LinkedIn is a social networking site designed for professionals. It helps users connect with colleagues, find jobs, and network within their industry. Profiles act like online resumes, showcasing work experience, skills, and achievements. Users can join groups, follow companies, and stay updated on industry news.
Effective communication on LinkedIn is crucial. It helps build and maintain professional relationships. Sending messages, commenting on posts, and sharing content increases visibility and engagement. Good communication can lead to job opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations. Engaging with others’ content also shows active participation in your field. Overall, clear and consistent communication boosts your professional presence and networking success.
What is LinkedIn InMail?
LinkedIn InMail is a premium messaging feature that enables you to send direct messages to any LinkedIn member, regardless of whether you’re connected. This sets it apart from regular LinkedIn messages, which are limited to your immediate network of connections. InMail is particularly useful for reaching out to potential employers, clients, or partners who are outside your direct contacts. By providing a way to communicate beyond your network, InMail expands your reach and enhances your networking capabilities.
Using InMail, you can craft personalized and targeted messages, making your outreach more effective. InMail messages often receive higher response rates compared to standard messages because they stand out in the recipient’s inbox. This feature is ideal for job seekers, recruiters, sales professionals, and anyone looking to make valuable professional connections. LinkedIn provides InMail credits to premium account holders, which can be used to send these messages, adding an extra layer of value to their subscription services.
Additionally, InMail offers built-in analytics, allowing you to track the performance of your messages. You can see whether your message was opened and read, providing valuable feedback on your communication strategies. This helps in refining your approach for better engagement and response rates. Overall, LinkedIn InMail is a powerful tool for professional growth, enabling meaningful connections and opportunities beyond your immediate network.
Features of LinkedIn InMail
These features collectively enhance the effectiveness of LinkedIn InMail, making it a powerful tool for professional communication and networking.
- Direct Messaging to Any LinkedIn User: InMail allows you to send messages to any LinkedIn member, even if you are not connected. This expands your ability to reach out to potential employers, clients, or business partners beyond your immediate network.
- Personalization Options: InMail messages can be highly personalized, allowing you to tailor your communication to the recipient. Personalized messages are more likely to get noticed and elicit a response, making your outreach efforts more effective.
- Priority Inbox Placement: InMail messages often receive priority placement in the recipient’s inbox, making them stand out compared to standard messages. This increases the likelihood that your message will be seen and read promptly.
- Message Analytics and Tracking: LinkedIn InMail provides analytics that allows you to track the performance of your messages. You can see if your message has been delivered, opened, and read. This feedback is invaluable for refining your communication strategy and improving response rates.
- Template Usage: InMail allows you to use templates for recurring messages. This feature saves time and ensures consistency in your outreach efforts while still allowing for personalization.
- Increased Message Limits for Premium Accounts: LinkedIn premium account holders receive a certain number of InMail credits per month. These credits allow for a higher volume of direct messaging compared to free accounts, which can be beneficial for active recruiters, sales professionals, and job seekers.
- Response Guarantee: LinkedIn offers a response guarantee for InMail messages. If you are waiting to receive a response within a specified time frame, LinkedIn will return the InMail credit to your account, ensuring that you get value for your investment.
How to Use LinkedIn InMail
You can maximize the effectiveness of your LinkedIn InMail communications, leading to stronger professional connections and more successful outreach.
Accessing InMail
Log into your LinkedIn account. Use the search bar to find the profile of the person you wish to contact. Once on their profile page, click the “Message” button. Ensure you have enough InMail credits. These are provided as part of LinkedIn’s premium subscriptions. If you run out, you may need to purchase additional credits or wait for your monthly allotment to reset.
Composing Your Message
Create a compelling subject line that piques curiosity. For example, “Exciting Opportunity at [Company]” or “Question about Your Recent Project”. Clearly state the purpose of your message in the opening lines. Be direct but courteous, explaining why you are reaching out.
Personalization
Use the recipient’s name in the greeting to make the message feel personalized. Mention something specific from their LinkedIn profile, such as a recent post, shared connections, or notable achievements. This shows you’ve done your homework and aren’t sending a generic message.
Stating Your Purpose
Be upfront about why you’re contacting them. Whether it’s for a job opportunity, business collaboration, informational interview, or networking, state your intent clearly. Please explain how your proposal or inquiry could benefit them. For example, if you’re seeking a job, mention how your skills align with the company’s needs.
Call to Action
Conclude with a clear call to action. This could be asking for a brief meeting, a phone call, or a response to your query. Make the next steps easy. Include your contact details and suggest a few times you are available for a call or meeting.
Benefits of Using LinkedIn InMail
LinkedIn InMail offers a powerful platform for building relationships, exploring opportunities, and advancing your career or business objectives professionally and effectively.
- Direct Access to Professionals: InMail allows you to reach out to any LinkedIn member, even if you’re not connected. This direct access opens up opportunities for networking, collaboration, and business development with individuals who may otherwise be inaccessible.
