LinkedIn Group Messaging Limit: 3 Positives You Haven’t Considered

Posted by LinkedSelling in B2B Lead Generation & Sales Development, LinkedIn Marketing Insights

There was a time when Linkedin allowed UNLIMITED LinkedIn group messaging. Those days are long gone.

A while back, LinkedIn (quietly) announced changes to one’s ability to send messages to a fellow group member. Under the new guidelines, you were limited to only 15 free messages to fellow group members per month.

Today, while LinkedIn still offers that feature, they are unclear on exactly how many messages to fellow group members you can send before they’ll tag you for spamming (or for seeming like you’re using automation to reach out to potential prospects. Note for the wise: avoid automation tools to send messages directly on LinkedIn. Your account will be restricted.)

See here for how to send messages to fellow group members. 

While that’s great and all… my question to you in the meantime is this…

WHY do you want to send messages to fellow group members? 

If your answer is because you want to network for networking’s sake, great! Here are some tips:

  1. Instead of LinkedIn Group Messaging, Turn to First Degree Connections.

    You are still allowed unlimited messaging to everyone who is a first degree connection. Now while I wouldn’t go out and abuse this feature, it does make an even stronger case for building a QUALITY database of high quality prospects.

    So instead of reaching out via LinkedIn group messaging…hit them up with a PERSONALIZED connection request and then you can get the conversation rolling from there.

  2. Say ‘Sayonara' to SPAM LinkedIn Group Messages

    Obviously this change is due in part to trying to reduce the spammy crap from infiltrating member’s inboxes. Makes sense….Ain’t nobody got time for spam.

However, if you want more reach, you want more leads and prospects, then you’ve come to the right place. The thing is, reaching out to fellow group members, as well as building a quality database of first degree connections on LinkedIn is a great way to find people with certain interests and reach out to them 1-on-1.

You can build a business this way. We did. And we’ve helped our clients do the same. However, there is a case to be made for seeing LinkedIn 1-on-1 targeted outreach a bit differently. We now see it as one part of a lead generation strategy, not the whole strategy itself (or even a main part of it).

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Why Use LinkedIn As Part of A Multi-Channel Lead Generation Campaign

As mentioned, LinkedIn can be an effective tool for lead generation, however, there are some drawbacks. As is the case when you rely on any one platform - you might face restrictions, the platform might go down, or something might happen that’s completely out of your control where you can no longer contact your prospects to bring new leads into your pipeline.

It’s the same concept why people are taught not to “put all your eggs in one basket”.Especially because as so many businesses have learned with the Google and Facebook changes over the years, if you’re over reliant on one channel, any single change can affect your entire business. 

With a multi-channel outbound approach, you diversify your lead generation to maximize ROI. It’s the same with your retirement account.  You are invested in a mutual fund that diversifies your portfolio, so that when one channel suffers from market trends, another outperforms and it balances itself out.  The key though is being able to predict the volume, regardless of what happens in each channel.

That alone is reason enough to consider using multi-channel campaigns but it’s not just related to the fear of change. The real driver of including as many channels as possible in your outreach to prospects is based on the habits of those who succeed.

Over 80% of high-performing sales teams use at least three marketing channels and create at least 15 touchpoints per prospect. (Source)

Why are so many of these teams taking a multi-channel approach? 

Because they’ve learned that showing up in your prospects’ preferred channel is how you break through the noise.

The main reason is that it comes down to opportunity cost: You risk sales opportunities if you are not connecting with potential prospects via multiple channels. 

At the right time with the right message and in the right place. Learn more about this here.

Understanding the channels you incorporate into your marketing mix and how they work together to create a sum that is greater than its parts and allows you to engage with your prospects via the channel they prefer, at the time they prefer, and with the right messaging.

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In the next section, we’ll share some resources that will help you understand the multi-channel strategy better and that will help integrate those marketing and sales development channels (including LinkedIn) into a cohesive, scalable system. But before we get there, let’s the address a few more reasons we’ve structured our lead generation approach this way:

  1. An integrated multi-channel outbound approach offers more control over lead quality and volume
  2. It allows you to take back wasted time and resources.
  3. This approach makes your pipeline more predictable.
  4. It provides a structure that will build more profitable business relationships for your company.
  5. Finally, this will make your influence more widespread.

It’s no mistake that a multi-channel approach to lead generation and sales development brings these kinds of benefits. To learn about why we set it up the way we do, click here. 

