If you are actively using LinkedIn to connect with people whether for sales, recruiting, or looking for new opportunities, InMail is your best tool to reach other users.
According to LinkedIn, InMail has a three times higher response rate than regular email making it a powerful outreach channel.
However many people struggle to utilize it well. You usually only have one chance to get a reply.
So it’s in your best interest to use that one chance well.
This guide will improve your LinkedIn InMail reply rate with best practices and 10 templates you can use immediately.
Let’s first start with a little explanation.
What Is LinkedIn InMail?
LinkedIn InMail is a premium LinkedIn feature that allows you to send LinkedIn messages to users you aren’t connected to unlike the free version of LinkedIn which only allows you to message 1st-degree connections.
You can look at InMail like regular email which also allows you to contact anyone by just knowing their address, or in this case their LinkedIn profile.
While this feature is available for all of LinkedIn’s premium plans it has a monthly credit limit based on which plan you are subscribed to.
Best Practices To Write The Perfect LinkedIn InMail
As mentioned, InMail is one of the best ways to get in contact with LinkedIn users you are targeting, but that doesn’t mean you will get what you want.
Your InMail needs to be written in a certain way and even aspects outside of the message itself need to be right.
Let’s take a look at what you should do to improve your InMail response rates:
1. Choose Your Target Wisely
Keep in mind that you only get a limited number of LinkedIn InMails meaning that you shouldn’t send them to everyone you see on LinkedIn.
InMail should be reserved for high-value targets you are pursuing for your sales, recruiting, or networking endeavors.
It’s best to target different ICPs by different means as some industries for example have a higher InMail open rate than others.
You can utilize the LeadDelta Sidebar to import users outside of your network that you are targeting for research and safekeeping.
When the time is right, just filter your network for the imported connections and send them an InMail.
It’s a great way to track anyone you are looking to contact.
2. Have an Optimized Profile
What’s the first thing you do when someone sends you a connection request?
You will probably click on their profile and see who they are, why they might be contacting you, and what they can offer.
This is exactly what everyone you send an InMail does, especially because they know InMail is special, so the intention is usually to sell something.
Focus on your profile before sending any InMail. Here’s what to work on:
- Have a friendly but professional profile image.
- Let your banner tell the visitor what you are all about.
- Lay out your offerings in your featured section.
- Tell a story with your experience and about section.
- Have a professionally looking LinkedIn URL.
Having your profile well-optimized will let your target analyze it and get a sense of who you are.
First impressions matter.
3. Create Compelling and Attention-grabbing Subject Lines
The first thing anyone sees in an InMail is your subject line.
It’s the trigger for a person to open the InMail or ignore it, that’s why you should never ignore it.
Here are a few tips to create a compelling and eye-catching subject line:
- Including a personal touch or a familiar topic grabs attention quickly.
- Mentioning their first name is a great way to address them directly.
- Keep it short, sweet, and straight to the point.
- Include specific keywords your target might resonate with.
- Include power words to make the InMail catchy.
4. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize
Did you know that personalized InMails perform 15% better than generic ones?
To make your LinkedIn InMail more personalized, research your prospect’s profile, and look for pain points or common interests, connections, work experiences, etc.
You can use all these insights to make your message about the recipient and directly address how you can benefit them.
5. Start a Conversation
An InMail should never be a simple sales pitch, it should be an invitation to connect and talk with the person.
Conversing is the best way to build long-lasting relationships which can turn into new sales and opportunities.
After they accept your InMail and connection request start off by mentioning something you found interesting, or just why you wanted to connect.
6. Be Concise
More than 50% of InMails are read on a mobile phone.
A good way to increase responses is to keep your message concise with 400 characters or less as shorter InMails perform better than longer ones.
Remember that the InMail should be an invitation to connect and discuss, so the content of the InMail should be straightforward.
Avoid overexplaining why you are sending the InMail and take your time, there’s always space to shave off a few words from your message.
7. Include Call to Action
If you are sending an InMail you are trying to get something, a meeting, connection, sales…
Spark interest with the initial message and tell your recipient what you want them to do.
A simple “Let’s have a 10-minute call on Wednesday at 11 AM. How does this sound?” is enough to go from connection to action.
What To Avoid When Writing LinkedIn InMails
Now that you know what you should do to bring your reply rate up, there are also a few things that can lower it.
Here’s what you should never do:
1. Avoid Making It All About You
The point of an InMail is to have a conversation and achieve mutual benefits.
Opening an InMail by talking about who you are, what you can do for them, and just talking about yourself is a surefire way to get blocked.
After doing research on your target you should know what their problems are and how you can solve them.
Talk about their problems, what you found interesting about them, and mention how you can help them.
2. Overwhelming Prospects
If you overwhelm your prospects with multiple questions or long message threads, they will likely leave you without a response.
Did you know that 90% of all InMails are longer than 400 characters, according to LinkedIn?
This is very bad, as nobody has the time to read big walls of text.
On the other side, shorter InMails(400 characters or fewer) have a 22% higher response rate than the average response rate for all InMails.
Writing shorter messages puts you in a position to be in the top percentile and increase your InMails performance.
3. Being Generic
You aren’t the first person sending them an InMail and they have seen it all.
From “Hello {firstName}, hope you are doing well”, to “Hello, I saw your last post and I wanted to connect.”
Avoid sending the same generic message over and over again, especially avoid sending the same automated messages to multiple people.
The best way is to really research the target and craft a personalized message.
If they are funny, say something funny in the subject line. You can even personalize the message with a video/image.
Try many different things and see what works best for which kind of person.
