LinkedIn

Sales Navigator InMail Credits on LinkedIn

lemlist team
LAST UPDATED
May 16, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

Don’t let InMail credits stop your growth on LinkedIn.

Each month, you receive a determined number of credits, depending on your account type. When you run out of credits, you can no longer message people not connected with you on LinkedIn. 

So, how can you make the most out of your credits on LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get relevant connections?

Sales Navigator and InMail Credits on LinkedIn

The first order of business is to understand the mechanics of LinkedIn InMails and the allocation of InMail credits within Sales Navigator to improve your LinkedIn sales outreach. They can be a game-changer in your lead generation efforts maintaining a healthy response rate to boost sales conversions.

What are LinkedIn InMails?

InMail messages are LinkedIn's premium messaging feature, which allows you to reach out to individuals outside your direct network.

With Sales Navigator, users receive a specific number of InMail credits each month, which enables them to send personalized messages to targeted leads. The number of credits received depends on the Sales Navigator plan you subscribe to.

  • Premium Career: 5
  • Premium Business: 15
  • Sales Navigator Core: 50
  • Recruiter Lite: 30

These credits can accumulate if unused in a given month.

Merits of InMail Messages in Lead Generation

InMail messages stand out when generating leads due to their direct and personal nature.

They bypass the need for a mutual connection, cutting straight to the chase of business communication. The targeted approach of InMail messages ensures that your outreach is tailored and relevant and, thus, more likely to be well-received by potential leads.

Response Rate through InMail on Sales Conversion Rates

The response rate to your InMails can be a critical indicator of their effectiveness.

A higher response rate signifies interest from potential leads and correlates with higher sales conversion rates. Tracking and analyzing your InMail response rates is essential, as they provide valuable insights into the resonance of your messaging and the potential for sales growth.

Gain Control of Your LinkedIn Sales InMail Credits

Effective management of your InMail credits is crucial for maximizing your outreach potential on LinkedIn's Sales Navigator. So, you should understand how these credits are allocated, renewed, and tracked to make strategic decisions and maintain a steady flow of communication with your prospects.

Allocation and Renewal of InMail Credits in a Sales Navigator Account

Each Sales Navigator account has a number of InMail credits that are refreshed monthly.

The allocation of these credits is based on your subscription level. Unused credits can roll over to the next month, but there's a cap to prevent indefinite accumulation.

  • Premium Career: 15
  • Premium Business: 45
  • Sales Navigator: 150
  • Recruiter Lite: 120

It's important to be aware of your renewal date to plan your outreach activities without the risk of running out of credits.

Strategies to Effectively Manage and Track Your InMail Credits

Developing a strategy for managing your InMail credits is essential.

This includes setting targets for daily or weekly InMail usage, monitoring your remaining credits, and adjusting your approach based on the responses you receive. LinkedIn provides tools within Sales Navigator to track your InMail credit balance and usage, ensuring you always know where you stand.

Earn Extra Credits and Navigate the Credit-Back System

LinkedIn rewards successful engagement by offering a credit back on your InMail messages if you receive a response within 90 days of sending them. This encourages crafting compelling messages that resonate with your audience.

Additionally, users can earn extra credits through various LinkedIn promotions or by upgrading their Sales Navigator plan to accommodate a higher volume of outreach.

With these insights into managing your InMail credits, you can take full advantage of your LinkedIn Sales Navigator account. Next, we'll delve into the art of creating high-impact InMail messages that captivate your prospects and drive meaningful business conversations.

Create High-Impact InMail Messages in your LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Once you've mastered the management of your InMail credits, the next crucial step is to learn how to craft InMail messages that stand out and elicit responses.

The quality of your messages can significantly influence your success in generating leads and closing deals through LinkedIn's Sales Navigator.

Best Practices for Composing Effective LinkedIn InMail Messages

To compose effective LinkedIn InMail messages, start with a personalized approach.

Research your recipient's profile, identify commonalities, and mention specific details that show genuine interest.

Keep your messages concise, clear, and focused on offering value.

A compelling subject line is also vital to ensure your message gets opened.

Including a clear call-to-action can guide the recipient towards the next step in your sales process.

Don’t forget you can also automate this process with a powerful automation tool.

When to Send InMail Messages and Follow-up Methods

Timing is key when sending InMail messages. Aim to send them during business hours when your recipients will most likely to be active on LinkedIn.

A polite follow-up message after 24 hours can beeffectiveif you don't receive a response.

