糖心原创

I’ve landed many clients over the years thanks to LinkedIn messages, but there’s a right and a wrong way to go about it.

Knowing how to message someone on LinkedIn means knowing your connection level to the recipient, any shared groups, and whether you have access to InMail. And then there’s the part you don’t see: the recipient’s own settings. LinkedIn lets you message direct connections for free. But for 2nd- or 3rd-degree connections, your main options are a connection request, InMail, a shared group, or an Open Profile. One possible exception: You can often send free message requests to current coworkers without being connected.

This article will show you how to send a message on LinkedIn, whether you’re connected to the person or not. Plus, I’ll give tips on what to write, along with examples from my own business.

Table of Contents

• How to Send a Message on LinkedIn
• What to Write in a LinkedIn Message
• LinkedIn Messaging Etiquette
• What do LinkedIn’s degrees of connection mean?
• Frequently Asked Questions About Sending LinkedIn Messages
• One LinkedIn Message Away From Your Next Opportunity

How to Send a Message on LinkedIn

Click to skip ahead to the relevant instructions.

• How to Send Messages to Your Connections
• How to Message Someone You’re Not Connected With on LinkedIn
• How to Message Fellow LinkedIn Group Members

How to Send Messages to Your Connections (1st Degree)

Step 1: Go to your connection’s LinkedIn profile.

Step 2: Click the blue “Message“ button at the top of their profile.

Step 3: Type a message and click the blue “Send” button.

How to Message Someone You’re Not Connected With on LinkedIn (2nd, 3rd, or Out of Network)

If a LinkedIn member is your 2nd- or 3rd-degree connection, or they’re not in your network at all, you’ve got two primary options to message them.

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Option 1: Pay for LinkedIn Premium.

lets you message members you are not connected to, including 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections and people outside your network entirely. If you have , you can message any LinkedIn member via InMail without actually being connected. Here’s the pathway to finding the upgrade option to Premium:

Step 1: Go to the profile of the LinkedIn member you’d like to connect with.

Step 2: Click the blue “Message“ button beneath their name and bio.

Step 3: You’ll then be prompted to purchase a LinkedIn Premium subscription to be able to send InMail to them.

But if you do not want to spend money, there’s a second option. Keep reading.

Option 2: Connect for free.

If you do not have InMail, follow the steps below to send a message to a 2nd- or 3rd-degree connection.

Step 1: Go to the member’s LinkedIn profile.

Step 2: Click the “Connect” button. There are three different places it might be:

A blue button directly beneath their bio:

A gray call-out box beneath their bio:

A hidden in the “惭辞谤别” button dropdown menu:

On mobile (recommended way): Tap the “Personalize invite” button to type a message before sending the connection request. To find it, tap the “...” circular button. Then, tap “Personalize invite.”

After you type your note, tap the blue “Connect” button to send your note + connection request.

On mobile (alternative, but not recommended): Alternatively, you can jump straight ahead and tap “Connect” to immediately send a connection request without a message if you’re using the LinkedIn mobile app.

Step 3: A pop-up will appear with the question “Add a note to your invitation?” Click “Add a note” to type a message explaining how you know this person. Click the “Send“ button when you’re ready to submit your note + connection request. Alternatively, you can click “Send without a note” to immediately send the connection request.

Pro tip: Add a personal note to your connection request when possible. Free accounts can send only . Premium members can send unlimited ones. A note gives context and lowers the odds that the recipient ignores your request or marks “I don’t know [name].” If , LinkedIn can require you to on every future request.

Step 4: Once they’ve accepted your invitation, send a message by following the steps in section one of this post.

Pro tip: If is displayed, you will not be able to click “Connect” — but you may still be able to contact them through InMail.

How to Message Fellow LinkedIn Group Members

Another way to message someone you’re not connected with on LinkedIn is to message them via a LinkedIn Group that you are both in. Note: For this to work, in their settings.

