LinkedIn InMail: Drive Sales & Connections like a Pro

LinkedIn InMail has a 3x response rate compared to regular emails. 

LinkedIn InMail’s reach goes beyond standard LinkedIn messages, as you can reach out to second or third degree connections.

So, how can you use LinkedIn InMail, and get more connections and drive new sales to your business?

How is LinkedIn InMail Useful?

LinkedIn InMail is a feature that goes above and beyond the limitations of traditional networking.

You can transform your career and business goals with a good understanding of the role and potential of LinkedIn InMails.

But what sets InMail apart from regular LinkedIn messages?

• Exclusivity: LinkedIn InMail offers a direct line to decision-makers and potential collaborators beyond your immediate network.
• Visibility: InMails have higher visibility in recipients' inboxes, increasing the likelihood of engagement.
• Analytics: You can track the performance of your InMail outreach with metrics that regular messages lack.

How to access LinkedIn InMail

Unlike standard LinkedIn messages, InMail is a premium feature.

Here are the account types that will get you access to Inmail messages:

• Premium Career
• Premium Business
• Sales Navigator Core
• Recruiter Lite

However, subscribing to one of these plans will not give you unlimited InMails messages. Each plan has a certain number of InMail credits each month.

Can you get InMails credits for free?

The more solid and complete your LinkedIn profile is, the more likely you are to receive bonus InMail credits.

LinkedIn rewards users who maintain comprehensive profiles with additional credits, acknowledging their commitment to the platform's networking mindset.

Even without a premium subscription, LinkedIn occasionally offers free InMail credits as part of promotional events or through other criteria such as the 'Open Profile' network.

A free trial is a great opportunity to test the effectiveness of your InMail strategy before committing to a paid plan.

As you consider upgrading to LinkedIn Premium or Recruiter Lite, remember that the number of InMail credits you receive can be a game-changer for your outreach efforts.

Use these credits wisely, and you'll unlock the ability to initiate conversations that could lead to lucrative opportunities.

We’ve rounded up the amount of credits you get with each plan and how many you can save up ⬇️

• Premium Career: 5 credits with a maximum of 15.
• Premium Business: 15 credits with a maximum of 45.
• Sales Navigator Core: 50 credits with a maximum of 150
• Recruiter Lite: 30 credits with a maximum of120.

LinkedIn InMail Messaging

Once you've secured the means to send LinkedIn InMails, the next step is crafting compelling messages.

A well-composed InMail can be the key to unlocking new business opportunities and expanding your professional network.

How to write effective LinkedIn InMail messages

Every plan has a limited number of InMail credits. So, how can you ensure that your recipients will reply to your InMail messages?

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1. Start with a compelling subject line. Keep it short, intriguing, and personalized to grab your recipient’s attention. 

2. Add a greeting. Simple greetings are the best email greetings. We recommend “Hey or Hi + {{firstName}}” as your email greeting. 

3. Add an intro. Remember, it’s about them, not about you. Motivate the prospect to read the rest of the email

4. Write the “story”. Create a story that your prospects can relate to. Make sure it's not too long - aim for about 120 words. 

5. End with a CTA. Your final target is to explain what the next step is. Book a meeting, watch a video, reply to the message, etc. 

Can’t get over the writer’s block? Take advantage of lemlist’s free cold email generator and write your InMail message in seconds!

Sending Cold Emails using LinkedIn InMail

Sending a cold email via InMail can be daunting, but following best practices, can increase your chances of getting a response.

Personalize your message, keep it professional, and focus on how you can help the recipient rather than what you want from them.

You can also include cold messaging as a part of your multi-channel outreach campaign. Check out this video if you want to learn how to integrate LinkedIn into your lemlist campaign ⬇️

How to increase your InMail response rate

Improving your InMail response rate requires strategy.

Use LinkedIn insights to tailor your message to the recipient's interests or current business needs.

Follow-up messages should be consider their time and always provide additional value or context that might have been missed in the initial InMail.

Remember, the goal is to start a conversation, not just to send a message.

With the right approach, each InMail you send can be a stepping stone towards achieving your professional objectives.

LinkedIn InMail for business and recruitment objectives

Achieve your business and recruitment goals with LinkedIn messages.

LinkedIn Recruiter for Talent Scouting

Find top-quality talent and build meaningful connections with LinkedIn Recruiter.

It allows you to send personalized InMails to potential candidates, even those outside your network.

With advanced search filters and the ability to track candidate responses, LinkedIn Recruiter streamlines the talent acquisition process significantly.

Sales Targets with LinkedIn Sales Navigator

LinkedIn Sales Navigator is designed for sales professionals looking to enhance their sales strategies.

This platform provides tailored lead recommendations and allows for direct InMail communication with prospects.

By leveraging Sales Navigator, sales teams can effectively nurture leads and close deals through targeted and personalized outreach.

How to receive InMail messages from anyone on LinkedIn

Members with an open profile can receive InMail messages from anyone on LinkedIn, regardless of connection status.

