LinkedIn messaging can be an effective way to connect with prospects, build relationships, and generate leads if done correctly. However, ineffective messaging can damage your brand and turn off potential connections. Here are some tips on how to craft effective LinkedIn messages that get responses.
Personalize Your LinkedIn Messages
One of the biggest mistakes people make is sending generic, copied and pasted messages en masse. While this technique may help reach a wide number of people, it comes across as spammy and disingenuous. The key is personalizing each message to the individual recipient. Here are some ways to personalize LinkedIn messages:
- Reference their profile – Point out shared connections, experiences, skills, interests etc. that stood out from their profile.
- Note their activity – Mention a recent post, article they shared, group they joined etc. to show you’ve viewed their feed.
- Use their name – Simply addressing them directly by first name personalizes the note.
- Customize the message – Tailor the message to how your offering specifically fits their needs/goals.
Taking just a minute or two to personalize your message goes a long way in improving response rates by showing recipients that you’ve made an effort to reach out to them specifically.
Keep Your LinkedIn Messages Concise
You only have a few seconds to capture someone’s attention before they move on. Long-winded messages are likely to get ignored or rejected. Be concise and get right to the point within the first few sentences. Here are some tips for writing succinct LinkedIn messages:
- Limit to 3-5 sentences max.
- Skip the formalities and pleasantries.
- Highlight the value proposition upfront.
- Include a clear call-to-action.
- Stick to essential info only.
- Use bullet points if listing multiple offerings/ideas.
The shorter your message, the more likely prospects will read through it and respond. Remove any unnecessary fluff or filler text to keep your message focused.
Target the Right LinkedIn Audience
Carefully selecting who you reach out to drastically boosts your chances of getting a response. Sending random connection requests is unlikely to generate any engagement. Take time to identify your ideal audience and target profiles that are most likely to be interested in your offering. Here are some ways to find the right people to message:
- Search by job title, industry, skills etc. that align with your offering.
- Look at the types of content they engage with to gauge interest.
- Focus on profiles that mention topics relevant to your message.
- Join Groups related to your niche and engage with members.
- Filter by the number of shared connections to find the right network.
While it takes more work, this selectivity ensures you reach motivated prospects who will appreciate and respond to your outreach.
Add Value and Build Relationships
The best LinkedIn messages don’t immediately pitch or ask for something. They aim to add value, start a dialogue and nurture a relationship. Avoid coming across as self-promotional or salesy. Instead, focus on how you can help them first. Here are some ways to incorporate value:
- Share an interesting article or piece of industry news.
- Congratulate them on a work anniversary, promotion etc.
- Comment thoughtfully on their posts to start a discussion.
- Offer advice or ideas related to their field.
- Send them a new connection request you think they’d appreciate.
This value-first approach positions you as a helpful resource vs. a pushy salesperson. Once you provide value consistently, you can then make thoughtful requests or pitches down the road once rapport is built.
Follow Up But Don’t Harass
It’s rare for any cold outreach to get an instant response. You’ll likely have to follow up multiple times to get engagement. But there’s a fine line between following up and harassing. Here are some best practices for effective follow-up:
- Wait 1 week between follow-up messages.
- Send no more than 3 messages total.
- Vary the message – don’t copy and paste the same text.
- Consider varied outreach – comment on posts, send InMail etc.
- If they engage, remove from your follow-up sequence.
- Use tracking tools to see if messages are read.
The key is spacing out your messages and providing new reasons to respond each time. But know when to move on if you still get no reply after a few attempts.
Watch Your Tone and Language
Your word choice matters, especially in written communication. Stay professional and avoid casual language that may rub some prospects the wrong way. Here are some tips on tone and language:
- Avoid slang, text abbreviations, emojis.
- Steer clear of over-familiar terms like “buddy”, “dude”.
- Don’t use ALL CAPS.
- Keep exclamation points to a minimum.
- Use positive, enthusiastic language.
- Mirror their communication style initially.
LinkedIn messaging is still a professional platform. While you do want to create a personal connection, don’t take it too far and come across as unprofessional. Pay close attention to how your recipients communicate and match their style.
Personalize for Mobile
Today, the majority of LinkedIn usage happens on mobile. If your messages aren’t mobile-friendly, response rates can plummet. Here are some tips for optimizing messaging for mobile users:
- Keep messages under 2-3 sentences max.
- Include a clear, singular CTA.
- Format messages for easy skimming.
- Use bullet points instead of big blocks of text.
- Link to outside content instead of including attachments.
With limited real estate on a small screen, you need to get right to the point fast. Follow best practices for writing easy-to-consume content on mobile.
