Definition
What is LinkedIn Lead Generation?
The short answer
LinkedIn lead generation is an outbound approach that uses targeted connection requests, messages and engagement on LinkedIn to start conversations with buyers who fit an ideal customer profile. It works as a social complement to email and phone, reaching prospects where they already follow their industry.
Key figure
60/40
Why it matters
Familiarity and conversations with target buyers where they build their professional reputation, through LinkedIn prospecting.
Put it to work
Where linkedin lead generation matters on a program.
- LinkedIn Lead Generation servicesFamiliarity and conversations with target buyers where they build their professional reputation, through LinkedIn prospecting.Read more
- Multichannel outreach that reads as one conversationCoordinate email, LinkedIn and calling across every contact in the account, so each touch builds on the last.Read more
Research
What the research says
60/40
The B2B buying journey shifted from a 70/30 to a 60/40 split between independent research and seller engagement, and buyers still averaged 16 interactions per person with the winning vendor.
6sense, 2025 B2B Buyer Experience Report, Nov 2025. More than 4,000 buyers across North America, EMEA and APAC.
10
B2B customers use an average of ten interaction channels in their buying journey, up from five in 2016. At any stage, a third want in person, a third remote and a third digital self serve.
McKinsey, B2B Pulse 2024, Sep 2024. Ninth edition of the survey; about 30,000 respondents globally since 2016.
69%
69% of B2B buyers prefer to validate AI generated insights with a sales rep.
Gartner survey, presented at the Gartner CSO & Sales Leader Conference, May 2026. 645 B2B buyers, surveyed August to September 2025.
Related terms
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