However, it's important to respect your recipient's time and attention, avoiding any semblance of spamming.

Optimize Use of InMail Credits in Sales Navigator

Efficient use of InMail credits is a cornerstone of a successful LinkedIn Sales Navigator strategy.

By optimizing these credits, you can maintain a steady flow of outreach without running out prematurely, ensuring that every message counts towards your business growth.

Preserve and Maximize InMail Message Credits

One proven technique for preserving your InMail credits is to craft highly targeted messages that are more likely to receive a response.

When recipients reply to your InMail, you typically get the credit back, allowing you to reinvest it in future outreach. Additionally, keeping track of your response rates and refining your messaging strategy can lead to more efficient use of credits over time.

Combine InMail Credits with Other LinkedIn Tools

Another strategy is to use InMail credits in synergy with other LinkedIn tools, such as Message Ads.

By combining the personal touch of InMails with the broader reach of ads, you can maximize visibility and engagement. This approach allows you to follow up with key prospects via InMail after they've interacted with your ads, creating a cohesive marketing strategy.

Use Response Data to Fine-Tune Your InMail Strategy

Monitoring the response data from your InMail campaigns is crucial for optimization.

Analyze which messages have the highest open and response rates to understand what resonates with your audience. Use these insights to refine your messaging, subject lines, and call-to-action to improve the effectiveness of your InMail outreach and the utilization of your credits.

Comparison Between Different Sales Navigator Plans

LinkedIn offers several subscription tiers, including LinkedIn Premium,Sales Navigator Core, and Sales Navigator Advanced.

While LinkedIn Premium is geared towards individual professionals, Sales Navigator Core and Advanced are tailored for sales teams and power users, offering more InMail credits and sales-specific features.

Choose a Plan Based on InMail Usage and Lead Generation Needs

The right plan depends on your InMail usage patterns and lead generation goals.

If you're a heavy InMail user targeting high-value leads, investing in the Sales Navigator Advanced plan may be more cost-effective.

The Core plan might suffice for those with moderate outreach needs.

When making a decision, consider your sales cycle, team size, and the level of personalization required in your messages.

By carefully comparing each plan's features and InMail credits, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your sales strategy.

Common Issues With InMail Credits

Even the most seasoned LinkedIn users can encounter challenges managing their InMail credits. Recognizing these potential issues and knowing how to navigate them is essential for maintaining a steady sales outreach effort.

Depleted InMail Credits and How to Leverage the Open Profile Status

Running out of InMail credits can halt your outreach campaigns.

However, LinkedIn's Open Profile feature allows you to send messages to users who have opted in without using your credits. This feature is especially beneficial for reaching high-value prospects that are more likely to have an open profile.

LinkedIn's Support and Helpful Resources

LinkedIn's support resources can provide guidance if you're facing issues with your InMail credits. From troubleshooting to best practices, leveraging the platform's help center and user forums can enhance your understanding and usage of InMail credits.

Additionally, consider reaching out to your network for peer advice on managing InMail strategies.

Harmonize InMail Outreach with Your Sales Tactics

Integrating InMail LinkedIn strategies into your sales funnel is a dynamic way to enhance your outreach and improve key performance indicators. It's not just about sending messages; it's about creating a seamless flow that aligns with your overall sales approach.

Integrate InMail LinkedIn Strategies with Your Sales Funnel and KPIs

To ensure that your InMail efforts contribute to your sales goals, align them with stages of your sales funnel.

Tailor your InMail content to nurture leads at different funnel stages, from awareness to consideration to decision.

Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response rates, conversion rates, and the number of qualified leads to measure the effectiveness of your InMail campaigns.

Adapt Your InMail Flow to Meet Fluctuating Market Changes

The market is ever-changing, and so should your InMail strategy. Stay attuned to industry trends, seasonal fluctuations, and shifts in consumer behavior to adapt your InMail messaging.

This agility can help you maintain relevance and engagement with your prospects, even in a turbulent market landscape.

Key Takeaways

-> Take advantage of LinkedIn’s Open Profile feature to save your InMail credits. 

-> Maximize your InMail credits by customizing your message for each recipient. Check out our list of templates and find your perfect message!

-> Adapt your InMail strategy to market. Track industry trends, seasonal fluctuations, and shifts in consumer behavior. 

-> Use A/B testing to refine your approach, and don't forget to leverage the credit-back system.

