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LinkedIn Shares InMail Best Practices to Help Maximize Your Response Rates

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LinkedIn Shares InMail Best Practices to Help Maximize Your Response Rates

Looking to make use of LinkedIn InMail as part of your marketing outreach?

If so, you need to read this – the team from email marketing platform Lavender recently analyzed 28.3 million emails to glean more insight into the key trends and message traits that can help to maximize your LinkedIn outreach success.

Again, if you’re looking to use InMail (yes, I realize LinkedIn has moved away from calling it ‘InMail’ in recent times, but it’s still a specific indicator of LinkedIn messages), then it’s worth taking note of these five analytics notes, which could help to boost your response rates.

First off, the analysis suggests that shorter is better in LinkedIn messaging outreach:

As per Lavender:

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Emails that are 25-50 words get 65% more replies than the usual 125-word cold email.

Basically, people don’t have time to read a novella to understand your sales pitch – get to the point and give people a chance to quickly assess, as opposed to asking for too much time commitment up front to go through the intricacies of your message.

Worth noting too that, similarly, LinkedIn has previously reported that InMails under 400 characters perform best:

LinkedIn InMail study

Fewer words, less time commitment = better response. Worth considering in your process.

Next – simplify your language:

“70% of emails are written at or beyond a 10th grade reading level. If you take that 10th grade writing and bring it to a 5th grade reading level, you’ll see 50% more replies.

LinkedIn InMail best practices

Sure, you might sound smarter by using more verbose language (and I do realize the irony of using a term like ‘verbose’ in this context). But if people need to refer to Thesaurus.com just to understand what the heck it is that you’re saying, again, you’re asking them to commit more time than they’re likely going to on a cold pitch.

Yes, storytelling has been a key element of every content marketer’s slideshow presentation for the last decade, and there is value to sharing the ‘why’ of your business. But you also need to be wary of your audience at each turn, and for each element of your communication.

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Your email outreach doesn’t need to explain your entire brand story, no matter how great you think it is.

Next up: Personalization.

LinkedIn InMail best practices

Now, how you specifically measure personalization in this context is subjective, but the concept is that the more you can create messages intended for each specific reader, the more likely they’ll be to open and read what you have to say.

When you’re approaching someone on LinkedIn, the need for personalization only magnifies […] If you frame everything in your message to be focused on them, it is more likely to catch your reader’s interest.”

That can be hard to scale, but the idea holds true across the board – the more you can spell out why this message is specifically relevant to each reader, the more success you’ll ultimately see.

This is where audience segmentation is important. The person who just bought a pair of sunglasses from your business is probably not in the market for another set for a little while, but they may be interested in protective and care elements, or, of course, your other products. By segmenting your audiences, and continually refreshing which outreach list they’re on, you can improve response rates.

This is just one example of how to better personalize at scale.

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The next key element is the tone of the language that you use – and specifically, the need to avoid trying to ‘educate’ the buyer.

LinkedIn InMail best practices

The analysis suggests that you should avoid talking about yourself, or even your brand, and instead try to invite engagement based on your offering.

Prospective customers don’t want to be talked at. They want to be talked with. Instead of using an informative tone, try to create a more tentative, unassuming, or unsure, tone.

Asking questions like: “if that sounds right, then let’s connect” can be one way to invite engagement, and align with the readers’ thinking, as opposed to trying to tell them why they need to listen.

Finally, Lavender’s analysis suggests that, once you do get a reply, asking even more questions, and inviting further personalization and engagement, can be key.

LinkedIn InMail best practices

This, again, leans into the concept that people want to be heard, not pitched to, and the more you are hearing them, and tuning into their questions, the better you can enhance that relationship, and improve connection, which will make them more likely to buy.

Conversion won’t always happen, of course, no matter how clever your outreach flow is, but these data-backed pointers provide some solid notes on how to speak to people, not at them, and how that can then invite more engagement with your brand messaging.

Worth considering in your LinkedIn outreach – and with LinkedIn just recently launching a new ‘Other’ folder in your inbox, where junk emails will go to die, you need to consider how you can maximize engagement, and keep yourself in the main InMail feed, in order to maintain connection with prospects.

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You can read Lavender’s full analysis report here.

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

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This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

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“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

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Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

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