How to 6X Your Reply Rates on LinkedIn by Commenting on Posts
Boost LinkedIn reply rates by 6X using strategic comments. Learn how to warm up leads, build trust, and turn engagement into conversions—step by step.
Richard F. Purcell
4/15/20255 min read


If your outreach campaigns are falling flat, the problem isn’t generating leads—it’s nurturing them.
“The lowest hanging fruit is mid-funnel, not top of funnel.”
— Andy Mewborn, via webinar with Adam Robinson
At MoxieGTM, we see this all the time: companies nail lead generation, but their lead nurturing strategy fails to move prospects forward.
An early-stage SaaS company we worked with generated 100+ positive or neutral responses in 6 months—messages like:
“Not a priority right now.”
“Check back in 6 months.”
“Send me some info.”
Or even requested meetings that never materialized.
Only about 3% of buyers are in-market at any given time. If your sales team focuses only on these, you're missing the other 97% who need consistent nurturing until they’re ready to buy.
Why Commenting on LinkedIn Works for Lead Nurturing
We interviewed Todd Busler, CEO of Champify. His reps nurture relationships across multiple channels—including thoughtful LinkedIn comments—long before the pitch ever lands in someone’s inbox.
Here’s how to stay top of mind:
Add leads to your newsletter
Send occasional offers or gifts
Invite to virtual or local events
Make strategic introductions
Ask for product feedback
Turn them into referral partners
Comment regularly on their LinkedIn posts
Let’s focus on the last one—because it's the easiest to start and can 6X your reply rates, based on real data.
The 6X LinkedIn Outreach Experiment
Oleg Sobolev, founder of Extrovert, ran a test:
Can consistently commenting on a prospect’s LinkedIn posts boost outreach reply rates?
The setup:
1,000 prospects
Identical messaging and sequences
Split into two groups:
Group A: cold outreach only
Group B: warmed with LinkedIn comments first
Results:
Cold outreach: ~8% average reply rate
Comment-warmed outreach: 51% reply rate
By segment:
CEOs & Founders: 8.2% → 51.4%
Agency Owners: 11.1% → 53.8%
Sales Leaders: 26.9% → 57.1%
💡 That's a 6X improvement in some cases.
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Step-by-Step: How to Use LinkedIn Comments to Nurture Leads
Here’s a repeatable process to build warm prospect relationships through thoughtful LinkedIn engagement:
1. Build Your Prospect List
Target 100–200 leads at a time
Gather LinkedIn URLs and upload to a tool like Extrovert
Prioritize active users (filter by “Posted on LinkedIn” in Sales Navigator)
Include decision-makers and influencers (e.g., CEOs, CxOs, VPs)
💡 Tip: Use a tool like Dunbar by MoxieGTM to identify warm mid-funnel leads.
2. Make Initial Comment Touchpoints
Leave 1–2 insightful comments per prospect
Choose posts with meaningful engagement potential (don’t just drop “Great post!”)
Sort your feed by individual prospects to see their recent activity
Use “delayed posting” to space your comments naturally across several days
3. Warm-Up Phase (Lasts 3–14+ Days)
Maintain a weekly cadence of thoughtful comments
Monitor:
Last comment time for consistency
Post categories for relevance
Engagement metrics for traction
This keeps you visible without overwhelming your prospect’s feed.
4. Send Connection Requests
Once you’ve engaged with several of their posts over a few days/weeks, send a connection request.
Don’t pitch. Just connect.
5. Use a Strategic Delay (2–5 Days)
After the prospect accepts your request, don’t DM right away.
Why the wait helps:
Gives them time to check your profile or posts
Creates space for them to reach out first (this happens ~20% of the time)
Makes your outreach feel natural
If you’re actively posting content, extend the delay to 4–5 days to maximize exposure.
6. Start Your Outreach Sequence
When you begin outreach:
Reference shared content or your previous comment
Continue engaging on posts while you’re in their inbox
This multi-touch approach (DMs + comments) improves message recall and reply rates.
7. Organize Warm Leads into Lists
Move responsive prospects to permanent lists. Organize by relationship type:
Hot opportunities – weekly engagement
Long-term nurtures – biweekly
Current customers – monthly
Partners / champions – as needed
This lets you scale follow-ups without losing the personal touch.
8. Clean Up Completed Lists
After each 30-day outreach cycle:
Delete completed batches
Ensure all warm leads were moved to permanent nurturing lists
Clearing room helps you stay focused on your next 100–200 leads.
How to Combine Comments With Outreach
If you're doing manual outreach:
Use Extrovert to track comments and engagement
DM after they engage with your comments
Personalize messages based on what they posted or liked
If you're using outreach tools:
Warm them with comments in Extrovert first
Export CSV list to your favorite email/DM sequence tool
Continue nurturing on LinkedIn during and after outreach
Bonus: Combine Comments With Your Own Content
Commenting alone is powerful, but it works even better when paired with your own LinkedIn posts.
Here’s why:
LinkedIn’s algorithm shows your posts to those who engage with your comments
Comments = visibility
Posts = thought leadership
DMs = conversion
Use all three to build trust across channels and win the reply.
Final Thoughts: Nurture, Don’t Spam
Most of your prospects aren’t ready to buy—but they will be eventually.
If you stop treating LinkedIn like a pitch fest and start treating it like a networking dinner, your results will follow.
Warm them up. Show up consistently. Comment with value.
Then—and only then—make the ask.
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By Richard F. Purcell · Launched 2 years ago
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