LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 722 million users worldwide. It allows individuals to connect with other professionals, find jobs, publish content, and grow their careers. LinkedIn also enables companies and organizations to create business pages to establish their brand presence, advertise open positions, share content, and connect with customers and partners.
One of the key features of LinkedIn business pages is the ability to directly message connections through the messaging tool. Messaging enables brands to build relationships with prospects and customers at scale. However, there is some confusion around whether business pages can send messages or if it is a feature only available to individual user profiles.
The short answer is yes, LinkedIn business pages can send direct messages to their followers and connections just like individual users can. However, there are some limitations and guidelines that brands should be aware of when messaging from their business page.
Who Can You Message From a Business Page?
LinkedIn business pages can message any of their 1st-degree connections. A 1st-degree connection is someone who has chosen to follow your company page. When someone decides to follow your page, they are opting in to receive messages from your brand.
You can also message 2nd-degree connections, which are connections of your 1st-degree connections. However, when messaging 2nd-degree connections, the message will be marked as coming from someone “You don’t know”. This makes it less likely that the recipient will open the message.
It’s important to note that you cannot message any LinkedIn member from a business page. Your ability to message other users depends on whether they have established a connection with your page.
Follower Limitations
The number of followers your business page has will impact your messaging capabilities. Here are the follower thresholds to be aware of:
- Pages with less than 500 followers cannot message 2nd-degree connections at all.
- Pages with 500-25,000 followers can message a maximum of 30 2nd-degree connections per month.
- Pages with 25,000-100,000 followers can message up to 150 2nd-degree connections per month.
- Pages with over 100,000 followers have no monthly limit on messaging 2nd-degree connections.
So in summary, you can always message 1st-degree connections without restrictions. But your ability to reach 2nd-degree connections is limited based on your total number of followers.
Messaging Guidelines
When messaging from a LinkedIn business page, it’s important to follow LinkedIn’s guidelines to avoid having messaging privileges revoked. Here are some key things to keep in mind:
Don’t Spam
Avoid sending mass unsolicited messages or repeatedly messaging someone who hasn’t responded. This will likely be flagged as spam which can get your page banned from sending messages.
Personalize Messages
Make sure to personalize your messages based on the recipient’s profile and your existing relationship. Generic copy/pasted messages are easy to identify and violate LinkedIn policies.
Provide Value
Only send messages that provide value to the recipient. This could include responding to questions, sharing resources, or making personalized recommendations and introductions.
Respect Preferences
If someone indicates they do not want to receive messages from your page, respect their wishes and do not contact them again without their consent.
Obey the Law
Do not send any discriminatory, illegal, or unethical messages. This includes messages violating privacy, confidentiality, or data protection laws.
Be Transparent
Clearly identify yourself in messages and do not try to disguise where the message is coming from. Impersonating individual users is prohibited.
Best Practices
Here are some best practices to follow when messaging from your LinkedIn business page:
Personalize Connection Requests
When trying to expand your network of 1st-degree connections, send personalized connection requests explaining who you are and why you want to connect.
Segment Your List
Divide your connections into lists based on criteria like industry, job role, geography, etc. This allows you to easily target different segments with tailored messages.
Send Individual Messages
Avoid blasting out mass messages. Send individual messages addressing the recipient directly for a more personalized experience.
Add Value
Look for ways to provide value like sharing an insightful article, introducing them to someone, or giving advice based on their profile and activity.
Follow Up
If someone engages with your message, follow up in a timely manner to continue the conversation.
Monitor Engagement
Pay attention to open and response rates to see what messages resonate best with your audience.
Use Scheduling Tools
Leverage social media management platforms to schedule and automate your messaging while still maintaining personalization.
Stay On Brand
Ensure your messages align with your brand voice and reflect your company values and positioning.
Pros of Messaging From Business Pages
Here are some of the key benefits of messaging from your LinkedIn business page:
Direct Access to Connections
Messaging allows you to establish direct relationships with prospects and customers at scale rather than just posting general content.
High Open Rates
Messages sent directly from business pages have much higher open rates compared to generic InMail blasts.
Ongoing Conversations
You can nurture ongoing conversations over time to build trust and establish thought leadership.
Targeted Outreach
Business pages can segment their networks and target specific individuals with relevant messages.
Personalized Experiences
Messaging enables truly personalized communication tailored to the recipient’s unique needs and interests.
