LinkedIn InMail vs Message: Which One Works Best?

Compare LinkedIn InMail vs Messages to master outreach, boost networking, and optimize your professional communication strategy.
Linkedin InMail vs Message: Which One Works Best?

LinkedIn is the top professional networking platform, connecting millions of professionals around the world. Its main purpose is to enable meaningful communication that promotes networking and lead generation. To effectively grow your professional network or generate high-quality leads, it's crucial to understand and utilize LinkedIn's communication features, especially tools like LinkedIn InMail that help you reach prospects beyond your immediate connections.

There are two main tools used for messaging on LinkedIn: Messages and InMail. Messages allow you to directly communicate with your 1st-degree connections, while InMail provides a paid feature that enables you to reach out to prospects outside of your immediate network.

In this article, we will explore the differences between LinkedIn InMail and Messages, helping you develop an effective LinkedIn messaging strategy. Here's what you'll learn:

  1. The distinctions between Messages and InMail on LinkedIn
  2. When to use each tool for maximum impact
  3. How LinkedIn outreach tools influence your lead generation efforts
  4. Cost considerations associated with LinkedIn paid messaging

By understanding these factors, you can optimize your LinkedIn contact options and enhance your outreach success. Additionally, if you want to maintain a level of privacy while using these features, it's important to know how to turn on private mode on LinkedIn, which can be useful in certain networking situations.

Understanding LinkedIn Messaging Tools

LinkedIn offers two primary ways to communicate with other professionals: Messages and InMail. Understanding the differences between these tools is essential for effective networking and outreach.

What Is LinkedIn Messages?

LinkedIn Messages allow you to connect and communicate directly with your 1st-degree connections — people you have already added or who have accepted your connection request. This feature is free and supports ongoing conversations, relationship building, and warm outreach. When you send a message on LinkedIn, it’s a direct line to someone within your immediate network.

What Does InMail Mean on LinkedIn?

InMail on LinkedIn refers to a premium messaging feature designed for reaching people outside your direct connections. If you're wondering, “what is inmail on linkedin?”, it’s essentially a way to send messages to 2nd or 3rd-degree connections or completely new contacts without needing to be connected first. InMail messages are particularly valuable for sales professionals, recruiters, and anyone looking to expand their network beyond existing ties.

Are InMail messages on LinkedIn legit? Yes, they are an official LinkedIn feature built into premium plans, ensuring your outreach complies with platform rules.

Differences Between Messages and InMail

Feature

LinkedIn Messages

LinkedIn InMail

Audience Reach

Only 1st-degree connections

Non-connections including 2nd/3rd degrees

Cost

Free

Requires Premium subscription or credits

Usage Scenarios

Warm outreach, ongoing conversations

Cold outreach, recruitment, broad prospecting

How to Access InMail

Access to InMail comes through LinkedIn Premium plans, such as Premium Career, Premium Business, or specialized tools like Sales Navigator. These subscriptions provide a monthly quota of InMail credits that reset every month. Sales Navigator users typically enjoy higher limits and advanced search capabilities that enhance targeted outreach.

Understanding what is an inmail and when it’s appropriate helps you choose the right communication method for your goals. Whether nurturing existing relationships or expanding your professional network, selecting between LinkedIn Messages vs InMail depends on who you want to reach and the context of your interaction.

Key Differences Between LinkedIn InMail and Messages

Understanding the distinctions between inmail vs message LinkedIn helps you choose the right communication tool for your networking or marketing efforts. Both serve important roles but differ significantly in audience reach, cost, and response potential.

Audience Targeting

  • LinkedIn Messages
  • You can send messages only to your 1st-degree connections. This limits outreach to people who have already accepted your connection request, making it ideal for ongoing relationship building and warm leads.
  • LinkedIn InMails
  • These are designed for reaching beyond your immediate network. InMails allow you to contact 2nd-degree, 3rd-degree connections, or even complete strangers on LinkedIn. This capability is crucial for cold outreach, recruitment, or prospecting when you do not have a direct connection.

