# LinkedIn buying signals: a checklist for outbound > A practical checklist for spotting real buying signals on LinkedIn, telling them apart from social noise, and messaging while the window is still open. - HTML: https://getkinlead.com/linkedin-buying-signals-checklist - Markdown: https://getkinlead.com/linkedin-buying-signals-checklist.md **Short answer:** A buying signal on LinkedIn is an action that shows someone is working on a problem you solve: a comment on a competitor's post, a question in a group, a new hire with budget. Most notifications are not signals. The useful ones are specific, recent, and tied to a person who can buy. ## What actually counts as a buying signal Most of what lands in your LinkedIn notifications is not a buying signal. A work anniversary, a new profile photo, a like on your own post: none of these tell you that someone has a problem, a budget, or a reason to talk this week. If you message on that basis, you are guessing. A real signal is an action someone chose to take in public that points at a problem you solve. They commented on a competitor's launch and asked about pricing. They posted that their reporting is broken. They hired a VP of Sales, which usually means new budget and new tools. The action is specific, it is recent, and the person can plausibly buy. Two tests help. First, would a stranger reading this action understand what the person cares about? Second, does it point at a problem your product touches? If both answers are no, it is activity, not intent. **Activity** - A like on a competitor's post - A work anniversary - A generic 'excited to share' post - Following 40 companies in your category **Signals** - A comment asking how a competitor's pricing works - A post about a failed migration - A new Head of Ops hire - A question in a group about tooling ## The signals worth acting on Not every signal deserves the same response. Some point at a live problem with a short window. Others are useful context for a message you send next month. Sort them by how specific the action is and how quickly the moment passes. The comment signal is the strongest because it is public, specific, and tied to a competitor. Someone who comments on a competitor's feature post is already in the conversation. Your job is to join it without hijacking it. Combining two weak signals can also work. A new hire plus a job posting for the same team tells you budget exists and the problem is being staffed. One weak signal on its own usually does not justify a message. | | Signal | What it tells you | How fast to act | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Comment on a competitor's post | They are evaluating the category or already use the competitor | Same day to 48 hours | | Post about a specific problem | The pain is live and they described it in their own words | Within 72 hours | | New VP or director hire | New budget, new priorities, often a 30 to 90 day window to change tools | Within 30 days | | Question in a group or on a post | Active research, often earlier in the buying process | Within a week | | Job posting for a role your product supports | They are staffing around the problem, budget exists | Within two weeks | ## How to check a signal before you message A signal is a reason to look closer, not a reason to send. Spend a minute on the profile before you write anything. The check is quick once you have done it a few times, and it stops you from sending a message that shows you did not read the thread. 1. **Read the last three posts on their profile.** You want to know if the signal matches their role. A comment about API latency from a marketing manager is probably not a buying signal. The same comment from a staff engineer is. 2. **Check company size and stage.** A 12-person startup and a 900-person enterprise buy differently. Look at headcount, recent funding, and whether the role sits near budget. 3. **Read the comment thread, not just the comment.** Sometimes the person answered their own question or got a solution. If the thread is closed, you are late. 4. **Decide if you can help in one sentence.** If you cannot say how you would help without a paragraph of setup, the signal is not strong enough. Skip it and save the outreach. ## What to write when you have a signal The message should reference the signal in the first line and then get to the point. Do not open with 'I saw you commented on Acme's post' and then paste your pitch. The signal is the reason you are writing, so use it as the subject of the conversation. The good version is shorter, names the specific thing, and asks a question the person can answer in one line. It does not ask for 30 minutes. It does not list three features. It gives them an easy yes or no. If they reply with interest, keep the next message just as short. Send the asset you promised, or ask one follow-up question. The signal got you the reply. A long second message can lose it. **Signal mentioned, then ignored** - Hi Sarah, I saw you commented on Northwind's post. We help companies with API performance and have a lot of features that could help. Would you be open to a 30 minute call? **Signal used as the subject** - Hi Sarah, your comment on Northwind's post about API latency caught my eye. Are you still trying to get checkout response times down? We do edge caching for agencies your size and I can send the setup if it is useful. - **you:** Hi Sarah, your comment on Northwind's post about API latency caught my eye. Are you still trying to get checkout response times down? - **them:** Yes, it's still a mess. We're testing a few things but nothing has stuck. - **you:** Makes sense. We work with a few 40-person agencies on edge caching for exactly that. Want me to send the setup we use, no call needed? ## How fast you need to move A signal has a shelf life. A comment on a competitor's post is useful for a day or two. After a week, the person has moved on, bought something, or forgotten the thread. A new VP hire gives you a month or two before their calendar fills and their tool stack is set. Batching is the enemy here. If you collect signals all week and send on Friday, the strongest ones are already cold. Send the top signals the same day and let the weaker ones wait for a slower sequence. Once a signal goes stale, the lead does not disappear, but the priority does. Move them from a high-intent sequence to a long-term list. Do not keep calling it intent. > If the signal is a public comment or question, send within 48 hours. If it is a new hire, send within two weeks. After that, move the lead to a slower sequence and stop calling it intent. ``` Hi {first_name}, your comment on {company}'s post about {topic} caught my eye. Are you still working on {problem}? We help {type of company} with {outcome} and I can send the {specific asset} if it is useful. ``` ## Doing this with Kinlead Kinlead's [Steal Customers agent](/features/steal-customers) watches competitor company pages and optional founder or employee profiles, reads the comments on their recent posts, and turns commenters who look like buyers into leads. Each lead keeps the post URL, what the post was about, and what they commented, so the first line of your message can reference the actual thread. Leads are scored 0 to 100 against the customer profile you describe, and leads below the fit line are not kept. Connection notes can be AI-written under 200 characters and open with why that person became a lead. Queued messages can be read and edited on the Actions page before they send. Kinlead sends at most one action every 5 minutes per LinkedIn account, inside the daily limits and send window you set. It does not warm up accounts and it cannot guarantee LinkedIn will not restrict an account. If LinkedIn pushes back, Kinlead pauses invites on that account and emails you. ## Related - [Find prospects commenting on competitor posts](https://getkinlead.com/find-prospects-commenting-on-competitor-posts.md) - [Improve LinkedIn acceptance rate](https://getkinlead.com/improve-linkedin-acceptance-rate.md) - [Define ICP for LinkedIn outreach](https://getkinlead.com/define-icp-for-linkedin-outreach.md) - [Avoid LinkedIn restrictions during outreach](https://getkinlead.com/avoid-linkedin-restrictions-during-outreach.md) ## Common questions **Does a like count as a buying signal?** Rarely. A like is a low-effort social gesture. A comment requires a conscious decision to voice an opinion or ask a question, which is a much stronger signal. **How many signals should I look for before messaging?** One strong signal, like a specific question about a competitor, is enough. You do not need a pattern of behavior if the single action shows clear intent. **Should I use Sales Navigator for signal tracking?** It helps with filtering, but it does not alert you to specific comments on competitor posts in real time. You still need a way to monitor the actual conversations on the feed. **What if the person commented on a competitor's post but is not a fit?** Skip them. A signal tells you the timing is right, not that the person can buy. Check the role and company before you write anything. [Create a Kinlead account](https://getkinlead.com/signup). Pro is $49/month after a 7-day free trial.