Sales Prospecting
Messaging is a way to generate new sales leads by directly contacting potential customers.
Customer Service
Quickly respond to questions, feedback, and requests directly from customers.
Brand Building
Messaging allows you to strengthen relationships and incrementally build your brand rather than just broadcast content.
Cons of Messaging From Business Pages
While messaging provides many benefits, there are also some potential downsides to evaluate:
Time Investment
Messaging requires dedicating time to nurture conversations versus just posting content.
Ongoing Maintenance
It takes continued effort to sustain messaging rather than one-off campaigns.
Risk of Inappropriate Use
Employees may abuse messaging privileges and put your brand at risk if not properly trained.
Difficulty Measuring ROI
ROI from conversations can be harder to quantify compared to content metrics.
Requires Strategy
Achieving results takes strategic targeting and value-added messaging.
Limitations for Small Pages
Pages with limited followers have restrictions on who they can message.
Declining Response Rates
As more companies message, prospects become overwhelmed leading to message fatigue.
Examples of Effective Messaging
To make your LinkedIn business page messaging more impactful, here are a few real-world examples of effective messaging strategies:
Targeting Prospects by Industry
A B2B software company targeted C-level connections at retail businesses to promote a new POS system offering discounts for early adopters.
Sharing Relevant Content
A digital marketing agency proactively shared guides, tip sheets, and blog posts with clients based on their current marketing challenges and goals.
Event Invitations
A field marketing company messaged local connections inviting them to upcoming industry trade shows and networking events.
Customer Case Studies
A HR consulting firm messaged customers requesting testimonials and case studies to showcase their services to prospects.
Cross-Promotions
A fashion retailer partnered with beauty brands to cross-promote each other’s products to their respective follower bases.
Lead Nurturing
A marketing agency segmented and tagged leads to send a series of tailored messages guiding prospects through their sales funnel.
Client Appreciation
A PR firm messaged long-time clients to thank them for their loyalty and offer VIP access to exclusive events.
Thought Leadership
An accounting firm established their expertise by messaging insights and perspectives on the latest industry regulations.
Customer Support
A software company messaged users who expressed issues online to proactively offer technical support and service.
Conclusion
LinkedIn business pages have the ability to send direct messages just like individual user profiles. This allows brands to build personalized relationships and tap into new sales and marketing opportunities.
When messaging from a business page, it’s important stay within LinkedIn’s guidelines by avoiding spam, personalizing content, and delivering value. Effective strategies involve segmenting your audience, individual messaging, measuring results, and automating where possible.
Used correctly, messaging can become a gamechanger for how brands engage their LinkedIn communities. But it requires moving from just broadcasting content to having true conversations. With over 722 million members, the ability to message at scale on LinkedIn presents amazing potential to achieve business goals.
Start leveraging your LinkedIn business page’s messaging capabilities to deepen connections, increase engagement, generate leads, and build your brand presence on the world’s largest professional network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I message anyone on LinkedIn from my business page?
No, business pages can only directly message their 1st-degree connections who follow their page. To message 2nd-degree connections, your page must meet certain follower thresholds.
What are LinkedIn’s messaging policies for business pages?
Key policies include: no spamming, personalize messages, deliver value, respect opt-outs, obey laws, and be transparent that you are a business page.
How many 2nd-degree connections can I message?
Pages with under 500 followers cannot message any 2nd-connections. 500-25k followers allows 30 per month. 25k-100k followers allows 150 per month. Over 100k followers has no limit.
Can I automate messages from my business page?
Yes, you can use social media management tools to schedule and automate your messaging while still ensuring personalization for recipients.
What are some best practices for business page messaging?
Best practices include personalizing connection requests, segmenting your audience, following up in conversations, monitoring engagement rates, and staying on brand.
How do I start messaging from my LinkedIn business page?
On your business page, go to the My Network tab to view your 1st-degree connections. Click the Message button next to each connection to send them a personalized note.
Can I measure the ROI of messaging from my page?
While harder than content metrics, you can measure ROI by tracking conversions driven by messaging such as new customers, event participation, content downloads, etc.
What are some examples of effective messaging strategies?
Strategies include targeting by industry, sharing relevant content, sending event invites, requesting testimonials, cross-promoting, nurturing leads, client appreciation, thought leadership, and customer service.