Completely Revamp Your Linkedin Messages With 15 Examples

Linkedin Messages are a fundamental part of your Linkedin Strategy, so you must get them right! Here are 15 Message Examples you can use for free!

Once you’re making LinkedIn connections, it’s time to expand on those relationships. Getting your invitation accepted is only the first step of the networking process. Moving forward, it is vital to continue to put time and effort into these newfound prospects. Most commonly, this is done via LinkedIn’s internal direct messaging.

This direct messaging system is the ultimate saving grace in the world of networking. Through a brief and well-constructed message, you can immediately dive into relationships with individuals across the globe! With this in mind, it is important to fully capitalize on the world of opportunity that could be a few short sentences away.

Similar to your invitation request, you want to make the absolute most of any message you’re sending to a potential business partner or future colleague. With this brief guide, I hope to help clear up the murky waters of professional outreach and put together a few fool-proof approaches to gaming the messaging landscape.

15 LinkedIn messages proven to get replies

There are a few overarching themes to a solid LinkedIn message: personality, purpose, concision, and clarity. With these in mind, here are 15 examples of optimal LinkedIn messages that concretely highlight these main goals and will help you get jump-started on your messaging endeavors.

1. Following up a new connection

“Hey David,

So excited to have connected with you! I can’t get enough of the articles you’ve been pushing forward about the recent developments in cultured meats! As a huge foodie myself, I see a lot of potential in the field. If you have some time, it’d be great to chat about it over some coffee! Let me know!

Best,
Clara”

2. Reaching out to an industry leader

“Hey Jamie,

It is such an honor to have connected, I’ve been a huge fan of your social work for decades now. I have to offer praise for your most recent publication in the Times, the homeless crisis truly deserves immediate attention. If you have some time, I’d love to talk it over, as a city board member, I think it could really do some good.

Best,
John”

3. Fostering a relationship with a colleague

“Hey Hannah,

I recently saw your Medium post on my feed, really amazing stuff! I can see we both have a continuing passion for the “old internet,” it really is fascinating, isn’t it? I’m actually working on a marketing campaign with a major emphasis on that theme, would love to talk about it.

Hope to talk soon,
Georgia”

4. Eyeing a new role

“Hi Dave,

It’s been a delight since connecting with you! All of your shared posts have been so informative and useful. I noticed your team is expanding and you’re in the process of hiring a new product designer. In my time at Uber, I think I’ve made some major strides and would like to talk about your new role if you have the time.

Hope to be in touch,
Rosie”

5. Expanding on a commonality

“Hello Natasha,

I think you and I have a lot of similar thoughts on ethical marketing. I noticed you reposted an article I published in the Atlantic and would love to talk it over with you. Your research has always been a jumping-off point for my work, so I think it would be perfect to have a quick coffee chat!

Best,
Jude”

6. Expressing Interest in a field

“Hey Kyle,

After connecting, I’ve noticed a lot of your work seems to circulate in the field of marketing sustainable products. As a fellow creative strategist and environmentalist, I have longed to make the jump from tech to sustainability, or the intersection of the two. It would be a pleasure if we could have a quick call!

Best,
Teani”

7. Promoting a project

“Hey Quentin,

I’m so excited to have connected with you! Your drive is truly noticeable and I think you are a budding star in the creative space. I’ve noticed you have a specific interest in reimagining plastic packaging. With this, I have been working on a sustainable alternative for shipping cosmetics that could be of interest!

Thanks for your time,
James”

8. Seeking investors

“Dear Adrianna,

Thank you immensely for connecting with me! I have long followed your growth in the private equity industry. I’ve recognized your budding fascination with the future of virtual reality and share all your sentiments with the field’s promise. My team and I have put together some amazing virtual concert experiences I think you’d love to be a part of. It’d be great to talk it over if you have the time.

Thank you again,
Samantha”

9. Follow-up message

“Hey Trevor,

I just wanted to bump that article I sent you on the growth of NFTs. I truly think your team could capitalize huge on this current boom we’re seeing. I know the times are busy for you but if you happen to have a few minutes it’d be a pleasure to talk it over and see what you think.

Hope to be in touch,
Yash”

10. After a presentation

“Hey Angie,

I was in attendance at your recent talk on the climate crisis and was so blown away by your ability to ignite the crowd. Your concluding remarks on the recent opposition to electric vehicles were illuminating. It’s been an honor to follow your professional growth on here, and I’ve noticed it ties greatly into my personal research on CFCs. I would really enjoy chatting with you soon!

