LinkedIn gives you such an incredible opportunity to form new relationships — through direct messaging! Almost all of my relationships with my leads start with LinkedIn messages. What I love about this approach is that it’s so much easier to be seen through cold messaging on LinkedIn, compared to something like cold emailing (although you know I still have a soft spot for cold emailing). LinkedIn messages are private and make it easier to form genuine connections. In this blog, you’re going to get several LinkedIn message examples that you can copy, personalize, and use to communicate with your own leads.

Let’s go!

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LinkedIn Message Examples: 9 LinkedIn Message Templates by Category

Now, there could be a number of reasons why you’re conducting LinkedIn outreach. So, my goal is to give you some LinkedIn message examples for a variety of scenarios.

The LinkedIn Invite Message

You might’ve noticed that whenever you send an invite to someone to connect with them, LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to personalize it with a note. It looks like this:

I strongly recommend that you use this opportunity, especially because LinkedIn (and all of the other platforms) are really cracking down on spam. Taking a few extra seconds to personalize your invite can go a long way.

Avoid anything too generic, like “I’d like to add you to my network!” It does nothing to make a lasting (and positive) first impression. Instead, try these:

Hi [NAME] — we both work in [INDUSTRY] and I wanted to reach out.

Hi [NAME] — I really enjoyed your [podcast, blog, interview, etc.] on [TOPIC] and would love to connect.

Hi [NAME] — I’m reaching out in regards to [TOPIC OF CONVERSATION].

Personally, I use that last one a ton. This is because I’m reaching out to leads to who I want to ultimately sell my agency’s blogging/SEO services. So, I might say something like, “I’m reaching out in regards to [BRAND NAME’s] blog.”

I’ve got a whole YouTube video on writing the LinkedIn invite message — check it out!

After They Accept Your Invite

If you’ve consumed any of my content before, then you know I am not a fan of hard selling and don’t recommend it. Instead, what I always tell my students — and what I practice myself — is to gently approach the idea of working together. We are not cold pitching. We are doing LinkedIn cold outreach. There’s a difference.

You might use one of these LinkedIn message examples:

Thank you for accepting my invite, [NAME]. I’m reaching out because I’m interested in working together on your [blog, social media, email marketing, etc.]. Would you be open to discussing this more?

Thank you for accepting my invite, [NAME]. I’m reaching out because I’m interested in working together on your [blog, social media, email marketing, etc.]. Would you happen to know who I can speak with about this?

Thank you for accepting my invite, [NAME]. I notice that you manage [BRAND NAME’s] [blog, social media, etc.] and was wondering if you’d be open to discussing possibly working together. Can I email you to chat more?

Tweak these so that they make sense for you and feel natural. The second one applies if you’ve connected with a lead but aren’t 100% sure that they’re the right person to speak to about the services you offer.

For example, I have a content agency. But if the only person I can get a hold of on LinkedIn is in the social media department, I need them to connect me with whoever manages the blog.

Follow-Up LinkedIn Message Examples

Guess what? You’re not going to get a hold of everyone on the first try — and that’s okay! Sometimes, you have to give your leads a gentle nudge. My advice? Keep this simple. All you’re doing is poking them a little and saying, “Hey! Don’t forget about me. I’m still here!”

Hey [NAME] — I wanted to follow up in case my last message was buried.

Hey [NAME] — I wanted to follow up on my last message.

Hey [NAME] — looping back around here! Would you be open to talking more?

What About LinkedIn InMail?

What about LinkedIn InMail vs message? InMail allows you to message people who you haven’t yet connected with. In order to receive InMail credits, you need to be paying for a subscription, like Premium or LinkedIn Sales Navigator — although LinkedIn will give you credits here and there for free.

Use them! But I recommend them as a last resort. Connecting with a lead after sending an invite should still be the priority. And in my experience, paying for Sales Navigator didn’t make all that much of a difference. Here’s a video where I go into more detail:

If you do use InMail, you can still copy the templates above.

A Final (Very Important) Reminder

I’ve already mentioned this in this blog, but it’s so important that it bears repeating: Personalize every single LinkedIn message. If the mere thought of this annoys you because it means you have to do a little more work than copying and pasting, then I’m not sure what to tell you (aside from… don’t be lazy!). We’re talking about literal seconds of additional work, and it’s going to make your recipients feel less like a number and more like a human. And that’s how you write LinkedIn messages that convert leads into clients.

I’m so happy to share that I recently launched a 55-page guide to setting up the perfect LinkedIn profile. It’s available on Gumroad. Because you stuck with me through the end of this blog, as a thank you, you can use the code 10off to get $10 off. Hope you enjoy it!