If you notice that someone has viewed your LinkedIn profile, you may want to reach out and message them. However, LinkedIn doesn’t directly show who viewed your profile – so messaging those viewers can be tricky. Here are some tips on how to message LinkedIn profile viewers.
Use LinkedIn’s “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” Feature
LinkedIn has a premium feature that shows you who has viewed your profile recently. With a Premium account, you can see the names and profiles of viewers under the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section. This makes it easy to identify viewers and message them if you want.
To use this feature:
- Upgrade to a Premium LinkedIn account
- Go to your profile and find the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section
- This will show people who have viewed your profile in the last 90 days
- Click on any profile names to view those LinkedIn profiles
- Use the LinkedIn messaging feature to message those viewers
A Premium account allows you to see all your profile viewers and selectively message only those you want to connect with. It gives you the most direct way to message profile viewers.
Look for Common Connections
Even without a Premium account, you can try to identify who viewed your profile. LinkedIn will show you some profile viewers under “People Also Viewed.” It will also notify you when someone from a company views your profile.
When you identify a viewer, check if you have any shared connections with them. You can do this by:
- Clicking on their profile to see their connections
- Looking for 2nd degree connections you both share
- Reaching out to the mutual connections to request an introduction
With a warm introduction from a shared connection, you can more easily start a conversation with the profile viewer. Mention that you noticed they viewed your profile and wanted to say hello.
Send Them an InMail
If there are no shared connections, another option is sending the profile viewer an InMail message. InMail allows you to message anyone on LinkedIn, even if you’re not connected.
To use InMail:
- Click the “Connect” button on their profile
- Select the option to send them an InMail
- Compose a personalized message referencing their profile and your reason for reaching out
InMail often has higher response rates than cold outreach. Mentioning that you noticed they visited your profile makes it more relevant.
Comment on Their Posts
An easy way to initiate contact with a profile viewer is engaging with their content. Look for recent posts, articles, or updates they have shared. Leave thoughtful comments and feedback.
Once you start interacting, the profile viewer will become notified of your activity. They may reciprocate and comment on your posts. This can lead to an organic engagement where you can eventually connect via messaging.
Connect First, Then Message
Rather than messaging right away, you can first send a connection request to the profile viewer. Add a note highlighting why you want to connect. Once connected, the profile viewer will be notified and can more easily accept a message.
This avoids awkwardly messaging someone you’re not yet connected with. But it still signals your interest in starting a conversation. If they accept your request, wait a day or two before messaging to give them some space.
Mention Your Common Interests
Before reaching out, look for common ground you share with the profile viewer based on their profile and activity. Mention these shared interests or experiences in your message to establish rapport.
For example, if you both work in the same industry, compliment their accomplishments in the field. Or if you went to the same university, reference your school pride. Finding commonalities makes your outreach more natural and engaging.
Personalize Your First Message
Avoid generic outreach like “Let’s connect!” or “I noticed you viewed my profile.” While mentioning they visited your profile is fine, personalize the reason for your interest.
Share why you’d specifically like to connect with this person. Compliment their expertise, mention your aligned backgrounds, or reference their content you enjoyed. Make it about starting a dialogue, not just expanding your network.
Follow Up Politely
If the profile viewer doesn’t respond to your initial message, consider a brief follow up. Reiterate your interest in connecting and see if they’d like to set up a call or meet up.
However, don’t aggressively message if they continue not to respond. Respect their space and move on if your outreach is clearly unwanted. Maintain professionalism and patience when messaging LinkedIn connections.
Connect with Recruiters Sparingly
When connecting with recruiters or hiring managers, avoid messaging just because they viewed your profile. They likely view many profiles as part of their job searching process.
Only reach out if you have a specific role or opening to discuss. Make your message about your fit for current opportunities they have, rather than just attempting general networking.
Utilize LinkedIn’s Messaging Tools
LinkedIn offers powerful messaging features to make connecting easier. Take advantage of options like InMail, 2nd degree messaging, chat, and customized connection requests.
Using the right messaging tools for each situation increases your chances of getting responses from profile viewers. Familiarize yourself with all of LinkedIn’s communication capabilities.
Focus on Quality over Quantity
Messaging every single person who views your profile will seem desperate and spammy. Instead, be selective about who you reach out to.
Prioritize viewers you genuinely want to establish connections with. Quality conversations with a few aligned contacts are better than bombarding all viewers with boilerplate outreach.
Make Your Profile Messaging-Friendly
To get messaged back more often, optimize your own LinkedIn profile for engagement. Showcase your expertise, share compelling content, and highlight conversation starters.
This gives viewers context about you when weighing whether to respond. It also provides fodder for personalized conversations about your background and interests.
Respect Their Space
Not everyone who checks out a profile wants to immediately connect with that person. Avoid being overly aggressive with your messaging if viewers seem disinterested.
Profile viewing doesn’t necessarily mean they want to message. Give people space and don’t take non-responses personally. Focus on building authentic relationships.
Be Cautious Messaging Strangers
Use good judgement when deciding who to message after profile views. Don’t reach out to random strangers just because they looked at your profile.
Vet viewers first and only message those you have legitimate reasons to connect with. Make sure your outreach has context and don’t spam strangers’ inboxes.
Follow Up With Ongoing Value
After connecting with a profile viewer, continue nurturing the relationship. Share relevant articles, comment on updates, and sustain engaging conversations.
Don’t just view new connections as one-off outreach opportunities. Provide ongoing value to turn them into substantive professional contacts.
Convert Conversations into Stronger Connections
Use your messaging exchanges to explore potential opportunities for collaborating with your new connections. Over time, convert conversations into substantive partnerships.
This could include exchanging services, making referrals, sharing insights, or collaborating on projects. Active engagement strengthens the relationships initiated by messaging.
In summary, messaging LinkedIn users who viewed your profile can be an effective networking strategy. But be careful in your approach and focus on forging genuine connections, not just expanding your contact list. With some strategy and finesse, you can leverage profile views to cultivate meaningful professional relationships on LinkedIn.
