Connecting with people directly on LinkedIn is a great way to make new professional contacts and find collaborative partners for projects you are undertaking. However, sending a message that is polite, unique, and likely to reap results is easier said than done. To help you write effective LinkedIn connection messages, we’ve collated some tried and tested tips below:
1. Avoid Using A Generic Greeting
LinkedIn offers a generic connection request message that simply asks users to add the sender to their professional network. While this is unlikely to offend anyone who receives it, it won’t encourage them to connect with you or demonstrate that you are interested in much more than bulking up your number of connections. You will need to address them personally and with friendly yet formal language that demonstrates your professional legitimacy.
2. Keep Subject Lines Short And Sweet
With so many direct messages and emails hitting our inboxes on a daily basis, many people don’t have the time or energy to read the entirety of a message. In this way, it is vital that you hook your potential connections in with a catchy subject line.
According to recent data published by LinkedIn, restricting your subject line to three words or fewer will boost your chances of getting a response by around 14%.
You should also try to indicate your motives clearly with a subject line such as “Project proposal” or “Hoping to connect”, as this will encourage recipients to open the message in a timely fashion.
3. Point Out Your Mutual Interests And Connections
Before reaching out to a potential contact, familiarize yourself with their profile and search for points of similarity. If they went to the same school as you or were born in the same state, feel free to point this out in your message. Although this might have nothing to do with your field of work, it will demonstrate that you are willing to connect on a personal level as well as a professional level, something which can be very appealing to potential business partners.
Similarly, if you have mutual connections, make the most of them. Potential employers or collaborators are likely to be reassured by mutual connections as it will show that you move in the same circles and have proved to be a reliable business contact in the past. This is particularly true if your mutual connection is a former employer.
4. Avoid Spelling Mistakes And Faux Pas At All Costs
Spelling mistakes can be very off-putting in a professional context. The same can be said for overly familiar or potentially offensive language. In this way, it is vital that you proofread your message thoroughly before sending it out and vetting it for any potential faux pas. Tools such as Grammarly may be a great help in this context.