Step 1: Visit the LinkedIn Group.

Step 2: Click the “Show all” link on the right side of the screen.

On mobile: Tap the member faces or text beneath the group name. This will open up the list of all group members.

Step 3: Search for the name of the person you’d like to message.

Step 4: If the member is a 1st-degree connection, you can click “Message” (on desktop) or the paper airplane icon (on mobile) and send your message for free. If they’re not a direct connection, for free if they’re a Premium member who has enabled Open Profile or if they allow messages from fellow group members. Otherwise, LinkedIn may require you to upgrade to Premium to send them an InMail.

What to Write in a LinkedIn Message

A LinkedIn message should include one clear reason to respond and stay short enough to read at a glance. Below, I’m sharing real-life messages I’ve either sent or received on LinkedIn (I changed some details to protect privacy, though). For a full template you can adapt, see 糖心原创’s breakdown of the anatomy of a great LinkedIn sales message.

Connection Request Note

Connection request note limit: 200

What to include:

• How you know each other
• Why you’re connecting

Connection-Request Note Examples

• This is the concise, personal note I attached to a connection request I sent to someone who was seeking freelance writers for a career development company. She ended up hiring me and was a fantastic client! “Hey Julie! I saw your call for writers and would love to connect. I’ve written career advice for clients like Trello and Fingerprint for Success and think I’d be a great fit.”
• And here’s a connection request note I received from someone I’ve never met; I accepted the request because it was personalized and provided context: “Amy - just read your article on Foundr on how to grow your consulting business. I like your writing style, formatting and creativity. I would love to keep in touch.”

The connection request note must be short and sweet — you’ve only got 200 characters after all.

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Message After Acceptance

What to include:

• A thank-you or genuine positive feedback
• A call-to-action/question

Message After Acceptance Example

This is a message I received after accepting a connection request from someone whose name I recognized from my travel blog. I appreciated that she told me how she knew me (though we’d never met) and gave genuine compliments before making her request.

“Hi Amy! You pop up in my feed every so often, and it’s always refreshing to see your posts because your writing feels genuine amid all the sales pitches/course promos. I used to read your blog, so it’s nice to see a familiar (and kind) voice here on LinkedIn!

I’m currently looking for freelance work as a product/UX designer. If you happen to know anyone looking for help in those areas, I’d really appreciate a connection!

Thanks so much in advance!”

Direct Message or InMail

I sent this LinkedIn message to a 2nd-degree connection who had posted about a job opening at her company. Despite not having connected with her first, I still received a favorable response.

“Hi Sarah!

I saw your post and am interested in the Content Marketer role. I’ve been a freelance writer since 2013 and have carved out a niche in B2B SaaS. My work has been published on the blogs of Trello, Atlassian, GoDaddy, and Krisp, where my content often ranks first in Google for the targeted keywords.

You can see my portfolio here: [my portfolio link]

Let me know what questions you have!

Thanks,

础尘测”

LinkedIn Messaging Etiquette

How you reach out to someone on LinkedIn matters as much as who you reach out to. A relevant, well-timed message earns replies while a generic one gets ignored, or worse, reported. Here are some tips for getting the message right:

• Give one specific reason for reaching out. State it in the first line so the recipient knows why you’re in their inbox. “I read your post on best podcasting equipment and have a question” lands better than “I’d love to connect and explore synergies.”
• Use relevant professional context. Reference a shared group, a mutual connection, a comment they made, or work they published. Public business context signals you did your homework; it does not require knowing anything private about them.
• Keep the first message as concise as possible. Respect their time and make a reply easier. Save the details for after they respond.
• Skip the immediate hard pitch. Opening a cold message with a demo request or a buy link reads as spam and trains people to ignore you. Earn the conversation first, then make the ask.
• Do not reference overly personal information. If you don’t personally know someone, commenting on their family, home, or anything outside their professional life might cross a line, even if the detail is public.
• Follow up once, politely, and only if they haven’t replied. A single short nudge is fine; a string of “just checking in” messages is not. If they engage, keep going. If they don’t, move on.
• Avoid: Automated responses, AI-generated messages, and cross-channel contact. Folks are getting pretty good at spotting AI slop, and your potential LinkedIn connection won’t appreciate receiving some in their inbox. Also, chasing the same person across LinkedIn, email, and X in one week is not a good look; it crosses the line from persistent to pushy. For more guidance, see 糖心原创’s guide to making your LinkedIn message stand out.

