When you're getting started on LinkedIn, you learn many things from trial and error. Or by poking around the site. Or by asking friends and connections for their tips.

And sometimes LinkedIn gives you advice along the way, but following the default buttons to connect could actually slow your efforts to expand your LinkedIn network.

This blog will help you learn how and why to personalize your LinkedIn invitation ("add a note" or "Personalize Invite"), and offer some tips on how to personalize from either desktop or the mobile app.

TIP: A Personalized Invitation "Add a Note" is ALWAYS Better than the Standard Invite IMHO. 

I always suggest that LinkedIn members take a few moments to personalize EVERY invitation. As in EVERY invitation. This includes EVERY invitation. (Yes, it's that important). How do you personalize an invitation, you ask?

1. Start by visiting the profile (either desktop or mobile). NEVER send an invite from the LinkedIn suggestions list. If you click the "INVITE" button from either search results or from the suggestions list, it sends the invitation off without giving you the opportunity to personalize. HINT: most people don't personalize invites. The people who DO personalize have a higher chance of their invitation getting accepted.
   
   
2. On desktop, click "CONNECT" or on Mobile choose the "MORE" button prompt to "Connect" or "Personalize Invite" and then insert a greeting appropriate for the person, "Hello John" or "Dear Michelle" as an example.
   
   
3. Give the person a frame of reference of how they know you OR of context why you are connecting. Ex: "It was nice meeting you at the Troy Chamber breakfast this morning." OR "Hope you've been doing well. It's been a while since we worked together at PMH." OR "We sat next to each other at the expo on Tuesday and exchanged business cards." Haven't met them yet? Pick 2-3 items from their profile that are interesting to you or that you have in common. Ex: "We are both in metro Detroit and share several common connections." IMPORTANT: do not sell in the invitation. The invitation is not about you. It's about them. ALSO IMPORTANT: include something that indicates you didn't just copy and paste or do a mass invitation. (ex: "Since we are both professionals, let's connect on LinkedIn" = SPAMMY!)
   
   
4. Invite them to connect. Ex. "I'd like to connect on LinkedIn." OR "Let's connect on LinkedIn." This makes it clear WHAT you want to do.
   
   
5. BONUS: extend an offer for assistance. It's always better to offer something FIRST before asking for their assistance when you may need it later. Ex: "Let me know if I can ever be a resource for you."
   
   
6. Your name. Just like you'd put your name at the closing of a letter or an email, you should include your name in the closing of a LinkedIn invitation.

Example:

Using the Free / Basic Version of LinkedIn? You can only "Add a Note" to 5 Invitations each month.

 I don't work for LinkedIn, and I'm not a fan of this new limitation. They changed this to encourage more of their members to upgrade to one of their LinkedIn Premium memberships (starting at $39.99/month). Here are a few options to consider:

• If you're a HEAVY user of LinkedIn, and regularly generating leads that convert to clients, it is worth upgrading and paying for LinkedIn Premium. I recommend starting with Career Premium ($39.99/month) and then upgrading to Business Premium (starting at $59.99/month, although some sources are now saying $69.99/month and LinkedIn doesn't publish their rates). 
  • You can start with Career Premium and upgrade to Business Premium later if you need more features.
  • Keep in mind that LinkedIn will usually give you any version of Premium free for the first month.
• If you don't want to (or can't afford) to pay for Premium, do this:
  • Only use the "Add a Note" feature on people you have never met.
  • Use ALL 5 credits every month
  • When you run out of "Add a Note" credits, add a thoughtful comment first to the person's last post, and then send them an invitation to connection. This can create familiarity of your name and demonstrate you're an active and supportive LinkedIn member. 

Video: How (and why) to personalize your LinkedIn invitations

By personalizing your invitation, you've started the dialog with this contact with some friendly conversation, which will go a long way in making LinkedIn more useful to you in the future.

"But Brenda," you say.
"I can't personalize invitations I send from my mobile phone."

"YES, you can." On mobile, make sure you are ON their profile. Don't click on CONNECT or LinkedIn will send the invitation without giving you the chance to add a note.

Instead, click on the MORE button (or the three dots"..."). Click, and you should see a link to "Personalize Invite."

Find this tip useful? Please share this blog with a friend.

Your growing list of LinkedIn connections will thank you.

Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brendameller

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Originally posted in 2015 on LinkedIn and modified in 2022, with updates in 2025.