A rough guide to use LinkedIn messaging

I get upwards of 10 messages a day on LinkedIn.I am probably a user with a lighter load. There are others who get many more messages than me. Here are some thoughts, based on my personal experience and inputs from others, to help you get the max out of the tool. To understand these points, bear in mind that LinkedIn is a professional network, for professionals to meet and interact, and the rules of business communication apply by and large.

1. Avoid sending messages comprising solely of phrases like "Good Morning!' or "Hi" or "Hello". By all means be polite, but come to the point quickly. It is a waste of the reader's time and energy to send two words messages - they have to acknowledge and then it goes on in small sentences. If you are into short messaging, try WhatsApp!
2. State your business, please. Starting your message with "Job Search" or "Training Project" or "Part time work in XYZ discipline" is perfectly ok, even desirable. On the other hand, starting by asking "How are you?" or "Hope this finds you well" .. oh well, I don't want to be rude. but surely you have not written to ask me that!
3. Be succinct. Remember that most users access LinkedIn on devices, not large-screen computers. On a mobile or tablet, reading a long message is tiresome. State what you want, state your credentials, reference an attachment if there is one and step aside.
4. Be pertinent. There are some messages that I get which are plainly bewildering. Someone asks me whether they should do an MBA in Marketing or Finance. What really do you expect me to tell you, given I am not a career counselor, don't know you personally, am not likely to know you personally and we are not in a coaching or counselling arrangement? Better than this is to read the profile, check whether there is relevance to the need you have and then state the question.
5. Be relevant. You've spent a decade or more selling airconditioners. No point asking a veteran of the nuclear power industry whether he has a job for you (assuming you are not seeking a change in career etc). He doesn't. Don't waste your time and his. Ask someone in the aircon industry (or consumer durables, if you want to cast a net wide) for a job.
6. Research the person. Similarly, if you've made a career selling medical devices in the UK, there is not much point in referencing a veteran in Hong Kong to help you find a job in the UK (unless you know for certain that the particular person is in a position to do so). Again, a waste of your time and theirs.
7. Be polite. It may sound ridiculous, but I've had a case where someone aggressively demanded to know why I had not responded within a day of receiving their initial message. Sure, they were unemployed and needed a job desperately- but I've got a day job, too! I did respond firmly but politely on this one ...

Smoothening interactions on messages goes a long way in ensuring fast and clear feedback! Welcome your thoughts and tips as well.