If you wish to become an InMail beast and close as many deals as possible without wasting all your time crafting messages, be sure to use lemlist!

lemlist team
Your source of actionable outreach tips and strategies that will help you get replies and grow your business.
Get weekly outreach tips
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Thanks! You've successfully subscribed to lemlist newsletter
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
G2 Rating
Price
Best for
Standout feature
Con
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/mo
$75/mo
$2,999/mo
Large, distributed sales teams
AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs
Lack of tracking system
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Sales operations and finance teams
Powerful configurability
Limited training resources and complex to navigate
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Mid-market and enterprise businesses
Comprehensive incentive management
Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$15/user/mo
$40/user/mo
Enterprise: custom price
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Collaborative teams
Connected planning
Complexity and steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts
Simplicity and ease of use
Lack of features like redirection
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$30/user/mo
$35/user/mo
Custom: upon request
Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software
Ease of use and adoption
Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
4.8
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights
A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility
Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/user/mo
$50/user/mo
Smaller sales teams
Powerful automation
Lesser user base and average user interface
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with scalable needs
Automated Commission Calculations
Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app
ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
PRM Tool
Rating
Feature
Pro
Con
Mobile App
Integrations
Free Plan
Pricing
4.65
star
star
star
star
star-half
Org-wide alignment
User-friendly layout and database
Suboptimal as a personal CRM
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-check
Team: $20/month
Business: $45/month
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
4.75
star
star
star
star
star-half
Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
square-check
Limited
square-check
Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
square-xmark
Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
3.1
star
star
star
Simple iOS app
Ideal for non-tech-savvy users
iPhone only
square-check
iOS only
Limited
square-xmark
1-month trial
$1.49/month or
$14.99/month
3.6
star
star
star
star-half
Smart Contact Management
Feature-rich and flexible
Reported bugs
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
7-day trial
Premium: $13.99/month
Teams: $17.99/month
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Integrated Calling
Integrated Calling
Too sales-oriented & pricey
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
Startup: $59/user/month
Professional: $329/user/month
4.8
star
star
star
star
star
Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
square-check
Limited
square-check
$9.99/month
4.45
star
star
star
star
star-half
160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
$29.90/month or
$24.90/month (billed annually)
Capterra Rating
Free Trial
Free Plan
Starting Price (excluding the free plan)
Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)
Best for
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-check
€15/month/seat billed annually
€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat
Versatility and free plan
4.2
star
star
star
star
square-check
30-day
square-xmark
But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
€25/user/month
€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)
Best overall operational CRM
4.3
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-xmark
square-check
Limited to 3 users
Comprehensive incentive management
€52/user/month billed annually
Small-medium businesses and automation
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-xmark
€14/seat/month billed annually
€99/seat/month billed annually
Sales teams and ease of use
4.1
star
star
star
star
square-xmark
square-check
Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
$64.99/user/month billed annually
Free plan for very small teams up to 10
CRM goal
Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown
1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).
2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.
3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.
4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.
5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions
Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.
Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.
Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.
Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.
Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes
Increased sales and revenue
Improved marketing automation ROI
Marketing and sales alignment
Data-driven marketing optimization
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

What you should look at next

LinkedIn

5 Sales Navigator Chrome Extensions to Build the Perfect Leads List

You're getting the perfect lead list from Sales Navigator. Now you need a top Chrome extension to export them. We'll leave with our favorite 5 Sales Navigator Chrome extensions.
August 2, 2024
LinkedIn

3 ways to find someone’s email on LinkedIn (For free!)

Wondering how to find someone's email on LinkedIn for free? We bring you 3 different methods! Not a penny spent.
July 12, 2024
LinkedIn

5 steps to post a job on LinkedIn to find the perfect candidate

Looking for the perfect candidate for your company? Post it on LinkedIn following these 5 steps.
July 12, 2024
LinkedIn

How to Use Linkedin Sales Navigator (2024 Tutorial)

You decided to upgrade to LinkedIn's Sales Navigator, but you're still not making the most out of it. We'll tell you how.
June 21, 2024
LinkedIn

LinkedIn private mode: What it is and when to use it

Do you want to do some top-secret research on LinkedIn? Learn how to set up your LinkedIn private mode and when to use it in this guide.
June 14, 2024

What you should look at next

Erhalten Sie wöchentliche Outreach-Tipps in Ihrem Posteingang, gesendet an über 210.000 Verkäufer, Vermarkter, Gründer und Unternehmer weltweit!

Subscribe to the lemlist newsletter
You've successfully subscribed to the lemlist newsletter!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.