In-mail, in simpler words, is a private mail feature on LinkedIn. The feature can only be used by premium members to engage and collaborate with others.
If you are an active user on LinkedIn, you may have noticed that you can’t send emails to every LinkedIn user. This is certainly because they have a premium subscription and to get in touch with them, you too will have to get one.
Here is when a big question arises– is in-mail that important? Well, let’s dive in and find the answer to this question quickly.
Here, we will discover:
- What is In-Mail?
- Benefits of Using In-Mail
- Best Practices to Write the Perfect InMail
- What to Avoid When Writing InMails
What is In-Mail?
InMail is a confidential messaging function on LinkedIn that provides a convenient way to get in touch with people who are not yet your connections. This function makes it possible for a LinkedIn user to send a message in private – one which cannot be read by anyone out of their network.
The InMail message pops right into the recipient’s web-based Inbox that they’ve set up on their LinkedIn account. The sender does not know the recipient’s address, which gives a degree of privacy to both parties involved. As a result, the recipient may look through your profile and decide whether they wish to respond or not. Depending on your membership type and desired audience segmentation, Inmail pricing varies.
Benefits of Using In-Mail
There are many but here are the top benefits of in-mail:
- It’s one of these megaphones that can connect with people actively seeking work, and it also targets those who think they may need to change jobs– whatever the scenario.
- This function could put down your personal thoughts. It is also an important point for synchronisation between your company’s requirements and a candidate’s preferences.
- A detailed report on the InMail is available. It tells you where your coverage works and what kind of outreach messaging may work as well.
- You can message a LinkedIn member even if you don’t have their email address.
- Use Quick Replies, which are pre-filled replies in InMail. These allow you to provide a quick response.
Best Practices to Write the Perfect InMail
To enjoy the benefits we discussed above, keep the following points in mind:
- Select Your Target Judiciously:
Be careful about this, you only have a certain amount of email credits in LinkedIn InMail, so don’t use it on just anybody you meet casually on Linkedin.
InMail should really be reserved for only the highest-priority prospects that you are currently recruiting, or networking with.
- Create a Profile that is Optimized:
What should you do first after receiving an invitation?
In all likelihood, you will click on their profile and check who they are, why they are contacting you and what benefits might exist for working with them.
They also do the same!
So, with that in mind, be sure to refine your profile before meeting any InMail contacts.
- Craft Captivating and Eye-catching Subject Lines:
The first item people notice in an InMail is its subject line.
So, make sure your InMail catches the eye and prompts a person to open it. Don’t neglect focusing on the subject line.
Thus it is always essential to think of a catchy, eye-popping subject line.
- Customize:
Did you know, a personalized InMail is 15% more effective than a generic one? To make your LinkedIn InMail more personalized, carefully research into the prospect’s profile to see if you have common interests, hobbies, connections, or experience.
Using these findings, write a message designed for the addressee that puts them in the spotlight and makes them explicitly aware of why they have been contacted.
- Initiate a Dialogue:
Let your InMail be anything but a generic sales pitch.
Make it a means for introduction and beginning a conversation between parties.
Initiating conversation is by far the most proficient way to foster lasting relationships that could eventually turn new prospects into clients.
Once your InMail and connection request are accepted, start the conversation by leading with an intriguing point, or by articulating the reason behind why you’re looking to foster a relationship.
- Keep it Short:
To help boost response rates, we recommend aiming for a brief message—400 characters is the maximum you should aim to provide. Generally, shorter InMails perform better than longer InMails.
Remember that this is supposed to act as an invite to interact and discuss. Because of this, you should keep your InMail straightforward. This means minimizing the amount of detail about the purpose of your InMail and being harsh about how much time you have to allocate—for every message, there’s room to cut out and condense your message by dropping words and ideas that are simply pointless.
- Incorporate a Directive to Encourage Action:
When sending an InMail, your objective is to obtain something, such as a meeting, connection, or sales.
Capture the recipient’s attention with an engaging opening statement and clearly communicate your desired action.
Shall we schedule a brief 10-minute phone conversation for Wednesday at 11 AM? Merely uttering the phrase “How does this sound?” is sufficient to transition from establishing a connection to initiating action.
There you go! That’s everything you must know about in-mail!