network doesn’t just look impressive when people go snooping on your profile; it creates more opportunities to generate leads.

But, as with other things in life, size isn’t everything. You can’t afford to focus on the number of connections in your network at the expense of quality. A bigger network isn’t impressive unless it’s relevant to your business and the goals you’re trying to achieve.

Here’s why growing your LinkedIn network with targeted connections matters:

1. Wider reach = more visibility = higher engagement

Reach is the number of unique individuals who have seen your content at least once. And, the more people who see your posts, the greater your chances of scoring high-intent engagement.

Within the context of lead generation, your existing network helps amplify your content, ensuring it gets shown to an even larger audience. The more relevant your current audience is, the more likely it is that their engagement will extend its reach to other relevant users.

2. Second-degree connections matter

Second-degree connections (those shown with the 2nd icon next to their name) are users who are connections of people in your existing network.

LinkedIn prioritises mutual connections in search results and suggested content, so the more relevant people you’re connected with, the easier it will be to get discovered by new prospects interested in the services you offer.

3. Warmer outreach means better results

When you share mutual connections with someone, you no longer need to rely on cold outreach when striking up a conversation. You already have something in common with them before your message lands in their inbox or your post appears on their feed.

4. Giving tools like InMail extra firepower

InMail messages have an impressively high response rate, but only when there’s a clear relevance between you and the recipient. A well-built network gives you better targeting options with a wider network of second-degree connections who are likely to show a genuine interest in your services.

How to grow your network without being spammy

Growing your network isn’t about blasting random requests. It’s about building a relevant ecosystem around your niche. Here’s how:

1. Define who you actually want to connect with

Success starts with a narrow focus, which is where your ideal customer profile (ICP) comes into its own. You need to be crystal clear about who the decision-makers are in your niche and who can put you in contact with them. This is networking by definition, so look to build a web of individuals who can help you reach your goals.

2. Use LinkedIn’s search filters properly

With close to 1 billion users on the platform, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. Use LinkedIn’s search filters to drill down by industry, job title, location, shared connections, current company, etc., to find the most relevant people.

Remember: this isn’t a case of talking to everyone, it’s a case of talking to the right people at the right times.

3. Send personalised connection requests

Personalisation is no longer a “nice to have”; it’s the bare minimum people expect. If you don’t personalise outreach messages and connection requests, any efforts to build bridges will likely be ignored.

So, leverage mutual contacts, shared challenges, similar experiences, or thoughts about one of their recent posts – show that you’re genuinely interested in them as individuals, and you’re onto a winner.

4. Engage before you connect

Out-of-the-blue messages are far less likely to land than ones with prior setup. Like and comment on their posts to create baseline engagement before you reach out directly with an invite to connect. That way, they’ll already be familiar with you when you do send a request.

5. Join the right groups and communities

Getting involved with industry discussions can be helpful, as long as it’s not salesy. Showing potential buyers that you’re actively contributing to the conversation they’re a part of helps build trust and credibility with the right crowd.

Our advice is to choose smaller, more relevant groups rather than bigger, more general ones. The more members a group has, the less likely your posts or comments will be seen.

6. Attend or host virtual events

Participating in industry-related events and conferences is a great way to grow your network and demonstrate your expertise. Check out the attendee list for an online event and send personalised connection requests soon after it takes place to ask what they thought of the content covered.

Or, go one step further and host your own event. This is a great way to position yourself and your brand as a true thought leader within your space and provide genuine, unsolicited value for the people you’re trying to reach.

7. Think of it as a cocktail party, not a speed dating event

Too many people treat LinkedIn like a numbers game – connecting with as many people as possible and jumping straight into a pitch. It’s awkward. It’s forgettable. And it rarely works.

If you want your network to actually generate leads, slow down.

Imagine you’re at a fancy black-tie gala event. You wouldn’t walk up to someone, shove a brochure in their face, and ask for a meeting before they’ve even learned your name. You’d introduce yourself, listen, and find common ground – playing the long game, knowing that good things come to those who wait.

