> **The question.** To start a connection with someone on LinkedIn, is it better to **comment on their posts** (public) or to **message them privately** (DM)? The answer isn't "one or the other": it's a **sequence**. You comment **first** to exist, warm up and become recognizable; you DM **second**, once familiar. This guide explains why this order wins, and how to run it. ⚠️ Honest disclosure: we **do not measure** connection rate or conversion into clients — this guide reasons from what we do measure (comment visibility) + the warm-vs-cold difference documented by third parties. ## Key takeaways - **This isn't "comment vs post."** Here we compare the **public comment** to the **private message** as a *first move* to start a connection. (If you're looking at commenting vs publishing your own posts, that's a different topic.) - **The comment is the "low-friction" move.** It's public, seen by the author **and** their audience (**~179 average impressions**, *LinkHub, 657,722 comments*) — you impose nothing on anyone's inbox. - **The DM is the "high-intent" move.** It's private, direct, but **cold** if it arrives without prior context. A familiar contact replies far better than a stranger *([Expandi, 2025](https://expandi.io/blog/state-of-li-outreach-h1-2025/))*. - **The winning sequence: comment first, message second.** Each comment warms you up; by the time you DM, you're no longer an anonymous name. - **Comment early.** The **0-30 min** window earns ~3.8x more than after 24h *(LinkHub, 261,137 comments)* — commenting fast maximizes your visibility before the DM. - **A DM without a note isn't a death sentence**: adding a contextualized message mainly lifts the **reply** rate after acceptance *([Botdog, 2025](https://www.botdog.co/blog-posts/linkedin-acceptance-rates))*. ## 1. Comment vs message: two moves, two intents Before choosing, separate what each move actually does. **The public comment** is a **low-friction, high-reach** move. You speak up under someone's post, and your comment is seen by the author **and** their audience. On average, a value-adding comment generates **~179 impressions** *(LinkHub, 657,722 comments)*: you exist in front of dozens of people without imposing on anyone. No one "endures" your comment — they choose to read it. It's the core of [social selling through comments](/en/blog/social-selling-commentaires-linkedin). **The private message (DM)** is a **high-intent, low-reach** move. It goes straight to one person, into their inbox. That's valuable — but costly in attention: you ask for the time of someone who may not know you. Sent cold, without context, it carries the weight of the unknown. The nuance is simple: **the comment opens a door everyone can see; the DM knocks on a closed door.** Neither is better — they belong at different moments. ## 2. Why start with the comment (not the DM)? Because a cold DM asks a stranger to trust you immediately, whereas a comment lets you **earn that trust first**. Three measured or documented reasons: - **The comment makes you recognizable.** Before writing to someone, you want them to think "I know that name." Commenting on their posts (or the ones they follow) builds that familiarity — you become *"someone they've already come across."* - **Warm converts better than cold.** Across **70,000+ campaigns**, the average LinkedIn DM reply rate hits **10.3%, about double cold email (~5%)**, and the *warm-first* approach outperforms cold outreach ([Expandi, 2025](https://expandi.io/blog/state-of-li-outreach-h1-2025/)). - **The comment is reversible, the DM leaves a mark.** A clumsy comment drowns in a thread; a bad first DM burns you with that person. Starting with the lower-risk move is rational. Bottom line: the DM isn't to be avoided — it's to be **earned**. And it's the comment that earns it for you. For the full follow-through (from comment to meeting), see [from comment to client](/en/blog/commentaire-au-client-linkedin). ## 3. The optimal sequence, step by step Here's the order that turns a stranger into a contact who replies to you. 1. **Spot the right hosts.** Comment under the creators your target follows, or directly under your target's posts. *(For targeting, see [who to comment on](/en/blog/sur-qui-commenter-linkedin) and the [comment ICP](/en/blog/icp-commentaire-linkedin).)* 2. **Comment early and well.** A value-adding comment, in the **0-30 min** window — which earns ~3.8x more impressions than after 24h *(LinkHub, 261,137 comments; see [when to comment](/en/blog/quand-commenter-sur-linkedin))*. This is where your target sees you a first time. 3. **Repeat and exchange.** Come back, reply in the thread, cross paths with the same person two or three times. Familiarity is built by repetition, not by a single comment. 