LinkedIn InMail vs Message: Which Should You Use?

LinkedIn Messages vs InMail: The Key Difference

LinkedIn Messages are free and can only be sent to your 1st-degree connections (people you're already connected with).

LinkedIn InMail is a premium feature that lets you message anyone on LinkedIn — even people you're not connected to. InMail comes with Sales Navigator, Recruiter, and Premium subscriptions.

When to Use LinkedIn Messages

Regular messages work best when:

You're Already Connected

If you're connected with someone, there's no reason to use InMail. Regular messages are free, have a higher character limit, and feel more natural — like continuing a conversation rather than cold-pitching.

Following Up After a Connection Request

The best workflow: send a connection request with a personalized note → once they accept → send a regular message to start the conversation. This costs zero InMail credits.

Nurturing Existing Relationships

For staying in touch with clients, colleagues, and warm leads, regular messages are the way to go. They appear in the same conversation thread, making it easy to reference past interactions.

Group Messages

LinkedIn lets you create group conversations with regular messages. InMail is one-to-one only.

When to Use LinkedIn InMail

InMail makes sense in specific situations:

Reaching Decision-Makers You Can't Connect With

Some executives have 30,000+ pending connection requests. Your connection request will sit in a queue forever. InMail lands directly in their inbox — and LinkedIn notifies them via email too.

Recruiting Top Talent

If you're a recruiter reaching out to passive candidates, InMail is industry standard. Candidates expect it, and LinkedIn Recruiter gives you specialized InMail features designed for hiring.

Time-Sensitive Outreach

Connection requests can take days or weeks to be accepted. InMail arrives immediately. If you need to reach someone before an event, deadline, or meeting, InMail is faster.

Reaching "Open Profile" Users

Some LinkedIn Premium users enable "Open Profile," which means anyone can message them for free — even via InMail. These messages don't count against your InMail credits. Worth checking before using a credit.

InMail Response Rates: What to Expect

LinkedIn reports an average InMail response rate of 10-25%. But that's across all InMail — well-crafted messages perform significantly better.

Factors that affect InMail response rates:

• Personalization: Generic InMails get 5-10% response rates. Personalized ones get 15-30%+
• Subject line: This is your first impression. Vague subjects ("Quick question") underperform specific ones ("Saw your talk at SaaStr — question about your GTM approach")
• Length: Shorter InMails (under 400 characters) get 22% higher response rates than longer ones
• Timing: InMails sent Tuesday-Thursday during business hours perform best
• Mutual connections: Mentioning a shared connection increases response rates significantly

InMail Credits: How They Work

InMail credits are allocated monthly based on your subscription:

Credit recovery: If someone responds to your InMail within 90 days, LinkedIn gives you the credit back. This incentivizes sending quality messages — the better your InMail, the more credits you effectively have.

How to Write InMail That Gets Replies

The Subject Line

You have 200 characters. Use them wisely.

What works:

• Reference something specific: "Your article on account-based selling"
• Ask a question: "How is [Company] handling outbound in 2026?"
• Mention a mutual connection: "Sarah Chen suggested I reach out"
• Be direct about value: "Idea to cut your prospecting time by 50%"

What doesn't work:

• Generic openers: "Quick question" / "Hi there" / "Opportunity"
• Clickbait: "You won't believe this" / "Urgent"
• Overly formal: "Request for a meeting regarding potential synergies"

The Body

Keep it under 400 characters if possible. Every extra word reduces your response rate.

Formula:

1. Why you (1 sentence): Why are you reaching out to them specifically?
2. What's in it for them (1-2 sentences): What value are you offering?
3. Soft CTA (1 sentence): Make it easy to say yes

Example:

Been following your posts on scaling SDR teams — your approach to call coaching is spot on.

We're helping companies like [Similar Company] book 40% more meetings through LinkedIn automation. Thought it might be relevant given your team's growth.

Worth a 15-min chat this week?

The Alternative: Connection Request + Message

For many use cases, this two-step approach outperforms InMail:

1. Send a personalized connection request (300 character limit in the note)
2. Once accepted, send a detailed message (8,000 character limit, free)

Connection request acceptance rates are typically 20-40% when personalized. That's often comparable to InMail response rates — and it costs nothing.

When this doesn't work: When you need to reach someone immediately, when the person rarely accepts connection requests, or when you need the subject line to stand out in their inbox.

InMail vs Sponsored InMail (Message Ads)

Don't confuse regular InMail with LinkedIn Message Ads (formerly Sponsored InMail):

For sales outreach, regular InMail wins. For large-scale marketing campaigns, Message Ads have their place — but expect lower engagement.

Scaling LinkedIn Outreach Beyond InMail Limits

InMail credits run out fast. Even with Sales Navigator's 50/month, that's less than 2 per day. If you're doing serious prospecting, you need a more scalable approach.

Handshake automates LinkedIn outreach at scale:

• Automated connection requests with personalized messages — no InMail credits needed
• Smart follow-up sequences that continue the conversation after someone connects
• Multi-step campaigns that combine connection requests, messages, and profile engagement
• Analytics to track what messaging works and optimize your approach

Instead of burning through 50 InMail credits hoping for 10 replies, send hundreds of personalized connection requests that start real conversations.

FAQ

Can I send InMail to someone who has messaging turned off?

No. If someone has disabled InMail in their privacy settings, you cannot send them InMail regardless of your subscription. You'd need to connect with them first or find another way to reach them.

Is InMail more effective than cold email?

It depends. InMail has higher open rates (LinkedIn notifications + email alerts), but cold email allows for more volume and automated sequences. Many sales teams use both — InMail for high-value targets, cold email for broader outreach.

Do InMail messages go to the recipient's regular email?

Yes. LinkedIn sends an email notification when someone receives an InMail. The recipient can read and reply directly from their email inbox without opening LinkedIn.

What happens if my InMail is rejected?

If the recipient declines your InMail, you don't get the credit back. Credits are only refunded when someone responds (positively or negatively). This is why quality matters — every failed InMail is a wasted credit.

Can I use InMail for bulk outreach?

Technically, yes — you can send up to your monthly limit. But LinkedIn monitors InMail activity. Sending the same template to dozens of people will get you flagged. Each InMail should be personalized.

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Want to scale your LinkedIn outreach without burning through InMail credits? Handshake automates connection requests and follow-ups — so you can reach more prospects for free.