Cost Implications

  • Messages
  • Sending a message within your direct connections is completely free. No subscription or credit is required.
  • InMails
  • To send InMail messages, you need a LinkedIn Premium subscription (such as Premium Career, Business, or Sales Navigator) or you must purchase InMail credits separately. The LinkedIn InMail credit price varies by plan:
  • Premium Career: Limited monthly credits (e.g., 5 per month)
  • Business and Sales Navigator: More credits included with higher-tier plans
  • Additional credits can be bought at a cost if you exhaust your monthly allocation

Response Rates Comparison

Data on LinkedIn InMail response rate shows mixed results depending on approach and personalization level:

  • Messages sent to existing connections tend to get higher response rates due to familiarity and pre-established trust.
  • InMail campaigns can achieve respectable success if carefully targeted and personalized. Studies suggest that well-crafted InMail messages have a response rate ranging between 10% to 25%, often influenced by industry and message quality.
  • Generic or spammy InMail marketing tends to underperform, reinforcing the need for relevance and customization in outreach.

Additional Considerations

  • Using LinkedIn Smart Links alongside InMails can enhance tracking and engagement by allowing you to share customized content links that reveal recipient behavior.
  • The choice between inmail messages or regular LinkedIn messaging often depends on your goals—whether nurturing existing relationships or expanding your network efficiently.

Knowing these differences equips you with clarity on which LinkedIn tool aligns best with your networking strategy and budget constraints.

How Does LinkedIn InMail Work?

How Does Linkedin InMails Works

Understanding how InMail works is crucial when deciding between LinkedIn InMail vs Message. The concept of LinkedIn InMail revolves around a credit system that controls how many messages you can send to non-connections.

LinkedIn InMail Credits System

LinkedIn allocates a specific number of InMail credits depending on your subscription type. Here’s a breakdown:

  • Premium Career: Typically offers 5 InMail credits per month.
  • Premium Business: Comes with around 15 InMail credits monthly.
  • Sales Navigator: Provides between 20 to 30 InMail credits each month, depending on the plan tier.

Unused credits often roll over for a limited time, but they expire if not used within that period. This credit model is designed to encourage targeted and thoughtful outreach rather than mass messaging.

What Does LinkedIn InMail Mean in Practice?

An InMail on LinkedIn allows you to contact members outside your immediate network—2nd or 3rd-degree connections or even users with no prior connection. This expands your reach significantly compared to standard Messages restricted to first-degree connections.

How to Send an InMail on LinkedIn

The process for sending an InMail is straightforward:

  1. Access your credits: Your available InMail credits are displayed within your LinkedIn Premium dashboard.
  2. Find the profile: Navigate to the LinkedIn profile of the individual you want to message.
  3. Click “Message” or “Send InMail”: If you’re not connected, the option automatically routes through the InMail system.
  4. Compose your message: There is typically a character limit—often set at 1900 characters for the body of the message. The subject line also has a separate limit (usually about 60 characters).
  5. Send and track: After sending, you can monitor if the recipient opened or replied to your InMail through LinkedIn’s interface.

This controlled environment encourages crafting personalized and relevant outreach messages rather than generic spam.

What is an InMail in LinkedIn? It’s essentially a premium messaging feature that breaks through network boundaries while utilizing a credit-based system to maintain quality communications.

Mastering how to use these credits effectively can boost your networking or lead generation efforts by connecting with prospects otherwise unreachable via free messages.

Benefits and Limitations of LinkedIn Messages

LinkedIn messages serve as the foundation for direct communication within your immediate professional network. These messages are free and accessible to all users, allowing seamless interaction with your first-degree connections. This makes them a powerful tool for ongoing relationship building and warm outreach without worrying about subscription fees or credit limits.