4. Avoid Weekends for Sending InMails
Avoid weekends for sending InMails, and instead, send them from Monday to Thursday to get the best response rates.
LinkedIn is after all a professional networking platform people use for business.
Nobody likes being bothered throughout the weekend.
5. Not Following Up
Let’s face it, not everyone will reply to your first InMail and that’s okay, they might have missed it or any number of reasons you didn’t receive a reply.
If you really want to connect with them it’s on you to message them however many times you need.
Just avoid being too spammy as nobody appreciates it.
Top X Best LinkedIn InMail Templates
Now that you know what to do and avoid, let’s get into our top LinkedIn InMail templates that are sure to get you replies.
Modify these templates depending on your target and niche.
1. Sales & Cold Outreach – Introduction
Subject: {{first name}}, here’s how to boost your revenue
Hi {{first name}},
Your company’s new strategic initiative puts it at the forefront of innovation in the {{industry}. Hats off!
You could greatly benefit from understanding how similar companies seamlessly executed the same initiative.
{{company names}} used our solution to increase their revenues by {{x}}%. Neat, right?
If you’d like more details, I can send you their case studies.
Best,
{{your name}}
2. Sales & Cold Outreach – Pain Point
Subject: {{pain point}}
Hey {{first name}},
I spotted your comments on {{Linkedin User’s Post}} and decided to check out your Website.
Amazing design and user experience!
However, there are some great opportunities to increase the conversion rate.
You could double your leads easily on the same budget. It’s low-hanging fruit.
I can send you a free report on how to tweak your website and amplify your traffic. I did something similar for {{company name}}.
Interested? Let’s connect and talk.
Cheers,
{{your name}}
3. Collaboration Proposal
Subject: 1+1 = 3
Hi {{first name}},
I saw your recent post about {{topic/issue}} and ended up browsing your website.
I love your blog, particularly how you approach {{topic/issue}}.
Since I specialize in this field, it would be my pleasure to cover a relevant topic for your blog.
You can check out my work at {{link to your blog}}.
Thanks,
{{your name}}
4. Influencer and Partnership Outreach
Subject: {{first name}} + {{your name or brand}}
Hey {{first name}},
I work with {{host name}} on the {{podcast/show}} name.
We’re big fans of your content!
So,{{host name}} would like to have you on the show and talk about {{topics}}.
Is this something you’d be interested in? The show will also be shared on our YouTube and other platforms and channels {{mention the audience size}}.
{{host name}} is available {{date/time frame}} for a quick chat. Let me know if that works for You.
P.S. We have a couple of tricks for {{mention something that the influencer could benefit from/WIIFT}}
5. Follow-up After Inactivity
Subject: Re:
I know you’re super busy, so just wanted to make sure your inbox didn’t get flooded with messages covering our conversation.
The thing is I really think our companies are a great fit and I was wondering if there’s a way for us to collaborate.
Just drop me a line if you’re in, and we can set up a call when you’re available.
Have an awesome and productive day.
{{your name}}
6. Mutual Connection
Subject: {{Mutual Contact}} recommended me to reach out
Hello {{firstName}},
{{Mutual Contact}} and I were talking about {{topic}} and he mentioned you were an expert {{expand on topic}}.
I would love to talk about {{problem}} and get your expert insight for my business.
Are you free {{date + time}} for a short meeting?
Let me know what works for you, I can always open up space in my calendar.
Best regards,
{{yourName}}
7. Reaching Out To Potential Candidates
Subject: {{Candidate Name}}, your skills are in high demand!
Hi {{firstName}},
While scrolling through your profile your work on {{Project 1}} and {{Project 2}} caught my eye.
You must have honed your skills in {{industry skillset}} through them. I haven’t seen many people with mastery over them.
{{companyName}} is looking for a talented {{Role}} to work on their new {{project name + explaination}}.
Let’s connect and have a chat about this opportunity. I’d love to know more about your career and future goals.
Best,
{{yourName}}
8. Promotion Efforts
Subject: Exclusive for {{Publication/Portal}}: Launching {{product/service name}}
Hi {{first name}},
We’re launching {{product/service name}} {{day and time}} and {{Publication/Portal}} can get first dibs on the news.
{{Product/service name}} {{explain what it does}}.
We’re talking {{give more details about the product or service and list its benefits}}.
Is this something you’d like to offer an exclusive sneak peek at?
{{your name}}
{{your email}}
P.S. We’re also more than happy to do giveaways for your audience
9. Connecting Over Share Opinions
Subject: Couldn’t agree more with your comment
Hey {{first name}},
Your recent comment about {{tell more about the comment}} hit the mark.
There’s a recent report corroborating your claims, and I thought it could be of interest to you.
Let’s have a quick chat about {{the issue mentioned in the comment}} since my company
specializes in {{explain how you can help with the issue}}.
We helped {{name companies}} with it.
Are you available sometime next week?
{{your name}}
10. Event Invitation
Subject: Join us and learn about {{short event description}}
Hello {{firstName}},
{{companyName}} is organizing the {{eventName}} event on {{date}}. The goal is to {{goal}}.
I thought you would be interested in checking it out as we are covering:
{{topic1}}
{{topic2}}
{{topic3}}
If this sounds interesting you can see more details here – {{link}}.
I’m open to any questions and looking forward to seeing you on {{date}}.
Best regards,
{{Name}}
Conclusion
InMail is one of the best ways to get the attention of your target LinkedIn users and acquire more opportunities.
We hope this guide gives you all the necessary tools to skyrocket your reply rate.
If you are looking for more ways to improve your LinkedIn messaging, check out our free ebook with 50 message templates.
