The cost of sending a single sponsored InMail message on LinkedIn can vary depending on several factors, but generally ranges from $5-$15 per message sent. LinkedIn’s pricing model for InMail is based on a credit system, where you purchase credits upfront and then redeem those credits to send Sponsored InMail messages. The most basic InMail plan starts at 100 credits for $195 per month, working out to around $1.95 per credit. Each InMail message will cost you somewhere between 5-15 credits, so that puts the per-message cost at $9.75 – $29.25.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of the key factors that influence the per-message cost of LinkedIn Sponsored InMails:
1. Number of credits purchased
The more InMail credits you purchase upfront, the lower the per-credit cost. Purchasing in bulk brings down the per-message cost. For example:
- 100 credits for $195 = $1.95 per credit
- 500 credits for $875 = $1.75 per credit
- 1000 credits for $1625 = $1.625 per credit
- 5000 credits for $7250 = $1.45 per credit
As you can see, buying credits in larger quantities can lead to over 25% savings compared to purchasing the minimum package.
2. Level of targeting
The more targeted your InMail audience is, the more credits each message will cost you. So sending to a broad, general audience is cheaper than sending to a very niche, specialized group. Here are some examples of targeting levels and their credit costs:
- Open network – 5 credits ($9.75 – $14.625 per message)
- 2nd & 3rd Connections – 10 credits ($19.50-$29.25 per message)
- Group Members – 10 credits
- Specific Companies – 15 credits ($29.25-$43.875 per message)
- Job Titles – 15 credits
So you can see how targeting specific titles or companies costs 3x more than broadcasting to your open network.
3. Level of personalization
The more you customize and personalize the InMail message for each individual recipient, the more it will cost in credits. Here are some examples:
- No personalization – 5 credits
- Merge fields like first name – 10 credits
- Full personalization with dynamic content – 15 credits
Personalization requires more time and effort per message, so LinkedIn charges more credits for that level of customization.
4. Use of attachments and rich media
If you want to include attachments like PDFs, images, presentations or videos in your InMails, it will cost you extra credits to do so. Here is the breakdown:
- Text-only InMail – 5-15 credits
- InMail with attachment – +3 credits
- InMail with rich media – +5 credits
So adding an attachment or rich media element to your messages will tack on anywhere from 3-5 extra credits per InMail.
5. Response rates
Your historical response rates can also impact your per-message costs. LinkedIn rewards high response rates with discounts on future sends. So if your InMails consistently get engagement, your per-message costs will gradually decrease over time. Conversely, low response rates may cause your per-send costs to increase over time. LinkedIn uses response rates as a signal of message quality and relevance.
6. Account history & reputation
New accounts on LinkedIn tend to have higher per-message costs. As you build up your history and reputation on the platform over time, LinkedIn will reduce your per-InMail rates. So longer-tenured, more reputable accounts enjoy lower sending costs than newer accounts. This is LinkedIn’s way of limiting spam and abuse from new users.
7. Promotional offers
LinkedIn frequently runs promotions offering discounted InMail credit packs. For example, around the holidays you may see deals like “Buy 500 credits and get 100 free”. So keep an eye out for promotional bundles that effectively lower your per-message sending costs.
8. Premium subscriptions
Users with Premium LinkedIn subscriptions get discounted rates on InMail credits. Premium accounts give you access to Pay As You Go InMail bundles that come with volume discounts baked in. For example, Premium members could get a Pay As You Go bundle deal like 2000 InMails for $2250, working out to just $1.125 per InMail credit.
9. Recruitment-focused accounts
If you have a Recruiter, Recruiter Lite or Job Seeker subscription plan, you get special discounted rates on InMail sends for recruiting purposes. For active recruiters on LinkedIn, the per-message costs can be 20-50% cheaper compared to regular users.
10. Location of your audience
The geographic location of your target InMail recipients can impact costs. Sending InMails globally tends to be more expensive than sending to audiences in a single country. LinkedIn prices its platform globally, so sending to lower GDP countries tends to cost less than targeting the USA, Canada, Western Europe, etc.
In summary, most individual Sponsored InMails cost between $5-$15 each, but creative targeting, personalization and volume discounts can potentially push that range lower. Focus on quality over quantity, monitor your response metrics, and take advantage of bulk packages to lower your average per-message costs.
