LinkedIn networking messages: 20 examples and when to use each

A good networking message is short, specific and asks for nothing big. Name why you are writing, say one real thing about the person, and make the reply easy. Below are twenty messages in six situations. We have no outcome data for these exact texts, so treat them as starting points to adapt, then test them on your own audience.

Networking is not prospecting. In prospecting you want a meeting about a product. In networking you want a relationship, and the sale, if there is one, comes later and honestly. The two share one skill: writing a first message that a busy person is glad to answer. This post is a pack of messages for the moments when you have a reason to write and no product to push.

What do good networking messages have in common?

We have read the threads of several campaigns. The ones that worked share five habits.

1. One reason. The message says why now: an event, a post, a shared topic.
2. One detail. It contains something only someone who looked at the profile would know.
3. One small ask. A question, not a call. "How do you handle X?" beats "Can we jump on a call?"
4. No link, no pitch. The first message carries nothing to click.
5. An easy out. The person can ignore it without feeling rude.

The referral network in our case study wrote as a peer to private bankers and migration advisors. Its first message was a compliment or one question about the person's own clients, with no pitch and no link. 44.8% replied, and 33.7% replied with more than a pleasantry. See the case study for the shape of the messages, and Lamothermic, where a foundry's president asked engineers one real engineering question, reached 33% (case study). Both are questions about the other person's work.

Messages for after an event

Use these within two days, while the memory is fresh.

1. "Hi [Name], I was in the room for your session on [topic]. Your point about [specific point] changed how I think about [area]. Glad to connect."
2. "Hi [Name], we met briefly at [event] by the [place]. I enjoyed the chat about [topic]. I would like to stay in touch."
3. "Hi [Name], I missed your talk at [event], but a colleague told me about [point]. Is there a write up you would recommend?"
4. "Hi [Name], we were both at [event]. What was the one session you would tell a friend not to miss?"

The fourth works best for people you did not meet, because it asks for an opinion and costs the person ten seconds.

Messages for a shared interest or background

1. "Hi [Name], I saw we both studied [subject] at [school]. How did [field] change since you started?"
2. "Hi [Name], we both work on [problem] in [industry]. I would like to follow what you share about it."
3. "Hi [Name], I noticed we both belong to the [group]. What is the best thread you have read there lately?"
4. "Hi [Name], I am newer to [field] than you are. Which one habit would you tell someone starting out?"

Use shared facts that are true and visible. Do not invent a connection; people check.

Messages that start from a post

Engaging first, and writing second, is a long standing habit. Our post on pre invite engagement explains how a like or a comment before the request warms the introduction. Then:

1. "Hi [Name], your post on [topic] made me rethink [specific point]. Did you try it with [variation]?"
2. "Hi [Name], I commented on your post about [topic]. I would be glad to connect and read more of your work."
3. "Hi [Name], you wrote that [short quote]. Is that true for smaller teams too, or only for [size]?"

The best of these is a question about what the person wrote. A compliment alone is easy to ignore. A question with a detail invites a short answer.

Messages for an introduction

When a mutual contact can vouch for you, say so first.

1. "Hi [Name], [Mutual] suggested I write to you about [topic]. They said you know [area] better than anyone. Would a short exchange here be fine?"
2. "Hi [Name], I am writing on [Mutual]'s suggestion. I am looking into [topic], and they thought of you."
3. "Hi [Mutual], would you be willing to introduce me to [Name]? I am working on [topic], and I will send you a two line note you can forward."

The third is a request to a friend. Make it forwardable: two lines the friend can paste without editing.

Messages that say thank you

1. "Hi [Name], thank you for [specific help]. It saved me [specific result]. If I can return the favour, tell me."
2. "Hi [Name], your answer on [topic] helped. I did [what you did], and it worked. I thought you would like to know."

Thanks without a request builds more trust than any opener. Send it and ask nothing.

Messages to reconnect

1. "Hi [Name], it has been a while since [project or event]. I saw you moved to [role]. Congratulations. How is it?"
2. "Hi [Name], I read your note on [topic] and thought of our conversation about [earlier topic]. Are you still working on it?"
3. "Hi [Name], I am updating who I follow in [industry] and wanted to say hello again. What are you most focused on this quarter?"
4. "Hi [Name], I am travelling to [city] on [dates]. Would you be free for a coffee, or is a message easier?"

What should you avoid?

• "I would love to pick your brain." It sounds like work for the other person.
• A pitch inside the first message. If you have something to sell, say it plainly once the person has replied. See open profile messaging for cases where the first message is allowed to be longer.
• Flattery with no detail. "Impressive profile" signals a template.
• Pasting your biography into the note. The connection note has a character limit. Check it with the free note character counter.
• Many messages in a hurry. LinkedIn documents restrictions on sending invitations. Pace yourself.

How do you test the messages?

Pick two messages for the same situation and send each to 25 people of the same kind. Count replies that say something, not just "thanks". Keep the winner, replace the loser, repeat. Twenty five per variant is a small sample, so use the result as direction, not proof. Read every reply, and note which phrase the person echoes in the answer.

Can an AI agent write networking messages?

Yes, if you give it a shape and let it fill in the specifics. Write the rule as: one reason, one detail from the profile, one small question, no link, no pitch. Then read the first twenty messages it writes. An agent that sends the same text to everyone is not networking, it is mass mailing. Our observation opener template shows the pattern, and the peer opener playbook shows how the referral network ran it.

A checklist

• [ ] I have one real reason to write today.
• [ ] The message contains one detail only a reader of the profile would know.
• [ ] It asks one small question and carries no link.
• [ ] It is under the length limit and reads well on a phone.
• [ ] I would be glad to receive it myself.