InMail is an important messaging feature available in LinkedIn Sales Navigator that allows users to directly contact other LinkedIn members, even if they are not connected. With InMail credits, Sales Navigator users can send customized messages to prospects to generate new leads and opportunities.
However, one common question is whether you can purchase additional InMail credits if you run out of your allotted amount. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at InMails on LinkedIn Sales Navigator and examine whether buying extra credits is possible.
What are InMails in LinkedIn Sales Navigator?
InMail is LinkedIn’s internal messaging system that allows Sales Navigator users to directly contact other members on the platform. Some key things to know about InMails:
- InMails bypass the need for a connection request, allowing you to message prospects you’re not connected to.
- Messages sent via InMail appear in the recipient’s LinkedIn inbox just like a normal message.
- Sales Navigator accounts come with a monthly allotment of InMails (amount depends on account type).
- InMails often see higher response rates compared to basic connection requests.
InMail helps sales professionals personalize outreach and establish contact with decision-makers and influences. They can be extremely effective for initiating new relationships and driving conversations with prospects.
Benefits of Using InMails
There are several key advantages to using InMails for sales prospecting on LinkedIn:
- Make cold outreach easier: Skip the connection request and go directly to the prospect’s inbox.
- Increase response rates: InMails generally have higher response rates than connection requests.
- Personalize messaging: Craft customized messages for specific prospects.
- Reach influencers: Contact decision-makers and influences who you couldn’t otherwise connect with.
- Track conversations: Message history is saved in Sales Navigator for continued nurturing.
InMail Credits in LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Now that we’ve covered the basics of InMail, let’s look at how the credits system works in Sales Navigator.
Every LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscription comes with a monthly allotment of InMail credits. The amount included depends on the type of account you have:
Sales Navigator Plan | InMails per Month |
---|---|
Professional | 15 |
Team | 30 per seat |
Business | 50 |
Enterprise | 75 |
Each InMail sent to a prospect will deduct 1 credit from your monthly total. You can see your remaining credits by going to the My Network tab in Sales Navigator.
After your monthly allotment is used up, you will not be able to send additional InMails until your credits reset at the start of the next billing cycle.
Can You Buy More InMail Credits?
Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not currently offer the ability to purchase additional InMail credits beyond what’s included in your Sales Navigator plan. The allotments are fixed based on the type of account you have.
If you require a higher volume of InMails each month, you would need to upgrade to a higher-tier Sales Navigator plan to receive a larger credit allotment. For example, upgrading from a Professional to Business account would increase your credits from 15 to 50 per month.
A few things to note about InMail credits:
- Unused credits do not roll over month to month.
- You cannot borrow credits from future months.
- There is no way to regenerate credits within the same billing cycle.
The only way to get more credits mid-cycle is by upgrading your account to a higher tier plan.
Strategies for Using InMails Effectively
Since you cannot purchase additional InMail credits as needed, it’s important to use your allotted credits judiciously each month. Here are some best practices for making the most of your available InMails:
1. Prioritize and segment your prospects
Try to focus your outreach on your highest-value prospects first. Segment your prospect list based on factors like company size, industry, job title, and profile completeness to identify those that align best with your ideal customer profile.
Reserve most of your credits for contacting and engaging these high-priority prospects. Avoid wasting credits messaging low-quality leads that are unlikely to convert.
2. Personalize your InMail messages
Take the time to customize each InMail based on the prospect’s profile, interests, and company. Personalized messages have much higher open and response rates. Lean on Sales Navigator’s profile insights to reference details like work anniversaries, shared connections, schools attended, and recent promotions.
3. Follow up with multiple touches
Don’t stop at a single InMail if a prospect doesn’t respond right away. Employ a structured cadence with follow-up InMails and phone calls to continue nurturing the relationship. Use each message to provide value, build rapport, and make your outreach more appealing to the prospect.
4. Connect first before using InMails
Sometimes it may be better to connect with 2nd and 3rd degree prospects first before messaging them. This establishes familiarity and makes them more receptive to your initial InMail. Reserve InMails for initial outreach to strangers and cold prospects.
5. Use InMails to nurture existing prospects
InMails aren’t just for initiating new conversations. They can also add value when nurturing existing prospects in your pipeline. Send an InMail to share relevant content, answer questions, or continue the conversation from a prior call or meeting.
Alternative Outreach Options
If you frequently run out of InMail credits before the end of the month, here are a few alternative options for prospect outreach to consider:
LinkedIn connection requests
You can still connect and message prospects the old-fashioned way using LinkedIn connection requests. The downside is lower acceptance and response rates compared to InMail. But it’s free and unlimited, making it better for high-volume outreach.
LinkedIn status updates
Posting status updates is a way to share content, insights, and thought leadership with your network and followers. While not a 1:1 communication channel like InMail, it can keep you top of mind with prospects and position you as an industry expert.
Cold email outreach
Email still remains one of the most effective channels for sales prospecting. Services like Salesloft, Outreach, and Mailshake help automate personalized cold email outreach at scale. The right cold email strategy can generate quality leads while conserving your LinkedIn InMails.
Social selling on Twitter
Similar to status updates, having an active presence on Twitter allows you to engage prospects through valuable social content. Tweeting articles, insights, and resources related to your industry makes you discoverable to prospects already active on the platform.
Paid ads on LinkedIn
Running Sponsored InMail or Sponsored Content campaigns through LinkedIn’s advertising platform allows you to proactively reach more of your target audience. You can zero in on specific titles, companies, and industries with your ads for more qualified traffic.
Finding the Right Balance
The ideal outreach strategy combines InMails with some of these alternate prospecting tactics to fill your pipeline. Here are some best practices for finding the right balance:
- Reserve InMails for your highest value prospects only.
- Leverage free options like connection requests, content sharing, and email to do higher volume outreach.
- Use paid ads to supplement when you run low on InMails.
- Test out different channel mixes and cadences to see what works best.
- Track prospecting KPIs to optimize your efforts over time.
Finding the right balance will ensure you make the most of your limited InMail credits while still conducting enough outreach to hit your lead goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s recap some of the most common questions around purchasing additional InMail credits:
Can I buy more InMails within the same monthly billing cycle?
No, LinkedIn does not allow customers to purchase extra InMail credits mid-cycle. You can only increase your credits by upgrading to a higher account tier.
Do my unused InMail credits rollover to the next month?
Unfortunately, LinkedIn does not allow rolling over unused credits to future months. Any credits remaining at the end of your billing cycle are reset back to your monthly allowance.
Can I share InMails with other team members on a Team or Enterprise plan?
No, InMail credits cannot be shared or redistributed between accounts on multi-seat Sales Navigator plans. Each individual seat receives their allotted amount based on the plan.
Can I pause my account temporarily to avoid wasting credits one month?
Pausing is not an option. You would need to completely cancel your Sales Navigator subscription, losing access until you restart it later. Unused credits are always reset at the end of each billing cycle.
What is the maximum amount of InMails I can send each month?
This depends on your account plan, but the highest monthly allotment is 75 InMails for Enterprise-level accounts. Even with the largest amount, you cannot exceed your credits.
Conclusion
While purchasing extra InMail credits mid-cycle is not possible, making the most of your monthly allotment comes down to strategy and execution. Prioritizing high-value prospects, personalizing relevant messaging, and combining InMail with other prospecting tactics can help maximize effectiveness.
Over time, track and optimize your channel mix to find the approach that consistently hits lead goals while making the best use of your limited InMails each month. With the right strategy, you can successfully generate pipeline and new business without the ability to buy more credits as needed.