Sending messages is one of the most basic functions of LinkedIn. But for marketers and business owners looking to reach their ideal audience, it is also the most important feature on the social networking platform. Knowing how to use connection messages and InMail messages properly is the key to expanding your LinkedIn network.
Most people don’t know that there are character limits for outreach messages. A lot of them just write a message and hope that it fits. But learning about these limits can help you optimize your messages and improve your outreach strategy. Here we will talk about the character limits put in place by LinkedIn and how you can make the most of each message.
What are Connection and InMail Messages?
First things first: what are connection messages and how are they different from InMail messages? A connection message is the note that you add whenever you want to connect with someone on LinkedIn. This is optional, but marketers should always make use of this feature to increase their chances of making a connection.
People are not likely to accept connection requests from LinkedIn users they don’t know. Giving them a note explaining who you are and why you want to connect may convince them to accept you into their network. InMail messages are like email messages, except they are built into LinkedIn natively.
For those who have a basic LinkedIn account—meaning your account is free—you cannot send messages to people who are not connected to you. You can only message people in your network and people who belong in the same LinkedIn Groups as you.
InMail allows you to message people even if they are outside of your network. By getting a paid LinkedIn account, you can get a set amount of InMail depending on your plan.
With a Career plan, you get three InMail messages per month, while the Business plan gives you 15. The Sales plan takes this up to 20 per month, and the Hiring plan gives you 30 InMail messages. Choose a plan that will help you achieve your outreach goals on LinkedIn. If you don’t want a LinkedIn premium account, you can still join LinkedIn Groups and send messages to people outside of your network
Character Limits on LinkedIn Connection and InMail Messages
LinkedIn limits the number of characters you can use for each connection and InMail message. Keep in mind that characters include letters, numbers, emojis, symbols, and all the spaces. When sending a message on LinkedIn, you have to keep it short and sweet.
The character limit for connection messages is 300 characters. As for InMail messages, your subject line can be up to 200 characters long. The body of your message can be up to 2,000 characters long. So make sure you go straight to the point and catch your reader’s attention right away.
Because InMail is sent as a direct message, they tend to have high response rates. This is significantly better than sending cold emails. Use your 200-character subject line to immediately grab their attention, and then include all the information they need in the body of the InMail.
How to Make the Most Out of LinkedIn Connection and InMail Messages
You need to compose your messages carefully from start to finish. Sending messages on LinkedIn is an art form. You have to grab their attention, give them the information they need, and encourage them to do what you need them to do.
To achieve this, your message needs to be personalized. Do not expect the same canned message to yield great results. In fact, that might actually get you marked as a spammer. So make sure you send a personalized message based on who you are talking to.
Personalized connection messages are more likely to get accepted. The recipient is also a lot more likely to send a reply. This is because no one likes reading the same old boring connection request templates. If you send a personalized one, you can instantly attract their attention.
Take the time to look around their profile and know more about them. This will help you engage with them in a natural and conversational manner. Use their first name, talk about their job, discuss your industry, and give them a bit of an idea of how you can help them. Add a compliment or two into the mix—but make sure you give a genuine one.
When talking to someone for the first time, you need to make it clear to them why you are sending that message. Make it clear that you want to connect with them and give a reason why they should accept your request.
Using Kennected to Simplify Your Outreach
Personalizing your messages is very important when you’re targeting your ideal audience on LinkedIn. That is why you need the right Sales Enablement Platform for the job.
Kennected is a unique Sales Enablement Platform that lets you simplify your outreach allowing you to send personalized messages and follow ups. Kennected will help send your messages in a personalized and organized. This saves you a lot of time, so you can focus on more important tasks like talking to your leads and building relationships.
Imagine being able to send personalized messages to thousands of people in your defined demographic. You can send them an intro message and easily connect with all of your leads. Whether they buy something immediately or just connect with you, you win. Once they connect with you on LinkedIn, you can see their phone number and email right inside the Kennected dashboard.
That’s the power of Kennected. We help business owners reach thousands of people at a lower cost than mailers. We can also help you build up your email list, SMS list, and more. It’s about being everywhere your ideal potential customers are. Kennected can help you grow your business. Book a demo with Kennected today to learn more!