How to use LinkedIn for lead generation

When it comes to generating leads on LinkedIn, there are three main routes you can take – and each is effective in different ways:

1. Built-in premium LinkedIn tools → Using features like Sales Navigator and InMail to target and reach decision-makers proactively.
2. Organic outreach and engagement → Building trust and sparking conversations by showing up consistently in your prospects’ feeds.
3. Paid ads and Sponsored content → Leveraging LinkedIn’s targeting capabilities to get high-value offers in front of the right people at scale.

Ideally, you want to combine all three approaches – a well-optimised organic presence to build familiarity, backed by smart tools to scale your outreach when the timing is right.

Approach 1: Lead generation with LinkedIn’s premium tools

If you want to go beyond your existing network and take a more proactive approach to lead generation, LinkedIn’s premium tools give you the reach and targeting power to do just that.

Sales Navigator

Sales Navigator is LinkedIn’s premium prospecting platform (try saying that a few times fast). Used properly, it makes it easier to focus your energy on the people most likely to convert and saves serious time on manual prospecting. It helps you:

• Find decision-makers using advanced filters (job title, company size, location, etc.)
• Save leads and track their activity over time
• Spot warm paths to prospects through shared connections (TeamLink)
• Integrate with your CRM to track contact touchpoints across your sales funnel

One thing to note, though, is that Sales Navigator isn’t free – it’s a premium tool built for sales teams and individuals who do regular outbound or high-value prospecting.

Need a little extra convincing? A Forrester study found that Sales Navigator users generated a 312% ROI over 3 years and typically paid back the investment in under 6 months.

To help you get the most out of B2B social prospecting, our experts have created a beginner’s guide to LinkedIn Sales Navigator. This runs you through the basics of getting set up and explores proven strategies for success.

Using InMail

InMail is LinkedIn’s premium direct messaging feature. It lets you reach out to people outside your network (i.e. 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections). It’s a hugely powerful lead generation tool…if you know how to use it properly.

Like with any cold prospecting, you’re essentially landing in someone’s inbox uninvited, so any message has to land feet-first if it will help rather than hinder your outreach.

Here’s how to use InMail to your advantage when generating leads:

1. Personalise every message

Generic, templated messaging no longer cuts the mustard, especially with tools like LinkedIn InMail.

Your target audience is like you – switched on, business-savvy, and experienced. They’ve seen the same “Hi [FirstName], I came across your profile…” openers dozens of times, and can spot a blanket send a mile off.

Relying on templates means:

• You sound like everyone else
• Your messages get skimmed, ignored, or deleted
• You waste valuable InMail credits
• You lose the chance of connecting and compromise your professional reputation

In contrast, genuine personalisation shows effort, authenticity, and thought. It feels human.

So reference something relevant to the person you’re messaging: their recent posts, a company update, mutual connections, an event they might be interested in, or a challenge they likely face. Anything that shows you’ve done your research and aren’t wasting their time.

2. Get to the point fast

Research shows you have about eight seconds to get someone’s attention, so any unnecessary fluff in an outreach message could cost you the connection (and the lead).

Busy professionals don’t have the time (or patience) to wade through waffle or walls of text. If your message is too long, too vague, or takes too long to say what it’s about, it’ll get binned – even if the intent was good.

So cut the small talk. Avoid intros like “Hope you’re well” or lengthy bios they didn’t ask for. Tell them why you’re reaching out, why it matters to them, and what you’re hoping to start.

Respect their time, and you’ll get more of it.

3. Lead with value

InMail isn’t the place for cold pitches. If you take that approach, you’ll struggle to see results.

Think about it: most decision-makers aren’t going to respond to a stranger asking for 15 minutes of their time. You wouldn’t, right?

They might respond to a genuine offer of insight, advice, or opportunity, though.

So flip the script away from what you want and towards what they want or could find helpful. Offer a resource or guide relevant to their industry, an observation about a challenge they’re likely facing, a quick idea you’re happy to share with no expectations or strings attached – anything that offers value.

4. Use your credits wisely

InMail messages aren’t like emails – you don’t have an unlimited number of them to send.

