Why LinkedIn Messenger Should Be Core To Your Recruitment BD Strategy

Описание: This week’s post and podcast explore LinkedIn Messenger campaigns and why they should be a core part of your ongoing business development efforts, not just a tool you reach for when desperate for leads or trying to fill last-minute jobs. Most recruiters only message on LinkedIn when they need something, but the real magic happens when messaging becomes consistent and strategic.



With LinkedIn now hosting over a billion users and growing constantly, it remains one of the best ways to connect in recruitment today. This is particularly true if you work in the professional services sector, where it stands as the premier networking platform in the Western world. Despite what cold outreach experts might tell you, LinkedIn messaging achieves much higher engagement rates than cold outreach or emails.



Think about your behaviour – when did you last check your LinkedIn messages compared to your email? While recruiters tend to be on email frequently, consider your clients and candidates. These are the people you want to connect with, and these individuals check their LinkedIn messenger more often than you might realise.

The Problem with Reactive Messaging



The difference between recruiters who use LinkedIn successfully and those who don’t often comes down to timing. Many only send messages when they’re desperate—when a job order comes in or they have no leads. This approach is purely reactive, and anything reactive is always less effective than something planned strategically.



Imagine messaging regularly instead, consistently engaging your network with helpful content, conversations, and check-ins. This proactive approach puts you top of mind with people so that you’re the first person they think of when opportunities arise.



One of our clients, Rachel, reaches out to connections, saying, “I know we connect with many people on LinkedIn, but do you fancy a quick virtual coffee? Let’s jump online and talk about where you’re going and what you’re thinking about.” Some might think this sounds cheesy, but it works brilliantly for her. It’s amazing how many people respond positively, saying, “Yeah, that’s a great idea. Why not?”



How often do you do something similar or just reach out to make connections and then do very little with all those first-degree connections you’ve built up?

Why Consistent Messaging Matters



Messenger campaigns aren’t just a quick fix—they’re a powerful, ongoing business development strategy, particularly with all the tools we now can access. You should message consistently because recruitment is about relationships, not transactional selling. Many people thought recruitment was transactional pre-COVID, but people understand it’s about building familiarity, trust, and credibility in today’s market. This takes time.



The great thing about LinkedIn is you have two key audiences: your first-degree connections and the new connections you’re reaching out to.



Your first-degree connections are your silent gold mine. These warm contacts are just a few messages away from conversion if you start to nurture them properly. When you post content on LinkedIn, these people will likely see it, particularly if you start interacting with them. As a first-degree connection, they’ll see more of your content, a bonus point most people forget.



I remember working with Mohammed, who had about 20,000 connections on LinkedIn. When we asked what he’d done with his existing connections, he said he hadn’t done much at all. The penny dropped for him; he had all these connections with people, but wasn’t leveraging them.

Reaching New Connections Strategically



Then you have new connections – the prospects, clients, and candidates you haven’t spoken to yet. Using LinkedIn to reach new connections means you can consistently expand your reach with targeted messages that create interest right from the start.



When reaching out to somebody new and they accept your connection request, remember that people will check you out. This morning, someone called Phoenix reached out to me with a cold call. He was one of the few people who followed through – when I said to send me an email, he did. But the first thing I did was check him out on LinkedIn because that’s how people operate. This is why it’s important that your profile looks good and contains content.

Best Practices For LinkedIn Outreach



Here are four key considerations when reaching out to people:



First, do not pitch your job or services straight away. Please don’t be like those financial advisors who pitch their services immediately. Don’t pitch jobs or services right away. Instead, start conversations around challenges, recent LinkedIn activity, or industry news – these approaches engage people much better.



Second, personalisation is key. If you can reference a post they made or mention a mutual connection, it shows this isn’t a generic copy-and-paste message.



Third, take advantage of all the different features LinkedIn now offers – vo...