Advantages of LinkedIn Messages

  • Cost-effective communication: Unlike InMail, sending messages to your first-degree connections doesn't require LinkedIn Premium or additional credits. This aligns well with budgets focused on organic networking rather than paid outreach methods.
  • High engagement potential: Messaging contacts you already know or have connected with tends to generate higher response rates. Personal rapport and shared history increase the likelihood of meaningful conversations.
  • Supports nurturing relationships: Consistent messaging helps maintain existing bonds, making it easier to leverage those relationships for referrals, collaboration, or business opportunities.
  • Flexible formats: You can share links, files, and multimedia within messages, enriching communication beyond simple text.
  • Integration with LinkedIn features: Messages often complement other outreach tools like LinkedIn profile outreach, where you can combine profile visits with personalized notes to deepen connection.

Limitations of LinkedIn Messages

  • Restricted audience reach: You can only message people who are already in your network (1st-degree connections). This limits your ability to perform cold outreach or engage prospects outside your immediate circle without initiating a connection request first.
  • Connection requests required for expansion: To reach 2nd or 3rd-degree contacts through messaging, you must send a connection invite that requires acceptance before initiating a conversation. This adds friction compared to InMail's direct access.
  • LinkedIn free message limits: While there isn’t a strict cap on messaging existing connections, aggressive messaging patterns may trigger restrictions designed to prevent spammy behavior.
  • Less suited for large-scale prospecting: When targeting B2B audiences at scale, relying solely on standard messages is inefficient compared to options like LinkedIn sponsored messaging or conversational ads that target carefully segmented audiences.
  • No built-in automation: Unlike some premium tools that facilitate automated sequences via templates or integrations, standard LinkedIn messages require manual effort unless combined with external automation tools.

Using LinkedIn messages strategically involves focusing on warm leads and leveraging the natural trust embedded in your network. It complements other outreach methods such as email or InMail but stands out for its zero cost and direct access within an established professional context. Crafting effective communication here also benefits from tailored approaches like utilizing proven LinkedIn message templates designed for B2B outreach success.

Benefits and Limitations of LinkedIn InMail

LinkedIn InMail offers distinct advantages for professionals who want to expand their reach beyond their immediate network. It is a powerful tool for LinkedIn cold outreach and LinkedIn cold messaging, allowing you to connect with potential leads or prospects who are not in your first-degree connections.

Benefits of LinkedIn InMail

  • Access to a broader audience: Unlike regular messages limited to your direct connections, InMail lets you send messages to 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections or even users outside of your network. This capability is essential for scaling your LinkedIn sales outreach efforts.
  • Higher visibility in crowded inboxes: InMails appear directly in the recipient’s LinkedIn inbox, often standing out more than connection requests or emails that can get lost in spam folders.
  • Personalization opportunities: You can craft tailored messages using insights from profiles, improving response rates through effective LinkedIn message personalization. Personalizing your outreach reduces common LinkedIn outreach mistakes like generic or irrelevant messaging.
  • Professional tone and context: The platform encourages professional communication, making it suitable for formal introductions, business inquiries, and recruitment.

Limitations of LinkedIn InMail

  • Cost factor: Accessing InMail requires subscribing to LinkedIn Premium plans or purchasing credits separately. These costs can add up quickly if you send many messages, so budgeting for InMail usage is crucial when planning your LinkedIn connection strategy.
  • Credit limits and expiration: Each subscription tier provides a limited number of InMail credits per month. Unused credits usually expire after 30 days, which means you need to plan carefully when deciding the best time to send LinkedIn InMail for maximum engagement.
  • Response rates vary by approach: While InMail opens doors to cold outreach at scale, success depends heavily on message quality. Poorly crafted copy or lack of personalization can lead to low reply rates despite the broader reach.

Using LinkedIn InMail effectively requires balancing these benefits with its costs and limitations. Focus on strong copywriting skills and targeted outreach based on solid research. Applying proven LinkedIn sales outreach tips, such as clear value propositions and respectful follow-ups, maximizes the return on investment from this premium feature.

