The “Social” Trap vs. The Goldmine
We all see them: The “Top Voices,” the industry gurus, and the mega-influencers with 500,000 followers. Most people make the mistake of trying to connect directly with these influencers. The reality? Your connection request will likely sit in a pile of thousands, ignored.
But these influencers provide something much more valuable than their own connection: They provide a curated room of your ideal prospects.
The comment section of a viral industry post is not just noise; it is a pre-qualified list of active, engaged professionals. If someone takes the time to write a thoughtful comment on a niche topic, they are active, they are opinionated, and they are visible.
Here is my 17-step “Influencer Mining” strategy to find valid, credible business connections without sending a single cold, generic InMail—including the AI prompts you need to execute it.
Phase 1: The Setup
Step 1: Polish Your Digital Storefront Before you reach out to anyone, ensure your own house is in order. Your headline must clearly state what you do. If you engage a high-value target, the first thing they will do is click your face. If your profile looks like a bot or a resume from 2005, you lose.
Step 2: Define Your “Value Target” Don’t just look for “anyone.” Define who you need. Are you looking for Logistics Managers? SaaS CTOs? HR Directors? Knowing the exact job title helps you filter through the noise later.
Step 3: Identify the “Honey Pot” Influencers Find 5-10 influencers who speak directly to your target industry. Crucial Distinction: Do not look for influencers in your role; look for influencers who attract your target clients. If you sell software to accountants, follow tax law influencers, not software influencers.
Step 4: Audit the Influencer’s Engagement Check their last 3 posts. Are the comments real? Avoid influencers with thousands of likes but only “Great post!” comments from bots. You want influencers whose posts spark debates, stories, and disagreements.
Step 5: Ring the Bell Go to the Influencer’s profile and hit the Notification Bell (top right). You want to be alerted the moment they post. Speed matters.
Phase 2: The Hunt
Step 6: The “Golden Hour” Scan When you get the notification that they posted, wait 30 to 60 minutes. Let the crowd gather. Then, open the post and head straight to the comments.
Step 7: Filter by “Most Relevant” LinkedIn usually defaults to this, but double-check. You are looking for comments that have already received a few likes or replies.
Step 8: Ignore the Sycophants Skip every comment that says “Great share,” “So true,” or “Congrats!” These offer no insight into the commentator’s credibility.
Step 9: Identify the “Value Adders” Look for long-form comments (3+ sentences). Look for people who are adding a counter-point, sharing a personal experience, or asking a technical question. This is your target. This behavior demonstrates subject matter expertise and high engagement.
Step 10: The Profile Vetting Protocol Do not engage yet. Hover over their name or open their profile in a new tab.
- Check 1: Do they fit your Step 2 criteria (Job Title)?
- Check 2: Check their “Activity” section. Have they posted or commented elsewhere in the last 30 days?
- Verdict: If they fit the title and are active, they are a Valid Credible Connection.
Phase 3: The Approach
Step 11: The “Side-Door” Entrance Go back to the influencer’s post. Like the target’s comment. Then, Reply to their comment. Do not pitch. Validate their opinion or add to it.
- Example: “Great point, [Name]. I hadn’t considered how X impacts Y. Do you see that happening often in your sector?”
Step 12: The Wait (Let it Simmer) Wait for them to like your reply or reply back. This psychological step changes you from a “stranger” to a “familiar face.”
Step 13: The Contextual Connection Request Once you’ve had that micro-interaction, send a connection request. Always add a note.
Step 14: The “Reference” Script (AI Tool) Use the prompt below to generate the perfect connection note that fits LinkedIn’s strict 300-character limit. Copy and paste the bold text below into your AI tool (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini):
Act as an expert B2B networker. Write a LinkedIn connection request message (maximum 300 characters including spaces).
Context: 1. Influencer Post: [INFLUENCER NAME] posted about [TOPIC]. 2. Prospect Comment: [PROSPECT NAME] commented that [SUMMARIZE THEIR COMMENT]. 3. My Goal: Connect based on their expertise. NO SALES PITCH.
Constraints: – Tone: Professional, observational, complimentary. – Length: STRICTLY under 300 characters. – Call to Action: Soft (e.g., “Hoping to connect”).
Draft 3 variations.
Step 15: The Acceptance Audit When they accept, do not pitch immediately. Pitching in the first message is the fastest way to lose credibility.
Phase 4: The Relationship Build
Step 16: The “Value Drop” Follow-Up (AI Tool) 3 to 5 days after connecting, send a message or tag them in a post of yours that is relevant to the comment they originally made. Use this AI prompt to write that message:
Write a LinkedIn follow-up message to a new connection.
Context: 1. We connected 3 days ago after I saw their comment on a post about [TOPIC]. 2. I want to share a [ARTICLE/RESOURCE/THOUGHT] that relates to that topic. 3. Goal: Add value and start a conversation. NO HARD SELLING.
Constraints: – Tone: Casual professional. – Length: Under 75 words. – Ending: Ask a low-friction question to prompt a reply.
Draft 3 variations.
Step 17: Move to Offline After 2-3 genuine interactions, the trust barrier is down. Now you can suggest a brief call or move to business discussions. You are no longer a cold caller; you are a peer who values their insight.
Summary
Stop shouting into the void. Use the gravity of large influencers to pull you toward the specific, credible individuals hiding in the comments section. It takes more effort than a bot, but the conversion rate is infinitely higher.