The maximum number of InMail credits a user has per month depends on the level of their Premium subscription:

• Premium Career: 5
• Premium Business: 15
• Sales Navigator Core: 50

And once they’re gone, they’re gone, so don’t waste them on cold, random outreach.

Prioritise warm prospects (people who have viewed your profile, engaged with your posts, or share mutual connections). This extra context makes a big difference because they’re more likely to recognise your name and less likely to see you as a spammer.

So leverage all the platform insights you can to be strategic about who deserves your InMail credits. The more targeted your outreach, the better your response rates will be.

5. A/B test your approach

What works for one audience segment or industry won’t always work for another, which is why testing (A/B, split…whatever you call it) is so key.

Try tweaking your subject lines, CTAs, tone of voice, send times, and message length, tracking what performs best by looking for patterns in your InMail analytics.

In B2B lead gen, using guesswork just isn’t enough. You need to constantly refine your approach to engineer a repeatable, reliable strategy that you know will fill your sales pipeline with qualified leads.

Want to learn more about testing messaging? Our full guide on A/B split testing emails covers everything you need to know.

Measuring InMail performance

Let’s take InMail A/B testing one step further, because one of the strengths of LinkedIn’s paid tools is the depth of data you get back.

But tracking performance isn’t just about opens and replies. It’s about understanding what’s working, what’s wasting credits, and where your real opportunities are coming from.

Here’s what to monitor when using InMail for B2B lead generation:

• Open rate → Are people even reading your message? A strong open rate suggests your subject line and sender profile are doing their job. If it’s low, take another look at how you’re introducing yourself.
• Response rate → A good open rate means nothing if no one actually replies. If your response rate is weak, your message might be too generic, too long, or too salesy. This is your most important performance signal.
• Click-through-rate (CTR) → If you’ve included a link or attachment, check who’s clicking. A high CTR = interest. A low CTR? Time to rethink your hook or value proposition.
• Conversion rate → Did they take the action you asked for? Whether that’s booking a call, downloading a resource, or replying with interest, this tells you if your CTA is hitting the mark.
• Connection acceptance → If you’re using InMail to warm up prospects before sending a connection request, track acceptance rates. A high rate suggests your message felt relevant, authentic, and trustworthy.
• Qualified leads generated → For goal-oriented lead gen campaigns, this is your bottom line. To measure success, monitor how many InMails turn into real sales conversations or CRM-qualified leads.
• Conversations started → B2B sales cycles are long, so not every message will lead straight to a meeting. A genuine back-and-forth is still a win, though, and signals potential further down the line. Track the volume of meaningful replies, as they’re often a strong early marker of a long-term pipeline.

So, is InMail worth the money? That depends on how well you use it and how accurately you track its return on investment using the metrics above.

In simple terms, if a qualified lead or closed deal proves more valuable than the cost of your Premium package, InMail has done its job.

Don’t expect results without hard work, though…generating new business leads isn’t easy! If a reliable, scalable flow of leads is what you’re after, consider engaging a specialist B2B lead generation agency with a proven track record of crafting high-performing campaigns across multiple channels.

Approach 2: Lead generation through organic engagement

If you’re not ready to invest in LinkedIn’s premium tools – or you want to warm up prospects before dipping into your marketing budget – organic lead generation is your strongest play.

This isn’t about hoping the algorithm favours you, though. It’s about showing up strategically, staying visible in the right conversations, and giving your target audience multiple reasons to trust you before you ever message them.

Here’s how to do it properly:

1. Show up in feeds with valuable content

Your content doesn’t need to go viral to make an impact. Yes, the wider your reach, the more relevant eyes will be on your profile, but the most important thing is to make sure whatever you share is relevant and useful to the people you’re targeting.

Post consistently about:

• Challenges your ideal customers face and how to overcome them
• Observations on issues, changes, and innovations within your industry
• Stories, mistakes, and lessons learned from your own professional experience
• Case studies you or your team have delivered

These posts will position you as a problem-solver and valuable business partner, which is what B2B professionals need.

