What to do when someone ignores your message on LinkedIn?

Don’t take it personally

The first thing to keep in mind when someone doesn’t respond to your message on LinkedIn is that it’s usually not personal. With over 850 million members on LinkedIn, most people are inundated with messages and connection requests. They simply may not have seen your message or didn’t have time to respond yet. Give them the benefit of the doubt before assuming they are deliberately ignoring you. Be patient and don’t take it personally.

Consider why they may not have responded

Here are some common reasons why someone may not have responded to your LinkedIn message yet:

• They haven’t seen it – With lots of messages coming in, yours may have gotten lost in the shuffle.
• They forgot – People get busy. Your message may have slipped their mind.
• They don’t check LinkedIn often – Some people don’t log in to LinkedIn frequently.
• You’re not a priority – They may be focusing on higher priority messages and connections.
• They want to vet you first – They may be cautious about responding to people they don’t know.
• Your message was too long or vague – A long or unclear message may have turned them off.
• You contacted the wrong person – Make sure you messaged the right individual.

Thinking through potential reasons like this can help you maintain perspective if someone hasn’t written back.

Be strategic in your outreach

Making your initial outreach more targeted and effective can help increase the chances that busy people will respond. Here are some tips:

• Personalize your message – Mention how you found them, why you want to connect, and something unique about them or their work.
• Keep it short and specific – Get to the point clearly and concisely in just a few sentences.
• Offer value – Share an interesting article, complement their work, or let them know you have advice to offer.
• Use an open-ended question – Give them something engaging and easy to respond to.
• Pay attention to timing – Avoid holidays or vacation seasons when response rates are lower.
• Connect in other ways first – Engage with their content before reaching out directly.

Putting some thought into your initial message can dramatically increase your chances of getting a response.

Try sending a follow-up message

If you still don’t hear back after 1-2 weeks, consider sending a polite follow-up message. Here are some tips for effective follow-up outreach:

• Wait at least 7-14 days before following up.
• Reintroduce yourself and jog their memory.
• Keep it concise and positive.
• Offer something of value like an interesting article.
• Ask if it would be better to connect at another time.
• Suggest an alternative way to get in touch.

A friendly follow-up shows persistence without being pushy. Just be careful not to follow up too frequently or aggressively.

When to let it go

If you’ve tried a follow-up message and there’s still no response, it may be time to let it go for now. Continuing to message repeatedly will likely be counterproductive. Some good rules of thumb for when to stop messaging someone on LinkedIn include:

• You’ve sent 3 messages with no reply
• It’s been over a month with no response
• Their profile says they aren’t open to messages
• You receive an automated rejection message
• You have no existing connections or interactions

At a certain point, you have to conclude they either never saw your messages, don’t have time to engage right now, or simply aren’t interested. Don’t take it personally and move on. You can always try again in a few months. Persistence is fine, but stalking their profile obsessively is not a good look.

Expand your network

If one person isn’t replying, focus your energy on other potential connections. Continue building up the quantity and quality of your overall LinkedIn network. Some tips include:

• Engage with content from influential people in your industry.
• Join LinkedIn Groups relevant to your interests.
• Connect with alumni from your university or past jobs.
• Follow companies you want to work for.
• Offer advice and insights to build your credibility.

Broadening your reach and delivering value to new connections is a productive way to spend your time versus obsessing over one non-responder.

Ask for introductions

If you have a specific, strategic reason to connect with someone that isn’t responding, see if any existing contacts can introduce you. Warm introductions massively increase your response rate versus cold outreach.

Just make sure whoever is making the intro understands the purpose of the connection and gives their contact a heads up. Also, only ask for introductions to those you have a valid, professional reason for connecting with.

Make your profile more compelling

Make sure your own LinkedIn profile is optimized to build connections in your industry. Some tips:

• Have a professional headshot photo.
• Write a detailed summary highlighting your experience.
• Include media samples like work projects or presentations.
• Get recommendations from past managers or clients.
• Follow a regular posting strategy to share insights.
• List your skills, awards, courses, languages, etc.
• Be active in relevant groups and conversations.

An unoptimized profile with sparse connections and inactivity may cause some people to hesitate before engaging. Put your best foot forward on your own profile.

Don’t burn bridges

Even if someone doesn’t reply, avoid burning bridges. Don’t call them out publicly or repeatedly demand explanations. Your professional reputation matters, so always stay courteous.

Venting your frustration rarely ends well. Keep focusing on more productive connections. With patience, you may hear from the non-responders eventually. Don’t obsess over people not replying, but don’t extend them ill will either.

Conclusion

It’s common not to receive a reply after messaging someone on LinkedIn. But there are plenty of professional ways to follow up and build new connections that are more likely to respond. With persistence, value-focused outreach, profile optimization, and introductions, you can continue growing your network. Don’t take non-responses personally. Focus on the people that engage and new opportunities will unfold.

In summary, with the right approach you can build relationships with many receptive LinkedIn members, even if some do not respond. Always be respectful, provide value, and focus on those who engage. With time, your persistence will pay off by establishing meaningful connections.