What is LinkedIn InMail?
InMail is LinkedIn's paid messaging feature that lets you send direct messages to people you are not connected with. It is available through LinkedIn premium and Sales Navigator plans, with a limited number of credits per month.
InMail bypasses the need to connect first, which is useful for reaching prospects who ignore connection requests. Because credits are limited and each InMail costs one, they are best reserved for high-value targets.
InMail response rates are generally higher than email but lower than a warm LinkedIn conversation after connecting. A short, specific, non-salesy InMail performs best, just like any cold message.
For most outreach at scale, connecting first and messaging is more cost-effective than InMail. InMail shines for reaching a small set of hard-to-access, high-priority people.