The best day to send LinkedIn connection requests and messages for outreach depends on several factors. However, research and experience shows Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday tend to be the most effective days for LinkedIn outreach overall.
Why Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Tend to Work Best
Studies have found open and click-through rates for LinkedIn messages peak in the middle of the week on Tuesday through Thursday. Engagement data indicates these tend to be the busiest and most active days for users on LinkedIn. Many professionals reserve Mondays for internal meetings and planning, while Fridays are more commonly used for wrapping up the week’s tasks. So the middle days of the workweek tend to provide the best opportunity to catch your prospects’ attention.
Sending your initial outreach attempts earlier in the week also allows more time for recipients to respond and continue the conversation before the weekend arrives. Following up at the end of the week risks your messages getting lost over the weekend or overlooked on Monday when your prospect is getting organized for the week ahead.
Of the top three days, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, Wednesdays tend to see the highest response rates and engagement on LinkedIn. User activity peaks in the middle of the standard workweek. Response rates on Thursdays are still strong, but some dropoff starts heading into the end of the week. Still, any day Tuesday through Thursday is likely to outperform Monday or Friday outreach efforts.
When to Avoid LinkedIn Outreach
Mondays and Fridays tend to be the worst days for sending initial connection requests or messages through LinkedIn. As mentioned, Mondays are often devoted to internal meetings, planning, and organization. Your messages are likely to get overlooked as the recipient focuses on starting their week. Fridays carry the risk of your outreach attempt sitting ignored over the weekend when few professionals are monitoring their LinkedIn.
Holidays and days immediately preceding or following a holiday should also generally be avoided for LinkedIn outreach. Your targets are less likely to be checking LinkedIn messages if they have taken time off. The day after a holiday carries the same challenges as Mondays, when people are getting reoriented to work after time away.
Other poor times for LinkedIn outreach include late nights, early mornings, and weekends. Most LinkedIn users only actively check messages during regular business hours Monday through Friday. Anything sent outside standard working hours risks going unnoticed for some time.
Adjust Based on Recipient Time Zones
When determining the best day and time to message prospects, be sure to consider differences in time zones. The “best” day locally may be a low activity day from the recipient’s perspective. If you are reaching out to targets in other regions, adjust your outreach schedule accordingly.
For instance, if you are based in New York but messaging prospects in California, taking time zone differences into account might shift your optimal days from Wednesday-Thursday in NY to Tuesday-Wednesday CA time. Tool like Time Zone Converter can help you quickly translate best days and times between time zones.
Personalize Based on Individual Patterns
While the above days tend to work best in general, personalizing your outreach schedule for specific individuals can further improve response rates. Look at your target’s LinkedIn activity patterns for clues on when they are most active and engaged on the platform. If they consistently share new content on Mondays, that could be a signal to move up your outreach day for them. If their activity drops off on Fridays, avoid reaching out then.
Looking at an individual’s work history can provide additional insight. Do they tend to switch jobs in Q1 or Q2 rather than end of year? Use that to inform whether to intensify outreach at certain times. Focus on quality rather than quantity messages tailored to where they are in their own professional journey.
Personalized, well-timed outreach demonstrates you did your research on a prospect. Combined with compelling content, this catches their attention and improves the odds of a positive response compared to generic outreach.
Test and Refine Your Approach
Ultimately there is no single formula or day that will work perfectly for every situation. You need to test different days and times of messaging within your outreach campaigns to determine what resonates best with your prospects. Examine the open and response rates from your tests to guide adjustments and optimization.
Try an A/B test sending similar messages on Tuesday vs Thursday for a controlled sample of prospects. Or experiment sending a sequence over 3 weeks on alternating days to measure differences. Continue refining your own data-driven best practice for days to reach out.
Just like your messaging content, your outreach schedule should be continually refined and tailored. Consistently analyze response patterns and engagement metrics to determine optimal timing for your audience.
Other Factors Beyond Days of the Week
While day of week is important for LinkedIn outreach success, other factors also come into play:
- Message quality – Well crafted personalized messages drive higher response
- Profile optimization – Complete profiles with shared content attract more views
- Relationship strength – Warm outreach to connections tends to outperform cold contacts
- Following up – Repeated relevant follow-ups improve breakthrough
- Timing segmentation – Some industries have annual cycles that impact outreach
Day of the week is just one piece of an effective outreach approach on LinkedIn. Don’t lose sight of the other critical components that work together to generate results.
Summarizing the Best Days for Outreach
To summarize, the best day to send initial LinkedIn connection requests and messages is typically Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. The middle days of the workweek see peak engagement and activity from LinkedIn users. Avoid Mondays and Fridays as prospects are less likely to be active.
Take recipient time zones into consideration, and personalize your timing based on individuals’ activity patterns. Continually test and analyze response rates to refine your approach for optimal results.