Include a Strong Call-to-Action
Don’t leave recipients wondering what you want them to do. Prompt them to take action with a clear, defined CTA. Here are examples of strong CTAs for LinkedIn messages:
- “Let’s set up a 20 minute call to discuss your needs in more detail.”
- “I’d love to connect for a quick chat about [topic] – are you free this Friday?”
- “Check out my latest article here [link] – would love to hear your thoughts on the topic.”
- “I have an opportunity that would be a great fit for your skills and goals. Are you open to discussing?”
Give them direction on exactly how to engage – whether that’s booking a meeting, continuing the dialogue, reading content etc. Don’t make them guess or they may move on.
Leverage LinkedIn’s Automation Tools
Manually personalizing and tracking hundreds of messages is extremely time consuming. Use LinkedIn’s built-in tools to automate and simplify the process where possible. Options include:
- Saved templates – Create standardized templates you can quickly customize.
- Bulk mentions – Easily include customized mentions in batch messages.
- Auto-tagging – Tag recipients by industry, job role etc.
- Send Later – Schedule messages to go out at optimal times.
- Tracking tags – Track engagement metrics by tag or campaign.
Automation preserves the personal touch at scale so you can get your message to the right people efficiently. But don’t rely on it fully – make sure to manually customize when possible.
A/B Test Different Messages
Not all messaging works equally well, so experiment to see what content and tone performs best. Try A/B testing messages with these variables:
- Message length – Compare short vs. long-form messages.
- Value propositions – Test different hooks like offering advice vs. promoting content.
- Calls-to-action – See if asking for a call vs. LinkedIn chat gets better results.
- Subject lines – Find which compelling subject lines garner more opens.
- Timing – Try sending at different days/times to optimize for open rates.
Crunch the numbers to gain data-backed insights on what works. Continuously refine your messaging based on response rates.
Follow Up Quickly When They Do Respond
When you finally get a reply after rounds of outreach, strike while the iron is hot. Follow up quickly to keep momentum going and schedule next steps. Here are some ways to effectively follow up on initial responses:
- Thank them for connecting and reiterate your interest.
- Directly ask for a meeting if they show interest.
- Share a helpful article based on their response.
- Connect them to someone in your network they’d benefit from meeting.
- Comment thoughtfully on one of their posts to keep engaging.
The longer you wait to follow up after getting a reply, the colder the lead gets. Continue nurturing the new connection while their interest is piqued.
Give Compliments and Recognition
Everyone likes getting compliments and appreciation. When appropriate, recognize their work and achievements. Here are some ways to incorporate praise:
- Congratulate them on a recently posted achievement like a promotion.
- Compliment a piece of great content they created.
- Thank them for being an active, engaging member of your shared group.
- Praise them for strong leadership if they hold executive positions.
- Show admiration for philanthropic initiatives or volunteering highlighted on their profile.
Genuine compliments build goodwill and make recipients more receptive to your message. Just be sure to keep it appropriate and professional.
Say Thank You
Gratitude goes a long way in building relationships. Always say thank you when appropriate – whether they engage with your content, accept an invite, or respond to a message. Here are some examples of showing gratitude:
- “Thank you so much for connecting!”
- “I truly appreciate you taking the time to chat with me.”
- “Thanks for the feedback on my article – so glad you found it useful.”
- “I’m grateful for the opportunity you’ve given me to collaborate.”
- “I wanted to say thanks for engaging with my post and sharing your perspective.”
Thank yous make people feel valued. The more you sincerely express gratitude, the stronger your connections become.
Ask Open-Ended Questions
Asking quality questions accomplishes multiple goals: it shows interest in learning more about them, keeps dialogue flowing, and allows them to discuss topics they care about. Here are examples of thoughtful, open-ended questions to ask in LinkedIn messages:
- “What are the biggest challenges you’re facing in [industry] right now?”
- “What kinds of solutions have you found most helpful for [topic]?”
- “Where do you see the most innovation happening in [niche]?”
- “How did you get started working in [field]?”
- “What does your day-to-day look like in your current role?”
This questioning approach takes the focus off you and builds a two-way conversation based on their perspectives and experiences.
Conclusion
Effectively messaging on LinkedIn requires personalization, valuable content, concise writing, strategic targeting, and strong calls-to-action. By keeping messages relationship-focused instead of promotional, following up thoughtfully, and optimizing tone and language, you can boost engagement dramatically. Treat your recipients as more than just leads by showing genuine interest in who they are. With the right messaging approach, LinkedIn can become an invaluable channel for expanding your professional network and growing your business.