Best always,
Timothy”

11. Expanding on a LinkedIn interaction

“Hey Faith,

I just saw you commented on my recent post about the vaccination drive over at USC! Always great to see a fellow alum keeping up with the community. I also noticed you are still working in licensing over at Paramount and would love to catch up and chat!

Best,
Armando”

12. Expanding on a mutual connection

“Hi Penelope,

So interesting that we both know John, he was actually my best friend in high school! Such a small world. I caught your comment on his job update and couldn’t help but notice your publicist role for Interscope! As a fellow publicist myself, it’s always a pleasure to talk about new acts and trends, let’s chat soon!

Hope to hear from you,
Sean”

13. Highlighting an opportunity

“Hey Dianne!

Thank you for connecting with me and congratulations on your MBA! I’ve been eyeing your work for a few months now and really enjoyed your think piece on the implications of a global corporate tax. My firm is currently in the process of recruiting an economist and I think it might be right for you. Let me know if you have time to chat!

Best,
Richard”

14. Sharing your network

“Hey Jamie,

Such a privilege to have connected with you. I really appreciate the work you do at Twitch and recognize all of your contributions as a senior designer. In my time as a recruiter, I’ve come across many great promising designers and would love to share my network with you. It’d be great to talk it over and see what you think!

Talk to you soon,
Adam”

15. Asking for a referral

“Dear Albert,

It’s been great following your work on LinkedIn, thanks again for connecting with me. My summer at Slack was amazing and I am appreciative of your mentorship. I’m currently in the process of applying for a full-time position at Facebook and I know you spent many years there! If you had a few minutes to chat about a potential referral that’d be amazing!

Thanks in advance,
Marcos”

Tips for improving your cold messages on LinkedIn

With these few examples in mind, let’s dive deeper into some foundational tips to apply to your impactful cold messages.

Optimize your profile

One of the most basic tools of networking is establishing credibility.

To begin, a professional headshot with a good quality image and semi-formal attire (at the least) should clearly show yourself. To match, you should make use of a clear background design that either aesthetically enhances your page or offers some information. Your profile should also feature a clear tagline and summary where you highlight your skills, recent experiences, and a bit of your personality. Lastly, you should make use of LinkedIn’s recommendation feature and have your colleagues, friends, and bosses endorse you!

Target your messages

When writing it is always, always, always important to know your audience. This rule of thumb holds true even for writing LinkedIn messages. Each element should be considerate of who you are addressing. The nuance of choosing between“hey, hello, and dear could change whether you’re addressing a peer, CEO, hiring manager, or an old friend. With higher-ups make sure you present your assets, with peers highlight your common ground, always be malleable to your audience.

Personalize your request

Always be sure to take the extra time to set yourself apart from the crowd. Expressing interest in your connection’s recent postings is an easy and simple way to show you keep up and are genuinely involved in their efforts. Each message you send should hold this similar sentiment of individual interaction. Keep in mind that you are addressing a person who will be more than flattered to know you appreciate their work and their life beyond their role.

Provide value

Providing value is to once again highlight your assets. No matter who you are messaging, you will always have something to offer. Networking is simply the process of marketing yourself. Within each message, find a way to highlight how your skillset and experience can contribute to your connection’s goals. Leaving even one sentence for this can incentivize a response and get the conversation rolling!

Graciously sign off

Just as you begin with a polite introduction, you should seal the conversation with a gracious send-off. Networking can be a tiring affair for all parties involved and it is worth the effort to let your peers know that you are appreciative of their efforts. Even if the interaction falls through, your gratitude will be remembered and could benefit you down the road.

Avoid these LinkedIn cold Message mistakes

After highlighting all of the things you should do, we can’t forget to point out what you really really should stray away from.

• Not giving your connection a strong call to action: Avoiding vagueness is a decent strategy. If you have a question, it should be specific and direct. If you have something to share, it should be relevant and clear. Always be sure to express how your message is relevant to your connection. Vagueness will likely end with an unread message.
• Coming across as unprofessional: Be sure to remain professional and avoid authoritative tones. In most cold messaging situations you will be the party seeking out some sort of advice or assistance. Keep this in mind when you make note of the tone of your message. If your message comes across as cold, demanding, or confrontational, you can easily expect to not hear back anytime soon.

All in all, be sure to remember who you are addressing and that they are most likely doing you a favor. Kindness, gratitude, and patience all go a long way and speak for themselves. If you can incorporate all of this into your cold messages, you should quickly see more success moving forward.