Let’s be sincere, choosing the right outreach channel can generally really feel like a raffle.
You’ve most likely questioned greater than as soon as:
Ought to I ship a LinkedIn InMail or simply go together with a superb previous e-mail?
Each are well-liked for outreach, however they’ve their very own strengths and weaknesses.
What in case you select the flawed one?
That might imply fewer replies, wasted time, and missed pipeline targets.
That’s precisely why I wrote this weblog.
On this weblog, I’ll stroll you thru LinkedIn InMail vs Electronic mail, and evaluate them throughout the one issues that really matter in 2025:
- Which one will get extra replies?
- When must you use every one?
- And most significantly, which one really works higher for gross sales and advertising in the present day?
Let’s break it down.
LinkedIn Inmail Vs Electronic mail: TOC
LinkedIn Inmail Vs Electronic mail: TOC
TL;DR: Which One is Higher for Gross sales and Advertising? Inmail vs Electronic mail
In case you’re brief on time, then let me inform you which is finest for what:
- Select InMail in order for you native outreach in LinkedIn
- Go together with Electronic mail for options akin to straightforward scalability and excessive personalization choices
Now, to make issues even simpler, right here’s a fast comparability of LinkedIn InMail vs Electronic mail based mostly on price, attain, scalability, and general effectiveness for gross sales and advertising outreach in 2025.
This was simply the short model.
In case you’re interested by how LinkedIn InMail and Electronic mail Outreach actually work, hold scrolling 👇
What’s LinkedIn Inmail?
LinkedIn InMail helps you to message somebody on LinkedIn with out sending a connection request first.
You’ll want a LinkedIn Premium or Gross sales Navigator plan to make use of it, and also you solely get a restricted variety of InMail credit every month.
Right here’s how InMail credit work:
One credit score is charged for each message you ship.
Nevertheless, if the individual replies, LinkedIn provides that credit score again.
In the event that they ignore it? That credit score’s gone.
On the plus facet, InMails often seem increased in a LinkedIn inbox, in order that they’re extra seen than common messages.
However if you wish to refill your credit, they’re not low cost. And until the individual replies, you possibly can’t ship a follow-up, which makes nurturing tougher.
Additionally learn: Chilly Electronic mail vs LinkedIn Message: What’s Extra Efficient For Outbound Outreach?
What’s Electronic mail Outreach?
Electronic mail outreach is a method the place you ship focused emails to people or companies with whom you haven’t beforehand interacted.
The purpose is easy: construct relationships, promote your answer, or drive motion (akin to reserving conferences or producing leads).
All you want is their e-mail deal with—and a software to ship it to them.
No LinkedIn Premium. No should be related. No platform limits.
In comparison with LinkedIn InMail, e-mail provides you far more flexibility:
- You’ll be able to observe as much as see whether or not they reply or not
- Construct full dialog threads
- Personalize each message
- And automate the entire sequence in order for you
And the most effective half?
It stays budget-friendly, even once you’re scaling outreach to tons of or 1000’s of prospects.
Only one heads-up:
In case you don’t heat up your e-mail account or observe e-mail finest practices, your messages might find yourself in spam—or worse, simply ignored.
LinkedIn InMail vs Electronic mail – Characteristic-by-Characteristic Comparability
Each LinkedIn InMail and Electronic mail Outreach include their very own set of execs and cons.
So after I’m deciding which one to make use of, I ask myself two questions:
- What issues extra for this marketing campaign? Is it attain, price, personalization, or scale?
- And what am I keen to commerce off?
To make your determination simpler, right here’s a easy comparability throughout the issues that really matter 👇
So does that imply e-mail outreach must be your go-to outreach channel?
Not At all times!
Electronic mail outreach wins by way of scale, price, and suppleness, however that doesn’t imply LinkedIn InMail is ineffective.
In case you’re concentrating on very lively LinkedIn customers or wish to stand out in a crowded inbox, InMail would possibly get you a faster reply, particularly in case your profile is robust.
