The secrets of LinkedIn prospecting

Recruitment agencies have a multitude of tools at their disposal to find and sort the best candidates and connect them with the most relevant job offers.

Beyond using search engines and job boards that provide them with a whole range of information, they have every interest in supplementing this data with what they can find on social networks.

LinkedIn is the professional social network . Each user can search for companies, contact recruiters, and apply directly for jobs. It's a goldmine of information that is constantly evolving.

The rapid growth of LinkedIn and the sheer volume of key data online can, however, be a real headache for recruiters. Prospecting on LinkedIn isn't something you can just wing. That's why tools exist to optimize your approach and achieve better results. Let us explain!

Why prospect on LinkedIn? 

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What is prospecting on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn allows anyone to post their job offer directly online . A wide range of social network users can then view the offer and contact the person who posted it.

Prospecting for clients or new recruits on LinkedIn is often part of a broader prospecting strategy that utilizes multiple tools. Among these, the social network offers unparalleled proximity to prospects.

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Benefits of prospecting on LinkedIn

LinkedIn makes it easier to qualify leads . People who see a post on the social network are likely already familiar with the company. Perhaps they're already interested in its activities? Perhaps they regularly check job postings?

This close relationship with potential candidates allows the recruitment firm to ensure a good return on investment for any contact made through the network.

Furthermore, the company can easily find the key contact person for a company and/or the ideal candidate for a position.

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How to prospect effectively on LinkedIn?

Use the data provided by LinkedIn

On the social network, more than 875 million people provide a multitude of information about themselves, their skills, their qualifications, their desires, their locations, etc.

Every recruiter needs to know how to leverage this data to prospect for new talent . The collected information must be sorted, processed, and analyzed. It's a vast undertaking that can be very time-consuming.

Fortunately, software exists, notably Marvin Recruiter which automatically extracts LinkedIn profiles along with all the user-selected data from the ATS of the same name. Recruitment agencies and HR teams can thus centralize all the elements they need within the ATS.

Thus, the extension offered by Marvin makes it possible to not miss any profiles and to ensure a much more certain matching of candidates/offers.

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Leveraging LinkedIn's strengths

LinkedIn allows you to communicate directly with people , even without their contact email address. Rather than sending a general email to a mailing list you've created, LinkedIn enables recruitment agencies, RPOs, consulting firms, and HR teams to focus on their specific target audiences.

On LinkedIn, profiles are public. This information allows for more precise targeting , enabling you to contact the people best suited to answer your questions. The open rate for messages on LinkedIn is significantly higher than for emails sent to an entire mailing list.

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The steps of prospecting on LinkedIn

Targeting prospects on LinkedIn

First and foremost, as with all prospecting, it is essential to clearly define the target audience. Several questions need to be asked:

• How old is my target audience?
• What is his profession?
• What are his passions?
• Etc. 

The more precise the target, the more effective the prospecting. It's better to be too restrictive at the start, then broaden the search circle.

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Sorting prospects on LinkedIn

Looking for new companies, new candidates? Use recruitment software!  

The Marvin Recruiter ATS software, for example, helps headhunters save time on a daily basis . After centralizing profiles in a single folder, the ATS also sorts prospects using advanced search filters.

Clients and candidates are centralized in a single software application, and data is filtered according to precise and customizable criteria . The software also enables intelligent matching directly. To learn more, feel free to request a demonstration of the Marvin Recruiter ATS .

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Tips for guaranteed success in your LinkedIn prospecting

Although it may seem counterintuitive, avoid using keywords when searching on LinkedIn. Keyword searches can often lead to results quite different from what you expect. For example, the tool might retrieve keywords from past experiences that are no longer relevant.

Furthermore, the number of results requested must be limited to 2,500 (which is also LinkedIn's display limit). If the number of results is too large, it will be impossible to filter and sort them, and the results will be of lower quality.

When searching, it is sometimes very profitable to use quotation marks which allow you to find exactly the terms entered , and thus the profiles corresponding to the search.

If you want to search for two pieces of information at the same time, but which are independent, simply write "or" between the two terms.

Finally, LinkedIn is full of social groups that often bring together people who are very close professionally and can therefore lead you to many prospects all at once.

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Profile and approach: how to convince prospects

Refine your profile

The people you contact need to know clearly who you are and what you have to offer them. Users very often click on the profile of the person they are contacting.

Therefore, your LinkedIn profile must be comprehensive and accurate . It should entice anyone viewing it to learn more. Depending on your target audience, a high-quality English translation may be essential.

Among the elements that every LinkedIn profile should contain, we can list: 

• A clear title that defines your position and the structure you work for.
• A professional profile picture.
• A cover photo that illustrates some of the activities you have.
• A summary that provides a more detailed overview of your background, responsibilities, and objectives. The aim is to pique the interest of the reader of your profile and lend credibility to any future interactions you may have with them.
• Up-to-date content that shares posts, news, etc.

If a website link is shared during a LinkedIn prospecting campaign, the site itself must be very well-designed. Every visitor should be able to find all the information they need without having to search.

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Prospecting approaches

Once the prospect list is ready, all that remains is to contact the prospects effectively . This is the copywriting .

Absolutely avoid writing messages longer than 1,000 characters ; they are time-consuming and often unclear. While you naturally want to give the prospect you contact as much information as possible, keep it concise. This will pique their interest and make them want to learn more.

Don't use bold text to emphasize words you consider key. Instead of highlighting your message, this can make it appear sloppy. At the same time, maintain credibility by avoiding all spelling mistakes.

The offer submitted should not be general, but rather personalized . While tailored to the prospect contacted, it must contain at least:

• A hook that must pique the prospect's interest.
• Your proposal is short and clear.
• A solicitation : a question you can ask the prospect so that they feel involved that the exchange can continue.

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Prospecting on LinkedIn is particularly effective for recruitment agencies, which obtain a whole range of data directly on the social network, and thus target their prospects more precisely.

However, prospecting is not a method to be taken lightly. It requires careful preparation and the use of software that helps headhunters sort through the collected data.

Using return on investment is multiplied.