How to Get Prospects’ Attention on LinkedIn: 4 Outreach Tips for Nonprofits

LinkedIn can be a great platform for nonprofits to find and connect with major donors and supporters in a trusted, professional environment. But whether you’re using LinkedIn Sales Navigator to contact prospects using InMails or are messaging someone already in your network, it’s important to quickly grab their attention if you want to get a reply. 

Ready to improve your fundraising response rate on LinkedIn? Here are four tips that can help, based on LinkedIn InMail data. 

1. Research prospects on LinkedIn before hitting send

No one wants to feel like they’ve been sent a mass message. If you’re asking someone to make a donation or support your nonprofit in some other way, take a few minutes to review their LinkedIn profile first and personalize your message based on what you see. This demonstrates that you’ve reached out to them one-to-one and value them as an individual — and prospects really respond to that. LinkedIn data shows prospects are 86% more likely to accept an InMail from you if you view their LinkedIn profile first. 

Similarly, if you’re contacting people about a corporate gift or partnership, follow their company on LinkedIn before reaching out. This simple step can increase InMail acceptance rates by 13%, opening the door for a fruitful conversation.

2. Ensure your LinkedIn profile establishes credibility 

First impressions matter. If a prospect clicks on your LinkedIn profile to learn more about you and finds it outdated or bare, they’re unlikely to respond. On the other hand, if your profile is complete, your chances of a prospect accepting your InMail increase by 87%.

Aim to review your profile every few months to ensure it establishes credibility and trust. Do you have a profile picture, and does it reflect what you look like today? Is your current employer and role up to date? Is the language used to tell your story warm and engaging, inviting conversation?

3. Elevate your nonprofit’s LinkedIn Page

Unsurprisingly, if people are already aware of and interested in your nonprofit, they’ll be more receptive to hearing from you. That’s why it pays to build a strong following for your nonprofit on LinkedIn. In fact, the data shows that prospects are a whopping 181% more likely to accept your InMail if they already follow your organization on LinkedIn.

Your nonprofit can grow its following on LinkedIn by keeping its LinkedIn Page up to date and posting high-quality content on a regular basis. Check out our LinkedIn Pages: Action plan for nonprofits for ideas about what to post and how often. 

4. Leverage role changes to get your foot in the door

LinkedIn data shows that prospects who have switched jobs within the past 90 days are 65% more likely to accept InMails from salespeople. Why does this matter for nonprofits? Because if you’re reaching out about a potential corporate gift, someone who has just stepped into the role of Corporate Social Responsibility Officer or similar may be highly invested in making their mark on the role — making them more interested in speaking to you.

When you’re targeting a company, keep an eye out for role changes like this. Use your message to congratulate the person on their new role, then mention you’d love to chat about a partnership if they’re open to it. 

Want to take your fundraising and development efforts to the next level on LinkedIn? LinkedIn Sales Navigator allows nonprofits to identify strategic prospects at scale, find warm introductions, and send the right message at the right time with real-time updates and powerful insights. Contact our team to learn more.

This post was inspired by the LinkedIn Sales Blog article, “Want Higher InMail Acceptance Rates? Here’s the Best Data for Reaching Out,” authored by Paul Petrone.