If you’re in sales or lead generation, you already know that grabbing a prospect’s attention is half the battle. But what if you could see what content your lead interacts with and adjust your pitch accordingly? That’s where LinkedIn smart links come in. These trackable URLs, part of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, can drastically improve your outreach strategy by letting you deliver content directly and monitor engagement in real-time. In this guide, we’ll explore smart links use cases, show you how to create them, and explain how to use them effectively in your LinkedIn outreach campaigns.
Why Modern Sales Pros Should Consider Smart Links in Outreach?
Most outreach campaigns rely on guesswork—Did the prospect read your pitch? Did they care about the presentation?
According to LinkedIn, sales professionals who personalize content with smart links see a 35% higher engagement rate compared to standard LinkedIn messages.
Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator Smart Links removes the guesswork, giving you analytical data on what your prospects interact with and when. With that, your sales process becomes data-driven, timely, and personalized.
What Are Smart Links on LinkedIn?
Smart links are trackable links that let you share and monitor how your prospects and customers engage with your sales content—all within your LinkedIn Sales Navigator dashboard. You can upload documents, videos, or links into a smart link and track who clicked it, when, how long they engaged, and what they viewed.
This unique link provides less friction than sending bulky attachments and allows modern sales professionals to run outreach campaigns with clear insights on what works.
How to Make a LinkedIn Smart Link?
Creating a smart link inside Sales Navigator Advanced or Advanced Plus is straightforward:
- Go to your LinkedIn Sales Navigator dashboard.
- Click “Smart Links” from the menu.
- Select “Create Smart Link.”
- Upload your files or package and share content via external URLs.
- Once created, copy the link and include it in your LinkedIn messages, InMail, or even a connection request.
This smart link attached to your message will now track viewing behavior for every recipient.
Tip: Always personalize your message around the content in your smart link. Generic messages = lower engagement.
Smart Links vs. Sending Content via Email
| Feature | Smart Link | Email Attachment |
|---|---|---|
|
Track Engagement |
Yes |
No |
|
Customize Content |
Yes |
Limited |
|
Real-Time Analytics |
Yes |
No |
|
One-Click Access |
Yes |
Sometimes |
|
Compatible with LinkedIn Messaging |
Yes |
No |
How are smart links different from sending content via email?
Simple: Email outreach often lacks visibility. Once the attachment is sent, you’re flying blind. But with a smart link, you can monitor everything: when it was clicked, how long it was viewed, and which asset your prospect cared about the most.
Are LinkedIn Smart Links Safe?
Yes, LinkedIn Smart Links are hosted securely on LinkedIn’s servers. Since they don’t require the recipient to download anything, they reduce risk and improve user trust. Plus, they align with GDPR and data compliance policies.
You can safely send smart links in your LinkedIn messages or embed them in your landing page or email. Just make sure you don’t overuse them because LinkedIn limits excessive automation or spam-like behavior.
Top Use Cases for LinkedIn Smart Links in Sales Outreach
Let’s break down the most effective smart links use cases for improving your sales results:
1. Share Sales Presentations with Prospects
Instead of bulky attachments, use smart links to deliver pitch decks, sales presentations, and explainer videos. Prospects can access the content easily, and you get full analytics on what caught their eye.
2. Personalize Follow-Ups with Behavioral Data
By understanding which part of your sales content the prospect engaged with, you can follow up with people more strategically. This is ideal for social selling or when running LinkedIn outreach campaigns.
Example: If a prospect spends more time on pricing pages, your follow-up can offer a discount or value comparison.
3. Run Multi-Step Campaigns
Smart links integrate seamlessly with LinkedIn automation tools. Insert different smart links within your drip campaigns or follow-up messages to segment and score leads based on interaction.
4. Create Content Libraries for Warm Prospects
Already have potential clients? Create a single link that houses multiple case studies, testimonials, and feature guides. This allows you to easily package and share content in one go.
