How We Do LinkedIn Outreach in 2025
LinkedIn is one of the highest-return channels for finding clients - if you set it up right. Over the years we’ve refined a short, repeatable system that turns profile views and lightweight outreach into a steady stream of qualified meetings. Below we walk through exactly how we optimize profiles, build a LinkedIn funnel, craft outreach messages, find the right prospects, and automate everything using Salesforge so you can scale outreach without babysitting it.
Quick overview (what to expect)
- Optimize your LinkedIn profile to act like a funnel landing page.
- Use a short, screening-first outreach message sequence that converts.
- Find prospects by leveraging influencers and targeted lists.
- Automate multi-channel outreach (email + LinkedIn) and manage deliverability with Salesforge tools.
Why LinkedIn + cold outbound still wins
LinkedIn combines intent and context: you can see who someone is, the company they represent, and the content they engage with. When paired with personalized cold email outreach, you get a multi-touch pipeline that performs far better than single-channel spammy tactics.
1. Optimize your LinkedIn profile (make it a funnel)
Treat your profile like a single-page funnel. Most people skip this, which makes all your outreach less effective. Focus on three elements:
- Profile photo that stands out - use something memorable (not a bland white background). A unique visual cue increases recognition when your comment or message shows up in their notifications.
- Headline + banner that sell in one line - your headline needs to communicate benefit, audience, pricing or differentiator, and social proof if possible. Example: “Scale your agency for only $497/month - 14,000 clients served.” That may read like an ad, but it’s clear and converts.
- CTA and featured section - make it easy to take the next step: message, calendar link, or a clear sign-up. Use a featured article or a case study to back the claim.
The rest of your profile (about, experience) can be written quickly; the headline, photo, banner, and CTA are the pieces that carry the funnel.
2. Build a simple LinkedIn funnel
We use the profile to qualify and convert cold visitors into discussions. The funnel is:
- Make a high-contrast comment on a post from a target or influencer so your profile preview gets clicked.
- Your headline and banner convey the benefit and a clear CTA (DM, apply, book).
- Once someone clicks, the featured section and about copy help close them into a conversation or application.
Keep social proof visible (numbers, logos, awards). This reduces friction and increases the chances that a prospect who clicks through will reply or apply.
3. Outreach message templates that actually qualify
We favor a screening-first approach - ask a simple, relevant question that forces a yes/no response and reveals intent. Below are message templates we use as a framework. Replace the placeholders with the prospect’s name and company.
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Initial connection / first message (screening):
“Hey {FirstName}, are you running cold email campaigns for {CompanyName}?” -
Follow-up (15 minutes after connection):
“We’ve set up 14,000+ campaigns and worked with big names across the space (example logos). Quick call to see if we can help?” -
Content follow-up (5 days later):
“One of our clients in {city/vertical} just added $1.5M to their pipeline using these tactics - thought this article might help.” (Link to an article or case study.) -
Second follow-up (4 days later):
“Thought I’d give it one last shot - open to 5 minutes to discuss how we can add clients to your team?” -
Long-term nurture (2 months later):
“Yo, it’s been a while - how are things going at {CompanyName}?” -
Quarterly check-in (3 months later):
“How’s growth looking at {CompanyName}?”
Why this works: the first message is a targeted screener. The follow-ups add credibility, provide value, and slowly warm the prospect. The long-term touches revive cold leads after the relationship has had time to develop.
4. How to find the right people (influencer-led lists)
Finding the right audience is half the battle. We build lists from people who follow or engage with niche influencers. If someone follows a known influencer in your vertical, they’re more likely to be a fit.
Steps to follow:
- Identify 3–10 influencers who serve your target audience (e.g., cold email leaders for agencies, dental thought-leaders for dentists, etc.).
- Use Leadsforge to scrape or import followers and connections from those influencers into targeted lists. This gives you prospects who are already consuming content relevant to your offer.
- Filter by geography or company size depending on your ICP. Even a simple filter like “United States” can improve lead quality.
We recommend nicheing by vertical or behavior (who they follow) instead of high-level titles - this surfaces people who are actively learning and are more likely to buy.
