Sending a LinkedIn connection request with a customized message allows you to personalize your outreach and increase the likelihood that the recipient will accept your invitation. A thoughtful note shows you took the time to reach out personally, rather than sending mass connection requests. It also gives context on why you want to connect and can spark engagement after connecting.
Deciding When to Send a LinkedIn Message with Your Request
Here are some instances when sending a LinkedIn connection request with a message makes sense:
- Reconnecting with former colleagues, classmates, etc. that you haven’t been in touch with for awhile. A note can briefly explain who you are and reference your past connection.
- Introducing yourself to someone you haven’t met before but would like to connect with professionally. The message allows you to explain why you want to connect with them specifically.
- Following up after meeting someone in person, such as at a conference, networking event, etc. The note reminds them of where/when you met.
- Wanting to connect with someone you have interacted with indirectly, like an employee at a partner company. The message provides context around your connection to their company.
- Reaching out to connect with an influencer or leader in your industry. A thoughtful note explains why you specifically admire their work and want to connect.
A LinkedIn connection request generally doesn’t need a long message, just a sentence or two to jog the person’s memory or give them context. The exception would be if you are looking to build a relationship with someone you haven’t interacted with before. In that case, a longer note introducing yourself and explaining common interests or connections can be warranted.
How to Send a LinkedIn Connection Request with a Message
Sending a LinkedIn connection request with a personalized message only takes a few extra steps beyond a standard connection invitation. Here is how to do it:
- Go to the profile page of the person you want to connect with. This can be found by searching for their name in the LinkedIn search bar or clicking on a profile you see in your feed or through search results.
- Near the top right of their profile, click “Connect.”
- On the popup that appears, click “Add a note.” This expands a text box where you can type your message.
- Write your personalized message. Be sure to include:
- A greeting with their name.
- Context on who you are and/or how you know them.
- Why you want to connect with them specifically.
- Keep the message friendly and professional. Two brief paragraphs or 3-4 sentences is usually sufficient.
- Proofread your note and click Send.
And that’s it! The recipient will receive the customized connection request along with your message. Now all you have to do is wait and see if they accept.
Tips for Writing a Good LinkedIn Connection Request Message
Follow these tips when drafting a message to send with your LinkedIn connection invitation:
- Personalize the greeting. Address them directly by their first name if you know it, or “Hi [Full name]” if you don’t.
- Remind them who you are. Even if you think they will remember you, provide some context like where you met or worked together previously.
- Explain your intent. Share why you specifically want to connect with them on LinkedIn, like admiring their work or having common connections.
- Compliment their work (if relevant). If you are reaching out to someone you admire, point out specific things you find impressive about what they do.
- Suggest talking further (optional). You can propose meeting for coffee or talking over the phone if there is interest in connecting more deeply.
- Use a friendly, conversational tone. Write like you are reaching out to a colleague versus a formal business letter.
- Check for typos and clarity. Quickly proofread your message before sending to put your best foot forward.
And don’t:
- Make demands or ask for favors right away
- Use overly formal language or titles unless you don’t know them well
- Get too lengthy – a couple paragraphs at most is plenty
- Copy and paste the same generic message for every request
Following Up After Connecting on LinkedIn
A customized connection request is often just the first step in developing a professional relationship on LinkedIn. Consider following up once the person accepts your invitation:
- Thank them for connecting and reference your original outreach note.
- Reiterate why you wanted to connect with them specifically.
- Start a professional conversation by asking questions about their background, company, industry, etc.
- Offer to provide value by making introductions or sharing helpful resources.
- Suggest meeting in person if you are local to one another.
Following up strengthens the budding connection and paves the way for an ongoing professional relationship. But don’t force it – if they seem disinterested or unresponsive, focus your energy elsewhere.
Sending Messages to Connections on LinkedIn
In addition to sending initial messages with connection requests, you can continue the conversation with existing connections by sending direct messages on LinkedIn, even without connecting by email. Here is how:
- Go to your list of LinkedIn connections by clicking “My Network” at the top.
- Click on the profile of the person you want to message.
- Look for the “Message” button in the introduction card on their profile or on their Contact Info section.
- Click the Message button to open up a messaging window.
- Type your message in the text box that appears. You can include attachments or emoji here too.
- Hit enter or click the paper airplane icon to send your message.
LinkedIn messages function similarly to email, allowing you to have threaded conversations with your connections right on the platform. You’ll receive notifications when you receive new messages.
Keep these conversations professional – don’t over message people or try to sell them on something right away. Focus on providing value and developing the relationship first.
Settings for Messaging on LinkedIn
You can control who can message you directly through your account settings. Go to your profile, click the “Me” icon in the top right, and choose “Settings & Privacy.” Then go to Communications > Messaging.
Here you can set your messaging preferences to:
- All LinkedIn Members – Anyone can message you (default setting)
- Only people who know your email address or are connections – Limits unsolicited messages
- No one – Turns off the ability for members to message you entirely
Choose the option that makes you most comfortable. Keep in mind the more you restrict messages, the harder it will be for new professional contacts to reach out.
You can also choose whether or not to receive notifications when you get new LinkedIn messages via email or mobile push notifications in this section.
