How to Make Most of the “Failed Contacts” When Doing LinkedIn Outreach

LinkedIn outreach. We all do it. But are you truly maximizing every connection opportunity? Experienced professionals know that generic automation and vanity metrics like "messages sent" are not the point. To truly excel, you need granular data, and that includes understanding your failed contacts.

It's easy to get caught up in celebrating successful connections and responses. But what about those that don't pan out? The "failed contacts" – the bounced messages, the unanswered requests, the profiles that vanished into the LinkedIn ether. These hold a goldmine of actionable insights, yet they're often overlooked.

Why It’s Important to See the "Failed" Contacts 

Ignoring all nuances above, or generalizing them under the “Non-responsive” category leads to skewed analytics and missed opportunities. You may attribute low conversion rates to poor messaging and waste hours on re-writing when the real culprit is an outdated contact list, inactive profile, or LinkedIn regulations. Here are some common reasons why your connection attempts might hit a snag:

Here's why you need a sophisticated outreach tool with built-in failure tracking like Leadtower:

• By factoring in failed contacts, you get an accurate picture of conversion rates and campaign performance.
• Make the right diagnosis for your strategy's weak points, be it a technical failure, messages triggering spam filters, or restrictive audience targeting.
• Save time otherwise squandered on dead-end leads. 
• Analyze failure patterns to refine your outreach strategy. 

Moreover, deep failure tracking lets you find out the real reason behind failed contact, and lets you fix the situation accordingly:

Drill down into each failed contact. See the exact reason for failure, the date and time of the attempt, and any associated error messages. Compare failure rates across different campaigns to identify high-performing strategies and areas for improvement.

For temporary failures (like connection request limits), automatically retry at optimal intervals. It is usually three weeks, so set it at 22-23 days intervals. This maximizes your chances of success without jeopardizing your account.

Set up automated actions based on failure types. For example, tell the system to automatically remove invalid contacts from your list or flag accounts for manual review.

“We noticed something interesting when we looked at our competitors. Their tools show the outreach process but don't clearly indicate why a contact fails. This can be a problem. Say, you have a list of 2,000 leads and 30, 40, or even 50 of them fail. That significantly impacts your conversion rate, and you’d want to know, why this happens. You might think your outreach is less effective than it actually is because you’re not seeing the full picture. This makes it harder to pinpoint whether the issue is: with the contact list itself, with the outreach message, or maybe with the LinkedIn’s restrictions.”

— Myroslav Koval, CEO at Leadtower

This level of granularity empowers you to optimize your outreach strategy and extract maximum value from every LinkedIn interaction.

Why Your Connection Attempts May Fail

A "failed contact" isn't simply a non-response. It's a category with diverse causes:

1. Technical Failures
   Invalid URLs, deleted profiles, and accounts caught in LinkedIn's ever-shifting algorithm – these signal data decay and the need for list hygiene.
2. The "Invisible" Profiles
   There are rare profiles that lack the "Connect" button entirely. This could indicate privacy settings or LinkedIn glitches.
3. Privacy Settings
   Some users prefer to keep their LinkedIn profiles private, restricting who can view their information or send connection requests. If you encounter a private profile, try sending a personalized connection request with a polite message explaining your reason for wanting to connect.
4. Weekly Connection Limit
   LinkedIn imposes a weekly limit on connection requests (currently 100) to combat spam. If you've hit this limit, you'll need to wait until the next week to send more.
5. Pending Requests
   If you've already sent a connection request to someone, it will appear as "pending" until they accept or decline it. Be patient and give them time to respond.
6. You've Been Blocked
   While rare, it's possible that someone has blocked you on LinkedIn. This could be due to previous interactions, irrelevant messages, or aggressive outreach. Always be polite, professional, and respectful in your communication.
7. Inappropriate Messages
   Sending inappropriate or overly generic connection requests can deter people from connecting with you. Always personalize your messages and clearly explain your reason for wanting to connect.
8. Connecting Too Quickly
   Sending a large number of connection requests in rapid succession can trigger LinkedIn's spam filters. Pace yourself and focus on building genuine connections, not just accumulating contacts.
9. Technical Glitches
   Occasionally, technical issues like slow internet or an outdated app can interfere with connection requests. Try refreshing the page, updating your app, or checking your internet connection.
10. Missing Connect Button
    Some users enable LinkedIn Creator Mode, which prioritizes the "Follow" button. If you can't find the "Connect" button, click on the "More" button to access it.
11. Out-of-Network Connections
    LinkedIn has restrictions on connecting with people outside your network. You might need to find common connections or join relevant groups to expand your reach.

Make sure you get accurate data to get most of your outreach

The ability to see through LinkedIn's algorithm and user behavior changes will let you make the most of your outreach, and never miss a looming opportunity. 

So don't settle for surface-level metrics. Demand a tool that gives you the full picture, empowering you to:

• Understand the "why" behind every failure
• Refine your approach based on real-time data
• Maximize your outreach ROI

The future of LinkedIn outreach belongs to those who master the art of data-driven decision-making. Are you ready to take your strategy to the next level? At Leadtower, our mission is to provide just that - at unbelievably competitive rates. Try us today!