LinkedIn messaging allows you to directly communicate with other LinkedIn members privately. It works similar to email, but is contained within the LinkedIn platform. With LinkedIn messaging, you can have one-on-one conversations or group messages with your connections.
How Does LinkedIn Messaging Work?
To send a message on LinkedIn, you first need to connect with the person you want to message. Once connected, you can find their profile and click the “Message” button to start a new message thread.
LinkedIn messaging has a few key features:
- One-on-one messaging – You can send private messages to any of your 1st degree connections.
- Group messaging – Message up to 50 people in a group message thread.
- Read receipts – See when your message has been read.
- Typing indicators – See when the other person is typing a reply.
- Attachments – Add files, images, audio, and video to messages.
- Rich text formatting – Format your messages with bold, italics, lists, etc.
You can access your LinkedIn messages in several places:
- The messaging icon at the top of LinkedIn
- The “My Network” tab
- Directly from a connection’s profile
- Email notifications when you receive a new message
What Can You Use LinkedIn Messaging For?
LinkedIn messaging provides a private communication channel for professional conversations and relationship building. Here are some of the main uses for LinkedIn messaging:
1. Reach Out to Connections
One of the main uses of LinkedIn messaging is to reach out to your connections for anything related to your professional network. For example, you can message a connection to:
- Catch up and maintain the relationship
- Ask for career advice or a referral
- Get feedback or insight on a company they work for
- Discuss job opportunities
- Follow up after meeting them
Messaging enables you to have private, one-on-one conversations to build stronger relationships.
2. Communicate With Colleagues
If you are connected with coworkers on LinkedIn, messaging allows you to easily communicate with them. You can use LinkedIn messaging for:
- Coordinating on projects
- Sharing files and updates
- Quick, real-time communication
LinkedIn messaging provides a centralized platform to message colleagues instead of switching between email, chat, and other tools.
3. Follow Up After Networking
If you meet someone at an event or through a mutual connection, LinkedIn messaging is great for following up after connecting with them on LinkedIn. You can send a message to:
- Thank them for connecting
- Recap your conversation
- Share any requested resources or information
- Ask to set up a call or meeting
Messaging enables you to continue the conversation after initially connecting in person.
4. Communicate With Prospects
Once you’ve connected with prospects on LinkedIn, you can use messaging to reach out to them in a personal way. For example, sales reps can use LinkedIn messaging to:
- Send personalized messages to introduce themselves or their company
- Provide helpful resources and information to prospects
- Answer questions prospects have
- Coordinate meetings and demos
Messaging allows for private communication with prospects to build relationships that drive sales.
5. Conduct Market Research
By messaging professionals who work at certain companies, you can conduct market research and gather intel. Some examples include:
- Asking about upcoming projects at a company
- Getting insider information about a company’s culture
- Learning more about a company’s business challenges
- Gauging interest in potential partnerships
Messaging enables discreet research by tapping into inside connections.
6. Recruit Prospective Candidates
Recruiters and hiring managers can use LinkedIn messaging to reach out to potential candidates. This provides a more personal touch than InMail for recruiting. You can message prospects to:
- Introduce a job opportunity
- Explain why they’re a good fit
- Share more about the role and company
- Answer any questions about the job or interview process
- Coordinate interviews
Messaging gives recruiters a direct line of communication for building relationships with candidates.
7. Provide Customer Service
Companies can use LinkedIn messaging to provide customer support and services. Messaging customers allows for:
- Personalized service and issue resolution
- Quick communication without long email threads
- Private conversations about order issues
- Direct access to sales reps for questions
Messaging strengthens customer relationships through direct, private communication.
LinkedIn Messaging Etiquette
When using LinkedIn messaging, there are some best practices you should follow to be respectful of others and make a good impression:
- Only message people you have an existing connection with
- Personalize messages with their name and how you know them
- Be clear about your purpose for messaging in the first message
- Keep messages professional and relevant
- Respect if someone does not respond and do not overmessage
- Avoid spammy sales pitches or solicitations
- Use proper grammar and punctuation
- Say thank you when someone helps you or answers a question
Following proper LinkedIn messaging etiquette helps build your brand and respectful relationships.
LinkedIn Messaging Limitations
While LinkedIn messaging can be highly effective, there are some limitations to be aware of:
- No messaging 3rd connections – You can only message people who are 1st degree connections.
- Daily limits – LinkedIn limits the number of messages you can send per day.
- No anonymity – All messages are tied to your profile and identity.
- Delayed responses – People don’t always check LinkedIn messages frequently.
- No instant messaging – There is no live chat functionality.
- No SMS – You can’t directly text someone’s phone number.
Understanding these limitations can help set proper expectations when using LinkedIn messaging.
LinkedIn Messaging Best Practices
To get the most out of LinkedIn messaging, here are some top tips:
- Personalize each message with their name and a specific reason for connecting.
- Keep your messages concise and focused on a single goal or topic.
- Follow up if you don’t get a response within a week.
- Avoid copying the exact same message and blasting it to many people.
- Respect people’s time – don’t over message if they don’t respond.
- Make your messages easy to respond to by asking clear questions.
- Follow up quickly when you get a response to keep the conversation going.
- Track your messaging metrics to see response rates.
- Leverage messaging + InMail together to maximize outreach.
- Thank people when they provide value – this encourages future conversations.
Using LinkedIn messaging effectively takes personalization, focus, and persistence. But it can pay off by enabling direct connections with your network.
The Future of LinkedIn Messaging
LinkedIn is likely to continue enhancing messaging with new features over time. Here are some potential messaging updates to expect:
- SMS integration – Seamlessly continue conversations via text outside of LinkedIn.
- Expanded limits – Increased daily message send limits for all members.
- Live chat – Real-time, instant messaging functionality.
- Anonymous messages – Options to message anonymously like on Blind or Quora.
- Third party integrations – Apps and tools to enhance messaging capabilities.
- Smart compose – AI to help automatically generate personalized messages.
The more messaging builds engagement on LinkedIn, the more they will invest in improving the experience. LinkedIn messaging has major room for innovation in the future.
Conclusion
LinkedIn messaging enables you to have private, one-on-one conversations within your professional network. It is an extremely valuable tool for relationship building, following up with connections, communicating with colleagues, recruiting, market research, customer service, and more. Follow best practices like personalization and proper etiquette to get the most out of LinkedIn messaging.