Implications of Ignoring or Rejecting LinkedIn Messages
Don’t just ignore messages on LinkedIn, even if they are coming from someone you don’t know well. A polite response is better for your professional reputation, even if you want to gracefully decline further conversation. However, no response is better than an unnecessarily harsh one.
Similarly, try to avoid outright rejecting connection requests if you can. Selecting “Ignore” or just letting it expire is better than blocking the person from connecting with you. Only block if someone is clearly spamming you or acting inappropriately.
In most cases, briefly responding or just moving on is sufficient. You never know when that LinkedIn connection may be beneficial down the line.
Is There a Way to Preview My Connection Requests Before Sending?
LinkedIn unfortunately does not offer a way to preview the connection request and message before sending it. You need to carefully review and proofread the note in the messaging box before hitting send.
One workaround is to draft your message in a Word doc or other external program first. This allows you to spell check it and tweak it before copying and pasting the text into the LinkedIn request box.
You also will not get an automatic copy of the request sent to yourself, so if you want a record you’ll need to manually copy the text or take a screenshot before sending.
Can I Edit a Message After Sending It?
No, LinkedIn does not allow you to edit an invitation message after it has been sent. The message becomes permanently attached to the connection request.
If you notice a mistake immediately, you can quickly cancel the invitation from your sent requests page before the recipient sees it, then redo it. But there is no way to modify a message that has already been viewed.
This is why it’s critical to double check your connection note for typos, clarity, and professionalism before hitting send. Don’t rush the process.
Metrics Related to LinkedIn Connection Requests
It’s helpful to track a few key metrics related to sending and receiving LinkedIn connection invitations:
- Pending Invites Sent: How many connection requests you currently have out to others.
- Accept Rate: Percentage of your invites that get accepted by recipients.
- New Connections: Number of new 1st degree connections added each month.
- Invites Received: Inbound connection requests you’ve gotten from others.
Monitoring these regularly can help you identify the optimal number of invites to send per week and your overall LinkedIn networking strategy.
For example, if your acceptance rate drops when sending more than 15-20 invites a week, that may indicate you are reaching out less selectively and need to refine your criteria. LinkedIn limits accounts from sending too many invites at once if recipients are ignoring them.
Is There a Limit to How Many Connection Requests I Can Send?
LinkedIn doesn’t publish an exact limit on the number of connection requests you can send in a given period. But if you send invites too frequently, especially to people who don’t know you, LinkedIn may throttle your ability to connect temporarily.
There are a few rules of thumb to avoid being flagged as spammy:
- Keep initial requests to <15-20 per week if connecting with mostly strangers or distant connections.
- Focus on quality over quantity – personalized messages to those you genuinely want to connect with.
- Don’t copy/paste the exact same message for every invite.
- Space out sending a batch of requests over multiple days vs. all at once.
You can check if your account has been restricted from sending invites under your account settings. Limits generally reset after a waiting period determined by LinkedIn.
Can I Export a List of My LinkedIn Connections?
Yes, LinkedIn provides a way to export your 1st degree connections list as either a .csv file or directly into Excel.
To export your connections:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile and click on the “My Network” submenu.
- Click “Manage synced and imported contacts” below your connection count.
- Switch to the “Export LinkedIn connections” tab.
- Select either CSV or Excel format.
- Check the box confirming you understand LinkedIn’s terms of use for the data.
- Click the blue “Export” button to download the file containing your connections list.
The file includes each connection’s name, current company, location, and any other info they have added to their public LinkedIn profile.
Downloading your connections regularly can help you monitor the growth and health of your network over time. You also may need the list for integrating with other tools like CRM systems.
Should I Send LinkedIn Messages Through My Email Instead?
You have the option on LinkedIn to connect your email account and send messages back and forth with connections through email rather than LinkedIn’s internal messaging system.
The advantage of email is that it’s what most professionals already frequently use and check. But there are also benefits to keeping the conversation within LinkedIn:
- Keeps the connection bounded within the professional social network context.
- Enables you to reference the person’s LinkedIn profile and network easier.
- Doesn’t require exchanging private email addresses early on.
- Archives messages as part of your LinkedIn account.
So while connecting your email is handy for established connections you communicate with regularly, consider keeping new professional outreach contained on LinkedIn itself initially.
Other LinkedIn Communication Options
In addition to customized connection requests and direct messaging, here are some other ways you can communicate and share content with your LinkedIn network:
- Posting on their Profile – Useful for public recognition, congratulations, etc.
- Sharing a Post – Repost content they shared to your own feed.
- Liking or Commenting on Posts – Quick low-effort way to engage.
- @Mentioning in Posts – Draw their attention to content.
- Joining the same LinkedIn Groups – Communities to connect in.
Mix up how you interact and share to stay top of mind with your connections. And don’t be afraid to reach out directly when you want to connect on something more substantial.
In Summary…
Sending customized connection requests is an effective way to grow your LinkedIn network with relevant, engaged contacts.
Put thought into your messages, follow up after connecting, and focus on quality relationships over quantity of connections.
With the right strategy, connecting on LinkedIn can link you to new opportunities and elevate your professional profile.