LinkedIn KPIs : The 7 metrics you need to know to succeed in prospecting

You send connection requests, post content, and chat in DMs… but how do you know if your LinkedIn prospecting is actually working? The answer comes down to three letters: KPI.

That’s right—if you don’t measure your results, you’re prospecting in the dark!

Here are 7 essential LinkedIn KPIs to help you steer your strategy like a pro. 🤩

I. LinkedIn KPIs for Engagement and Visibility

Being visible is great… but being followed and heard is even better!

On LinkedIn, prospecting is, above all, about building relationships. If your connection requests go unanswered or your messages get ignored, your audience won’t grow. 😔

Here are two essential KPIs to evaluate whether your approach is capturing your prospects' interest. ✨

Connection Request Acceptance Rate 📩

This LinkedIn KPI helps you determine whether your profile builds trust and if your outreach approach is effective. In short, if your acceptance rate is too low, it’s a red flag. 🚨

👉 How to calculate it?

(Number of accepted invitations / Number of invitations sent) x 100

➡️ Example: You send 100 connection requests this week, and 40 are accepted.

Acceptance rate = (40/100) x 100 = 40%

Your acceptance rate is 40%.

⚠️ Less than 20%? That’s a bad sign… You might be sending generic or poorly targeted requests. The average acceptance rate for requests without a note is 38%.

👉 How to improve it?

💡 With or without a note? It depends on your strategy!

✅ With a note: A well-crafted message highlights your value and prevents your offer from going unnoticed. But beware—a poorly written note can actually lower your acceptance rate.

🚀 Without a note: A safer option for large, less-targeted campaigns. Without a message, you reduce the risk of misinterpretation and increase your chances of being accepted—especially if your profile is optimized.

Additional tips:

🔹 Optimize your profile: Use a professional, engaging photo, an eye-catching banner, and a clear, value-driven summary.

🔹 Adapt your strategy: Targeted campaign? A personalized note works best. Broad campaign? Skipping the note might be the smarter move.

💡 Bonus hack: If someone doesn’t accept your request within 7 days, cancel it and try again later with a different approach! 🚀

Message Response Rate 💬

You're sending messages… but are prospects actually biting? 🐟

A good response rate proves that your approach is engaging and that your prospect sees value in the conversation.

👉 How to calculate it?

(Number of replies received / Number of messages sent) x 100

👉 What’s a good response rate?

Average response rates by category (from Waalaxy data):

• 🔹 Recruiting: 65.5%.
• 🔹 Direct sales: 45.5%.
• 🔹 Indirect sales: 43.5%.
• 🔹 Prospecting: 39.5%.

→ Recruiting has the highest response rate because it's more appealing, with a direct and personalized approach.

→ Indirect sales and prospecting have lower response rates, but strategies like humor and engaging CTAs can improve results.

👉 How to improve it?

• 📚 Ditch the sales pitch! No one likes getting a sales-heavy message right off the bat. Instead, start a real conversation.
• 🤔 Use a direct and compelling approach by sharing an eye-catching fact. Example:

"35% of companies have suffered a cyberattack, and 100% didn’t see it coming. How do you secure your data?"

• 👀 Provide value right away—share a relevant insight, an article, or a study that aligns with your prospect’s interests.
• 💡 A/B test your messages! Try different versions to see which ones get the best responses, then refine your approach. 🚀

Start a campaign that people actually respond to!

II. LinkedIn KPIs for Content and Authority

Effective prospecting isn’t just about sending DMs… it’s about building credibility that naturally attracts the right prospects to you!

On LinkedIn, posting content is like hosting a party—if no one shows up or engages, something is off. A good post should spark interest and drive engagement. Here are two key KPIs to measure whether your content is making an impact.

Post Engagement Rate 👍

This is the first indicator that shows whether your content resonates with your audience—and, by extension, whether you’re seen as an expert.

👉 How to calculate it?

{ (Number of reactions + Comments + Shares) / Number of views } x 100

➡️ Example:

You publish a post, and here are the results:

• 50,000 impressions
• 1,600 likes
• 300 comments
• 100 shares

Engagement rate = (1,600 + 300 + 100) �� 50,000 × 100 = 4% 🚀

The average engagement rate on LinkedIn is 3.8%.

👉 How to boost engagement?

• 🧲 Nail the hook—the first few lines should grab attention. (Example: “What if I told you that 90% of LinkedIn messages are ignored…?”)
• 😇 End with a question to encourage comments and interactions.
• 🌸 Use emojis and space out your text to make your post easier to read.

Post Reach 📊

This LinkedIn KPI helps you see how many people have actually been exposed to your content.

👉 How to analyze it?

