Drop LinkedIn lets you send a normal message only to 1st-degree connections. To reach anyone else you need InMail credits, an Open Profile on their side, or for them to connect with you first. On a post that travels, most commenters are not your connections.
01The rule
A 1st-degree connection is someone who accepted your request or whose request you accepted. You can message them freely. For everyone else, LinkedIn shows a Connect button instead of a Message button, or asks you to pay with InMail.
- 1st-degree: message any time, free.
- 2nd and 3rd-degree: send a connection request, or use InMail credits (Premium).
- Open Profile: some members allow messages from anyone. You still need Premium to send them one.
02Why most commenters are not your connections
A post that does well is shown to your connections' connections, and to people who follow you without being connected. Those are exactly the people who comment on a giveaway.
03Three ways to get them the link
| Option | What it costs | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Ask them to connect, then DM | Nothing | They have to send the request, and some never do |
| InMail | Credits, which come with Premium | A monthly allowance that a busy post uses up fast |
| Put the link in a comment | Nothing | LinkedIn tends to show posts with outside links to fewer people, and nobody lands in your DMs |
Asking to connect is the one that scales, and it grows your network with people who have shown interest. Drop does it for you: it replies under the comment asking them to connect, accepts the request when it arrives, and sends the DM.
FAQQuestions people ask
Why does LinkedIn say I can't message this person?
Because you are not 1st-degree connections. Send a connection request, or use InMail if you have Premium.
Does a follower count as a connection?
No. Following someone lets you see their posts, not message them.
Will people actually connect?
Many will, because they asked for something. On the post we counted, the author's own post asked people to connect, which is the easiest way to raise that number.
NEXTKeep reading
LinkedIn comment-to-DM: how it works, step by step
Someone comments your word, they get your link in a DM. Here is exactly what happens for people you are connected to, people you are not, and what it looks like on a real post.
LinkedIn comment-to-DM templates: DMs and public replies that work
Copy-ready DMs, public replies and 'connect with me' messages for LinkedIn comment-to-DM, with when to use each.
Does ManyChat work on LinkedIn? What to use instead
ManyChat does not support LinkedIn. Here is why, what the same comment-to-DM job looks like on LinkedIn, and what changes because LinkedIn works differently.