Here’s how you can turn on the Open Profile messages feature on LinkedIn:

1. Head to your LinkedIn profile.
2. Select View profile.
3. Click on the Edit icon and go to Data privacy.
4. Under Messages you receive, turn on the toggle for Open Profile messages.
5. Click Save.

Similarly, you can reach out to people who enabled this feature. This feature broadens your reach, allowing you to directly message LinkedIn members most relevant to your business or recruitment needs without the constraint of connection limits.

Using tools like LinkedIn Recruiter and Sales Navigator and understanding the opportunities Open Profile provides, you can tailor your InMail strategy to meet your specific objectives and drive actual results.

LinkedIn InMail Best Practices

Effective communication on LinkedIn requires more than just sending messages; it demands adherence to certain etiquette and best practices.

To ensure your LinkedIn InMails stand out and encourage a response, it's essential to craft them with professionalism and care.

Professional InMail Messages

Professionalism is key when composing InMail messages.

Start with a clear subject line that grabs attention and clearly states the purpose of your message.

Keep the tone respectful and personable, and personalize the content to show that you've done your homework on the recipient.

You can check out this video with 5 of the best cold message templates ⬇️

A well-crafted InMail reflects your professionalism and increases the chances of a favorable reply.

How to Avoid Sending Spammy InMail Messages

Avoid generic templates and mass messaging to prevent your messages from being perceived as spam.

Each InMail message should be tailored to the recipient, demonstrating genuine interest and relevance.

By focusing on quality over quantity and providing value in your InMails, you're more likely to engage your recipients and avoid the dreaded ignore button.

LinkedIn’s InMail Policies for Better Connection Requests

LinkedIn has specific InMail policies designed to maintain a professional and respectful networking environment.

• Be brief and to the point.
• Share your goal and any common associations.
• Adopt a conversational, enthusiastic tone.
• Don't cut and paste the job description or URL to the job post.
• Give them a reason to reply by asking for advice, opinions, or referrals.

Adhering to these policies helps you avoid penalties and proves that you are a trustworthy and credible LinkedIn member to your prospects.

Remember that the ultimate goal is to build meaningful connections and foster professional relationships, so always communicate with integrity and respect.

What is Sponsored InMail on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn InMail is a feature-rich platform designed to enhance your professional outreach.

With additional features like Sponsored InMail and A/B testing, LinkedIn InMail Plus can significantly boost your messaging strategy.

Benefits of Sponsored InMail

Do you want to reach out to more people on LinkedIn? In this case, you should give Sponsored InMail a try.

Sponsored InMail allows you to reach a broader audience beyond your connections by sending targeted, promotional messages directly to LinkedIn members' inboxes.

Here are some of the Sponsored InMail benefits:

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• Efficient outreach: Unlike regular InMail, Sponsored Inmails allows you to send bulk messages. Also, it helps you target a specific audience for your campaigns.
• Personalization: Without restrictive character counts, your messages can reach a higher level of personalization.
• Mobile-optimized features: Message sizes and graphics are adapted to look good on all screen sizes, and you can include a CTA button in both mobile and desktop messages.
• Maximum Engagement: Sponsored InMail messages are only delivered when members are active on LinkedIn, ensuring your prospect will see the message right away and won’t be lost in an inbox.

Optimize your message for mobile

With the increasing use of mobile devices, it's crucial to consider the mobile experience when sending InMails.

LinkedIn's mobile app ensures that your messages are accessible and easy to respond to, no matter where the recipient is.

Optimize your InMail content for mobile viewing to encourage quicker and more frequent responses.

How A/B Tests can Enhance InMail Success Rates

A/B testing is a powerful way to refine your InMail strategy.

By sending variations of your messages to different audience segments, you can gather data on what works best.

Test different subject lines, message lengths, and calls to action to discover the most effective approach.
This data-driven method can increase average response rates and ensure your InMails perform better.

These advanced features and tools can elevate your LinkedIn InMail campaigns, turning them into a strategic asset for your professional goals.

With the right approach, LinkedIn InMail Plus can be a game-changer in how you connect and communicate in the professional world.

LinkedIn InMail Challenges

As with any platform, users may occasionally encounter challenges or have questions about LinkedIn InMail.

Technical issues with LinkedIn InMail can range from delivery failures to notification problems.

If your InMails are not delivered, ensure you have enough credits and that your messages comply with LinkedIn's size and content limitations.

For notification issues, verify your email and app notification settings.

Remember, LinkedIn continuously updates its platform, so keeping your app up to date can prevent many technical glitches.

Key takeaways

-> You can get free InMail credits with a comprehensive LinkedIn profile.

-> Write personalized, professional InMail messages that resonate with your 

recipients.

-> You can get more replies with LinkedIn InMail than standard messages.

-> Write cold emails for free with lemlist’s cold email generator.

-> Test different approaches and use A/B testing to determine what works best for your audience. 

-> Keep an eye on your response rates to improve your success.

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Get more conversions by combining email, LinkedIn, and phone calls in multi-channel outreach sequences with lemlist. 

You can test its multi-channel and personalization at scale features through its 14-day free trial - no card required. 

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