Comparing Effectiveness: When to Use InMail vs Message on LinkedIn?

Choosing between LinkedIn InMail vs Message depends heavily on your outreach goals and the relationship stage with your audience. Understanding the strengths of each channel sharpens your ability to engage effectively.

Scenarios Favoring LinkedIn Messages

Messaging works best when you already share a connection. If someone is a 1st-degree connection, you can send direct messages without restrictions or costs. This facilitates linkedin lead nurturing messages, where ongoing conversations build trust and rapport naturally.

Here are some scenarios where LinkedIn Messages are more effective:

  1. Warm Leads & Existing Relationships: Messaging works best when you already share a connection. If someone is a 1st-degree connection, you can send direct messages without restrictions or costs. This facilitates linkedin lead nurturing messages, where ongoing conversations build trust and rapport naturally.
  2. Relationship Maintenance: Use LinkedIn DMs for quick check-ins, sharing updates, or responding to inquiries. The personal touch increases response rates as contacts recognize you and feel less like cold prospects.
  3. Connection Request Follow-ups: Once a connection request is accepted, messages become the primary channel to deepen interactions without additional investment.

Scenarios Favoring LinkedIn InMails

InMail is designed to reach 2nd and 3rd-degree connections who aren't yet in your network. This makes it ideal for recruiting candidates or generating leads from untapped pools.

Here are some scenarios where LinkedIn InMails are more effective:

  1. Cold Outreach at Scale: InMail is designed to reach 2nd and 3rd-degree connections who aren't yet in your network. This makes it ideal for recruiting candidates or generating leads from untapped pools.
  2. Recruitment Campaigns: Recruiters rely heavily on InMail to contact passive candidates beyond their immediate connections, expanding candidate pipelines efficiently.
  3. High-Volume Prospecting: When combined with personalization, InMail campaigns can scale cold outreach while maintaining relevance.

Impact of Personalization Techniques Including AI Variables

Both channels benefit significantly from personalization tailored to the recipient's profile and pain points. Using linkedin outreach best practices, such as:

  • Addressing recipients by name
  • Mentioning mutual connections or interests
  • Highlighting specific benefits relevant to their role or company

AI-powered tools automate and optimize this process by analyzing user data and generating context-aware message templates. These enhancements improve linkedin inmail effectiveness and boost reply rates across both channels.

For instance:

AI-driven customization can adapt tone and content dynamically, increasing authenticity whether sending a LinkedIn DM vs InMail.

Personalization narrows the gap between cold outreach and warm engagement, making even initial contact feel more genuine. This blurs lines in the linkedin message vs inmail comparison, emphasizing that success depends not only on the tool but how thoughtfully it’s used.

LinkedIn Direct Message vs InMail: Strategic Application

Use messages for nurturing existing relationships or when you have prior engagement.

Deploy InMails when reaching out to new prospects beyond your network where connection requests might be ignored or take time.

Balancing these approaches based on target audience and campaign goals maximizes impact while respecting recipient preferences in professional networking environments.

Leveraging Automation Tools for Messaging Efficiency

Leveraging Automation Tools

Automation for LinkedIn outreach has transformed how professionals manage their communication. Manually sending personalized messages or InMails to a large LinkedIn target audience messaging pool can be time-consuming and prone to inconsistency. Automation tools address these challenges by enabling linkedin professional messaging at scale while maintaining personalization.

Key Benefits of Automation in LinkedIn Messaging

  • Consistency: Scheduled delivery ensures your messages reach prospects regularly, supporting linkedin drip messaging strategies.
  • Personalization at Scale: Advanced platforms enable hyper-personalized LinkedIn messages by dynamically inserting recipient-specific data such as name, company, industry, or recent activity.
  • Compliance: Well-designed automation respects LinkedIn’s usage policies, avoiding spammy behavior that could lead to account restrictions or bans.
  • Efficiency: Automating repetitive tasks frees up valuable time for relationship-building and strategic follow-up.

