Forwarding a LinkedIn message to someone else can be useful if you want to share information or an opportunity with a connection. Luckily, LinkedIn makes it easy to forward messages you receive to other contacts. Here’s a quick rundown of how to forward a LinkedIn message:
Requirements for Forwarding LinkedIn Messages
Before forwarding a LinkedIn message, there are a few requirements you need to meet:
- You must have received the original message you want to forward. You cannot forward a message you sent yourself.
- You must be connected to the person you want to forward the message to. You can only forward messages between your 1st-degree connections.
- The message must be a standard LinkedIn message. You cannot forward InMail messages.
Steps to Forward a Message
If you meet the above requirements, forwarding a LinkedIn message only takes a few steps:
- Open the LinkedIn message you want to forward.
- Click the three dots “…” icon in the top right corner of the message.
- Select “Forward” from the dropdown menu.
- A window will pop up allowing you to select connections to forward the message to.
- Type in the name of the connection you want to forward to and select them when they appear.
- You can add a personal note or leave the default text.
- Click “Send” to forward the message.
And that’s all there is to it! The original message will be sent to your selected connections along with a note indicating you forwarded it.
Things to Keep in Mind When Forwarding
Here are some additional things to keep in mind when forwarding LinkedIn messages:
- Only forward messages that contain information relevant and valuable to the person you’re forwarding to. Don’t forward unnecessary messages.
- Be thoughtful about who you choose to forward messages to. Don’t spam all your connections with forwarded notes.
- Consider if the original sender would be comfortable with their message being forwarded. If not, ask for their permission first.
- You cannot retract a forwarded message once you’ve sent it.
- The person you forwarded the message to could also forward it on to others. Be aware your message could be seen more widely.
Forwarding vs Other LinkedIn Sharing Options
Forwarding is not the only way to share LinkedIn content with your network. Here’s how forwarding compares to some other LinkedIn sharing options:
| Sharing Method | What You Can Share | Who Can View |
|---|---|---|
| Forwarding | Standard text messages received in your inbox | Only the 1st-degree connections you forward the message to |
| Sharing a post | Posts from your connections and LinkedIn Pages | Your entire network or connections, depending on post privacy settings |
| Tagging | Mentioning connections in posts and comments | Visible to whoever can view the post you tag someone in |
As you can see, forwarding is a more private, limited sharing option compared to sharing posts more publicly or tagging connections.
Why Forwarding LinkedIn Messages is Helpful
Forwarding LinkedIn messages can be very helpful for a few key reasons:
- Share valuable information and opportunities: If you receive a message with useful information or a job/business opportunity relevant to a connection, forwarding allows you to easily pass it along.
- Give exposure to interesting messages: You can help interesting perspectives, articles, and ideas gain more attention by forwarding to additional contacts.
- Keep key people in the loop: Forwarding messages to managers, team members, or collaborators keeps them informed with the latest updates.
Use Cases for Forwarding LinkedIn Messages
Some examples of good use cases for forwarding LinkedIn messages include:
- A recruiter sends an open job opportunity that you forward to a connection looking for a new role.
- Your colleague shares an insightful article that you forward to others on your team.
- A company spokesperson announces organizational changes in a message that you forward to your manager.
Proper LinkedIn Etiquette Around Forwarding
While forwarding LinkedIn messages can be useful, you want to exercise good LinkedIn etiquette. Here are some tips:
- Only forward messages if they contain something substantial of value for the recipients.
- Consider if the original sender intended a wider audience for their message before forwarding.
- Customize the note you include when forwarding messages to provide helpful context for recipients.
- Be selective in who you forward messages to rather than spamming your whole network.
- If forwarding a sales inquiry or solicitation message, make your intentions and preferences clear to the sender before passing their message along.
Limits and Restrictions on Forwarding
LinkedIn does place certain limits around forwarding messages to prevent abuse:
- You can only forward messages between 1st-degree connections. You cannot forward messages to 2nd or 3rd-degree connections.
- There are limits to how many messages you can forward in a period of time before being temporarily restricted. This prevents spamming.
- You cannot forward messages if either you or the recipient has each other muted. The forward will fail.
- InMail messages cannot be forwarded at all.
Conclusion
Forwarding LinkedIn messages provides a simple way to share valuable information and opportunities with your trusted professional connections. By following proper etiquette and understanding the limitations around forwarding, you can use this feature effectively without abusing it. Forward thoughtfully and selectively for the maximum benefit to your network.