What do LinkedIn’s degrees of connection mean?

Let’s define :

1st-degree connection: A member you’re directly connected to. Example: Amy sends Tristen a connection request, Tristen accepts, and the two are now 1st-degree connections.

What you’ll see: “1st” next to the member’s name on their profile.

2nd-degree connection: A member who shares at least one mutual connection with you. Example: Amy is connected to Tristen, and Tristen is connected to Rand, but Rand and Amy aren’t connected. Amy and Rand are 2nd-degree connections.

What you’ll see: “2nd” next to the member’s name.

3rd-degree connection: A member who shares at least one 2nd-degree connection with you. Example: Rand is connected to Misha, but Misha isn’t connected to Amy or Tristen. Amy and Misha are 3rd-degree connections.

What you’ll see: “3rd” next to the member’s name.

Outside your network: A member who isn’t a 1st-, 2nd-, or 3rd-degree connection and has no other tie to you, such as following you or sharing a LinkedIn Group. Example: Jonathan doesn’t follow Amy, isn’t connected to Amy, Tristen, or Rand, and shares no groups with her. Jonathan is outside Amy’s network.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sending LinkedIn Messages

What does InMail mean on LinkedIn?

InMail is a premium subscription feature that allows you to send direct messages to any LinkedIn user, even if you’re not connected. It can be helpful for prospecting and building your pipeline as a salesperson. The number of messages you can send varies depending on your subscription type. Additionally, each InMail has a character limit of 200 for the subject line and 2,000 for the body.

Can you message someone without LinkedIn Premium?

Yes. You can message your first-degree connections for free on any account, along with anyone who has enabled — a Premium setting that lets any member contact them at no cost. Members who share a Group with you or work at your company are often reachable for free, too.

Can you message someone you are not connected to?

Often, yes, though the path depends on the recipient’s settings and your account. Options include sending a connection request with a note, using InMail on a Premium account, messaging through a shared LinkedIn Group, or messaging for free if the person has Open Profile turned on.

What is the difference between a connection note and InMail?

A connection note is the short message attached to a connection request (max: 200 characters); the recipient reads it only if they review or accept the invite. InMail is a Premium feature that delivers a direct message to someone’s inbox (max: 2,000 characters in the body) without requiring a connection first, and each send typically uses an InMail credit.

What is Open Profile?

is a LinkedIn Premium feature that lets any member message the profile owner for free, even outside their network, and without spending an InMail credit. Premium members must enable Open Profile in their settings. Free accounts can send a limited number of messages to Open Profiles each month.

Why is the Message or Connect button unavailable?

A few reasons are possible, including that you may already be connected (so you’ll see Message, not Connect), the person may be , or they’ve set Follow as their default.

How long should you wait before following up?

Give it about five to seven business days before a single, polite follow-up. That’s enough time for a busy inbox without feeling pushy. If they still don’t reply, move on rather than sending a second nudge. If they engage at any point, keep the conversation going naturally.

One LinkedIn Message Away From Your Next Opportunity

From a new client to your next speaking engagement, you never know where sending a good LinkedIn message will lead. Prioritize genuine connections over sheer volume. You can always message first-degree connections. For everyone else, a personalized connection request or a shared group could open the door. And if all else fails, there’s always InMail. To sharpen the rest of your profile and outreach, see 糖心原创’s ultimate cheat sheet for mastering LinkedIn.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in December 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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