As the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn has a community of informed and active professionals.
The majority of its users visit the platform with a professional mindset, making it a platform used by leading Growth Hackers to generate leads, drive website traffic, and leverage content marketing
Why automate Linkedin
Tools to automate prospecting on LinkedIn help you publish your content to the right audience at the right time, and maximize your reach in no time to get a head start.
They help you introduce a personalized approach in your interactions with users. Many of your contacts want to communicate with you not by email but directly via LinkedIn. However, you cannot guarantee that a human being will be present 24/7 to take care of this work.
The downsides of automation
Automation is good, but don’t try to automate everything .
There are some things you can’t automate, like developing high-value clients and creating creative content.
If you rely heavily on automation, your campaigns may not look “ natural ” – they don’t like that.
You need to find the perfect balance between the human touch and enough automation to relieve you of repetitive tasks.
Here is the rule:
- If you need to be creative, use a person.
- If you have to be repetitive, use a computer.
What is the best automation tool for Linkedin?
Here are my picks for the best LinkedIn automation tools that will supercharge your LinkedIn marketing and sales activities this year.
1. Phantombuster
Phantombuster has several simplified automation tools that anyone can use.
You can use them to send a set of messages to specific contacts, find emails through its integrations with third-party applications, or simply pull a list of contacts from a LinkedIn group.
We’ve used Phantombuster a lot in the past because of how easily it can help with lead generation .
It is quite simple to use and offers many customization possibilities .
It has an automated network booster, message sender, and even a profile extraction feature that sends results directly to your spreadsheet or CRM.
Apart from the tools above, it even has some nifty Phantoms, such as the conversation extractor and an auto-approval feature that you can use.
It is offered in a free trial version and a paid version which offers you more usage time per day. It is an interesting tool because beyond LinkedIn it allows you to web scrape many third-party sites (Google, Quora, Twitter, GitHub, etc.), to mix all the data to enrich your CRM : very powerful .
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2. Dux-Soup
Dux-Soup bills itself as a sales automation tool for LinkedIn and it’s one of the biggest names in the industry.
You can use it to interact with prospects by endorsing their skills and connecting with them, then it contacts them at scale with personalized messages.
The app also allows you to only engage with “warmer” prospects, i.e. prospects who respond.
You can even connect Dux-Soup to your CRM software (only possible with the Premium plan).
It has the ability to:
- label and segment prospects
- download specific prospect lists
- personalized message tailored to your needs
- annotate and share lead information with teammates – useful for large marketing campaigns and organizations
- set random wait times between actions, which helps comply with LinkedIn’s usage policy.
This is a Chrome extension that allows you to easily access all of its features with a single click at a more than reasonable price.
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3. OctopusCRM
Octopus CRM is another one of those LinkedIn growth hacking tools used by many growth hackers.
The tool is presented as a LinkedIn prospecting platform with several tools you can use to make your life easier.
You have the ability to create funnels , automatic reminders , automatic logins , and create workflows for messages.
If you want to get in touch with someone, it will automatically create a process that allows you to send a message, follow up with the prospect, and even check if they don’t respond.
Like its competitors, you can send personalized login messages .
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4. We-Connect
We-Connect is another Growth Hacking tool from LinkedIn that emphasizes security in its use .
It imposes usage limits on users, works with random actions, and gives clients a unique IP address.
Its big advantage is that it works in the cloud , which allows you to launch it even without being present on your browser or computer.
In addition to security features, you get access to an API, a Zapier connection to integrate with over 1,000 tools, and much more.
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5. ProspectIn
ProspectIn is a tool to automate LinkedIn prospecting that allows you to create campaign scenarios to follow up with prospects after they accept your invitation to connect or after seeing the previous message.
This tool can be used to expand your network , drive sales , and share content effortlessly . You save a considerable amount of time that would have otherwise been spent on LinkedIn to expand your reach.
It is well suited for salespeople, founders, marketers and recruiters to send personalized mass messages as well as automatic visits or follow-ups.
Compared to Dux-Soup and OctopusCRM , ProspectIn offers automated marketing scenarios , advanced automation and free support. But there is no automatic recommendation option, which is offered by Dux and Octopus.
It is also worth noting that the security and reputation of your LinkedIn account are enhanced by Prospectin in a way that reduces the risk of account ban or suspension.
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6. LinkedHelper 2 – the best value for money
Here’s a Growth Hacking tool from Linkedin that has been around for a while now. It is now called LinkedHelper2 .
