Adding links to your LinkedIn messages allows you to share helpful resources and websites with your connections. Whether you want to share an interesting article, your portfolio, event pages, or any other web content, inserting clickable links makes it easy for recipients to access them.
Why Add Links in LinkedIn Messages?
Here are some of the key reasons for including links in your LinkedIn messages:
- Share your content: Direct people to your blog posts, ebooks, online portfolios or other content you want to promote.
- Support your messages: Link to references, examples or data that support the points in your message.
- Promote events and offers: Include links to event pages, registration forms, special deals or online offers you want your connections to know about.
- Be helpful: Send links to resources, tools, advice or other websites you think your connections will find useful.
- Start discussions: Share an interesting article or video and ask your connections what they think about it.
Linking Best Practices
Follow these best practices when adding links to your LinkedIn messages for the best results:
- Relevance – Only include links that are highly relevant to your message and audience.
- Context – Briefly explain what information or value readers will get from clicking the link.
- Credibility – Make sure links go to trustworthy, credible sources.
- Permission – If linking to gated content, ensure you have permission to share it.
- Track clicks – Use a URL shortener like Bitly to track how many people click your links.
How to Insert a Link in a LinkedIn Message
Inserting a link into a LinkedIn message only takes a few seconds. Here are the steps:
- Click the Message icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage. This opens the messaging window.
- Find the connection you want to message and click into the message thread to open it.
- In the message box at the bottom where you compose your message, type out your message text.
- Highlight the text you want to make into a clickable link.
- Click the link icon (it looks like interlocked rings).
- An insert link pop-up will appear. Paste the URL you want to link to into the URL field.
- Click Insert.
- The highlighted text in your message will now appear as a clickable link.
- Finish your message and hit send when you’re ready.
Tips for Adding Links in Messages
Use these tips to optimize your use of links in LinkedIn messages:
- Add context – Don’t just paste naked links. Explain what readers will get from clicking.
- Keep it short – Choose concise, descriptive anchor text instead of long URLs.
- Check formatting – Preview your message to ensure your links formatted properly.
- Use strategically – Only include links when they add value. Avoid overdoing it.
- Follow up – Ask connections if they found your links helpful or have any other suggestions.
What Types of Links Can You Add in Messages?
You can add a wide variety of link types in your LinkedIn messages, including:
- External links – Any URL leading out to an external website or resource.
- LinkedIn profile links – A URL to view someone’s LinkedIn profile.
- LinkedIn group links – A URL to access a LinkedIn Group that you are a member of.
- LinkedIn Company Pages – A URL to access the Company Page of any organization on LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn job links – A URL to view a specific job posting listed on LinkedIn.
- LinkedIn content links – A URL to LinkedIn blog posts, articles, videos, posts, etc.
You can also shorten any link using URL shorteners like Bitly if needed.
Example Uses of Links in Messages
Here are some examples of how you can effectively use links in your LinkedIn messages:
- Share an article: “Thought you’d find this article interesting: How Remote Work is Shaping the Future“
- Promote content: “Check out my latest ebook on productivity tips! 10 Ways to Boost Productivity“
- Share your portfolio: “I recently updated my online portfolio – would appreciate any feedback! www.example.com/portfolio“
- Event invitation: “Hope you can make my upcoming webinar next week: www.example.com/webinar“
- Job recommendation: “Saw this job and thought it would be a great fit: Senior Project Manager“
Adding Links on Mobile
The process for adding links to LinkedIn messages on mobile is very similar:
- Tap the Messaging icon on the LinkedIn app.
- Select a connection to start a new message or open an existing thread.
- Tap the paperclip icon to open the formatting menu.
- Select the link icon (interlocked rings).
- Paste in the URL and tap Attach.
- Highlight the text you want to be the anchor text for your link.
- Review the preview of your message and tap Send.
Troubleshooting Problems Adding Links
If you’re having issues adding links to LinkedIn messages, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure your URLs are valid web addresses and don’t contain errors.
- Try shortening overly long URLs if the full link isn’t formatting properly.
- If your anchor text isn’t clickable, make sure you highlighted the text before adding the link.
- Verify your LinkedIn messaging privileges haven’t been restricted for spam or other issues.
- Double check your links work by clicking them before sending your message.
- If needed, paste links as regular text without making them clickable.
Conclusion
Adding informative, useful links to your LinkedIn messages is an impactful way to share valuable resources with your professional network. By following LinkedIn’s best practices, providing context, and using links strategically, you can add value to your connections and enhance your brand as a thought leader.
With just a few clicks, you can insert clickable links directly in messages and engage your audience on LinkedIn. So start sharing great content and watch your links get clicked!
