---
title: "Playbook: LinkedIn-first ABM"
description: "A step-by-step LinkedIn account-based outreach playbook with targeting, a four-touch sequence with copy, safe limits and a weekly routine."
url: https://prosyo.com/docs/playbooks/linkedin-first-abm/
section: "Playbooks"
updated: 2026-11-06
---

# Playbook: LinkedIn-first ABM

| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| **Best for** | Most teams, first campaign |
| **Goal** | Meetings from one ICP slice |
| **Channels** | LinkedIn |
| **Plan** | Any |
| **Setup time** | About 30 minutes |

## 1. Target one slice

Pick **one** title family in **one** region, for example *"Heads of Sales, B2B SaaS, 20–200 employees, UK"*.

In Sales Navigator, add filters for:
- **Posted on LinkedIn in the past 30 days.** Active users reply more.
- **2nd-degree connections** for higher acceptance.
- **Changed jobs in the past 90 days**, if your offer suits new leaders.

Import 100–300 people. See [Import from LinkedIn](https://prosyo.com/docs/prospects/import-linkedin.md).

## 2. Enrich (optional)

In **Prospects**, filter to the list, select everyone and run **Enrich with AI → Write personalized line** (2 credits each). Review 10 lines and fix any that miss. See [Enrichment](https://prosyo.com/docs/prospects/enrichment.md).

## 3. Build the sequence

Use the **LinkedIn connect & follow up** one-click campaign and edit it to match this:

| # | Step | Copy |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visit profile | — |
| 2 | Delay 24 hours | — |
| 3 | Connection request | *(no note, or:)* `Hi {{first_name|there}}, I work with {{title|sales}} leaders at SaaS companies. Would be good to connect.` |
| 4 | If / else: accepted (wait 168 hours) → end if not | — |
| 5 | Delay 24 hours | — |
| 6 | LinkedIn message | `Thanks for connecting, {{first_name|there}}. {{personalized_message|}} Curious: how is {{company_name|your team}} finding new accounts right now, mostly outbound or inbound?` |
| 7 | Delay 72 hours | — |
| 8 | LinkedIn message | `Quick one, {{first_name|there}}. Most teams we talk to lose hours a week building lists by hand. We cut that to minutes. Worth a look, or not a priority right now?` |
| 9 | Delay 96 hours | — |
| 10 | LinkedIn message | `Last note from me, {{first_name|there}}. If more meetings from LinkedIn is on your list this quarter, here's my calendar: {{calendar_link}}. If not, no worries at all.` |

`{{calendar_link}}` is the **Booking link** in **Settings → Workspace**.

## 4. Set limits

On **Sending & safety**:
- Preset: **Cautious** (new account) or **Recommended**
- **Delay between actions:** 5 to 15 minutes (the default)
- **Working hours:** 09:00 to 17:30, Monday to Friday, with **Timezone** set to your prospects' timezone
- **Turn off remaining steps when they reply:** on (the default)
- **Cancel an invitation if not accepted till:** on, 7 days. When step 4 stops waiting, Prosyo also withdraws the pending invite, so keep the two the same.

## 5. Launch and run the weekly routine

| When | Do |
|---|---|
| Daily, 10 minutes | Answer Inbox replies. Move real conversations to **Interested** or **Meeting**. |
| Weekly | Check **Reports**. Acceptance under 20%? Tighten targeting or shorten the note. Replies under 5%? Rewrite message 1. |
| Weekly | Import the next 100 people into the same list, then click **Audience → Add prospects** and pick the list again. People already enrolled are skipped. |

## Go further

- Add email follow-up: [Multichannel playbook](https://prosyo.com/docs/playbooks/multichannel.md)
- Post replies to Slack: [Slack](https://prosyo.com/docs/integrations/slack.md)
- Add a second LinkedIn account with an [extra LinkedIn/email seat](https://prosyo.com/docs/billing/add-ons-and-upgrades.md#extra-linkedinemail-seat) (not available on Starter), then pick both under **Sending & safety → LinkedIn accounts**. Prospects are shared between the two, each person stays with one account, and the daily limits apply to each account.

## Metrics to watch

| Metric | Healthy | Great | If it's low |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invite acceptance | 25–40% | 40%+ | Tighten targeting, try no note, add a like before the invite |
| Reply rate (of accepted) | 8–15% | 20%+ | Shorten message 1 to one question |
| Positive replies | 30%+ of replies | 50%+ | Sharpen the offer and the CTA |
| Meetings per 100 invites | 2–4 | 5+ | Review replies with SalesGPT for patterns |

## Common mistakes

- **Pitching in the connection note.** Notes that sell get ignored or reported.
- **Messaging the moment someone accepts.** Give them a day, as step 5 does. A pitch straight after they accept feels pushy.
- **Mixing personas in one campaign.** Founders and VPs need different first messages.
- **Leaving invites pending forever.** Turn on **Cancel an invitation if not accepted till**.
- **Stopping after one message.** Most replies come from the second or third touch.

## Variations

| Variation | Change |
|---|---|
| **Warm-up first** | Add *Like recent post* and *Comment on recent post* (tick **Generate by AI**, 1 credit per comment) 2 days before the invite |
| **No-note invites** | Leave the note empty. Often the highest acceptance for senior titles. |
| **Content-led** | Message 2 shares a useful guide instead of a question |
| **Calendar-first** | For warm lists, include `{{calendar_link}}` in message 1 |

## Tools used in this playbook

[Chrome extension](https://prosyo.com/docs/integrations/chrome-extension.md) · [Message templates](https://prosyo.com/docs/campaigns/linkedin-message-templates.md) · [Sending limits](https://prosyo.com/docs/campaigns/sending-limits-safety.md) · [LinkedIn limits](https://prosyo.com/docs/help/linkedin-limits-explained.md) · [A/B testing](https://prosyo.com/docs/campaigns/ab-testing.md)