If you’ve been practicing Growth Hacking for a while, you may be familiar with the first version of this tool, which was an extension installed on your browser.
Today, it’s a downloadable CRM tool that works on your computer .
It has new features and it is another tool that claims to be very safe.
What we like is the ability to connect with second and third degree contacts, as well as its intelligent action limits. The new application seems to have been designed to extend your basic network and we must admit that it does it quite well for a price accessible to all budgets.
Its only weak point: not working in the cloud.
7. Zopto
Do you want a fully automated LinkedIn Growth Hacking tool ? Then you can turn to Zopto .
This particular tool works by integrating with your LinkedIn Premium or LinkedIn Sales Navigator account.
Once you complete the quick parameters of your search, it will automatically drive your lead generation efforts.
You will have access to common functions of this type of tool, such as automatic profile viewing and sequential messaging.
It’s also possible to connect with people on Twitter if you want a more sophisticated campaign, and you have templates and options for A/B testing.
As soon as you sign up with Zopto, you can access a dashboard that keeps track of important stats and analytics , so you can determine what’s working and what’s not in your LinkedIn campaigns.
Zopto can also help you find new markets that are not part of your current network, which is extremely convenient but still more expensive than other solutions on the market.
8. Expandi
We personally love Expandi because it’s one of the most powerful LinkedIn automation apps you can find on the market.
It has all the features you will need to launch your lead generation campaign on LinkedIn.
The Expandi team claims that their product is one of the safest on the market, implying that it will not be banned. But, beyond that statement, we like Expandi because it’s an all-in-one solution for growth hackers who do a lot of lead generation.
What we like most is the dashboard and the smart messaging feature.
You can fully personalize your messages and even add images and graphics, making it easier to use ABM (Account Based Marketing) techniques on larger contact lists.
With Expandi, you can turn a normal lead generation strategy into a highly personalized action . This is why we love the messaging feature so much.
Many tools available on the market today only allow you to customize text and limit these options to the bare minimum.
Plus, It Converts Your LinkedIn Inbox Into A
“Smart” Inbox , Giving You More Options For Tagging And Taking Notes On Your Prospects. This Helps Your Growth Team Stay Organized And Avoid Cross-Communication And Redundancies.
Plus, it provides you with metrics so you know if you’re hitting your marketing KPIs consistently.
You can even create a multi-step campaign if you’re doing lead nurturing and connect everything to your CRM for a seamless experience. This is useful for longer sales cycles that rely on careful prospect follow-up.
The tool isn’t cheap but it’s a small price to pay if you’re a power user.
9. SalesFlow
SalesFlow is another powerful tool that remains fairly discreet about its capabilities when you first visit its website.
However, it provides users with a comprehensive suite of tools that you can use to scale your organization in no time.
A quick look under the lid reveals their personalized and automated invitation system to grow your network. It automatically integrates with a good email tool that gives you the usual features.
Reminders are also easy to manage thanks to their tracking tool, which integrates artificial intelligence to help you detect responses , filter them and tag them in order to organize your growth hacking team or your salespeople.
10. LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
Since it’s LinkedIn, you can choose to stay on the platform with its own tool. This is the case with LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
There are no fancy features available in their in-house tool, but what makes Sales Navigator so powerful is its advanced search features .
The tool is naturally integrated into their database, making finding new prospects a breeze .
You can easily save time searching for clients if you choose to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Instead of awkwardly searching for prospects that match your segmentation, you can simply take advantage of its search features.
Here are the available filters
- Custom Lists – to filter lists you have already created.
- Company – even includes features to search for past and present companies.
- industry
- Workforce of the company
- Function
- Title
- Seniority level
- Relationship
You can also integrate LinkedIn Sales Navigator with the CRM of your choice.
It may not be the most feature-rich option, but it’s quite powerful on its own level.
11. LeadFuze.
If you don’t want to use LinkedIn Sales Navigator, check out LeadFuze.
Think of LeadFuze as an enhanced version of LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Instead of collecting data from a single source, it draws it from everywhere.
You have advanced search functionality and many artificial intelligence features built into the LeadFuze platform.
Teams can even go so far as to source leads based on the technology they use. This is exceptionally useful for SaaS and B2B providers who want to be competitive.
It’s a great addition to your Growth Hacking tools for LinkedIn because of the power of lead generation.
The app has many features, including the following:
- a feature preventing you from adding leads that team members are already working on
- data cleaning features
- and the ability to allow the app to create lists for your lead generation team.
