Why you should reply to your DMs on LinkedIn
There’s a saying making the rounds online that LinkedIn has become a mass grave of ghost jobs and AI -generated content. The idea behind it is that Easy Apply jobs receive no responses, AI slop is flooding our feeds, and connections ghost each other in the inbox. In a quite meta fashion, the saying has become a recurring topic on the very platform it critiques. Recently, I published a post about…
LinkedIn has become a platform filled with ghost jobs, AI-generated content, and ghost connections. The "accept and ignore" culture has become prevalent, with users accepting connection requests but ignoring the subsequent direct messages. This culture has led to professionals sharing their frustration with being ignored and feeling anxious when reaching out to new connections.
People are hoping for a human touch on the platform, especially when their job market success is at stake. The author shares how one message from a stranger in their MBA years led to a mentoring relationship that enriched their life. However, the low bar for response has made common courtesy responses elusive. Many users have turned to LinkedIn creators and influencers for best practices in cold outreach, which often involve being direct, proving value in limited characters, and presenting a human-like message in lowercase.
Despite the ease of mass outreach through AI, people are still hoping for meaningful connections that expand their world beyond their immediate lanes. The author personally replies to all connection requests and connection messages, taking the time to read and respond, even to unrelated pitches. They suggest dedicating a short amount of time each day to going through the inbox, starting from the oldest messages, and responding thoughtfully.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
