Why I don't always respond to LinkedIn messages

I accept every LinkedIn connection request I receive. It allows me to expand my network, and everyone will see my posts!

As a result, I receive between 15 and 20 LinkedIn messages every day from all of my new connections, and I practically never respond. This incredible influx of LinkedIn messages is probably due to the fact that now everyone is ignoring email requests.

While LinkedIn is a great platform, please don't forget all the recommended email practices. In fact, they are even more applicable if you want people to read your LinkedIn messages. Here are the most common reasons why I never respond to your LinkedIn messages.

I have no idea who you are

This is self-explanatory. If I am going to respond, I need to actually know who you are.

If our only connection is the fact that I accepted your LinkedIn request, don't kid yourself into thinking that I know who you are.

If I have no idea who you are, there is no reason for me to respond to your message, and there is nothing to differentiate you from all the other random people trying to sell me things.

It’s clear your pitch doesn’t work, even from the first words

From the first point, LinkedIn on mobile allows you to preview some words before opening the message. I can immediately tell that your message isn't for me from those words, and I don't even open it.

If you spend all that to say "Hi Dionisio, how are you?" and we don’t know each other, then you’re off to a bad start. It’s clear you don’t actually care how I am, you just want to sell me something. Make those few characters count: most people won’t bother opening your full message.

The message isn't natural

In many of these messages, it seems like they’re being mass produced (and they probably are). The wording is often a little off, as if it was automatically generated and no one bothered to review the message.

Your invitation is a mess

It's incredible, but when you send me a link without even interacting with me, it's a big red flag! It also makes your LinkedIn message super messy and unreadable.

If you just copy and paste your link, it appears as a jumble of characters and words. This looks a little sloppy, and it doesn’t give your recipient the best impression. Instead, take the time to schedule a meeting in a different way, or at least make the invitation work properly.

You don’t know when to give up

If I don’t respond to your first message, it’s not because I didn’t see it. And, if I wasn’t interested the first time, I definitely won’t be the second time, nor the third time, and especially not the fourth time. Stop wasting your time, and unintentionally annoying everyone you message.

What you should be doing

On the rare occasions that I do respond, it’s because someone had already engaged with something I posted on LinkedIn. If someone likes, shares or comments something insightful on my post, I’m more likely to be interested in what they have to say.

Remember the law of reciprocity?

If you’re going to ask someone for something, try to do something helpful for that person first. For example, there are some people who consistently like and comment on my LinkedIn posts. If they sent me a message, I would certainly respond because I know who they are.

Also, make sure to keep your message subject line or the first few characters very relevant, because that’s probably all someone will look at to decide whether they should actually open your message or not.

LinkedIn is a great platform and a very useful tool, but try to be a person, not an automated LinkedIn messaging bot, and it will do wonders for you.

Dionisio Melo