How fast should you reply to a LinkedIn message?
Within the hour, with a time in it.
Upscale Outreach ·
Within the hour, and with a time in it. A first answer that proposed a time booked 1 conversation in 4 when it went out within the hour. A fast answer with no time in it booked 1 in 26.
Outscale benchmarks, from 112,149 prospects reached in real campaigns.
The typical LinkedIn reply waits 14 hours
Someone writes back. Then they wait. Half the replies in our benchmark waited more than 14 hours for an answer, and a reply that landed at the weekend waited about twice as long as one on a weekday.
Picture the other side. They replied between two meetings, phone in hand, mildly curious. An hour later they’re still in LinkedIn, still thinking about it. 14 hours later they’re in a different day, with a different inbox, and your name is one notification among dozens.
And that’s the ones that got an answer. 42% of the replies worth answering never got a single message back. The slowest reply is the one you never send.
The first hour is the one that counts
- Within an hour7.6%
- 1 to 4 hours4.4%
- 4 to 24 hours5.2%
- 1 to 3 days5.3%
- 3 to 7 days3.5%
- Over a week4%
Answer in the first hour and 7.6% of conversations booked. Every slower band booked between 3.5% and 5.3%. After the first hour, a day and a week look much the same.
That’s the window where they’re still holding the phone. Miss it, and you’re back in the queue with everything else.
A slow ask beats a fast pleasantry
First answer proposed a time It didn’t
- Within an hour25%3.8%
- 1 to 4 hours14%1.9%
- 4 to 24 hours20%2.3%
- 1 to 3 days14%3%
- 3 to 7 days16%0.5%
- Over a week7.9%3.1%
An answer that proposed a time booked more than a fast answer without one, at every speed. Even a day or two late, it booked 1 conversation in 7. Even a week late, 1 in 13. The quick “Thanks for getting back to me!” within the hour? 1 in 26.
“Reply in five minutes” is advice from inbound leads, people filling in a form because they’re shopping today. A LinkedIn reply is a stranger being polite between meetings. What they need is a reason to say yes. A fast pleasantry feels diligent to the person sending it, and gives the person reading it nothing to do.
What to do today
- Put a time in your first answer. Speed helps. The time helps more.
- Check replies at set times. First thing, after lunch, end of day. No reply that lands in working hours waits more than a few hours.
- Late? Ask anyway. A day-old answer with a time in it still booked 1 conversation in 7.
- Answer the weekend first. Monday morning, start with what came in on Saturday and Sunday. Those replies have already waited longest.
More in replies and meetings
How to reply when a LinkedIn prospect just says thanks
“Thanks” is a maybe with good manners.
Ask for the call. When a prospect replied with only “thanks”, proposing a time booked 1 conversation in 6. Leaving it booked 1 in 53.
Read itWhat to do when a LinkedIn prospect says “not right now”
“Later” is a diary entry, and nobody keeps the diary.
Name the date now, even if it’s months away. When a prospect said “later”, proposing a time booked 1 conversation in 6. Leaving it booked 1 in 572.
Read itHow to handle objections on LinkedIn
Answer it with a question.
Answer an objection with a question. When the first answer asked a question, 58% of prospects wrote back and 32% came back warm. When it handled the objection, 20% wrote back and 4% came back warm.
Read it