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You connected with someone on LinkedIn. They accepted. And then — like most LinkedIn connections — absolutely nothing happened. No follow-up. No conversation. Just another name in a growing list of people you meant to reach out to.
A LinkedIn follow-up email sequence fixes this. You build it once in Nimble, enroll new connections directly from the Prospector browser extension, and the sequence follows up automatically — three emails over ten days — stopping the moment they reply.
This post covers how to build that sequence, how to get a contact’s email address when it isn’t listed on their profile, and what you need to know about GDPR before hitting send. For the full picture of how sequences fit into your email marketing for small business strategy, see the complete guide.
The problem with LinkedIn-only follow-up
LinkedIn’s native messaging has a ceiling. InMail open rates are high, but the platform limits how many messages you can send, buries notifications, and gives you no way to track whether someone actually read your message. Email gives you delivery confirmation, open tracking, and no platform restrictions.
The moment a LinkedIn connection enters your CRM with an email address, they move from a passive social contact to an active prospect you can reach on your own terms. That shift is what makes the sequence worth building.
But getting there requires solving one problem first.
How to get someone’s email address when it isn’t on their profile
Most LinkedIn connections don’t list their email publicly. Here are the four legitimate ways to get it — in order from easiest to most effort.
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Nimble Prospector enrichment Easiest Add the contact via the Nimble Prospector browser extension, then click Find Contact Info in the sidebar. Nimble uses an enrichment credit to search public databases for a verified email address. It works well for most professional contacts, particularly those at mid-size and larger companies. Credits are included with your Nimble plan. |
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Check their LinkedIn contact info Often overlooked Once you’re connected, click “Contact info” on their LinkedIn profile. Many people include their email address here — it’s just hidden until you’re connected and know where to look. Takes five seconds and works more often than you’d expect. |
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3
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Ask in a LinkedIn message Requires one extra step Send a brief DM after connecting: “Great to connect — would it be okay to follow up via email? Happy to share something useful.” Most warm connections say yes. This is also the most GDPR-friendly approach — you have explicit permission before the first email goes out. |
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4
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Email pattern matching Use with care If you know the company domain, tools like Hunter.io can identify the email format the company uses ([email protected], for example) and verify whether an address exists. This works well for larger companies with consistent patterns. Use it for genuine prospects, not bulk prospecting. |
A word on GDPR — read this before you build the sequence
If you’re prospecting into Europe, GDPR applies. It doesn’t prohibit B2B email outreach — but it does require you to have a legal basis for sending it.
The most commonly used basis for this type of outreach is legitimate interest: you have a genuine, reasonable belief that the contact would benefit from hearing from you, and that your interest in reaching out is proportionate and not overridden by their privacy rights. That’s a real legal standard, not a loophole — document why you believe each contact is relevant before enrolling them.
- Only store what you need. Don’t add 500 LinkedIn connections to Nimble just because you can. Add contacts you have a real reason to reach out to.
- Don’t buy email lists. Purchased lists almost never meet the legitimate interest standard and are high-risk under both GDPR and CAN-SPAM.
- The ask-first approach in Method 3 above sidesteps most of this — if someone gives you their email address and says yes to follow-up, you have explicit consent, which is the clearest legal basis available.
If the majority of your prospects are in Europe, consult with a legal advisor on your specific setup. This post isn’t legal advice — it’s a starting point.
How to enroll LinkedIn connections into your follow-up email sequence
Once you have the email address, enrollment takes seconds. The Nimble Prospector browser extension lets you add a contact and enroll them in a sequence without leaving LinkedIn — no need to open Nimble separately.
The three-step LinkedIn follow-up email sequence
Keep it short. Three emails over ten days. The goal of this sequence isn’t to close a deal — it’s to start a real conversation. Everything is calibrated around that single objective.
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Email 1 — Day 1: Warm and specific
Reference something real from their LinkedIn profile or recent activity. A post they published, a role change, a company milestone, a comment they left on someone else’s post. One specific observation. One low-friction question or remark. Do not pitch anything. Do not mention your product. Do not ask for a call.