2. Engage with your target audience before you message them

It’s not all about what you post; huge value lies in what you add to other people’s posts as well! We recommend spending 10-15 minutes a day doing things like:

Commenting on posts from your target accounts or connections (1st and 2nd)
Adding unique insights to conversations happening within your niche
Sharing content posted by others

And we’re not just talking about a quick like or “That’s great” comment here. These interactions have to be considered, relevant, and offer genuine value if they’re going to make an impact.

The goal is to put your name in their notifications in a positive way so that when you do send a connection request or message, it feels far less random.

3. Connect with intent, not vanity

Reach is great, but not if it’s at the expense of relevance, so strive to build the best network rather than the biggest.

Send personalised connection requests to:

• People who engage with your content
• Decision-makers who fit your ICP
• Attendees from webinars and events
• 2nd-degree connections who have the same professional interests as you

Pro tip: When someone accepts your request, don’t jump into full lead generation mode straight away. Start with a relevant DM (if you have a reason to message them) or comment on one of their recent posts.

4. Follow up on profile views and post engagement

If someone is going out of their way to check out your profile or engage with the content you share, they’re already showing strong signs of interest.

Use these subtle cues as a signal to start a conversation that follows naturally from whatever engagement they’ve shown.

For example, if someone likes or comments on your post, message them saying:

“Thanks for checking out my post on [topic]. I’d love to hear your take on it, as it’s something I’m seeing more often these days. Are you experiencing similar challenges at [Company]?”

And remember, unless someone has commented, “I want to buy what you offer right now”, don’t launch head-first into a sales pitch!

5. Dedicate time to LinkedIn each day

Organic lead generation isn’t a “set and forget” game. It’s like any relationship-building effort – you need to show up regularly and consistently to see results.

If you’re serious about using LinkedIn to generate leads, set aside 15-30 minutes each day to:

• Post or engage with content
• Comment on posts from your ICP
• Review who’s viewed your profile
• Send connection requests that align with your goals
• Follow up on recent conversations, comment threads, and updates

Think of it like going to the gym. You won’t see the results you want from a one-off, intense session. You need to commit to steady, repeated effort.

So block time out in your calendar and treat LinkedIn like any other sales activity. If it’s contributing to your pipeline, it deserves a dedicated slot in your diary.

Approach 3: Lead generation with LinkedIn Ads and Sponsored content

Let’s cut to the chase: LinkedIn ads aren’t the cheapest.

The average cost per click (CPC) on LinkedIn is between $2 and $3, while 1,000 impressions cost between $5 and $8. As with all paid advertising, costs vary due to competitiveness, audience targeting, bidding strategies, and ad relevance.

Despite these prices, LinkedIn ads can prove hugely effective when used within B2B lead generation campaigns thanks to the level of targeting they provide. No other platform allows you to reach out directly to decision makers and C-suite executives at scale, meaning each ad holds great potential value.

The benefits of LinkedIn ads

• Targeting your ICP → You can target audiences by job title, seniority, company size, industry, and more, ensuring you’re going after the right people with the greatest conversion potential.
• Reaching decision makers → LinkedIn is a place for connecting with other business professionals, not scrolling aimlessly through your ex-next-door neighbour’s holiday pictures. This level of intent gives LinkedIn ads a greater potential ROI for B2B companies.
• Warming up leads → Sponsored content helps your brand show up before you show in their inbox. With a baseline awareness of your business and its offering, your InMail messages stand a better chance of converting.

The best content to promote on LinkedIn

We’ve said it (more than) once, and we’ll say it again: in B2B lead generation, we aren’t always trying to close a quick deal.

The best-performing lead gen campaigns recognise that results come from offering value, earning attention, building brand familiarity over the long haul, and ultimately, working to make future conversations and conversions easier.

But we can go further by looking at full-funnel approaches to lead generation ads. This involves tailoring ad messaging to the target audience’s funnel stage, ensuring that it resonates with where they are in their buying journey.