I typically use each, relying on the kind of prospect and the stage of the outreach.
When to Use LinkedIn InMail?
I often go together with LinkedIn InMail after I need my message to really feel private and platform-native.
I exploit LinkedIn InMail when:
- The individual is very lively on LinkedIn
- Don’t have their verified e-mail deal with
- Maintaining the dialog inside LinkedIn (like recruiters or mutual connections)
- Wish to do 1:1 outreach, which doesn’t want automation
InMail is good when high quality issues greater than amount.
When to Use Electronic mail Outreach?
Electronic mail is my go-to after I wish to attain prospects rapidly by conserving management over the method.
I exploit e-mail outreach when:
- Focusing on a bigger listing of prospects
- Want a budget-friendly method to scale
- Need full management over the message, format, and follow-ups
- Require to automate outreach sequences and monitor what’s working
Briefly, if you wish to construct a scalable outbound system, e-mail outreach is a greater channel to satisfy your necessities.
Additionally learn: Greatest Electronic mail Outreach Instruments To Get Extra Leads
What’s the Proper Channel for You?
Selecting the best outreach channel could make or break your outcomes.
That’s why I broke down each LinkedIn InMail and Electronic mail Outreach, so you possibly can choose the one that matches your targets, price range, and audience.
Right here’s the brief model:
Typically, I like to recommend going with e-mail outreach as a result of it’s:
- Scalable and simple on the price range
- Personalizable at scale
- Absolutely automatable, from first contact to follow-up to booked name
However InMail nonetheless has its place.
In case you’re doing hyper-personalized, 1:1 outreach, otherwise you don’t have entry to somebody’s verified e-mail, LinkedIn InMail offers outcomes.
That is very true for recruiters, founders, or execs who’re lively on LinkedIn.
My suggestion?
Use each channels when it is sensible.
The hot button is realizing when to make use of what and making every one work to your benefit.
And in case you’re simply getting began with e-mail outreach?
Saleshandy’s Lead Finder may help you discover and confirm leads
If you have already got leads, use Saleshandy for outreach. It permits you to automate, personalize, and monitor your complete outreach marketing campaign — from the primary e-mail to the ultimate reply.
LinkedIn vs Electronic mail: FAQs
1. What’s the distinction between InMail and LinkedIn messages?
The principle distinction is that InMail helps you to message folks you’re not related with, whereas LinkedIn messages solely work together with your 1st-degree connections.
InMail is a paid function that comes with LinkedIn Premium or Gross sales Navigator. LinkedIn messages, alternatively, are free, however solely work inside your present community.
2. Can I ship InMail at no cost?
LinkedIn gives a one-month free trial of Premium for brand spanking new customers. In case you enroll in that, you’ll get entry to InMail without charge through the trial.
Other than that, there aren’t any official methods to make use of InMail at no cost. Nevertheless, if somebody replies to your InMail, LinkedIn provides that credit score again. which helps stretch your quota a bit.
3. Is e-mail outreach authorized?
Sure. Electronic mail outreach is authorized, so long as you observe information privateness and anti-spam rules like GDPR (in Europe), CAN-SPAM (within the US), and different native legal guidelines.
That mentioned, it’s all the time higher to make use of an outreach software like Saleshandy, because it helps guarantee your emails keep compliant by dealing with issues like unsubscribe hyperlinks, sending limits, and personalization finest practices.
4. Why use e-mail over LinkedIn?
Electronic mail provides you extra management, scalability, and suppleness in comparison with LinkedIn.
You’ll be able to personalize your messaging, automate sequences, observe up with out limits, and monitor each open, click on, and reply. Plus, e-mail doesn’t require any premium subscription, and works outdoors of only one platform.
For anybody doing high-volume outreach or working structured campaigns, e-mail is solely the extra highly effective (and budget-friendly) channel.
