How to use LinkedIn Search (Basic & Sales Navigator) to find leads

It goes without saying; LinkedIn is a rich source of leads. To tap into this rich source, you must learn how to use LinkedIn Advanced Search.

LinkedIn has over 875 million users worldwide. Yes. 875 million users. If your niche takes up just 0.1% of LinkedIn’s overall user base, you have a potential lead pool of 875,000.

Even better, most of LinkedIn’s users are there for specific reasons, primarily professionals looking to further their success.

However, these potential clients won’t find you themselves.

The following article will explore how you can use LinkedIn Advanced Search to find leads. Then, we will look at Sales Navigator and how it pairs with Advanced Search to give you that extra edge in your lead generation.

If you want to improve your overall lead-generation strategy, you can watch my free masterclass here.

Let’s dive in.

Quick Summary

Short on time? Here is a quick summary of the best LinkedIn Advanced Search filters for finding leads:

Keywords search
Groups filter
Seniority level filter
Industry filter
Location filter
Connections (of) filter
Consider investing in LinkedIn Premium

However, relying on LinkedIn alone is a bad idea if you want a long-term and fruitful stream of potential new clients. Click here to learn more.

What is LinkedIn Advanced Search?

LinkedIn Advanced Search is a feature that allows you to search for specific people, companies, posts, groups, and more by using various search filters.

LinkedIn’s Advanced Search function is available to all LinkedIn users.

You can access Advanced Search after entering your search terms in the search bar and hitting enter/return. Then, you should see an “All Filters” button under the search bar to the right.

When you first open Advanced Search, it can be overwhelming. It is a multifaceted tool that can be used for many things, from job hunting to recruiting.

We are specifically looking at how you use LinkedIn Advanced Search for sales prospecting and LinkedIn lead generation.

Keep reading to learn the best LinkedIn search filters for lead prospecting.

Tip: When getting leads on LinkedIn, try automating your LinkedIn outreach with LinkedIn automation software.

Here are some of the best LinkedIn free advance search filters:

1. Keywords search

This is not an Advanced Search filter; you would type straight into the regular search bar. However, it is at the top of this list as it is a highly effective search tactic for lead generation.

Type “Recommend + [keywords related to what you do in your business]” in the LinkedIn search engine.

Here is a real-life example:

For Skyline Social, I would search for “Recommend social media,” which will find people who have posted updates on LinkedIn using those keywords.

So when someone posts an update on LinkedIn saying, “Can anyone recommend a good social media agency?” then I will be able to find that person and reply to them.

Once you click on “Search,” the next step is to select the “Posts” search results category, as seen below:

Scroll down the search results page and find people looking for your work.

I just did a quick search now and, in just a few clicks, found the following two potential leads:

You can do exact same thing in your business!

Just search for “Recommend [keywords related to your services]”

For example, if you’re a copywriter, you could put the keywords “Recommend copywriter” in your LinkedIn advance search box to see who is looking for recommendations for a copywriter.

You can also play around with the keywords and try different phrases such as “Looking for copywriter” or “Recommendations copywriter.”

This video also walks through a real-life example of how you can do this:

2. Groups filter

Joining LinkedIn groups related to your industry can help you build your professional network, engage with potential clients or partners, and stay up-to-date with industry news and trends.

All of these are very important for finding prospects.

With LinkedIn’s Advanced Search, you can search for members within specific groups, which can help you connect with like-minded individuals with similar interests or backgrounds.

3. Title filter

The title level filter allows you to target people based on their position within their company.

This is particularly useful when looking for decision-makers or critical stakeholders within an organization.

You can filter by entry-level, mid-level, senior-level, or even executive to ensure you reach the right people within a company.

4. Industry filter

LinkedIn allows you to search for leads within specific industries, which can help you find prospects more likely to be interested in your product or service.

Suppose you are a financial advisor looking to generate leads for your business. In that case, the chances are you are looking for people within a specific industry (or industries).

5. Location filter

Location is another crucial factor in lead generation, primarily if you target high-net-worth individuals (HNWI).

Most HNWIs, and businesses, are located in specific areas. LinkedIn’s Advanced Search allows you to filter by city, state, or zip code, making finding leads in your desired location easy.

Or, if you are a local business, this filter can also serve you greatly. For example, if you are trying to generate solar leads, you will need to have a particular area in mind.

6. Connections (of) filter

Finally, the relationship filter allows you to target individuals based on your relationship with them and their connections.

You can search LinkedIn for 1st-degree connections, 2nd-degree connections, or even group members to see who you already have a connection with.

After having a successful lead generation strategy on LinkedIn, you’ve likely converted a few ideal leads into clients.

Because LinkedIn is a business networking site that actively encourages one to build connections with like-minded people in the same industry, your current clients’ connections become a rich source of leads, likely facing the same pain points your converted client also has.

7. Consider investing in LinkedIn Premium

Consider a premium account to take your LinkedIn Advanced Search lead generation to the next level.

Besides more Advanced Search options, LinkedIn Premium’s most significant advantage is that it gives you unlimited access to your profile views.

When someone views your profile, they are already interested in your business. These profile views give you invaluable insights into what you can search using Advanced Search.

Sales Navigator is a LinkedIn Premium service specifically targeted toward lead generation.

What is LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and how is it different from LinkedIn Advanced Search?