Here are some examples of the best-performing content types for each stage:

• Top of the funnel → Educational content, white papers, industry reports, free templates, webinars, gated content.
• Middle of the funnel → Product explainers, use cases, success stories, solution guides.
• Bottom of the funnel → Product demo requests, pricing comparisons, ROI calculators.

Whatever content you share, remember that while LinkedIn ads are a powerful tool, they aren’t a standalone lead generation strategy. Ads and promoted content work best when they support wider, multi-touch campaigns spanning organic content and targeted outreach, so avoid pouring all your resources into one pot.

→ Interested in learning more about how multi-channel can help you grow? You’re in the right place. See it in action with a B2B multi-channel marketing agency.

LinkedIn Lead Gen forms: What they are and how they work

LinkedIn Lead Gen forms are native, pre-filled forms that appear within your ads. You control the form fields and CTAs; leads can be delivered straight into your CRM or email platform.

They’re designed to help you capture high-quality leads without ever sending users to a landing page, removing friction and creating a fast, mobile-friendly experience that reduces drop-off. So much so that LinkedIn data shows the average conversion rate of Lead Gen forms to be 13%, which is way above the average landing page rate of 4.02% (Unbounce).

Here’s a glance at how they work…

When a user clicks on your ad (typically a Sponsored Content post), Lead Gen forms automatically pull key data from their profile (name, job title, company, email, etc.) and populate the form’s fields without them having to lift a finger.

Instead of forms that ask for a lot of manual input and unnecessary information (favourite hobby, car registration, grandmother’s maiden name, what you had for dinner a week last Tuesday, etc.), Lead Gen forms do the typing for you and make clicking that “Submit” button as easy as humanly possible.

When, where, and how to use Lead Gen forms on LinkedIn

Lead Gen Forms work best when paired with Sponsored Content or Message Ads, especially for offers requiring quick, low-friction conversion.

You can use them effectively across your sales funnel with content like:

• Downloading gated content (eBooks, reports, guides)
• Webinar or virtual event signups
• Booking a product demo or intro call
• Requesting pricing or consultation info
• Email newsletter signups

In terms of getting the most out of your Lead Gen forms, here are our top tips:

1. Offer something valuable → No matter how easy it is, don’t expect your audience to give you their personal details for free. You need to clearly explain the value of your offer and how it can help them.
2. Keep it short → Nobody wants to give you more than the bare minimum, so start with 3-5 fields maximum (name, job title, company, and email address are usually enough).
3. Optimise your thank-you screen → Never skip an opportunity to nurture your leads! Use the confirmation screen to provide a direct link to the asset you’re promoting or a guide to something else relevant. Anything to keep your prospects engaged.
4. Sync with your CRM → Speed matters, as drawn-out response times can leave a sour taste in your prospect’s mouth. Integrate your CRM to route leads straight to your sales team, trigger follow-ups, and segment for nurture campaigns.
5. Test and refine → You’ll see the best results by monitoring results and refining approaches, so try different copy, offers, and target audiences with different campaigns. LinkedIn’s analytics give you important insights into open and submission rates so you can optimise continually.
6. Build warm audiences → Not everyone is ready to convert now, but capturing their details allows you to retarget them with BoFu content further down the line.

Turning conversations into sales opportunities

Generating the lead is one thing, but what’s next? Whatever your approach, whether it’s Premium, Sponsored, or organic, you need to know how to turn engagement into sales opportunities.

In our experience, most LinkedIn lead gen efforts fall short due to a lack of strategic follow-through. Remedying this means moving from conversation to opportunity in the right way -being natural and confident rather than too vague or aggressive.

Step 1: Know what kind of conversation you’re in

Responding appropriately to someone’s message based on the intent they show is essential. Get it wrong, and you’ll struggle to keep up a meaningful conversation.

Ask yourself whether they’re showing genuine interest or just initial curiosity, and check whether they have engaged with your content before or recently accepted your connection request.

Step 2: Don’t jump ahead of yourself

Really, the same messaging rules apply whether you’re reaching out organically or via a Premium tool like InMail. Don’t move too fast.