5. Use for Event Promotion or Demos
Use a smart link to create a landing experience that includes webinar invites, registration pages, and promo videos. Track who clicks and who’s most interested, then adjust your approach based on behavior.
Tips to Use LinkedIn Smart Links Effectively
- Start adding smart links to your most commonly shared resources like PDFs, ROI calculators, onboarding decks, etc.
- Always include a clear CTA near the smart link: “Click to see how we helped X brand grow 3x.”
- Space out your messages. Avoid sending too many links in a short span to stay within LinkedIn limits.
- Review analytical data on their profiles and engagement stats to personalize your next step.
- Rotate different smart links in your outreach to A/B test content performance.
How to Use Smart Links Inside Your LinkedIn Sales Navigator Workflow?
Using smart links on LinkedIn is not a one-off tactic; it’s a game-changer inside your sales navigator workflow. Here’s how to integrate it:
- Prospect with Sales Navigator Advanced Plus
- Add a smart link in your InMail/DM with a short note
- Monitor analytical data in the Smart Links dashboard
- Tag the prospect based on behavior
- Send follow-up messages aligned with their engagement
This feedback loop helps you use LinkedIn more strategically and tailor your outreach to warm leads who are already interacting with your content.
Best Practices for Outreach Campaigns Using LinkedIn Smart Links
- Use cases for LinkedIn sales should be mapped in your CRM or spreadsheet.
- Group smart links by landing page or campaign for cleaner analytics.
- Only send smart links to prospects and customers who’ve shown some interest.
- Keep messages concise. Include the smart link attached without overwhelming text.
- Use the smart links feature to track conversions over time, not just opens.
Reddit users say to avoid burying LinkedIn Smart Links, place them early in the post or in the first comment to boost visibility and click-throughs.
LinkedIn pros—where do you actually put your links to avoid getting buried?
byu/Sensitive_Ad7148 inlinkedin
Analytics: The Real Superpower of LinkedIn Smart Links
If content is king, analytics is the kingmaker. When you use smart links, you get access to:
- Viewer name and title (if logged into LinkedIn)
- Time spent per page or slide
- Number of views per smart link
- Date and device of access
These insights on what your prospects interact with let you adjust your approach based on real-time feedback. No more guessing. You’ll know if your sales navigator workflow is converting or just floating.
Reddit users say LinkedIn Smart Links can sometimes lag or miss data, so they recommend cross-verifying with other analytics tools to ensure accurate tracking.
Posts from the digitalmarketing
community on Reddit
Smart Links Are Available to Which LinkedIn Users?
Only Sales Navigator Advanced and Advanced Plus users can use smart links. If you’re on Core, you’ll need to upgrade to start using smart links in your campaigns.
Pro Tip: Consider Navigator Advanced or Advanced Plus and Advanced tiers if you’re serious about lead generation, sales content strategy, and LinkedIn outreach at scale.
Smart Links and LinkedIn Automation: A Winning Duo
Pair your smart links with tools like LeadCRM or your preferred LinkedIn automation system to streamline campaigns. This tool helps you use LinkedIn Sales Navigator smart links within your daily prospecting tasks:
- Add a smart link when sending a connection request or InMail.
- Trigger reminders to follow up based on viewing behavior.
- Easily track all smart link touchpoints per LinkedIn account in your CRM.
This helps scale your outreach without losing personalization and with fewer missteps thanks to smart analytics.
Conclusion: Use Smart Links to Turn Clicks Into Conversions
Smart links on LinkedIn aren’t just a feature—they’re a force multiplier in your sales strategy. They bridge the gap between content and conversion, allowing you to track intent, personalize outreach, and shorten your sales cycle.
Whether you’re sharing a landing page, pitching sales presentations, or running high-volume LinkedIn outreach campaigns, a smart link allows you to easily engage, track, and convert.
If you want more lead generation with less manual work, it’s time to start adding smart links to your toolkit.
