LinkedIn messages vs cold email: which works better?
By Tirth Shah, founder of Bub · Updated
Neither wins everywhere. LinkedIn messages work best when your buyers are active on LinkedIn and you can reference something specific about them, like a post or a job change; you also get voice notes and video, which email can't match. Cold email scales further and reaches people who rarely open LinkedIn, but fights spam filters and full inboxes. Most teams get the best results using both: connect and message on LinkedIn, and email the people who aren't active there.
Add Bub to Chrome, it's freeLinkedIn messages vs cold email
| LinkedIn messages | Cold email | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you can reach | Connections freely; others via InMail or a connection request | Anyone with a findable address |
| Volume | Limited: invitation limits and InMail credits | High, if your domains are set up well |
| Context | Their profile, posts and mutual connections are right there | Whatever you research elsewhere |
| Formats | Text, voice notes, native video, files | Text and links |
| Main risk | Account restrictions from automation | Spam folders and domain reputation |
| Feels like | A conversation | A letter |
When to use which
- Use LinkedIn when your buyer posts or comments there, when you share connections, or when a voice note or video would make you stand out.
- Use email when your buyer barely uses LinkedIn, when you need volume, or for longer, more formal follow-ups.
- Use both: connect on LinkedIn, follow up there with a short voice note, and email anyone who hasn't accepted after a week.
LinkedIn's unfair advantage: voice and video
Email can only send a link to a video. On LinkedIn, a voice note or a video plays right in the chat, and it's obviously from a real person. LinkedIn only lets you record voice notes in its phone app; Bub, a free Chrome extension, lets you record voice notes and native video from your laptop.
Questions
Do LinkedIn messages get more replies than cold email?
It depends on your audience. Personal LinkedIn messages to people active on LinkedIn tend to do well; email reaches more people, including those who rarely log in.
Should I use LinkedIn and email together?
Yes, most teams do. Connect and message on LinkedIn, and email people who aren't active there or haven't accepted.
Can I send a video in a cold email?
Only as a link or thumbnail. On LinkedIn, a native video plays inside the chat.
Is LinkedIn outreach risky?
Automation is what gets accounts restricted. Writing and sending your own messages, at a human pace, is normal LinkedIn use.
Checked October 9, 2026. LinkedIn changes its features and limits from time to time.