LinkedIn displays the number of views directly under each post. But to better understand your reach, consider:

• The percentage of your audience reached: Compare your post views to your number of connections/followers.
• The type of audience reached: Are your posts visible to relevant prospects, or just your colleagues?

➡️ Example:

You have 5,000 LinkedIn connections, and your post gets 3,000 impressions.

But that doesn’t mean 60% of your network saw your post! LinkedIn doesn’t just show your content to your connections—it also shares it with profiles similar to those who engaged with it. ❤️

A high number of impressions indicates that your post is well-distributed, generating interest, and reaching a broader audience through interactions. 🚀

👉 How to improve your reach?

• 💬 Optimize the first 3 lines—LinkedIn shows only a preview, so hook your audience immediately.
• ⏰ Post at the right time—Mornings (8-9 AM) and lunch hours (12-1 PM) are often the best time slots.
• 🗣️ Choose topics that resonate with your target audience and bring them real value.

💡Hack : Repurpose successful posts! Rework a high-performing post into another format (carousel, video, infographic) and repost it a few weeks later. 🚀

III. KPIs for Conversion and ROI

Visibility is great… but what really matters is business results!

Having an engaged network and posting great content is a solid start. But at the end of the day, what counts is how many qualified leads, meetings, and clients you generate through LinkedIn. Here’s how to measure it! 🚀

Number of Qualified Leads Generated 🎯

A qualified lead is someone who has a genuine interest in your offer and matches your ideal client profile. This LinkedIn KPI helps you determine whether your prospecting efforts are attracting the right people.

First, define what qualifies a lead for you:

• Did they download your eBook?
• Did they reply positively to your message?
• Did they request more information?

👉 How to calculate it?

(Number of leads generated / Number of people contacted) x 100

➡️ Example:

You send 100 messages to targeted LinkedIn prospects.

• 20 people reply (20% response rate).
• Among them, 8 are genuinely interested in your offer.

You generated 8 qualified leads, which is an 8% conversion rate.

👉 How to improve this KPI?

• 👩💻 Refine your targeting—focus on prospects who have a clear need for your offer.
• 📨 Personalize your messages to grab attention and avoid being ignored.
• 📖 Leverage content to nurture interest (case studies, client testimonials, insights).

💡 Use tools like Waalaxy to automate lead tracking and get a clearer view of your pipeline!

Manage my first prospects for $0!

Appointment or Demo Booking Rate 📆

Generating qualified leads is great, but do they actually move forward to a real conversation?

👉 How to calculate it?

(Number of meetings booked / Number of qualified leads) x 100

➡️ Example:

If you calculate it based on all the people you contacted:

• You sent 200 LinkedIn messages.
• 10 people booked a meeting.
• Booking rate = (10 / 200) × 100 = 5%

If you calculate it based only on qualified leads:

• You identified 10 qualified leads from your LinkedIn outreach.
• 4 of them booked a meeting.
• Booking rate = (4 / 10) × 100 = 40%

👉 How to improve this KPI?

• 📚 Warm up the conversation before pitching a meeting—share insights or recommendations first.
• ☎️ Use a clear CTA: Instead of “Would you be open to a meeting?”, try “Would you like to discuss this for 15 minutes?”.
• ✨ Reassure your prospect about the value of the meeting.

➡️ Here’s an example message :

💡 Offer two time slots directly in your message ("Would you be available Tuesday or Thursday at 11 AM?"). This increases the booking rate! 🔥

Lead-to-Customer Conversion Rate 💼

This is the most important LinkedIn KPI! It measures how many of your prospects actually become paying clients.

👉 How to calculate it?

Conversion rate = (Number of clients / Total number of leads) × 100

➡️ Example:

• You generate 50 leads through LinkedIn (message replies, form submissions, qualified interactions).

• 2 of them become clients.

Conversion rate = (2/50) × 100 = 4%

For online products, the average conversion rate is between 1% and 3%. A good rate is 3% to 5%, while highly optimized strategies can exceed this threshold.

👉 How to improve this KPI?

• 🎯 Refine your targeting—fewer but higher-quality leads increase your chances of conversion.
• ✨ Provide value upfront—share educational content, insights, and genuine interactions before selling.
• 💬 Use social proof—client testimonials, case studies, and reviews help build credibility.
• 📊 Follow up consistently—a hot lead today could become a customer in 3 months with the right nurturing strategy.

Prospecting without tracking your LinkedIn KPIs is like sailing without a compass. By leveraging these 7 key metrics, you can analyze what’s working, refine your strategy, and maximize your results.

3 Key Takeaways !

• ✅ Engagement & visibility show whether your approach is capturing your prospects' attention.
• ✅ Content & authority help you build strong credibility and attract leads organically.
• ✅ Conversion & ROI are the ultimate indicators that prove your LinkedIn efforts are driving real business results.