Should You Use LinkedIn Automation?

When it comes down to sales or marketing, many of the traditional channels, like cold email or cold calling, are becoming saturated or less effective. But the news isn't all bad. New networks like LinkedIn have created entirely new channels that sales and marketing teams can use to generate leads and run outbound sales.

So what are the pros and cons of using LinkedIn automation? Well, that's exactly what we'll be covering in this article. So sit down, grab a cup of your favorite coffee, and let's dive in!

What is LinkedIn Automation?

LinkedIn Automation is the act of using LinkedIn Automation software or scripts to handle tasks on LinkedIn automatically. These tools can help you to keep your profile in check, connect with prospects, send messages, and even interact with your network to build rapport.

Here's a short list of some common LinkedIn Automations:

• Connecting: Automatically send connection requests to your target prospects.
• Messaging: Sending personalized messages to connections or cold prospects.
• Profile Visits: Automatically visiting somebody's profile so that they're notified that you viewed their profile. This makes them acquainted with you and can turn a cold outreach into a warm one.
• Content Engagement: Automatically liking and commenting on your prospects' posts so that they notice you. Similar to profile visiting, this makes your prospects familiar with your profile.
• Data Scraping: Scraping data like names, job titles, and email addresses from profiles for cold outreach, such as cold calling or cold emailing.

Are there limitations to LinkedIn automation?

Yes, just like any platform, there are limitations to LinkedIn automations. These limitations change depending on the type of automation you're talking about. Whether it's connections, messaging, profile visits, or even content engagements, each one of these different tactics has a different kind of limitation attached to it.

And before you run any kind of LinkedIn automation, it's really important that you do your research so you understand the limitations on LinkedIn. If you'd like to learn more about all the limitations LinkedIn imposes, come check out our blog post about LinkedIn's outreach limits.

Is it safe to use LinkedIn automation?

As mentioned earlier, LinkedIn imposes certain limitations on outreach and different kinds of engagements. These limitations are imposed to ensure that LinkedIn users still have a great experience and do not have to deal with too much spam. Therefore, if you exceed these limits and are categorized as spam, your account may be placed in restricted mode. This essentially means that your LinkedIn account will be blocked for a short period of time. 

It is even possible that LinkedIn may ask you to verify your identity because they are concerned about fake accounts. However, in our experience, as long as you are a real person and can verify your identity, the risk of getting your LinkedIn account completely blocked is very unlikely. 

If you want to ensure that your LinkedIn account is never blocked and remains safe, we recommend following our guide on how to avoid getting blocked on LinkedIn.

What are popular use cases for LinkedIn automation?

There are tons of different use cases when it comes to LinkedIn automation. These cases can range depending on the outcome you're looking for. If you are in sales, of course, your use case is going to be different than if you're in recruiting. Even still, within each sector, there are multiple use cases. Here are some of the most popular.

Popular use cases for LinkedIn automation:

• Outbound sales
• Inbound sales (following up)
• Recruiting
• Fundraising
• Networking
• And more.

As you can see, the use cases for LinkedIn automation are essentially endless. So, regardless of whether you're recruiting, applying for jobs, or even fundraising for your new startup, LinkedIn automation is definitely a tactic you should consider implementing.

Benefits of LinkedIn Automation

There are a variety of benefits to using LinkedIn automation. 

Here are a few examples:

• Save Time: Automation allows you to save time and effort by eliminating the need to personalize hundreds of messages every week. Instead, you can focus your energy on other tasks that require your attention like closing deals or sales calls.
• Automate Lead Generation: LinkedIn is a powerful channel for generating leads  and by automating outreach on LinkedIn you can build a valuable pipeline of leads. 
• Analytics: Although LinkedIn offers some social media metrics, LinkedIn automation tools can provide a more insights into the effectiveness of your marketing and sales strategies on the platform.
• Optimization: Playing off analytics, automation allows you to optimize Outreach.  if you're sending one-off messages manually you really don't know the effect of this of these. By automating outreach, you can A/B test messaging and double down on what works best.

Drawbacks of LinkedIn Automation

LinkedIn automation is not without its flaws. Here are a few reasons why it may not be worth pursuing:

• High Cost: High-quality automation software can be expensive, so it is important to do your research so you can weight the pros and cons of the options available. Sometimes, more affordable alternatives may be worth considering, at least for the time being.
• Risk of getting banned on LinkedIn: LinkedIn prohibits the use of third-party software, so using LinkedIn automation software may result in your account being restricted or banned entirely. However, you can avoid this by using your account cautiously and following specific guidelines.
• Awkward Conversation: Sometimes, LinkedIn automation can lead to less than desirable outcomes. A common example is contacting somebody that you have a previous relationship with. This can make for an awkward conversation on LinkedIn, but we've found that most people are understanding, especially if you just let them know that you're using LinkedIn automation.
• Unnatural Personalization: Some automation tools may generate messages that lack a human touch, and this can lead to lower response rates than personalized manual outreach. However, as long as you test your messaging, we found that you can get similar results with automation.

Recap: Pros & Cons of LinkedIn Automation

To save you some time, here's a quick recap of the  benefits and drawbacks of LinkedIn automation.

Pros (Benefits)

• Save Time
• Automate Lead Generation
• Analytics
• Optimization

Cons (Drawbacks)

• High Cost
• Risk of getting banned on LinkedIn
• Awkward Conversation
• Unnatural Personalization

Is LinkedIn Automation Right for You?

Whether or not LinkedIn automation is right for you will ultimately depend on your use case. If you're in sales, recruiting, or even marketing, you should give LinkedIn automation a test at the very least. Here at LeadLoft, it's actually one of our favorite channels (after cold email), so we can't recommend it enough.

Just keep in mind that LinkedIn automation is just like any other channel. Don't expect amazing results on day one. It's going to take time to optimize and perfect your strategy.

Regardless, go give it a try, and if you're looking for an amazing LinkedIn automation tool, here is a list of the best LinkedIn automation software available.