At SalesBread we prefer to use this approach to lead generation:
- Send an ultra-personalized connection request
- Follow up and ask for a meeting
InMails are a supplementary approach to our above strategy.
The reason?
Simply put, we have had better replies from using connection request messages.
On average we are seeing 45% connection rates, 39% positive reply rates, and 1 lead a day.
And according to a Linkedin learning course, InMail has an average response rate of between 18-25%.
So there will be a percentage of your target market who will be responsive to InMails.
But if you aren’t getting the responses you want, from the clients you’re after, then by all means use InMails.
In this article, we will share some of our best InMail message examples, some tips, and tricks to get positive replies from InMails; and the formula we use to get guaranteed results.
(And if you don’t have the time or expertise to find qualified prospects, hop on a free 15-minute strategy call with SalesBread. Let’s see how we can help you.)
Our top tips for sending InMails
1. Use the “open InMail” setting applied to a prospect’s profile
Linkedin makes it really easy for us to know who is open to getting InMails. (This is something that the cold email world would love if there was a magic button to show you who was open to getting your emails.)
Open InMail is basically a toggle that allows anyone to contact you on Linkedin for free even if they aren’t in your network.
2. Always add value to your copy
When thinking about what to write in your copy, always think about what’s in it for the reader.
If each sentence packs a punch and adds something of value to your reader, the chances of them continuing to read your message will be greater, AND they will most likely respond.
Use the 90/10 rule. Speak about the prospect 90% of the time and only 10% about yourself just for context. Try to put yourself in the reader’s shoes and think about how you would respond to the message.
Never ask for something without offering something in return. For example, if you would like the reader to check out a guide, offer them something like 10 free backlinks.
3. Keep your InMails short and to the point
InMails can have a 200-character count for your subject line and a 1900-character count for the body of your InMail – This doesn’t mean though that you should use the entire character count.
Remember people are busy.
If they see a long passage of copy, they aren’t going to read it. Linkedin suggests only sending messages that are about 100 words.
So keep your InMails short and to the point.
4. Write your subject lines after you have written the copy
Subject lines should also be short and to the point. If you can limit it to one or 2 words.
For example: “Quick Question.”
We suggest writing a subject line after you have written your copy, it’s just easier to think of something specific and to the point.
5. Don’t have a salesy pitch in your messages
A sales pitch is the fastest way to make your prospects hit delete.
Don’t use a sales pitch.
Rather use the InMail as a way to get your foot in the door to continue a conversation. Or direct the reader to something very specific.
6. You only have one shot with an InMail because you can’t follow up
Because InMail only has one touch, we recommended adding one of the most important pain points that your prospect is facing.
Mention 2 benefits of your product/service, and maybe 2 social proof examples.
Don’t just name-drop, but rather mention 2 companies that you helped and share the results gained for them in the same sentence.
This will pack a stronger punch.
7. Have one easy Call to Action
Have one very clear and easy CTA. This will ensure that you have the best chance of getting a response in one single touch.
You need to be very clear about what you would like the prospect to do.
If you are vague, they won’t respond.
When we say use an easy CTA, we mean make it as easy as possible for your prospect to respond.
If not – you’re doing it wrong.
If you’re asking for a 15-minute call over InMail, you’re going to get a much smaller response.
What’s the goal of an InMail?
It’s just to start a conversation. What we see works best as SalesBread, is to ask to make the next easiest baby step.
Which could sound like:
- Can I expand on this more?
- Are you interested in xyz?
- Would you like to find out more?
Ideally, you would like them to reply with a one-word answer, like “yes.”
We always ask for a quick chat in our Linkedin follow-ups, but this doesn’t work well with InMails.
8. Don’t use automation for everything
We have noticed that many InMails are automated. It’s okay to use some automation, but if a prospect replies, we suggest having a salesperson respond in real time.
In this way, if the prospect has any questions, you can have a human answer the questions.
Linkedin Inmail Templates
Below are some message templates you can use in your own outreach. Feel free to adapt them as you need to.Example 1:
The above InMail isn’t perfect. For example, don’t send an InMail with a subject like:
“How’s it going.”
