Quick answer: Yes, you can reply to sponsored messages on LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s sponsored messages allow brands to reach LinkedIn users via the messaging feature. When a brand sends you a sponsored message, you have the option to reply just as you would with a message from one of your connections. Replying can help start a conversation with the brand or provide feedback on their message.
What are sponsored messages on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn introduced sponsored messages as a way for brands to reach LinkedIn users through the messaging feature on mobile and desktop. Brands can target their messages based on criteria like job title, industry, company size, and more. When they send a sponsored message, it will show up in the LinkedIn messaging section of the users who meet their targeting parameters.
Sponsored messages look just like regular messages on LinkedIn. The main difference is they contain a “Sponsored” tag so you know it is a message from a brand, not one of your connections.
Brands use sponsored messages on LinkedIn for various purposes, such as:
– Promoting content like articles, whitepapers, and webinars
– Advertising job openings
– Announcing events and conferences
– Reaching out directly to make a sales pitch
For users, sponsored messages provide a couple benefits:
– Learning about relevant products, services, and content
– Connecting with brands they might be interested in
– Potentially furthering their career through job opportunities
So sponsored messages can provide value for both brands and users when used effectively.
Why would you want to reply to a sponsored message?
There are a few reasons why you may want to reply to a sponsored message on LinkedIn:
– **Ask a question about the brand’s product/service**: Perhaps the message sparked your interest but you want to know more details before buying. Reach out to ask a question.
– **Give feedback on the message**: If the sponsored message seems irrelevant to you, reply to give polite but honest feedback to the brand. This can help improve their targeting in the future.
– **Start a conversation**: Maybe you’d like to initiate a discussion and see if the brand has advice relevant to you. Replying continues the conversation.
– **Express interest in a job opening**: If a sponsored message advertises an appealing role at the company, you can respond to convey your interest in learning more and potentially applying.
– **Request more information**: If the message promotes a whitepaper or event you’d like to learn more about, send a reply to get additional details from the brand.
So in summary, responding allows you to inquire for more information, provide feedback, start conversations, or express interest related to the sponsored message content. Interacting with brands can lead to helpful dialogues.
What happens when you reply to sponsored messages?
When you reply to a sponsored message on LinkedIn, here is what happens:
– The brand immediately receives your reply in their LinkedIn Message inbox. They can then respond back to continue the conversation.
– The reply is only visible to you and the brand – none of your connections will see that you responded.
– You can have an ongoing back-and-forth conversation with the brand within the message thread.
– LinkedIn’s algorithm may take your reply into account when determining which sponsored messages to show you in the future. Replying to relevant messages can lead to more personalized promotions.
– The brand has the option to turn off comments on the sponsored message if they wish. In that case, your reply would not go through and you’d see a message that responses have been disabled.
So in most cases, replying leads to a direct conversation with the brand in private messaging. It does not post a public comment visible to your network like you might see on a regular feed post. Replying is the start of a 1:1 dialogue.
How to reply to a sponsored message
Replying to a sponsored message is just as easy as responding to a regular message on LinkedIn. Here are the steps:
1. Open the sponsored message in your LinkedIn messaging inbox. You can do this on mobile or desktop.
2. At the bottom of the message, type your reply in the text box that reads “Send a message”.
3. When ready, click the paper airplane icon to send your message.
4. The message thread will now show your response. You’ll see when the brand has read it and when they respond back.
5. Continue the conversation by replying within the same thread as many times as you’d like.
And that’s all there is to it! With just a few clicks, you can easily reply to start a dialogue with any brand that sends you a sponsored message.
Tips for responding to sponsored messages
To get the most out of interacting with brands via sponsored messages, keep these tips in mind:
– **Be polite and professional** – You’re starting a relationship as a potential customer, client, or job candidate. Put your best foot forward with proper grammar and a respectful tone, even in constructive feedback.
– **Ask open-ended questions** – Questions that require detail beyond a yes/no response are more likely to keep the conversation going.
– **Watch for personalization opportunities** – If possible, relate your response directly to their message content and how it applies to you. Brands want to assist you specifically.
– **Do your research** – Check out the brand’s LinkedIn page and website to reference in your response and learn more about their offerings.