4. **Let the profile visit come.** An intrigued prospect clicks your name. That's the signal the ground is warm. *(See [optimize your profile for comments](/en/blog/optimiser-profil-linkedin-commentaires).)* 5. **Move to the DM — contextualized.** Only now. Reference the exchange ("we were talking about it under X's post…"), add value before asking for anything. The rule: **the DM is the last step, not the first.** Everything before it warms it up. ## 4. Do you really need to comment before every message? No — but it's the safest default order. There are exceptions where the DM can come earlier (or alone). - **A real pre-existing connection.** If you've already met (event, shared client, intro), a contextualized DM is legitimate right away. - **A reply to a clear intent.** The person posted "I'm looking for an X": a direct, useful DM is expected, not intrusive. - **Volume vs relationship.** If you run volume, commenting first costs time; but that time is exactly what turns a cold reply rate into a warm one. In every other case — the majority — **commenting first remains the most profitable move**, because it changes the nature of your DM: you're no longer writing to a stranger, you're writing to someone who recognizes you. ## 5. DM with a note or without? What the data says When you reach the DM (or the connection request), one question recurs: should you add a note? According to Botdog's 2025 analysis of **16,492 invitations**, **adding a note barely changes the acceptance rate** (~26% with vs ~26% without). However, the note **nearly doubles the reply rate after acceptance** (~9.4% with a note vs ~5.4% without) ([Botdog, 2025](https://www.botdog.co/blog-posts/linkedin-acceptance-rates)). The lesson matches the exact logic of this guide: - **If your only goal is to grow your network**, a request without a note is enough. - **If your goal is to open a conversation** (the connection case), a **contextualized note** — referencing your comment or the exchange — makes the difference on the reply. And that's where the comment regains its full meaning: it **gives you the context** your note will reference. Without a prior comment, your note rings hollow; with one, it rings true. ## FAQ **Is it better to comment or send a message on LinkedIn?** Both, but in order: comment **first** (public move, low friction, ~179 average impressions), then DM **second**, once familiar. The comment warms up; the DM converts. A cold DM asks the prospect to trust you with no context — a DM that follows comments reaches someone who already recognizes you. **Does the comment replace the private message?** No. The comment **opens** the relationship (publicly, in front of the audience); the DM **extends** it (privately, directly). The comment closes nothing, the DM warms nothing — they're complementary, not interchangeable. **How many comments before moving to a DM?** No magic number in our data. The rule is qualitative: move to a DM once the exchange has built familiarity (an author reply, two or three crossings). One real exchange beats ten comments with no interaction. **Should you add a note to your connection request?** If your goal is to converse (connection), yes: the note doesn't change acceptance but **nearly doubles the reply rate** after acceptance ([Botdog, 2025](https://www.botdog.co/blog-posts/linkedin-acceptance-rates)). Reference your comment in the note so it rings true. **What connection rate do comments generate?** We **don't measure it** and refuse to invent it. What we do measure: a relevant comment = qualified audience (~179 impressions) + maximum visibility in the 0-30 min window. Conversion into a connection then depends on your profile, your note and your follow-up. ## Sources & methodology - **First-party LinkHub data** — impressions per comment (657,722 comments: ~179 average, 35 median); effect of the 0-30 min window vs 24h (261,137 comments: ~3.8x). **Connection rate and conversion into clients are not measured**: the comment→DM sequence is reasoning backed by these signals + the warm/cold difference from third-party studies. - [Expandi — State of LinkedIn Outreach 2025](https://expandi.io/blog/state-of-li-outreach-h1-2025/) · [Botdog — LinkedIn acceptance rates 2025](https://www.botdog.co/blog-posts/linkedin-acceptance-rates) - Find all our studies on the [LinkHub blog](/en/blog). --- **Comment first, message second — without guessing.** LinkHub groups your targets into [personalized feeds](/en/features/feeds-personnalises) so you comment early under the right hosts, and drafts [comments in your voice](/en/features/ia-commentaires-personnalises) that you approve. [Try LinkHub](/en/features/ia-commentaires-personnalises) — warm up before you write.