LinkedIn is now one of the most effective platforms for B2B outreach. Yet, many professionals still find it hard to get their connection requests accepted. At LinkBL, we conducted an in-depth research study — “Get Connected on LinkedIn” — to identify what actually improves acceptance rates and what reduces them.
We analyzed thousands of connection requests across industries. Different levels of personalization, a variety of message types, and profile setups were tested. The results highlighted clear trends that can help you achieve better performance.
Key Findings
- Blank requests can perform almost as well as requests with average messages.
- Shallow personalization, such as only mentioning mutual connections, reduces acceptance rates.
- Strong LinkedIn headlines improve outcomes, even without a message.
- Sales-related job titles often lead to lower success.
Let’s look at the findings in more detail.
No Message Can Be as Good as an Average Message
Professionals often ask: “Do I need to add a message to every connection request?”
Our data shows the difference is very small. The acceptance gap between requests with and without messages was under 1.5%. In several campaigns, the gap narrowed to 0.05%.
Because of this, blank requests are not a weakness if your aim is rapid network growth. Still, if you want meaningful conversations, personalization remains important.
Avoid Generic — Aim for Real Personalization
Personalization is not always helpful. In fact, poor personalization can harm your chances.
Our research tested four different approaches:
- Template message — only the first name added.
- Basic personalization — mentioning mutual connections.
- Formula approach — referencing recent posts, shared jobs, or education.
- Genuine personalization — a custom message crafted after checking the profile, interests, and recent activity.
Here is what we discovered:
- Messages that only mentioned mutual connections performed worse than blank requests.
- Formula-based notes showed a slight improvement.
- Fully personalized messages worked best, with an acceptance rate above 54%.
This proves that surface-level personalization creates a negative impression. On the other hand, real personalization takes effort but delivers the strongest results.
Focus on Your Profile as Well
Even without a message, people usually check your profile before deciding. For that reason, your headline and overall positioning matter a lot.
Our findings showed two consistent patterns:
- Descriptive headlines (explaining how you help, your expertise, or a mission statement) raised acceptance rates, even when no note was added.
- Sales-related job titles consistently lowered results.
As a result, your profile can increase trust and do the talking for you. If your headline shows clear value, people are more likely to connect.
The Bottom Line
From our study, the lessons are clear:
- Blank requests can perform almost as well as average notes.
- Superficial personalization is worse than no personalization.
- Real personalization, when done well, produces the highest engagement.
- Optimized headlines increase credibility and acceptance rates.
At LinkBL, we have built these findings into our outreach process. Our platform enables you to personalize at scale while avoiding the common pitfalls of generic messaging.
Ready to Improve Your LinkedIn Outreach?
If you want to reach decision-makers, grow your acceptance rate, and turn LinkedIn into a reliable lead generation channel, LinkBL is ready to help.
👉 Discover how LinkBL can power your LinkedIn outreach