– **Suggest a next step** – Propose meeting for coffee, scheduling a call, applying to a job opening, signing up for a trial, or whatever makes sense as a possible follow-up.
– **Funnel to other channels** – If appropriate based on the message content, provide your email or business contact info to continue the dialogue in a more permanent place.
With these tips in mind, you can craft thoughtful sponsored message replies that make strong first impressions and advance potential relationships.
Example sponsored message replies
Sponsored Message | Example Reply |
---|---|
Hi John,
I came across your LinkedIn profile and saw that you have 5+ years in corporate training. At Skillsoft, we provide thousands of training videos and courses to help companies equip learners. I’d love to set up a quick call to see if we could be a good fit to help with your training initiatives. Let me know if you’re interested! Thanks, |
Hi Mary,
Thank you for reaching out. I took a look at Skillsoft’s website, and your library of training content looks very robust. I’m curious to learn more about how your platform tracks learner progress and pulls reports for administrators. Could you send over an overview doc for your admin tools? I’d be happy to schedule a call next week to discuss further after reviewing. Looking forward to learning more about Skillsoft! Best, |
Are you interested in attending the Digital Marketing Strategies Summit next month in Austin? Top experts will be presenting the latest trends in SEO, social media, paid search, and more. Use code DMSS22 for 15% off all passes. Book your spot today! |
Hello, The Digital Marketing Strategies Summit sounds very interesting. I noticed the schedule includes sessions on influencer marketing and email automation – those are two areas I’m really trying to expand my skills in this year. Could you please send me additional details on the specific speakers/topics that will be covered in those presentations? I’d like to review before purchasing a pass with the 15% off code. Looking forward to hearing back with more summit information! Thank you, |
We came across your LinkedIn profile and think you’d be a great fit for our Sr. Web Developer role. Check it out and apply here: [Job link] Let me know if you have any questions! Recruiter at XYZ Company |
Hi [Recruiter], Thank you for thinking of me for the Sr. Web Developer position at XYZ Company. This role caught my eye because of XYZ’s reputation for doing innovative work in e-commerce. I reviewed the job description – building high-traffic, scalable websites sounds exactly like the type of project I’m looking for in my next role. I have 8 years experience in JavaScript and Python, along with past work optimizing sites for maximum speed and security. This position seems very promising. I have applied through your site. Please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide to demonstrate why I would be a strong candidate. I look forward to speaking with you! Regards, Mary |
As you can see from these examples, tailored and thoughtful replies can go a long way towards building new relationships with brands that reach out via sponsored messages.
Can you reply to all sponsored messages?
In most cases, yes – you can reply to any sponsored message received in your LinkedIn inbox. However, there are a couple cases when responding may not be possible:
– **The brand turned off comments** – Some brands choose to disable responses when configuring their sponsored messages. You would see a note that comments are turned off.
– **Your account is restricted** – LinkedIn may restrict certain accounts from commenting on or engaging with sponsored messages, like if you have reported abuse in the past.
– **The message is outdated** – If the sponsored message is more than a few months old when you try to reply, the brand may no longer be actively monitoring that ad campaign. But you can still try!
So generally, feel free to respond to any current sponsored message and simply see if the brand engages back with you in a dialogue or not. Most of the time they will be happy to answer questions and have a discussion.
Can you reply to InMail messages?
InMail is LinkedIn’s premium messaging feature that lets you connect with anyone, even people outside your network. Brands sometimes use InMail instead of sponsored messages to reach prospects.
The good news is that you can also reply to InMail! Just like with sponsored messages, your reply will go straight to the brand’s inbox where they can respond 1:1. Replying may even convince them to keep the dialogue going and not mark your message as spam.
However, InMail does have a character limit of around 1300 characters. So you’ll want to be a bit more concise with your initial response compared to sponsored messages. You can always continue the conversation in later messages if needed.
In summary, go ahead and reply to InMail messages as well to start valuable conversations. The same tips provided earlier apply there too.
Conclusion
Sponsored messages provide a unique opportunity to engage directly with brands on LinkedIn. While social media can feel very one-sided, replies make it a two-way dialogue where you can ask questions, provide feedback, and build relationships. Don’t be afraid to fire off a quick response – it puts you in control of the conversation. Applying the advice in this article, you can become a pro at leveraging LinkedIn messaging to its fullest!