Instead of leading with the pitch or asking for their time upfront, offer something helpful first – a recommendation, a relevant guide, or an observation.

You’re not selling just yet; you’re building credibility to improve success rates when the time is right.

Step 3: Follow up without being annoying

Maybe they’re busy, or perhaps they’re on holiday and not replying to anyone.

If someone shows interest but then goes quiet, don’t disappear altogether, but don’t chase them too hard either.

Instead, try:

• Acknowledging they’re likely keeping multiple plates spinning, so you don’t want to add another into the mix
• Sharing something new that changes the conversation’s direction slightly
• Taking the conversation out of your inbox and back into comment threads
• Waiting a few days and seeing if they’re still active elsewhere on LinkedIn

Step 4: Keep track of leads in your CRM

Once someone agrees to a meeting or shows clear intent, it’s time to move the conversation off LinkedIn and into your CRM.

Be sure to assign specific follow-up actions to every unique lead (email sequences, demo bookings, handover to SDR, etc.) – whatever’s most appropriate based on the interactions you’ve had to date.

Common LinkedIn lead generation mistakes (and how to avoid them)

While there is no singular “right” way to use LinkedIn for B2B lead generation, there are several tried-and-tested “wrong” approaches you’ll want to steer clear of.

These are the traps that waste time, compromise your reputation or credibility, and kill conversions before you’ve even started a conversation.

Mistake 1: Pitching too soon

This is a recurring theme throughout this guide, but it is mission-critical. Without establishing a relationship with the prospect first, going straight into sales mode feels like you aren’t really interested in them as a person…just the commission they can potentially earn you by converting.

The fix: Build trust first by adding value through your content, commenting on their posts, and warming up relationships before asking for something in return.

Mistake 2: Using generic outreach templates

Don’t insult your prospects’ intelligence. They know when they’re getting the same message as 200 other people. It feels lazy and impersonal, and it just gets deleted.

The fix: Personalise every message. Reference something specific to a post they shared, a mutual connection, or a prior interaction you’ve had. Show them you’ve done your homework and that you actually care.

Mistake 3: Relying solely on automation

Tools that auto-connect and mass-message might save time, but they can also damage your personal brand and violate LinkedIn’s terms of service.

The fix: If you use automation, limit it to research and scheduling. Keep outreach human, as smart, hyper-relevant messages beat fast ones.

Mistake 4: Posting without a purpose

Inconsistent, ill-considered content won’t attract the right audience or build the industry credibility you need. Random, disjointed posts will likely confuse prospects about where your expertise lies, weakening the association between you and the solutions you provide.

The fix: Focus on quality over quantity by posting insights, not updates. Share stories, lessons, and relevant content that specifically speaks to your target buyers. Remember, you’re not trying to sell to everyone, just the people who might actually convert.

Mistake 5: Using LinkedIn in isolation

With buyers crossing more touchpoints than ever, LinkedIn must be part of a multi-channel approach. Even the best LinkedIn lead gen strategy won’t work if it’s disconnected from your wider sales and marketing efforts.

The fix: Align LinkedIn (and any other social prospecting channel, for that matter) with your email marketing lead gen campaigns and retargeting efforts. Prospects should be able to flow seamlessly between touchpoints and not get lost in siloed channels.

The last line on LinkedIn lead gen

The numbers don’t lie: our most recent State of Prospecting report found that 28% of buyers prefer to hear from sellers via social media, and over half (53%) of the companies surveyed use LinkedIn to identify prospects.

The upshot? It’s not a nice-to-have addition to your outbound lead gen strategy; it’s a critical part of modern prospecting.

But LinkedIn doesn’t work in isolation. To really move the needle, it needs to be part of a joined-up, multi-channel approach, where every touchpoint is aligned and every message is intentional.

At Sopro, we don’t just run campaigns – we’re a multi-channel marketing agency skilled at connecting the dots between strategy, targeting, timing, and buyer intent. So when a lead does land in your inbox, they’re already halfway there.

Want to fill your pipeline with red-hot leads? Of course, you do. Book a demo to see what Sopro can do for you.