- Increased Response Rates: InMail messages often receive higher response rates compared to traditional emails or LinkedIn connection requests. Since recipients are notified of InMail messages separately from regular notifications, they are more likely to notice and respond to your message.
- Personalization and Customization: InMail enables you to personalize your messages based on the recipient’s profile and interests. By referencing specific details from their LinkedIn profile or mentioning mutual connections, you can make your outreach more relevant and engaging.
- Enhanced Professional Branding: Sending thoughtful and well-crafted InMail messages demonstrates professionalism and initiative. It allows you to showcase your communication skills, industry knowledge, and genuine interest in building meaningful connections.
- Broader Reach: With InMail, you can connect with professionals beyond your immediate network, including industry influencers, thought leaders, and decision-makers. This broader reach opens doors to new opportunities, insights, and collaborations.
- Trackable Performance: LinkedIn provides analytics for InMail messages, allowing you to track metrics such as open rates and response rates. This data enables you to evaluate the effectiveness of your outreach efforts and make informed decisions to optimize your messaging strategy.
InMail vs. Connection Requests
Comparing LinkedIn InMail and connection requests highlights the differences in how professionals engage and communicate on the platform.
InMail
- Direct Messaging: InMail allows users to send direct messages to any LinkedIn member, even if they are not connected. This feature provides a more immediate and personalized means of communication than connection requests.
- Increased Reach: InMail enables users to reach out to professionals beyond their immediate network, including potential employers, clients, or partners. It offers a broader reach for networking and business development efforts.
- Premium Feature: InMail is typically available as part of LinkedIn premium subscriptions, although users can purchase additional credits for sending messages if needed.
Connection Requests
- Invitation to Connect: Connection requests are requests to establish a connection with another LinkedIn member. When sending a connection request, users can include a personalized message to introduce themselves and explain why they want to connect.
- Mutual Network Building: Connection requests focus on building a network of professional contacts. Users typically send connection requests to colleagues, classmates, industry peers, or individuals with shared interests.
- Free Feature: Sending connection requests is a standard feature available to all LinkedIn users, regardless of whether they have a premium subscription.
Key Differences
- Communication Scope: InMail allows for direct messaging to any LinkedIn member, while connection requests focus on establishing connections within your network.
- Personalization: InMail messages can be highly personalized and tailored to individual recipients, whereas connection requests may include a brief introductory message but are less customizable.
- Response Expectations: InMail messages often have higher response rates compared to connection requests, as they are more targeted and personalized.
- Usage Limitations: InMail usage may be limited by the number of credits available to premium account holders, while connection requests have no such restrictions.
Cost of LinkedIn InMail
LinkedIn InMail costs vary based on the type of LinkedIn premium subscription you choose. Free LinkedIn accounts do not have access to InMail, meaning users can only send messages to their direct connections. However, premium accounts offer varying levels of InMail credits. For instance, LinkedIn Premium Career costs around $40 per month and includes 5 InMail credits, while LinkedIn Premium Business costs about $60 per month and provides 15 InMail credits.
For salespeople, LinkedIn Sales Navigator costs approximately $100 per month and includes 50 InMail credits. Recruiters can opt for LinkedIn Recruiter Lite, which costs around $140 per month and includes 30 InMail credits.
If you need more InMail credits, you can purchase additional credits, typically costing $10 to $15 each. Some premium plans allow unused credits to roll over to the next month, with limits. For example, Sales Navigator allows up to 150 unused credits to roll over.
FAQs
Can I use InMail with a free LinkedIn account?
No, InMail is only available to users with LinkedIn premium subscriptions.
How many InMail messages can I send per month?
The number of InMail messages you can send depends on your premium subscription plan. For example, LinkedIn Premium Career offers five credits, while Sales Navigator provides 50 credits per month.
Can I send attachments with InMail messages?
No, InMail does not support sending attachments. However, you can include links to external documents or resources.
Do InMail credits expire?
InMail credits are provided monthly, and while some plans allow unused credits to roll over, there is usually a limit. For instance, Sales Navigator lets you roll over up to 150 unused credits.
How do I know if my InMail was read?
LinkedIn provides read receipts for InMail messages. You can see if your message was delivered and read, which helps you gauge the effectiveness of your outreach.
Conclusion
LinkedIn InMail is a powerful tool for professional communication. It allows users to directly message anyone on the platform, even if they are not connected. This enhances networking, job searching, and business opportunities by allowing personalized and direct outreach. InMail is particularly useful for premium LinkedIn users who need to connect with potential employers, clients, or partners beyond their immediate network.
Using LinkedIn InMail effectively requires understanding its features, costs, and best practices for crafting compelling messages. By leveraging InMail, professionals can expand their reach, build meaningful connections, and achieve their career or business goals.
