LinkedIn Rules
Channel-specific rules for LinkedIn outreach. These sit on top of base-copywriting-rules.md and cover what is specific to LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is not email. It's social, conversational, visible. A prospect who accepted a connection is semi-warm — not opted in to a pitch. Messages must read as the natural continuation of a professional connection, not a cold email pasted into a chat.
Read the profile first
Before writing, scan the prospect's profile for signals — it's what makes the message non-generic:
- Headline — the words they chose to present themselves. Role-based or value-based?
- About — the story they tell, the language they use, tools or methods mentioned.
- Recent activity — highest signal value: topics they post, content they engage with, frustrations voiced.
- Experience — company type and stage, recent promotions, job changes.
- Timing signals — new role (<6 months), recent promotion, hiring for their team, company just raised, posted about a relevant pain.
Don't invest in deep personalization for a prospect who clearly doesn't fit the target — flag a weak fit to the user and proceed in "lower-conversion expected" mode.
The two first-touch messages
LinkedIn first contact is two messages:
- The invite note — sent with the connection request
- The first DM — sent after the connection is accepted
Invite note
- The invite note applies only to profiles sourced through Sales Navigator. For any other audience, send the connection request without a note.
- Always 200 characters maximum. Hard limit, no exception.
- Target 150–200 characters.
- Soft, signal-based when possible.
- No product mention, no link, no meeting request.
- One idea only. Warm, peer-to-peer tone.
First DM (post-acceptance)
- 40–70 words. No subject line.
- No pitch in the first DM, ever. No product mention.
- Structure:
[opening: 10–15 words, an observation about their world, never a question]/[1–2 sentences developing it]/[soft close: a genuine question or open door, not a meeting request]. - Conversational tone, like a message to a peer. No emoji.
Follow-up DM
Two modes:
- Value-add — 3–10 days after DM1. Offer something standalone-useful: an insight, a sharp observation, a concrete resource. Fresh angle, different from DM1.
- Soft breakup — 14+ days after DM1, or when the timing clearly isn't right. A clean, warm close that frees the prospect and leaves the door open.
Fresh start: a follow-up DM never references the previous DM. Pick a fresh angle — see angle-framework.md. Never "just bumping this", never "did you see my last message".
Email vs LinkedIn
| Email follow-up | LinkedIn follow-up | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 50–100 words | 40–70 words |
| Subject | Required | None |
| Reference to previous | OK, indirect | None — fresh start |
| Tone | Slightly formal | Conversational |
| Pitch tolerance | Low | Even lower |