LinkedIn DMs have a 1% reply rate for cold pitches

I ran 200 outreach messages through my CRM last month and tracked every single response. Only 2 people replied, both asking me to stop emailing them. Has anyone had better luck with a different approach like video messages or referral intros?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmafisher10d ago

Tbh I sent 150 DMs last quarter and got one reply that just said "who is this" so I feel your pain on that 1 percent number. @ivan_fisher99 nailed it with the referral angle, I've had way better luck asking a mutual contact to text the person a quick "hey this girl is cool" before I reach out. Honestly at this point I consider a "stop emailing me" reply a win just because it means someone actually read the message.

ivan_fisher9910d ago

Oh man, that "asked me to stop emailing them" part hit close to home. I tried cold emails too and my numbers were basically the same, maybe one or two replies out of every hundred. What actually worked way better for me was finding a way to connect through someone they already know. I started asking my existing contacts if they could make a quick intro over coffee or even just a text, and the reply rate jumped a ton. Video messages are worth a shot too, I've sent a few Loom links instead of plain text and people at least watch those, even if they don't reply right away. It's still hit or miss but way better than that 1 percent grind.

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