Unlike Advanced Search, a free tool, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a premium tool designed to generate more leads for sales professionals and businesses.

Here is what it offers:

1. Saved searches

With Sales Navigator, users can save up to 3,000 leads and accounts and up to 1,500 saved searches. This makes it easier to track potential leads and stay on top of relevant search results.

This can be incredibly helpful if you have figured out an Advanced Search combination that has delivered a high return on investment.

Sales Navigator search includes additional filters which allow you to target companies based on headcount, growth rate, and function that aren’t available in LinkedIn’s basic search.

You can expand your search criteria with a more complex search. However, this will be useful only once you have mastered the standard Advanced Search filters.

Another advantage to LinkedIn sales navigator is that you can target people based on “experience” level, which is helpful if you’re targeting older people for generating senior or retirement leads.

3. Sales preferences

Sales Navigator offers sales-specific preferences, including lead recommendations, lead alerts, and custom insights, to help you prioritize your outreach efforts and identify the most promising prospects.

4. Lead recommendations

Sales Navigator uses LinkedIn’s algorithm to recommend new leads based on your search history and preferences.

This can help you discover new prospects they may not have found otherwise, saving you time searching.

5. InMail Credits

Sales Navigator offers InMail credits, which can be used to send direct messages to LinkedIn members outside your network.

This is particularly useful for reaching out to decision-makers or other hard-to-reach prospects.

Note: Finding potential clients does not need to cost you an arm and a leg. There are multiple ways you can find high-quality leads without spending a ton of money AND time, click here for more.

In Conclusion

LinkedIn is a goldmine for potential leads because of its enormous userbase of potential leads already interested in your services; find them and grab their attention. You can pinpoint potential clients using LinkedIn Advanced Search filters and Sales Navigator.

In combination, using the filters discussed in this article will have you on the right path to cipher out the irrelevant search results to find potential leads efficiently.

If you want to take your LinkedIn lead search game to another level, consider investing in Sales Navigator. However, I recommend doing this once you have your head around the standard Advanced Search. This will ensure you save your hard-earned money on a tool that does not bring you ROI.

Remember that LinkedIn is an ever-evolving platform constantly changing, so staying up-to-date with the latest updates is vital.

Most importantly, there are better options than relying on LinkedIn alone if you want a long-term and fruitful stream of potential clients. Click here to learn more.

FAQS

Can LinkedIn be used for lead generation?

Absolutely! LinkedIn is a robust platform that can be leveraged for lead generation.
With over 700 million users worldwide, it provides a vast network of professionals from various industries and sectors, making it an ideal place to find potential customers or clients.

LinkedIn offers a range of tools, including advanced search filters, premium search, Sales Navigator, and more, that can be used to identify and target specific audiences.

Optimizing your LinkedIn profile, joining relevant groups, and engaging with prospects through messages, comments, and content can establish trust and credibility and convert potential leads into paying customers.

With the right strategy and approach, even LinkedIn’s free account can be a valuable asset in your business development and lead generation efforts, providing a cost-effective and efficient way to find qualified prospects, build relationships, and expand your network.

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it for leads?

Whether LinkedIn Premium is worth it for generating leads depends on your specific needs and goals.

Premium accounts offer a range of features that can be helpful for lead generation, such as expanded search results, the ability to see more profile information, and access to LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator.

However, the Premium account cost can be pretty high, and some of the same features can be found in the accessible version of LinkedIn or through other lead generation tools.

Before deciding whether to invest in LinkedIn Premium, consider your budget, the volume of leads you need to generate and whether the features offered by Premium are essential for your specific lead generation strategy.

If you decide to upgrade to LinkedIn Sales Navigator, track your results and evaluate whether the investment is paying off in terms of the quality and quantity of leads generated.

What is advanced lead search on LinkedIn?

Advanced lead search on LinkedIn is a feature that allows you to search for potential leads in a more targeted and specific way.

It goes beyond the essential search function by offering more advanced filters, such as location, industry, job title, seniority level, current company, size, and more.

The advanced search also allows you to use Boolean search operators to create more complex queries and manipulate keyword searches.

Advanced lead search is available to free and premium LinkedIn users. Users can save their search criteria and receive alerts when new leads match their search criteria.

Additional search and lead filters and capabilities are available for those with a LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscription.

Overall, advanced lead search on LinkedIn is a powerful tool for lead generation. It can help you find highly relevant and qualified prospects for your business.

Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator paid?

Yes, LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a paid tool. It offers advanced features not available in the free version of LinkedIn.

With Sales Navigator, you can perform advanced searches, save leads, and receive lead recommendations based on their search history.

The tool also gives insights into your prospects’ activity, allowing you to engage with potential leads informally.

Depending on the features and functionality required, different pricing plans are available for Sales Navigator. LinkedIn offers a free trial period for Sales Navigator, which allows you to test the tool’s features and determine whether it is worth the investment.

Overall, Sales Navigator is a valuable investment if you are looking to generate more leads and enhance your LinkedIn networking capabilities.

Ashley Davis

Ashley Davis (or ‘Ash’ for short) is the CEO & Founder of Skyline Social. For over 15 years, Ash has been helping business owners with lead generation. Ash specializes in helping businesses get high-quality leads, appointments and clients each month with automated digital marketing strategies. Learn more about the author here.