How To Personalize Invitations On LinkedIn’s Mobile App

November 17, 2015 / in General Information, How To, LinkedIn / by Mic Johnson

Post author: Mic Johnson

Ok, full disclosure here. I train people and companies on how to leverage LinkedIn both personally and professionally. And for a long time even I didn’t know how to do it. I looked and looked and couldn’t figure it out. But I knew there HAD to be a way to do it. All I knew was that it certainly wasn’t obvious. So I finally broke down one day and contacted LinkedIn directly and asked…

“Why can’t I customize LinkedIn invitation requests from your mobile app?”

Of course they replied back and said “You can” and went on to tell me how. I felt like an idiot, which I’m assuming isn’t how LinkedIn wants their users to feel. But I digress.

To prevent you from feeling like an idiot and to further prevent you from sending that mindbogglingly annoying and impersonal “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” message ever again, here’s all you have to do:

1. Find a person’s profile on the LinkedIn Mobile App by searching for their name in the SEARCH box. Click on their name. It will take you to their personal profile. (Note: This is for the iPhone. I’m assuming Android devices are similar.)

2. Click on the COMPLETELY UN-OBVIOUS three little dots in the upper right hand corner of the screen. DON’T CLICK ON THE COMPLETELY OBVIOUS BIG FAT BLUE CONNECT BUTTON because it will automatically send the aforementioned mindbogglingly annoying and impersonal “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn” message.

3. Choose CUSTOMIZE INVITE. Type your customized, personal, thoughtful invitation message and hit SEND.

That’s it. So totally NOT OBVIOUS, right? One of these days LinkedIn will finally listen to my pleas to have customized invites be the default option anytime you click the BIG FAT BLUE CONNECT BUTTON.

But until then, at least now you know what to do. Happy connecting!

(Thank you to the awesome Jay Senter from the equally awesome Prairie Village Post for allowing me to use him to illustrate this tip for you! PVPost.com is a hyperlocal news site covering government, sports, events and business in northeast Johnson County, KS.)