Channel
LinkedIn InMail
Paid LinkedIn messages that reach people you are not connected to, sold as credits with Premium and Sales Navigator.
What is LinkedIn InMail?
InMail is LinkedIn's paid messaging product. It lets you message someone outside your network without a connection request. Credits come bundled with Premium and Sales Navigator seats.
InMail reply rates in B2B
LinkedIn reports InMail reply rates of 10 to 25 percent. In practice, for B2B software buyers, 8 to 15 percent is more honest, and most of those replies are polite declines.
// FIRST TOUCH COMPARISON
inmail: paid, no connection needed, 8-15% reply
connection_first: free, requires acceptance, 15-25% reply once accepted
verdict: connection-first compounds, inmail does not
Why I rarely lead with InMail
A connection request that gets accepted gives you a permanent channel to that person. An InMail gives you one message. Once the credit is spent, the relationship is either started or dead.
Connection-first outreach also leaves you with a network asset. After a year of accepted invites, your first-degree network is full of the exact buyers you sell to, and your content reaches them for free.
When InMail is worth it
- Senior executives who never accept invites from outside their network
- Open Profile recipients, where InMail costs no credit
- Time-sensitive follow-up to a live signal, like a funding round or a hiring push
Related reading: First Touch Messaging and LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is LinkedIn InMail better than a connection request?
- Usually not. A connection request costs nothing and, once accepted, gives you an ongoing channel. InMail buys one message and no relationship.
- What is a good InMail reply rate?
- For B2B software buyers, 8 to 15 percent is realistic. Anything above 20 percent means your targeting and subject line are unusually strong.