LinkedIn allows all members to send a limited number of free messages each month. The exact free message allowance depends on your account status and location. Here’s a breakdown of how many free LinkedIn messages you can send with different account types:
Free LinkedIn Account
With a free basic LinkedIn account, you can send up to 15 free messages per month. This allows you to do some basic networking and connecting without having to pay for a premium account.
15 free messages per month may not seem like much, but it’s enough for most occasional users to maintain connections and reach out to new contacts. Savvy networkers can make the most of the 15 message limit by being selective about who they contact and keeping messages brief and to the point.
LinkedIn Premium Career Account
Upgrading to a Premium Career account on LinkedIn allows you to send up to 30 free messages per month, doubling the allowance for basic users. Here are the key details on LinkedIn Premium Career accounts:
- Premium Career costs $29.99 per month when paid monthly, or $19.99 per month with annual billing
- With 30 free messages per month, you can more actively network and reach out to connections
- Premium Career also lets you view full profiles of anyone, not just connections
- Other perks include seeing who viewed your profile, advanced search filters, coaching and interview prep tools
The 30 free messages per month with Premium Career gives mid-level networkers and job seekers greater messaging capabilities to build connections and find opportunities.
LinkedIn Premium Business, Sales and Recruiting Accounts
For power LinkedIn users, account tiers like Premium Business, Sales and Recruiting provide 100 free messages per month. Here’s an overview of these premium account options:
Account Type | Free Messages Per Month | Primary Use Cases |
---|---|---|
Premium Business | 100 | For business owners, executives and seasoned professionals to build connections, promote their business and establish thought leadership |
Premium Sales | 100 | Designed for sales professionals to source leads, connect with prospects and promote services |
Premium Recruiting | 100 | For recruiters and HR professionals to source candidates, make hires and attract top talent |
With 100 free messages per month, premium business, sales and recruiting users can take full advantage of LinkedIn for lead generation, prospecting, networking and recruiting. The higher messaging allowance facilitates outreach at scale.
These premium accounts start at $64.99 per month when paid monthly, or $54.99 per month with annual billing. They provide expanded features like InMail messages, company and contact targeting tools, advanced analytics and integration capabilities.
How to Maximize Free LinkedIn Messages
No matter which LinkedIn account type you have, here are some tips to make the most of your free monthly messages:
- Personalize messages using the recipient’s name and profile details to increase open and response rates
- Keep initial outreach messages short, focused and to-the-point
- Follow up thoughtfully if you don’t get a response the first time
- Target recipients who you share common connections with
- Focus your messages on value, not promoting yourself
- Proofread carefully to avoid typos and mistakes
- Use LinkedIn Tracking to see message opens, clicks and replies
With the right strategy, you can get a lot of mileage out of even 15 or 30 free LinkedIn messages per month. The key is being selective in who you contact, personalizing your messages, and providing value to recipients.
Purchasing Additional Message Packages
If you want to send more than your monthly free message allotment, LinkedIn offers two paid message packages:
- 25 Extra Messages – $10/month: Provides 25 extra messages beyond your free monthly allowance. Best for occasional added messaging needs.
- 100 Extra Messages – $20/month: Gives you an additional 100 messages per month. Best for power networkers who need expanded outreach.
These paid message packages automatically renew each month until canceled. They can give you more flexibility if you need to go beyond the standard free message limits in a given month.
InMail for Unlimited LinkedIn Messages
The ultimate option for unlimited LinkedIn messaging is InMail. InMail allows you to message any LinkedIn member without needing to connect first.
With InMail, you can send an unlimited number of messages. It’s ideal for sales prospecting, recruiting, marketing campaigns, and any high volume outreach needs.
InMail credits can be purchased à la carte or come bundled with certain Premium account types and Recruiter seats. Here are the InMail credit prices:
InMail Credit Packs | Price |
---|---|
1 Credit | $10 |
5 Credits | $45 |
10 Credits | $80 |
20 Credits | $150 |
50 Credits | $300 |
100 Credits | $500 |
Each InMail message deducts 1 credit from your available credits. Bulk discounts are applied for larger credit packs. Credits don’t expire, so stock up if InMail will be a key part of your LinkedIn messaging strategy.
Conclusion
To summarize the key points:
- Free LinkedIn accounts get 15 messages per month
- Premium Career accounts get 30 messages per month
- Premium Business, Sales and Recruiting accounts get 100 messages per month
- You can buy extra messages in packs of 25 or 100 per month
- InMail offers unlimited messages starting at $10 per message
Focus your LinkedIn messages on quality over quantity. Personalize messages, target the right recipients, and focus on providing value. With the right strategy, you can achieve great results even within the standard free message limits.
For expanded outreach capabilities, Premium account upgrades or paid messages packages can give you more messaging flexibility. InMail is the ultimate option for high volume prospecting, recruiting and campaign-style messaging.
Knowing exactly how many free LinkedIn messages you have and the different options for increasing messages allows you to maximize your LinkedIn messaging results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I increase my number of free LinkedIn messages?
You can increase your free monthly LinkedIn messages by upgrading to a Premium account like Premium Career, Premium Business, Sales or Recruiting. These tiers provide up to 30 or 100 free messages per month. You can also buy extra message packs that give 25 or 100 additional pay-per-use messages.