Popular Automation Solutions

One standout example is SalesRobot, which supports automated outreach with robust targeting filters and message sequencing. SalesRobot facilitates:

  1. Sending personalized connection requests with custom notes.
  2. Triggering follow-up messages in drip campaigns after initial acceptance.
  3. Managing multiple campaigns simultaneously with detailed analytics to optimize open and response rates.

Other tools focus on AI-driven engagement to boost interaction authenticity. These solutions use natural language processing to generate context-aware replies and comments, enhancing perceived human touch without manual effort.

Best Practices When Using Automation

  • Avoid generic templates; tailor each message sequence based on audience segmentation.
  • Combine automation with manual review stages to ensure tone and relevance remain high.
  • Respect daily limits on message volume imposed by LinkedIn to maintain account health.
  • Use data insights from automation dashboards to refine targeting and messaging continuously.

Automation for LinkedIn outreach helps you engage more prospects efficiently while preserving the quality of linkedin professional messaging. Leveraging these tools thoughtfully can support sustained growth in connections and leads without sacrificing authenticity.

Pricing Breakdown: Cost Considerations for Using LinkedIn InMail

Understanding the cost of LinkedIn InMail is crucial when deciding if this tool fits your networking or lead generation strategy. An InMail on LinkedIn represents a direct message sent to someone outside your immediate connection network, unlocked through various premium subscriptions.

LinkedIn Premium Plans and InMail Availability

LinkedIn offers several tiers of premium plans, each including a set number of InMail credits per month:

  • Premium Career
  • Designed for job seekers and professionals enhancing their profile visibility. Includes 5 InMail credits per month. Credits roll over for up to 90 days if unused.
  • Premium Business
  • Suitable for professionals looking to expand their reach beyond first-degree connections. Comes with 15 InMail credits per month.
  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core
  • Focused on sales professionals targeting prospects with advanced filtering options. Provides 20 InMail credits per month, plus enhanced search capabilities.
  • LinkedIn Recruiter Lite (Recruiter InMail)
  • Tailored for recruiters sourcing talent beyond their network. Offers 30 InMail credits monthly, enabling contact with a larger pool of candidates.

How LinkedIn InMail Limits Affect Usage

Each subscription level enforces limits on how many messages you can send, based on the allocated credits. These credits refresh monthly but do not accumulate indefinitely beyond a certain period, which encourages consistent engagement rather than bulk messaging.

Unused credits typically expire after about three months, so planning your outreach cadence helps maximize value.

Additional Costs and Purchasing Extra Credits

If you exhaust your monthly allotment, LinkedIn allows purchasing additional InMail credits in packs (usually starting around $10-$20 per credit). This pay-as-you-go model suits users with sporadic high-volume outreach needs without upgrading to a more expensive plan.

Is LinkedIn InMail Worth It?

The answer depends on your goals:

  • You benefit from direct access to decision-makers outside your network without waiting for connection acceptance.
  • The cost justifies itself when conversion rates from cold outreach are favorable.
  • For comparison, free messages to first-degree connections lack this reach but carry no direct expense.

Examples of Effective LinkedIn InMail Use

  • Personalized recruitment messages through Recruiter Lite targeting specific skill sets.
  • Sales Navigator users reaching out with tailored offers to mid-level managers in target industries.
  • Business plan subscribers connecting with potential partners or clients beyond immediate circles.

Pricing transparency around LinkedIn Premium InMail plans enables you to tailor your subscription choice according to budget and outreach volume needs. Each tier balances credit availability against cost, empowering strategic use of this powerful communication channel.