Rather write your copy first and then think of a subject line that will capture your prospect’s attention.
Next, we noticed that there is quite a bit of fluff in the first two sentences. Be very specific and take out anything in your InMail that doesn’t add value to the prospect.
So we shortened the message down to this:
Then we also noticed, nothing was in it for us… (the reader.)
Remember to think about what’s in it for the prospect.
So they wanted us to read their guide, but we weren’t sure why.
If they had maybe mentioned one value proposition, it would have generated a better response.
The writer could have mentioned value ads like:
“We are going to mention SalesBread in this guide if you provide feedback. This guide is going to be shared with 50 000 email subscribers…”
Or:
“We are going to provide a backlink to SalesBread on our website, we have a domain rating of 80. This will help you generate more traffic.”
Or:
“We would like to add you to our partnership page directly on our website so that we can refer our clients to SalesBread whenever they ask for consulting services.”
These value ads make it much easier for the prospect to respond because there is something in it for them.
Remember to have a very clear CTA
Whether it’s asking the prospect to read a quick one-page cheat sheet and offer feedback in exchange for something of value.
Example 2:
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Example 6
Example 7
Use this formula for reaching out to qualified leads
Build a list of your ideal target audience
Before you send an InMail, you need to make sure that you’re reaching out to the right kind of prospects, who actually need what you’re selling.
So in order to do this, you have to look at data.
Which companies have purchased your product/service from you within the past 6 months?
Then, ask yourself, what do these companies all have in common?
- Which industries are buying from you? Are they all in health & wellness? Or tech?
- Where are they located? USA? Europe? 100 miles from California?
- Which decision-makers are buying from you? Is it the CEO of the company? Marketing managers?
- Have these companies been funded?
- How big are the companies that are buying from you? 10-20 employees? 100+?
- Have these companies all been featured on a podcast? Or do they make use of podcasts for marketing?
Eventually, certain patterns will begin to emerge that will allow you to build look-alike lists of prospects.
Research prospects, so that you can write a personalized message
Let’s say for example, that you would like to reach out to the above person via InMail.
Maybe you figured out that your best sales come from saas content marketers.
Here’s what you do…
Look at the prospect’s Linkedin profile and find something to either:
- Compliment the prospect on
- Mention a shared commonality
- Ask a question
This method is known as CCQ.
When you mention something personal in your InMail, it usually piques the prospect’s interest.
Why?
Because they know it’s not some random spam InMail that’s being sent to hundreds of other people.
This will help your InMail stand out from all the thousands of messages that are spammy.
For example, if you look at the profile above, you could compliment the prospect and say:
“John, loved your YouTube video on (XYZ.)
Thought I’d reach out because I’m curious to hear how (company name) solves (pain points?) For reference, our company does (XYZ (mention how you solve pain points).
Would love to hop on a quick call to chat about XYZ. Let me know if this might be something on your radar.
(Your name)
Use an easy to “respond” Call to Action
We always ask for a booked sales call in all our outreach messages but as we mentioned earlier this doesn’t work with InMails…
Use a CTA that tells the prospect exactly what you’re looking for from them, and paves the way for further conversation.
You could even say:
- Here’s a link to my website
- If you would like to learn more, reply with a yes.
- Is this worth a quick conversation?
What’s the cost of sending Linkedin InMails
For every message you send, you will be paying about $0.70 on average.
Below is a screenshot taken directly from Linkedin showing the amount of InMails you can receive depending on which package you choose.
Depending on the subscription you have, you will be allocated a specific number on InMails.
Ready to give this strategy a try?
If connection requests aren’t getting the replies you want from prospects, by all means, try InMail.
With some of our Linkedin outreach campaigns, we are receiving great response rates from using InMails.
We still prefer using connection requests first though.
If you’re interested in learning more, please read this article. It explains exactly how we find 1 guaranteed sales lead per day for our clients.
Or book a free 15-minute strategy call below.