We highly recommend the application to any growth hacker who wants to have a search engine, but for leads.
12. LeadConnect.
Are you looking for a simple interface with a free version for life? In this case, you have to take a look at Lead Connect.
The application is quite simple and uses a good old Google Chrome extension to get started.
All you have to do is define your audience – you also have the option to upload a CSV, set up your messages and follow-ups, then transfer everything into your CRM .
It doesn’t have the most advanced features, but it’s pretty easy to use and includes response detection so you can stop a sequence as soon as a prospect responds.
There is a free version limited to five invitations per day, which isn’t so bad if you’re running a small campaign on autopilot.
However, be careful with all tools that only work using browser extensions: LinkedIn spots them much more easily than others.
13. Meet Alfred.
Meet Alfred attempts to successfully match all the tools on the market by improving your results without increasing your workload.
It does this by giving you the tools to create multi-channel campaigns across LinkedIn, Twitter, and email.
Meet Alfred covers the essentials, such as sending connection requests , personalized messages but also to follow up with prospects . It also allows you to automate engagement with prospects’ messages or view their profiles.
Like other tools, Alfred emphasizes security and imposes usage limits that will keep you under LinkedIn’s limits.
14. Attach.io.
Attach.io is a specific LinkedIn growth hacking tool that can help you track documents on LinkedIn after you submit them.
We find this feature useful if you regularly distribute lead magnets on LinkedIn and want a convenient way to keep track of them all . But that’s not all.
There are a lot of features that make it truly remarkable for businesses that share a lot of files.
You can :
- Restrict access after a certain time
- Know where a prospect has arrived in the document, i.e. what page they are on.
- Find out if he forwarded the document to anyone else.
- Check the information
- Have an extension that you can use directly with Gmail
You can use it for promotion campaigns for your lead magnets , even outside of the LinkedIn platform.
This is ideal if you want to track progress or see if your lead magnet is actually making a difference.
Stop guessing or asking if your prospects viewed your email or lead magnet, find out if they did so live.
FAQ – LinkedIn Automation
How to automate LinkedIn?
You automate LinkedIn by using a LinkedIn automation tool and setting up automated tasks like sending messages, viewing profiles, validating skills, or even creating an entire message sequence.
Once you set up automations, your tool will connect to targeted prospects, approve their skills, and send them a personalized message on autopilot (or almost).
Is LinkedIn automation illegal?
Technically, yes, LinkedIn automation is illegal. LinkedIn states that automation tools are prohibited and that any use of these tools is a violation of its terms of service.
However, if you use them correctly and don’t spam other users, chances are everything will work out fine. Tens of thousands of businesses around the world are using automation tools as we speak. As long as you use them wisely, you won’t have any problems.
Is LinkedIn a good tool for selling?
Yes, LinkedIn is 100% a good tool for selling. In fact, it’s one of the best.
No other social platform allows you to target users based on their professional skills, budget, or recent professional activity. It’s one of the best B2B sales and recruiting tools out there.
How to get more leads with LinkedIn automation tools?
You get more leads with LinkedIn automation tools by finding the right audience based on the filters most related to your business.
Once you find them, you connect with them in a natural way and send them a personalized message. Don’t spam! As soon as you are connected, you have a prospect.
Why use a LinkedIn automation tool?
You should use a LinkedIn automation tool because it saves you hundreds of hours of painstaking research and allows you to get higher quality leads.
If you want to find a lead manually, you have to do individual research, write a message, and click send hundreds of times. An automation tool will find the right audience, send them a mass message with some personalizations, and do all the clicking for you for approvals or sending.
What is the best LinkedIn automation tool?
The best LinkedIn tool is hands down Phantombuster .
No other tool rivals its functionality, speed and ease of use. And no other tool has so many granular filters.
Dux-Soup , Zopto and Expandi are also great tools. You can’t go wrong with any of these. But don’t use a shady tool with a bad reputation or a tool without built-in security features, otherwise you will end up in LinkedIn prison.
Conclusion on these automation tools
LinkedIn’s Growth Hacking tools are essential if you want to save time, maximize efficiency , minimize human error , and free up your team’s intellectual and creative load to focus on the things that really matter to you. ‘organization.
You know, time is important, you must make good use of it.
There are many other tools of this type on the market. So many that we can’t cover them all in one quick guide. But remember that a tool is only as good as the person who uses it.
Don’t buy tools that you can’t use to have some form of “automation”. Make sure you buy the ones that make the most sense for your business.
Start automating so you have more time to start growing.