Crafting High-Converting LinkedIn Outreach Messages & InMails

Writing effective LinkedIn prospecting messages or InMails requires a strategic approach. The goal is to capture attention quickly and clearly communicate your value to the recipient. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write LinkedIn InMails and messages that convert:

1. Create a Compelling Subject Line

Your subject line is the first thing recipients see, so it needs to spark curiosity or offer clear relevance. Keep it concise, personalized, and benefit-driven. Examples include:

  • Quick question about [Recipient’s Industry]
  • Idea for improving [Recipient’s Company]’s [specific process]
  • [Mutual Connection] suggested I reach out

Avoid generic subjects like “Hello” or “Let’s connect” that often get ignored.

2. Personalize the Opening

Start with a personal touch that shows you’ve done your homework:

  • Reference a recent post or achievement of theirs
  • Mention a mutual connection or shared group
  • Highlight something specific about their role or company

Personalization increases the chance your message will be read and responded to.

3. Clearly State Your Purpose

Be direct about why you’re reaching out without sounding pushy. Use simple, straightforward language:

“I’m reaching out because I believe our solution can help streamline your marketing efforts.”

Avoid vague sales pitches; instead, tailor your message to address a pain point or opportunity relevant to them.

4. Keep It Concise and Focused

LinkedIn InMail character limit is approximately 1900 characters, but shorter messages often perform better. Aim for around 150-200 words to maintain clarity and respect their time.

5. Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

End with an easy next step for them, such as:

  1. Scheduling a brief call or demo
  2. Asking if they’d like more information
  3. Inviting them to connect or reply

Make your CTA simple and low-pressure.

6. Maintain Professional Tone with Warmth

Your message should sound professional yet approachable—avoid overly formal language that feels robotic. Reflect genuine interest in helping rather than just selling.

While LinkedIn DM templates can serve as useful starting points, it's crucial to adapt them for each prospect to avoid sounding generic. For recruiters using LinkedIn InMail, emphasize relevancy by quickly aligning candidate skills with job needs.

To further enhance your LinkedIn engagement strategy, consider utilizing tools like HyperClapper which can significantly optimize your LinkedIn engagement through its LinkedIn Engagement POD.

Applying these LinkedIn outreach hacks supports effective pipeline building and strengthens any LinkedIn outbound strategy by combining personalization with precision messaging.

This approach will help you navigate the nuances of LinkedIn InMail vs Message: Which One Works Best?, maximizing engagement through thoughtful communication tailored to your audience’s needs

Managing Your LinkedIn Inbox Efficiently

Handling your LinkedIn inbox effectively is crucial for maintaining strong professional relationships and optimizing your LinkedIn warm outreach efforts. The volume of incoming messages—from first-degree connections and InMails—can quickly become overwhelming without a system in place. Implementing smart LinkedIn inbox management strategies helps you stay organized, respond promptly, and prioritize valuable conversations.

Techniques to Organize Incoming Messages

1. Use LinkedIn’s Built-in Filters

LinkedIn provides filters to separate messages from first-degree connections, InMails, unread messages, and archived conversations. Regularly sorting messages using these filters allows you to focus on high-priority contacts first.

2. Categorize Conversations with Tags or Labels

While LinkedIn does not offer native tags, you can keep track externally by maintaining a spreadsheet or CRM integration. Classify conversations by categories such as leads, clients, recruiters, or collaborators for easier follow-up.

3. Archive Non-Urgent Messages

Archive messages that don’t require immediate response but may be relevant later. This declutters the main inbox view and reduces cognitive load when scanning for important threads.

4. Set Response Priorities Based on Connection Type

Prioritize replies to first-degree connections who are warm leads or current clients. These relationships tend to have higher engagement potential compared to cold InMails, which may require more nurturing before receiving a response.

5. Leverage Message Templates for Efficiency

Prepare customizable response templates for common inquiries or follow-ups. This practice speeds up replies while allowing personalization tailored to the recipient’s context.

Managing InMail Messages Separately

InMails often represent cold outreach attempts or new networking opportunities. Treat these separately from your day-to-day conversations with direct connections.

  • Respond selectively to InMails based on relevance and interest.
  • Keep track of sent InMails and their response rates over time to refine your outreach strategy.

