Do cold emails/LinkedIn messages work?

My assumption in an ideal world of smart people is always: "If they keep doing it, the ROI must be positive". I'm not a big fan of outreach, and for commoditized products/services, I always avoid picking the ones that did outreach to me as a principle. I perceive it as spam. That said, out of 100 outreach, there's often at least 1 that either has: - Perfect copy that really catches my attention and - Interesting product for me - Perfect timing ... I knew the product, but it was not top of mind, and they remind me about it exactly when I need it (this is almost always luck) So yeah, it does work, as long as it's well-written, promotes something really interesting (hard to judge as a founder), and is decently targeted.

I believe so – if you target the right pain point, and offer a solution at the right time. It's all about personalization. Plus, can be even better with intros from people you have in common.

I think it works as long as your target customer really spends time on LinkedIn. When I had tried this for software developers, I found a low response rate (vs twitter DMs - where they're more present). But, e.g., for engineering managers who are hiring (and therefore on LinkedIn all the time), I've had some success. Also echoing what's below - it can't be a canned message. Needs to be personalized to them -- why are you reaching out?

Hey @olenabomko, It does work, especially if you are selling is mostly outbound dependent and you are selling high ticket size product. :D It does require a good amount of experimentation though on all fronts like ICP, geography you are selling to, messaging, outreach method, etc.

I get tons of them almost daily in my position. I see the same "higher" level tactics like sending a coffee image with my name on it used over and over. If you don't sound like a robot and actually take the time to learn what we do, you can improve your responses. I always take note of the ones I click or feel like I could reply to. They almost all have personalized opener, short, sweet and have a real good offer or have social proof.

I hate InMails but DMs are ok if you are connected with the person

It does! not with everyone but always worth the shot

yes.

We've tried cold messages on LinkedIn, and in fact, they do work! Be mindful that you will probably have to A/B test quite a lot during those, especially if you do not know your target audience.

Tricky question. I don't have an exact answer for this. But I would suggest trying both option and figure out which is working for your industry.

Hey @olenabomko! I cold DMed my way into working for startups/VC all on 𝕏. A lot of my friends were asking for help so I made a free Guide to Cold DMs. Good luck and happy DMing (make sure to DM me too 😸) https://www.cyberpatterns.xyz/c/...

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The warmer you can make the message the better but if anything you have to do research and make it personalized to have a chance.. oh and follow up lol a few times ahahah

It has low success rate, but it's the most effective way to grow initially. Personally, saw more success with LinkedIn than email though.

In my (team) experience, If I ask for help (ex: product hunt votes), it works. But if it's a simple sales contact, I'll get blocked.

Yes -- but only doing so strategically. It requires you to take time beforehand to research your ideal customer profiles, understand their pain points, and cater short, personalized messages. If you're smart about how to approach it, cold email/linkedIn messaging can be effective (especially in B2B).

I think - it depends what the outcome of X campaign / mission is - to sell a product/service the jury is still out but as a prospecting tool and to increase visibility 1000%

It doesn't work, in my opinion, but I am very interested in others' opinions and, hopefully, explanations of why it worked for them.

Just a matter of not sending the same canned email or message to everyone. Respecting their own time and priorities by not filling up their dms or mailbox with emails every week. Better to spend a few minutes writing something relevant, funny, or provoking every few months than wasting your time with a canned message or email that is more likely to get you an unsubscribe than a response. Usually, a good personalized subject line of an email gets your foot in the door - then if the actual content is worthy you might even get a response. Sometimes it's a matter of consistency over a long period, so nurturing your contacts, engaging with their updates, and understanding their position and business will build trust and interest at some point with some contacts. Mix things up with a video message, cold call and even leave voicemails, I've found that emails where I mention I left a voicemail tend to have a higher reply rate. It's good for people to put a voice next to a name.

Depends on your need.

Hey there! As someone deeply immersed in the tech world and juggling between startup life and agency hustle, I can understand the struggle of trying to connect with potential clients through cold emails and LinkedIn messages. While the effectiveness of these methods can vary, I have to say that personalized, genuine, and value-driven messages tend to yield better results. And hey, a little creativity and humor never hurt anyone! Keep tinkering with different approaches, and who knows, you might just strike gold. Happy hustling!