What happens if I exceed my free messages on LinkedIn?
Once you hit your free message limit for the month, you will not be able to send any more messages until the next month resets your allowance. Your messages will be blocked until the next cycle starts. Upgrading to a premium plan or buying add-on message packs allows you to continue messaging.
Can I see how many LinkedIn messages I have left?
Yes, you can see your remaining free messages for the current month at any time. On LinkedIn desktop, click “My Network” then “Manage my network.” On mobile, tap the “Me” icon then “Manage my network.” This will display your remaining free messages available.
How quickly do LinkedIn messages expire?
LinkedIn messages do not expire. Your sent and received messages will remain in your LinkedIn account inbox indefinitely, or until you choose to delete a message thread.
What are the limits for LinkedIn InMail messages?
InMail allows you to send unlimited messages, provided you have available InMail credits. Most InMail credit packs don’t expire, though credits included with some Premium Business, Sales or Recruiting accounts may expire if unused after 12 months per LinkedIn’s terms.
The Value of LinkedIn Messaging
LinkedIn messaging can provide tremendous value as a business, sales, and recruiting tool. Here are some of the top benefits of messaging on LinkedIn:
- Initiate new professional connections
- Strengthen existing relationships
- Drive leads and sales prospects
- Recruit top talent for open roles
- Promote products, services and content
- Share updates, news and announcements
- Coordinate meetings, interviews and events
- Provide excellent customer service
- Build relationships with influential contacts
Whether you want to strengthen your network, generate leads, recruit talent or improve customer experience, LinkedIn messaging delivers results. Focus on quality, personalized messages that add value for recipients.
LinkedIn Messaging Strategies
Here are some proven messaging strategies to maximize your impact on LinkedIn:
- Personalize invitations to connect – Don’t use copied templates. Mention shared connections, interests and goals.
- Follow up thoughtfully – If someone doesn’t respond initially, follow up politely after a week or two.
- Send targeted messages – Segment your outreach by role, industry, location and other criteria.
- Provide value – Share useful advice, resources, insights and opportunities.
- Use multimedia – Include links, images, videos and presentations to stand out.
- Watch message frequency – Avoid messaging contacts too frequently or risk being seen as spammy.
- Leverage tracking tools – Use LinkedIn tracking to see opens, clicks and replies.
- Follow up by phone – For key prospects, call to further the conversation after connecting via message.
With the right approach, even a small number of monthly LinkedIn messages can get results. The most successful messaging strategies combine personalization, value and persistence.
Top LinkedIn Messaging Etiquette Tips
To create positive messaging experiences on LinkedIn, keep these etiquette tips in mind:
- Use a professional greeting like “Hi [Name]” or “Good morning [Name]”.
- Introduce yourself and provide context for your outreach.
- Make requests rather than demands like “Would you be open to…?”
- Keep messages focused – avoid overly long messages.
- Use clear, concise language free of typos and errors.
- Avoid using all caps – it can seem angry or aggressive.
- Respond to messages in a timely manner when possible.
- Respect it if someone doesn’t respond – don’t harass them.
- Always maintain a courteous, professional tone even if rejected.
Following standard rules of good business etiquette helps ensure your messages are well received and get better results.
InMail Messaging Tips and Best Practices
InMail opens up new LinkedIn messaging possibilities, but should be used selectively for greatest impact. Here are some InMail best practices:
- Target InMail to recipients who fit your ideal customer or talent profile.
- Personalize each message with the recipient’s name, company and interests.
- Keep messages concise – 2-3 paragraphs at most.
- Communicate value focused on the recipient’s needs.
- Use a strong, relevant subject line so messages get opened.
- Focus on quality over quantity – don’t blast InMails.
- Develop templates but customize each message.
- Follow up by phone with key prospects.
- Track open rates, click rates and replied InMails.
InMail is a powerful tool but should be used selectively for the right prospects to cut through the noise.
Alternatives to LinkedIn Messaging
LinkedIn messaging provides a convenient way to connect with other members. However, it does have limits. Here are some alternative options to consider:
- Email – Still one of the top ways professionals communicate.
- Phone calls – Allow an immediate, personal connection.
- Video calls – Bring the face-to-face element to prospecting and recruiting.
- Text/SMS messages – Provide another direct line to contacts once you have their cell number.
- Facebook – Useful for more casual networking and connecting.
- Twitter – Excellent for quick, public outreach and engagement.
- Google Hangouts – Enables online meetings and video chats.
- Skype – Another popular platform for live video calls.
Professionals often use a mix of LinkedIn messaging plus other tools like email, phone and video chat depending on the situation. The right medium depends on your goals and the recipient’s preferences.
Wrapping Up
LinkedIn messaging is a valuable tool for any professional’s toolkit. With the free monthly allotments and options for buying more messages, you can achieve great results connecting with your network.
Focus on personalizing messages, communicating value, and representing yourself and your company in the best possible light. Master the etiquette and best practices of engaging on LinkedIn.
Combined with Premium accounts features, InMail credits and alternative communication channels, you can build great relationships through LinkedIn messaging.