Example:
Subject: Saw your post on [topic] — had a thought Hi [First Name], Connected with you on LinkedIn recently and came across your post on [specific topic]. Struck me because [one sentence on why it resonated or what it made you think about]. Curious whether [relevant question tied to what they shared]. [Your name] → Global: exit as Successful the moment this contact replies to any email
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Email 2 — Day 5: Pure value, zero ask
Send something genuinely useful. A relevant article, a specific tip for their industry, an introduction to someone they should know, or a resource that connects to what they mentioned. No ask. No mention of a call. No “just checking in.” Just be useful.
People remember who helped them before asking for anything. This email is what makes Email 3 land.
Example:
Subject: Thought this might be useful — no action needed Hi [First Name], Came across [specific article / tool / resource] and thought of you given what you mentioned in your post on [topic]. No action needed — just thought it was worth sharing. [Your name] |
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Email 3 — Day 10: Soft ask or permission close
Two versions depending on whether they opened Email 2.
If they opened Email 2 — they’re paying attention. Make a direct, low-pressure ask for a short conversation. One specific reason, one clear ask.
If they didn’t open Email 2 — send the permission close. Ask directly whether you should keep reaching out. This email consistently gets the highest reply rate in the sequence because it forces a decision and respects their answer either way.
If opened → direct ask:
Subject: Worth a 15-minute call? Hi [First Name], I’ve shared a couple of things over the past week — happy to get a bit more specific about what we do and whether it’s relevant to [their situation]. Would a 15-minute call make sense? I’m flexible on timing. [Your name] If not opened → permission close: Subject: Should I keep reaching out? Hi [First Name], I’ve sent a couple of notes but haven’t heard back — completely fine if the timing isn’t right or if this isn’t relevant to what you’re working on. If you’d like me to stop, just say the word and I’ll leave you alone. If there’s ever a good time to connect, I’m here. [Your name] → Exit as Unsuccessful if no open after this email. Contact stays in Nimble for future outreach.
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What good looks like
Ivana Taylor of DIY Marketers uses a LinkedIn follow-up email sequence for her referral network. In a recent sequence of 13 contacts, 5 replied — a 38% response rate on cold LinkedIn outreach. The two things that made the difference: a specific reference in Email 1 (not a generic opener), and a resource with zero ask in Email 2.
Ivana doesn’t treat LinkedIn connections as leads. She treats them as people who might become part of her referral network — a fundamentally different framing that changes how every email reads. Email 1 references something real. Email 2 gives something useful. Email 3 asks a question, not for a sale.
The result is a sequence that feels like a human reaching out — not a sequence that feels like a sequence. That distinction is the whole game.
Her approach, and the DIY Marketers community she’s built around it, is worth reading: diymarketers.com/nimble-for-referrals
What to watch in your sequence report
After 20–30 contacts have run through the full sequence, check three numbers in your Nimble sequence report:
- Email 1 open rate. Under 30% means the subject line isn’t working. The fix is almost always making it more specific — reference the person’s actual name, company, or something they posted rather than a generic hook.
- Successful exit rate. This is the percentage of contacts who replied. For LinkedIn prospecting, 25–40% is strong. Under 15% means either the wrong people are in the sequence, or Email 1 needs a rewrite.
- Which email gets the most replies. If it’s Email 3 (the permission close), that’s normal and healthy. If nobody’s replying at all, the issue is almost always specificity in Email 1 — people don’t reply to emails that feel like they could have been sent to anyone.
Three things that kill LinkedIn sequences before they start
These mistakes are common enough to name directly:
- Pitching in Email 1. Any mention of your product, service, or a request for a call in the first email drops reply rates significantly. The connection is too new. Earn the right to ask.
- Using the same message for every contact. A sequence works when Email 1 feels personal. If you’re sending the same opener to 50 people without changing a word, it reads like a template — because it is one. Spend 60 seconds making Email 1 specific to each person before enrolling them.
- Not setting the global exit condition. If your sequence doesn’t stop when someone replies, you’ll send Email 2 to someone you’re already talking to. Set the exit condition at the sequence level, not per step.
For a complete overview of all five sequence types — including this LinkedIn follow-up email sequence and how they work together as a system — see our complete guide to email sequences for small business.
New to email sequences? Start here: Email Sequences for Small Business: The Complete Guide
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