5. Automate campaigns with the Forge Stack
Automation is where the system becomes scalable. We run multi-channel campaigns and manage deliverability using the Forge Stack. Here’s how the pieces fit together:
- Leadsforge - build targeted lists from influencer followers, LinkedIn profiles, and web sources.
- Salesforge - orchestrate cold email sequences and LinkedIn outreach (multi-channel) with AI personalization based on a prospect’s website and LinkedIn profile.
- Mailforge - handle mailbox infrastructure and help with inbox routing when using multiple mailboxes.
- Warmforge - warm up mailboxes to maintain strong sender reputation and increase deliverability.
- Infraforge - automatic dynamic IPs and ESP matching to reduce deliverability risk as you scale.
- Primeforge™ - unified view to manage all replies across mailboxes and sequences (no more scattered inboxes).
- Agent Frank - AI agents that can help personalize outreach at scale and manage routine follow-ups.
With these tools working together, we import prospects from Leadsforge into Salesforge, personalize messages at scale, warm mailboxes with Warmforge, route replies through Primeforge, and monitor deliverability with Infraforge. This one pipeline eliminates most manual overhead while preserving personalization.
6. Deliverability & testing
Deliverability determines whether your messaging ever gets seen. Key levers we use:
- Use Warmforge to warm new mailboxes before sending volume.
- Match IPs to ESPs with Infraforge to avoid blacklists and sudden drops.
- A/B test subject lines, openers, and CTAs inside Salesforge to find winners quickly.
- Use Primeforge to track replies and route to the right salesperson - speed of response matters.
7. Measurement & iteration
Track these KPIs weekly and iterate:
- Connection acceptance rate (LinkedIn)
- Reply rate (email + LinkedIn)
- Meetings booked per 1,000 outreach touches
- Pipeline generated and deal conversion
Run short A/B tests, double down on what works, and scale up infrastructure once you have a clear winner.
Example workflow - put it all together
- Optimize profile: standout photo, benefit-driven headline, clear CTA, and featured case study.
- Identify influencers and import followers into Leadsforge lists.
- Create a Salesforge campaign that sends the screening message on LinkedIn and an email sequence personalized by Agent Frank.
- Warm mailboxes with Warmforge, use Infraforge for IPs, and route replies to Primeforge.
- Track results, run A/B tests, and iterate weekly.
Conclusion
LinkedIn outreach doesn’t need to be complicated. With a profile optimized to convert, a simple screening-first message sequence, influencer-led list building, and the right automation stack, you can build a high-velocity pipeline that keeps feeding your calendar month after month. The Forge Stack brings the automation, deliverability, and AI personalization you need to scale responsibly and predictably.
FAQ
Do we need to rewrite our whole LinkedIn profile?
No. Focus first on the headline, profile photo, banner, and CTA. Those are the high-impact elements. The rest can be updated progressively.
How personalized should our messages be?
We recommend a hybrid approach: personalized enough to feel human (mention company, a quick observation) but templated for scale. Use Agent Frank or Salesforge’s AI personalization to add website/LinkedIn-based lines at scale.
Can Salesforge handle LinkedIn outreach?
Yes. Salesforge supports multi-channel outreach (email + LinkedIn). Use Leadsforge to import prospects and Salesforge to orchestrate the sequences and personalization.
How do we avoid deliverability issues when scaling?
Warm new mailboxes with Warmforge, use dynamic IPs and ESP matching through Infraforge, and monitor reputation and performance. Scale slowly and run A/B tests to find the right cadence.
What kind of results should we expect?
Results depend on offer, targeting, and creative. With a refined funnel and good targeting, expect meaningful reply rates and a steady flow of qualified meetings. Track meetings per 1,000 touches as your primary efficiency metric.
Ready to implement?
With this system, you can set up LinkedIn outreach that runs reliably. If you want a single platform that combines list building, AI personalization, multi-channel sequences, deliverability infrastructure, and unified reply management, the Salesforge suite is built for that workflow. We recommend starting with Leadsforge to build targeted lists and Salesforge to run personalized, scalable campaigns.
