An InMail is a LinkedIn message to someone outside your connections. It lands straight in their inbox, without them having to accept an invitation first. Premium plans give you a number of them each month. Used well, they open doors. Used badly, they go unanswered.
How many InMails per plan
| Plan | InMails per month |
|---|---|
| Career | 5 |
| Business | 15 |
| Recruiter Lite | 30 |
| Sales Navigator Core | 50 |
Two rules change the maths. First, an InMail that gets a reply within 90 days is credited back to you: a well-targeted message often costs nothing. Second, some Premium members have an "Open Profile": you can message them for free, without using a credit.
Invitation or InMail?
An invitation with a note is free, but the person has to accept it before they can reply, and the note is very short. An InMail goes straight to their inbox, with a subject line and room to explain why you are writing. Use invitations for people in your field you simply want to be connected with, and InMails when you have a specific request.
The structure of an InMail that gets a reply
- A specific subject line. "Data project manager role in Manchester" rather than "Hello" or "Opportunity".
- A first sentence that says why this person. "I saw you are hiring for the data team in Manchester" or "Your post about last-mile delivery made me think of our tool".
- What you bring, in one or two sentences, with something checkable: a number, a project, a company.
- A small, clear request. "Would you have 10 minutes next week?" rather than "Can you help me find a job?".
- Short. Four to six lines. It will be read on a phone.
Two examples
For a job search
Subject: Data project manager role in Manchester
Hi Claire, I applied yesterday for the data project manager role in your team. For the past two years I led the move of my company's dashboards to Power BI, for 300 users. Would you have 10 minutes this week to tell me what matters most to you in this role? Thank you, Thomas
For a first sales contact
Subject: Your technician hiring in Leeds
Hi Mark, I saw you are opening five technician roles in Leeds. We help small manufacturers cut their hiring time for these profiles, for example a company of 80 people last year. Is this something you are working on right now? If so, I can send you two concrete examples. Best, Ines
Mistakes that waste credits
- The same message pasted to twenty people, without a single line about them.
- A CV attached to the first message, with no context.
- Fifteen lines about your career.
- A request that is too big: a job, an hour-long meeting, a recommendation.
- Repeated follow-ups. One follow-up a week later, in one sentence, is enough.
When to write
There is no magic time. There are good reasons to write: a job that was just posted, a post by the person, company news, a fellow alum. A message that builds on one of them has a better chance than a message sent at random on a Tuesday at 9am.
How many do you need?
For a job search, 5 a month is enough if you keep them for the jobs that matter: that is the Career plan. For networking or regular prospecting, the 15 in Business soon become useful. Beyond several messages a day, Sales Navigator or Recruiter Lite are made for that volume.