Additional Tips

  • Turn on Notifications Wisely: Enable alerts only for priority messages to avoid constant distractions.
  • Schedule Inbox Time Blocks: Dedicate specific times during your workday exclusively for managing LinkedIn correspondence.
  • Integrate with CRM Tools: Sync LinkedIn conversations with customer relationship management platforms for centralized tracking and follow-up automation.

Adopting these linkedIn inbox tips ensures you maintain clarity, respond professionally, and capitalize on networking opportunities as they arise without feeling overwhelmed by message volume.

LinkedIn InMail vs Message: Choosing the Right Approach for Maximum Results

Crafting an effective LinkedIn outbound strategy requires a balanced mix of both Messages and InMail, tailored to the intent and readiness of your prospects. You achieve the strongest outcomes by:

  • Combining warm outreach through Messages with high-intent cold outreach via InMail.
  • Leveraging automation tools to scale personalized communication while staying compliant.
  • Monitoring response rates, analyzing performance, and refining messages based on real-time insights.

Maintaining strong LinkedIn messaging etiquette is essential for building trust and credibility. Authentic, clear, and relevant communication always outperforms generic templates or spammy outreach.

A strategic blend of LinkedIn’s messaging tools—paired with thoughtful engagement—can significantly boost your networking and lead-generation success. Ultimately, the answer to LinkedIn InMail vs Message: Which One Works Best? depends on your outreach goals, your audience, and the level of personalization you bring to each touchpoint.

HyperClapper – The Ultimate Tool to Power Your LinkedIn Outreach

HyperClapper

HyperClapper enhances your LinkedIn InMail and Message strategy with powerful features designed to improve efficiency, personalization, and safety:

  • AI-driven personalization for highly tailored messages at scale
  • Automated multi-touch sequences combining Messages and InMail
  • LinkedIn-compliant automation, ensuring zero risk to your account
  • Smart audience segmentation for targeted outreach
  • Advanced analytics & performance insights to optimize every campaign
  • Time-saving workflows that reduce manual effort while increasing conversions

With HyperClapper, you can elevate both your warm and cold outreach, drive meaningful conversations, and maximize your LinkedIn lead-generation results effortlessly.


FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the difference between LinkedIn Messages and LinkedIn InMail?

LinkedIn Messages allow you to communicate directly with your 1st-degree connections for free, while LinkedIn InMail is a premium feature that lets you reach out to 2nd and 3rd-degree connections or people outside your network through paid credits.

How do I access LinkedIn InMail and how does the credit system work?

LinkedIn InMail is available through LinkedIn Premium plans such as Premium Career, Business, Sales Navigator, or Recruiter Lite. Each subscription provides a set number of InMail credits per month, which you can use to send messages to users outside your direct connections. Additional credits can be purchased if needed.

When should I use LinkedIn Messages versus InMail for outreach?

Use LinkedIn Messages for warm leads and existing relationships where you already share a connection. Use LinkedIn InMail for cold outreach at scale to reach professionals outside your immediate network, such as 2nd and 3rd-degree connections.

What are best practices for crafting effective LinkedIn InMail messages?

Effective InMails should have a compelling subject line, personalized opening showing you've researched the recipient, clearly stated purpose without sounding pushy, concise content within the character limit (~1900 characters), a clear call-to-action, and maintain a professional yet approachable tone.

How can automation tools improve my LinkedIn messaging strategy?

Automation tools like SalesRobot help schedule and send personalized message sequences consistently, improving outreach efficiency. However, it's important to avoid generic templates and tailor each message to maintain authenticity and engagement.

Is investing in LinkedIn InMail worth it for professional networking?

LinkedIn InMail is valuable if your goals include accessing a broader audience beyond your direct connections. It facilitates cold outreach with higher visibility but comes at a cost via premium subscriptions. Its effectiveness depends on personalization, targeting, and strategic use aligned with your networking objectives.