If you want to level the playing field with your competitors and arm your team with the ammo they need to close more deals, your brand (and your employees) need to be viewed as authorities in your field. We take a unique approach to develop strong relationships with your audience through a multi-channel outbound approach, including social media, email and phone all while positioning your team as the go-to choice in your vertical. See below for how it’s done...

What Does An Integrated MultiChannel Outbound Approach Actually Look Like?

As an outbound outsourced lead generation and sales development agency our job is to put you in front of the hard-to-reach, high-value prospects. Our tactics include our revolutionary and proprietary:

>>> Not familiar with SDR dialing services? See how incorporating SDR’s increased our speed to lead AND our appointment numbers by 33%! <<<

This is what we mean by an “Multichannel Approach”; we connect with targeted prospects using some combination of the channels above, and execute proven systems to attract these prospects, connect and build real business relationships with them, start conversations, qualify them, and get them on your sales team’s calendar.

To understand more about how to use LinkedIn effectively as a lead generation tool for outreach, learn more about our approach using a multichannel strategy and how you can incorporate it into your business as well, click here to read more about how companies are realistically using this strategy to keep their pipelines full year round while fueling business growth.

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  • The problem that LI is trying to fix is only partially addressed IMO. Poor strategy from the start on LI’s part that has been allowed to deteriorate over time. Being part of a group is a two way responsibility of both the group owner and the members of the group. There are currently over 2 million groups polluting the landscape in LI, of which the vast majority are so quiet you can hear crickets chirping. LI corporate needs to delete groups that have had no interaction in over “x” number of months. Also, members that haven’t read or visited groups in “x” number of months should be contacted by LI and asked if they want to be removed from the group. Don’t know about most LI marketers but I’m getting tired of having LI remove value from my paid membership while increasing subscription costs/fees. Way too much focus on profitability and not their paid users… The base membership is practically useless as LI has removed visibility, analytics and interaction as a response shareholders demanding ROI. LinkedIn’s advertising is some of the highest CPC of any social media platform and not an affordable medium for small businesses.

    • Owen, thanks for the comment. I don’t know I’d agree that the basic LI account is useless, but of course, the paid options are better. It is an interesting idea to remove groups/members based on inactivity. Could remove a lot of clutter and encourage interaction.

      • Hi Owen,

        Couldn’t agree more. LI should prompt group members of their inactivity & check if they wish to continue to be part of the group.

  • We are still able to send 30+ per day without a problem. Perhaps it is because of our premium plan or perhaps they haven’t turned it off for everybody yet. Any ideas?

    • Frank, are you sure you can send 30+ messages within a group, or are you thinking of regular LinkedIn messages? You might be the first person I’ve heard that has escaped this new limit. If so, good for you!

  • Great points, Josh! I wrote about the new LinkedIn Groups messaging limits in my June 18 blog post. If you’re focused on attraction marketing, as I and my clients are, these changes don’t affect your results and help keep your LinkedIn Inbox more productive!

    Best,
    Christine

  • I like the reduction in spam from LinkedIn Groups, and I never used the unlimited messaging anyway. Relationships are built one person at a time, and that’s why I like the 3 points you make here. The bonus point is excellent advice as I have not consistently reached out to those who view my profile, no matter what level connection they are. Always appreciate your insights, Josh, and your focus on pointing out the positives!

    • Meredith, I can’t take credit for this post. Jame Kreft on the LinkedSelling team was the author! And it’s true, the Who’s Viewed Your Profile tool is rarely used as much as it should be.

  • Hi Josh,

    I’m a member of your LinkedIn University and I’m just wondering…does this new limit only mean other people’s groups you are in, or does it also include your own group?
    Thanks!

    • Hey Jeannette, Unfortunately the limit includes your own group as well. It will be interesting to see how this pans out in the long run, specially since LinkedIn is already pretty protective on allowing the group owner access to the list of group members.

  • I already downloaded the book and paid $21.00 for scripts.
    It hurts, I am handicapped. I can’t directly connect. I get 15 InMails.

    sarwan

  • Hi Josh

    We at eGrabber love the 15 free messages limit imposed by LinkedIn.

    When its free, talk becomes cheap, and spam becomes more.

    This makes training like your, that show how to sell to prospects on LinkedIn, more effective.

    It also means, tools from egrabber that find email ID of any prospect on LinkedIn, also more valuable.

    Happy selling.

    Chandra

    • Hay Chandra, thanks for reading! This change will separate professionals looking to connect and those who SPAM!