Sending an InMail on LinkedIn can be a great way to reach out and connect with other professionals, but it’s important to understand how the process works. When you send an InMail message, there are several key things that happen behind the scenes that determine whether your message will successfully reach the intended recipient.
InMail Credits
The first thing to know is that sending InMails requires having available InMail credits. InMail credits allow you to send messages to people who are not already connections. Each InMail credit lets you send one InMail message. Here are some key points about InMail credits:
- LinkedIn provides a monthly allotment of InMail credits to Premium account holders. The number of credits depends on your Premium subscription level.
- You can purchase additional credits beyond the monthly allotment. Credits are sold in packs (e.g. 25, 50, 100 credits).
- Basic LinkedIn members do not have access to InMail credits. To send InMails, you must upgrade to a Premium account.
- Each time you send an InMail, one credit will be deducted from your available balance.
- Unused credits roll over month-to-month. Credits do not expire as long as your Premium membership remains active.
Understanding your available InMail credit balance is important. You want to make sure you have enough credits before attempting to send InMails to your desired recipients.
Recipient Settings
The next factor that affects whether your InMail will go through is the recipient’s account settings regarding InMails. There are two settings members can configure that impact InMail delivery:
- Open to receiving InMails from anyone: This opt-in setting allows the member to receive InMails from any other LinkedIn member. If the recipient has this setting enabled, your InMail can reach their inbox.
- Only accept InMails from 1st-degree connections: With this setting, the recipient limits InMail messages only to people already in their 1st-degree network. Unless you are connected, your InMail will not reach them.
As the InMail sender, you won’t know ahead of time if the recipient has restricted InMail settings. But this is a factor that affects delivery.
Relevancy Filters
LinkedIn uses automated filters to analyze the content of InMails and determine the relevance to the recipient. This is meant to cut down on spam/unwanted messages. If LinkedIn deems your InMail irrelevant, the message may get blocked from the recipient’s inbox.
To avoid irrelevancy filters:
- Personalize your message with specific details about why you are reaching out to this particular member.
- Make it clear there is a legitimate professional reason behind your message.
- Avoid generic greetings like “To whom it may concern” or topics unrelated to business.
Taking the time to craft a meaningful, personalized message is important for getting past LinkedIn’s relevancy scan.
Manual Blocking
Recipients also have the ability to manually block specific members from sending them further messages. If you have been individually blocked, any additional InMails you send to that person will not get through.
Some reasons a recipient may block you include:
- Receiving previous InMails they considered irrelevant or unsolicited
- Viewing your profile and determining they are not interested in connecting
- Having had poor past interactions or communication with you
- Not recognizing who you are
Once blocked, you will be unable to reach the recipient until they manually unblock you. There is no indication to the sender that they have been blocked.
Recipient Engagement
Finally, whether the InMail recipient decides to open, read, and respond to your message comes down to how well your outreach engages their interest. Even if your message makes it to their inbox, it may still be ignored or deleted.
Tips for engaging the recipient include:
- Having a compelling subject line that gives a taste of your reason for connecting.
- Making the first sentence count by quickly establishing value.
- Speaking to common connections, interests, experiences to establish rapport.
- Making it easy to respond, such as posing a question.
Mastering the art of engaging outreach takes practice. Pay attention to response rates to see what works.
InMail Delivery Rates
Putting all of the above together, InMails have varying rates of successfully reaching recipients and garnering responses. Here are some statistics on InMail performance:
Premium Users | InMails Sent | InMails Delivered | Response Rate |
Free Members | 0 | n/a | n/a |
Premium Career | 25/month | 15-20 | 15-20% |
Premium Business | 50/month | 30-40 | 10-15% |
Premium Sales | 100/month | 60-80 | 5-10% |
Premium Recruiter | 250/month | 150-200 | 2-5% |
As you can see, even with Premium access, not all InMails make it to the recipient’s inbox. And of those delivered, only a fraction result in a response.
Maximizing your InMail reach and engagement requires:
- Targeting recipients likely to be open to your message
- Crafting personalized and compelling content
- Following up respectfully if no response
With the right approach, InMail can be an effective way to connect with professionals and build relationships.
InMail vs. Connect Request
Beyond InMail, the other way to message someone on LinkedIn you are not connected to is by sending a connect request. There are some key differences in how these options work:
- InMail: Sends a one-off message without establishing a connection. Requires paid credits.
- Connect: Sends an invitation to connect on LinkedIn. Free, but has lower acceptance rate.
InMail is good for sending a single, important message. Connect requests establish an ongoing relationship, but have a high chance of being ignored or declined.
Here are some best practices on when to choose InMail vs. Connect requests:
- Use InMail when you have something substantial and specific to convey that doesn’t require an ongoing relationship.
- Use Connect when you want to strengthen ties and maintain a lasting professional relationship.
Evaluate each situation and determine which method of outreach makes the most sense based on your objectives.
Following Up After InMails
If you do not receive a response to your InMail, follow up carefully while respecting the recipient’s wishes:
- Wait at least 1-2 weeks before your first follow up attempt.
- Send just one follow up InMail, personalized with new content.
- If still no response after the follow up, it’s best not to persist further.
- Avoid contacting the recipient through other channels without permission.
While you want your messages to be seen, it’s important not to come across as overly aggressive or salesy. Take the hint if a recipient remains unresponsive.
InMail Compliance Standards
When sending InMails, be aware LinkedIn has compliance standards to maintain a professional environment. Avoiding the following will keep your account in good standing:
- Sending spam or unsolicited promotions
- Using false or misleading statements in your messages
- Making threats or using abusive language
- Sending InMails to recipients who have indicated they do not wish to be contacted
- Automating excessive InMail sends without personal customization
Violating LinkedIn’s policies could result in restrictions or penalties on your account. Keep your InMail practices ethical.
Conclusion
Sending an InMail initiates quite a bit of activity behind the scenes between credit deduction, content scans, account settings, and user engagement. Understanding this invisible sequence is key to maximizing your InMail success. With smart targeting, compelling messaging, and proper follow up, InMail can expand your professional network and unlock new opportunities.