Sending an automatic welcome message to new connections on LinkedIn is a great way to start building relationships. A friendly welcome message helps you stand out from the crowd and makes new connections feel valued.
LinkedIn has a built-in feature that allows you to create customized templates and set up automatic messages to be sent when you get a new connection. This saves you time and effort while still allowing you to make a good first impression.
In this article, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to set up automatic welcome messages on LinkedIn.
Benefits of Sending Automatic Welcome Messages
Here are some of the key benefits of sending automatic welcome messages on LinkedIn:
- Makes new connections feel valued – A personalized welcome message shows you care about building a relationship.
- Saves you time – Once set up, messages will be sent automatically without any additional effort from you.
- Allows you to customize – Tailor your message template to fit your brand and goals.
- Increases engagement – People are more likely to respond and interact with your message.
- Stands out – Most people don’t send welcome messages, so doing so makes you memorable.
Overall, welcome messages help you build stronger relationships with new connections on LinkedIn. Taking the time to craft thoughtful templates shows that you are invested in getting to know people better.
How to Set Up Automatic Welcome Messages
Here are step-by-step instructions for creating and setting up automatic welcome messages on LinkedIn:
Step 1: Create the Message Template
First, you need to create your template that will be used for the automated messages. Here are some tips for writing an effective welcome message:
- Keep it short but personalized – Aim for a concise 1-2 paragraphs.
- Thank them for connecting and call them by name.
- Highlight shared connections, groups, or interests you have in common.
- Offer to help or ask a thoughtful question to continue the conversation.
- Add your name and contact info at the bottom.
Tailor the message to your own communication style while integrating personal details to make it feel more natural. You can create several templates and rotate them for variety.
Step 2: Set Up the Automated Message
Once your template is ready, it’s time to set up the automated message:
- Go to your LinkedIn Settings page and select “Communications.”
- Under “Automated Messages,” choose “New Automated Message.”
- For “Trigger,” select “New Connection.”
- Paste your message text into the template field and customize the subject line.
- Set the timing to send immediately or within a certain number of days.
- Enable the automated message and select “Save.”
That’s all there is to it! Now your welcome message will be automatically sent to each new connection.
Step 3: Refine and Update Your Message
Check in periodically on the performance of your automated welcome message. Look at open and response rates to see if your message is working. Refine the template and timing as needed to improve results.
You can also try A/B testing a few different message variations to see which ones perform best. Change up the format or content and compare the engagement.
Lastly, be sure to update your automated messages periodically with new templates to keep things fresh. You can continue nurturing new connections long after the initial welcome with follow up messages.
Welcome Message Template Examples
Here are a few template examples you can use or adapt for your own LinkedIn automated welcome messages:
Example 1: Warm and Friendly
Hi [First Name],
Great connecting with you on LinkedIn! I really enjoyed reading about your background at [Company] and your expertise in [Field].
I’m looking forward to learning more about how we can collaborate. Please feel free to reach out if you ever want to connect. I’m always happy to chat.
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Best,
[Your Name]
Example 2: Offers Help
Dear [First Name],
Welcome to my LinkedIn network! It’s wonderful to connect.
I see we both work in [Industry], so we likely have some overlapping interests. I’m happy to offer any advice or contacts I can to help support your work. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
I look forward to staying in touch, learning more about your experiences, and finding ways to collaborate. Have a great day!
Regards,
[Your Name]
Example 3: Discusses Shared Connections
Hi [First Name],
I was excited to connect with you on LinkedIn and see we have [X] mutual connections, including [Name].
It’s always great to expand my network with like-minded professionals. I look forward to interacting and exchanging ideas. Let’s stay in touch! Feel free to reach out anytime.
Best wishes,
[Your Name]
Tips for Effective Welcome Messages
Here are some additional tips to ensure your automated LinkedIn welcome messages are as effective as possible:
- Keep it short and scannable – Get key info across in 1-3 short paragraphs.
- Make it mobile friendly – Many will view messages on phones, so avoid tiny text.
- Personalize intelligently – Mention specifics like shared contacts, but don’t get too creepy.
- Use an informal but professional tone – You want to be friendly but not overly casual.
- Focus on value – Highlight how you can offer help and support.
- Include a call to action – Give them something simple to respond to or do next.
- Check for typos/errors – Grammarly or a quick proofread can catch any mistakes.
Taking the time to craft thoughtful, personalized messages demonstrates extra care and effort on your part. This helps new connections feel welcomed and excited about engaging further.
