Client: Topmate
Creator Type: Career & Hiring Advisor for Mid-to-Senior Software Engineers
Target Audience: Senior Software Engineers & Engineering Managers
Campaigns Run: 5 outbound campaigns (LinkedIn-driven, CTA-focused)
The Problem
One of the creators on Topmate was working closely with mid-to-senior software engineers and engineering managers. Unlike student-focused audiences, this segment is far more selective, time-constrained, and resistant to generic outreach. The creator’s objective was not to sell immediately, but to collect qualified mobile numbers and drive high-intent engagement from professionals who were genuinely open to career conversations, hiring insights, and future advisory sessions.
Traditional inbound methods were slow and inconsistent. Organic reach was limited, and senior professionals rarely respond to broad, mass-market messaging. The creator needed a system that could reliably surface serious professionals and move them toward a clear call-to-action without damaging trust or credibility.
Our Approach (What We Actually Did)
For this creator, the strategy was intentionally kept simple at the start. Instead of over-engineering the messaging, we began with a clean, direct outreach approach designed to test one thing first: will senior professionals respond if the value is clear and respectful of their time?
The campaigns were structured around a clear CTA, qualified mobile number collection, rather than selling or pitching. Each outreach cycle was treated as a signal-gathering exercise, allowing us to observe how this specific audience reacted before making changes.
Phase 1: Simple Strategy, Clear CTA (Early Validation)
In the initial campaigns, we used straightforward messaging that clearly stated the purpose of the outreach and who it was relevant for. There was no hype, no urgency, and no aggressive positioning. The tone was professional, concise, and aligned with how senior engineers expect to be approached.
This approach worked immediately. Even in the early stages, the campaigns began generating consistent replies and mobile number shares. This early success confirmed two things: the targeting was accurate, and the CTA was aligned with the audience’s expectations.
Phase 2: Light Messaging Optimization for Better Alignment
After seeing strong early traction, we made slight refinements to the messaging rather than drastic changes. The updates focused on better aligning the language with the professional context of mid-to-senior engineers, subtly emphasizing relevance and intent without increasing message length or complexity.
Because the foundational strategy was already working, these adjustments amplified results instead of resetting them. Reply quality improved, engagement became more consistent, and professionals were more willing to continue the conversation beyond the first response.
Phase 3: Scaling While Maintaining Trust
As performance stabilized, the campaigns were scaled carefully while staying within LinkedIn’s safety limits. Outreach was paused and resumed strategically to protect account health, ensuring long-term sustainability. Despite these pauses, reply momentum remained strong, indicating that engagement was driven by message relevance rather than short-term bursts.
Throughout this phase, the focus remained on quality over volume, ensuring that every response represented a genuine professional interaction rather than surface-level interest.
Results (Across All Shalini Campaigns)
Across multiple campaign cycles, Shalini’s outreach delivered consistently strong engagement from a senior technical audience.
By the later stages of the campaigns, Shalini’s results included 1,897 connection requests sent, with 820 acceptances and 403 net replies from mid-to-senior software engineers and engineering managers. Earlier campaign snapshots already showed strong momentum, with reply counts steadily climbing as outreach scaled and messaging was refined.
These replies translated into a steady flow of qualified mobile number shares and follow-up-ready leads, creating a clean, high-intent contact base tailored specifically for senior technical professionals. The campaigns demonstrated healthy acceptance rates, strong reply efficiency, and consistent traction, a clear signal that both targeting and messaging were well aligned with the audience.
Most importantly, these results were achieved without pushing sales or aggressive CTAs. The system successfully identified and engaged professionals who were open to deeper conversations, setting the foundation for future advisory, hiring, and consulting workflows.
Why This Worked
This campaign succeeded because it respected the audience. Senior engineers respond to clarity, relevance, and professionalism, not hype. By starting with a simple strategy, validating early success, and making only small, data-backed adjustments, we allowed results to compound naturally.
Rather than forcing urgency or over-personalization, the outreach stayed aligned with the expectations of experienced professionals. Scaling was done cautiously, ensuring trust and account safety were never compromised.
Final Takeaway
This case study shows that effective outbound doesn’t always require complex funnels or aggressive persuasion. For the right audience, a clear CTA, respectful messaging, and consistent execution can drive exceptional engagement.
By building a repeatable, compliance-safe outreach system, we helped Topmate creators consistently surface and engage mid-to-senior engineering talent, creating long-term value far beyond a single campaign.
