LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 740 million members. With so many professionals on the platform, standing out can be challenging when messaging recruiters or making new connections. The key is crafting messages that grab attention and showcase your skills and experience. Here are some tips to help your LinkedIn messages stand out from the crowd.
Keep it Short and Focused
In the age of information overload, people have very short attention spans. Don’t inundate recruiters or connections with long-winded messages. Be clear and concise. Communicate your purpose in the first couple of sentences. Get right to the point and highlight your interest in the role or in connecting. Avoid rambling—keep messages under 5-6 sentences.
Personalize Each Message
Personalized messages show you’ve taken the time to review the recipient’s profile and are genuinely interested in connecting with them specifically. Include their name, company, and position in your greeting. Mention shared connections, groups, or interests you have in common. Comment on their background and achievements. Generic messages that could be sent to anyone often get ignored.
Highlight Relevant Skills and Experience
Don’t just say you’re excited about a job—explain why you’d excel in that role. Mention specific skills, qualifications, and achievements on your resume that match the position’s requirements. Provide examples that illustrate your experience. Tailor each message to highlight the credentials that are most relevant to that opportunity. Demonstrate what makes you a strong candidate.
Ask Thoughtful Questions
Don’t ask questions that can be easily found on the company website. Do some research beforehand and ask smart, thoughtful questions that show your understanding of the company, role, projects, challenges etc. This gives the recruiter more insight into your critical thinking skills and genuine interest in the position.
Express Enthusiasm and Passion
Recruiters want to hire people who are excited about the company and opportunity. Convey genuine enthusiasm in your messages. Use words that express interest, passion, and commitment. Avoid sounding desperate or over-eager, but let your excitement shine through. Passion makes candidates memorable.
Have a Clear Call-to-Action
Close your messages with a clear call-to-action, request, or next step. Ask to schedule a phone call or in-person interview. Suggest meeting for coffee or lunch to learn more about their career path and industry insights. Request to connect on LinkedIn. Be direct in stating any follow-up or action you would like the recipient to take after reading your message.
Proofread before Sending
Typos or grammatical errors in messages look unprofessional. Always proofread and use spell-check before hitting send. Ask a friend to review as well. With so many messages being sent, minor mistakes can lead to yours being overlooked. A polished, flawless message shows you take pride in quality work.
Follow-up Politely
Not all messages receive prompt replies. It’s okay to follow-up if you haven’t heard back after 1-2 weeks. Be polite in your follow-up and restate your original request or question. Avoid sounding entitled or aggressive. Persistence can pay off as long as you continue showing enthusiasm.
Conclusion
Standing out among the masses on LinkedIn requires strategic messages tailored to each recipient. Personalize your notes, be concise, highlight relevant details, ask thoughtful questions, convey enthusiasm, request next steps, and follow-up politely. With practice, you can craft messages that get noticed and make memorable first impressions on key connections.
Additional Tips for Standing Out
Here are some additional tips for making your LinkedIn messages stand out:
Use Creativity and Humor When Appropriate
Humor and creativity can help your messages grab attention, as long as they are aligned with your professional brand. For example, instead of just saying you really want a job, try a playful metaphor like you’re “more eager for this opportunity than kids waiting for the ice cream truck.”
Include Relevant Visuals or Links
Attach work samples, infographics from recent projects, links to your online portfolio, or other visuals to reinforce your skills and qualifications. Videos and images can help bring your messages to life.
Leverage Statistics
Numbers, stats, percentages, and measurable results provide tangible evidence of your capabilities. For example, “Increased social media engagement by 35% over a 6-month period” shows specific outcomes you achieved.
Mention Mutual Connections
Namedrop mutual connections to establish trust and credibility. People are more likely to respond when you know some of the same folks. Just avoid overusing this technique.
Reference Current Events or News
Tying your message to a recent company achievement, current event, industry trend, or news story adds contextual relevance that shows you stay on top of what’s happening.
Outline Next Steps
Close by outlining the next steps you’ll take if they don’t respond after X number of days. This shows preparedness and planning without being pushy.
Demonstrate Shared Values
Research the company’s mission and values. Reflect their priorities like innovation, diversity, sustainability, or giving back in your communication. Show you’re aligned on more than just skills.
Be Selective
The more targeted your outreach, the better the response rate will be. Only message key stakeholders who are most relevant to your goals. Quality over quantity is key.
Do’s and Don’ts
Follow these do’s and don’ts for optimal LinkedIn messaging:
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Keep messages concise | Write excessively long notes |
| Personalize each message | Use copy/paste templates |
| Highlight relevant experience | Overuse keywords and buzzwords |
| Ask thoughtful questions | Ask basic questions easily found online |
| Follow-up respectfully | Bombard recipients with constant follow-ups |
| Proofread carefully | Send messages with typos or grammatical errors |
| Close with a call-to-action | Leave next steps unclear or ambiguous |
Key Takeaways
Here are the key tips to remember for standing out with your LinkedIn messages:
- Be brief and focused – 5-6 sentences max
- Personalize each message with specific details
- Highlight skills, experience, and achievements that match the opportunity
- Ask engaging questions that show thought and research
- Express authentic enthusiasm and passion
- Close with a clear call-to-action and define next steps
- Always proofread before sending
- Follow up politely if no response after 1-2 weeks
Follow these best practices and you’ll be on your way to sendingLinkedIn messages that grab attention and get results!