Should You Send a Personalized Message Instead?
While automated LinkedIn welcome messages provide a quick, easy way to reach new connections, you may be wondering if it’s better to send each one a unique personalized message. Here are some pros and cons to consider:
Benefits of Personalized Messages
- Can incorporate more specific details about a person.
- Comes across as more sincere/authentic.
- Higher open and response rates.
- Allows you to tailor tone and content to each connection.
Downsides of Personalized Messages
- Much more time consuming to write individual messages.
- Harder to keep up with sending messages when you add lots of new connections.
- Message quality can become repetitive or decrease at scale.
- Cannot automate the process.
In general, personalized messages may be better for particularly important new connections where that extra time investment makes sense. But automated templates are likely the way to go for your average everyday new connections in terms of scalability.
You can also take a hybrid approach – use a automated welcome message initially but then later follow up with more personalized messages to continue nurturing the relationship. Test out different options and see what works best for your needs and goals. The most important thing is that you are proactively reaching out to welcome new connections on LinkedIn.
Should You Send Just a Connection Request Instead?
Rather than setting up automated welcome messages, you may wonder if it’s sufficient to simply send new LinkedIn connections a connection request with no message. Here’s a quick comparison of the pros and cons:
Pros of Just Sending Connection Request
- Faster and easier – No messages to manage.
- Higher acceptance rates in some cases.
- Recipients can view your profile for context.
Cons of Just Sending Connection Request
- Impersonal – Makes it seem like you mass connect with no filtering.
- Misses opportunity to build relationship.
- Lower engagement and reciprocity from recipients.
- Harder to stand out and be remembered.
While sending just connection invites may work in some cases, most experts recommend taking the extra minute or two to include a friendly welcome message as well. This helps form stronger relationships that are more likely to lead to meaningful interactions vs just accumulating contacts.
The effort to craft nice welcome messages pays off in goodwill and engagement over the long run. But test it out and see which method best aligns with your goals and style.
Should You Handwrite Welcome Messages Instead?
In today’s digital world, could handwritten welcome messages stand out and make an even better impression compared to automated LinkedIn messages? Here are some thoughts on the pros and cons of handwritten notes:
Benefits of Handwritten Welcome Messages
- More personal and thoughtful – Shows extra effort.
- Stands out – Unique compared to other digital messages.
- Creates positive emotions – People appreciate tangible cards/notes.
- Easier to display and refer back to.
Downsides of Handwritten Welcome Messages
- Much more time intensive to handwrite many notes.
- Cost of cards, postage, etc.
- May seem unusual or overly personal to some.
- No way to automate or scale the process.
- Higher likelihood of notes getting lost/misdelivered.
Handwritten welcome messages can certainly wow recipients and make a memorable first impression. But for most everyday professional connections, an automated LinkedIn message is likely sufficient and more practical at scale. Handwritten notes may be better reserved for very important contacts where you want to go above and beyond.
Test the response to handwritten messages selectively to see if the extra effort pays off vs just increasing automated messaging personalization. Combine digital and tangible strategies to find the right balance for your brand.
Should You Record a Video Welcome Message Instead?
Another creative option you may consider is recording personalized video welcome messages instead of written LinkedIn templates. Here are some potential upsides and downsides of using video:
Pros of Video Welcome Messages
- Adds your face/voice for a more personal connection.
- Lets your passion/personality shine through.
- More engaging and interactive than text.
- Can showcase your communication skills.
Cons of Video Welcome Messages
- More time intensive to record many videos.
- Potential technical hurdles with filming and sending.
- Recipients may not want to watch or engage with videos.
- Harder to automate and scale up.
Like handwritten notes, video welcome messages can make a memorable splash and help you stand out from LinkedIn messaging norms. But they require significantly more effort per message.
You may want to reserve videos just for VIP connections where that investment pays dividends. Or send initial text-based automated messages, and follow up later with videos to nurture relationships after they’ve been established.
Conclusion
Sending automated welcome messages on LinkedIn is a great way to start building new connections on the right foot. Taking the time to craft thoughtful templates, personalize details, and set up automatic messaging shows that you’re invested in forming genuine relationships vs just collecting contacts.
While fully personalized or handwritten notes can also be impactful, automated LinkedIn messages allow you to scale your networking efforts and make meaningful first impressions efficiently.
Focus on warmth, relevance, and value in your templates. Refine your messaging strategy over time based on open rates, responses, and new connection reciprocity. Automated outreach is an important pillar of an effective LinkedIn relationship building approach.
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