A Workaround for the LinkedIn Invitation Character Limit – Use the Outlook Toolbar

LinkedIn is going to be a victim of its own success soon, if they don't get it together. There are so many viable professional networks to choose from, and there is very little in the way of first mover advantage at this point. And there are enough people using social networking, that they could lose their base in a matter of months.

2010 will be the year they make it really big, or marginalize themselves. We'll have to see.

-ASB: http://xeesm.com/AndrewBaker
Providing Competitive Advantage through Effective IT Leadership

Here is a workaround and I what I actually do often. I have their email, I send them a message in an email and then write them a short LinkedIn invite via the Outlook tool. Why is this? Because more people read email than check their LinkedIn messsages. Email is the best way to contact any business professional. I never use LinkedIn to “do business”. I use it as a tool for my business.

If you are using the Outlook toolbar, you have their address so it makes my point very valid. Email the person and tell them you will invite them with a short message on LinkedIn and a longer email explaining your relationship needs, etc.

Neal…Once again, LI seems to be its own worse enemy. They continue to throw up roadblocks to the most effective use of what appears to be a useful tool. The irony is they often backtrack on initial policies once enough noise is created. I agree with Andrew's comment that sooner or later they will marginalize themselvers if they don't get their act together.
~ Scott

This is another stupid move by LinkedIn, and it's so typical of insular market leaders. Their message to their users seems clear: we really don't value you. Their “solutions” seem designed simply to make their business easier or less expensive. And they never tell you what they're doing or when it becomes effective (or for how long, since everything there seems like a moving target). LinkedIn – if you're listening – alienating users is not a good strategy. There are many dead companies we can all point to that did this. If you piss off your users, they are very happy to go somewhere else when there's an opportunity.

The LI limitation that still pains me the most is not being able to put links in your invitation. This even forces me (sometimes) to have to camouflage my email address – simply to make it easier to have a conversation with the invitee outside LI. Dumb.

I agree that LinkedIn is, for whatever reason, taking an insular approach that doesn't make sense and is almost contradictory in terms of what they want to achieve with the site. LinkedIn has added and tweaked things that have been favorably received (applications, new search engine, contacts tagging, etc.) but there are many other things they have done which have only aggravated its users. Not a good business model if you ask me…