What Are LinkedIn Automation Tools and Why Do I Need Them?

Did you know that 63% of businesses that use automation in their marketing outperform their competitors? That’s right, marketing automation has become the industry standard, and it's not going away anytime soon. They are extremely helpful in managing the many moving parts of digital marketing, which would otherwise be difficult for a single person or even a team to handle.

And automation shines on LinkedIn, a major player in the B2B social network for reaching out to business buyers and connecting with professionals. LinkedIn helps you generate high-quality leads, establish relationships, conduct market research, and improve your reputation.

So, what exactly is a LinkedIn Automation Tool, what can you do with it, and what are the advantages of using one?

What Are LinkedIn Automation Tools?

LinkedIn tools enable individuals and businesses to automate almost any action on the platform, from content scheduling and publishing to lead generation.

Outbound sales is one area where these tools have proven extremely useful. Using automation, you can reach out to more prospects in less time, increasing your reach and conversions. With the proper use of these tools, you can expect a high ROI.

For instance, you can:

Find the best-suited hires for your business.
Connect with high-quality investors for your business ventures.
Reach out to potential clients for your agency.

What Can You Do With LinkedIn Automation Tools?

Because not all LinkedIn automation tools are created equal, we can divide them into several categories based on their features. Not all tools, however, will fit neatly into a single category. You can find automation tools that can achieve all or some of these services.

Publishing & Analytics

These specialize in creating, scheduling, and publishing content to your network. They also allow you to track your posts’ performance and generate reports that can help you in your future efforts.

Connection Tools

LinkedIn has nearly 800 million members from nearly every industry. So you can imagine how difficult it is to make the right connections to expand your professional network.

Connection automation tools will help you in automating the sending of connection requests to the most qualified prospects based on your criteria, as well as allowing you to engage with them. Your LinkedIn outreach efforts will be easier and more effective than ever before thanks to an automation tool.

Lead Generation Tools

According to HubSpot, LinkedIn is 277% more effective for lead generation than other social media platforms. So if you’re a B2B or B2C company and looking to drive more leads, then LinkedIn is the place to do it.

However, generating leads is a time-consuming process with varying degrees of success. You'll need to make new connections, expand your lead list, track your prospects, and engage with them. A lead generation tool can help you do all of these things and more on autopilot, saving you precious time and effort that’s better employed elsewhere.

Data Extraction Tools

Did you know that LinkedIn has over 57 million registered companies in addition to its 800 million users? This clearly shows that there is a wealth of data available for you to analyze and utilize. You can use this data to create targeted campaigns or improve your LinkedIn activities.

With extraction tools, you can get your hands on valuable data about prospects, groups, post reactions, comments, company profiles, and so on. These tools can also give you the option to export your data in a variety of formats for use in other programs such as Excel or your CRM.

Benefits of Using LinkedIn Automation Tools

Here are a few reasons why you should consider automating your LinkedIn sales & marketing efforts:

Time-Saving

LinkedIn automation tools, like all automation software, are designed to help you save time. Think about all the work that goes into searching for each lead, writing a personalized connection message, and keeping track of each prospect.

A good automation tool eliminates time-consuming and repetitive tasks from your daily schedule. It enables you to reach audiences at the right time, across time zones and working hours, and makes your marketing more efficient overall.

Qualified Leads

The traditional method of locating highly qualified leads is time-consuming and costly. By using filters and smart searches, you can find these types of leads faster with LinkedIn automation tools. If you want to target content writers, for example, you can use filters like “copywriter” and “content writer” to narrow down your results to the ones that are relevant.

It doesn't end there, either. After the tool has identified the best leads for you, it can send personalized messages based on their profiles.

Growing Your Network

To get the most out of LinkedIn, you'll need to build a large following and contact list. However, getting there takes time and effort. It will help your outreach, give you access to important contact information, and allow you to keep in touch with other professionals.

A good automation tool will help you quickly grow your network while staying within LinkedIn's guidelines. They can make connection requests on your behalf without you having to do anything. But, more importantly, a good tool is always aware of and can work around the platform's limitations.

Gaining Valuable Data

Apart from some basic social media metrics, the native analytics feature on LinkedIn doesn’t present you with a lot of information about your content or connections. Automation tools can help you gain a better understanding of your position and make better decisions.

What to Watch for When Choosing a LinkedIn Automation Tool?

While LinkedIn automation tools offer a lot of value for your marketing & sales efforts, there are some things you need to consider before picking a specific tool:

Cost

The cost of some LinkedIn automation tools can be quite steep at times. Prices range from $30 to thousands of dollars, depending on the tool's features and capabilities. For example, Linqer, a powerful tool for prospecting outreach, costs $49 per LinkedIn user per month. Similar tools, however, can be found for up to $250.

So, before you commit, make sure the tool you're considering meets your requirements and that you're not overpaying for features you don't need.

Ban Risks

Some LinkedIn automation tools, mostly extensions, tend to go overboard when it comes to lead generation and sending out messages and connection invites. In other words, they can be spammy. For that reason, LinkedIn sets connection limits to detect spam and penalize it.

A good automation tool puts a focus on safety and is aware of LinkedIn's limitations. They allow you to get the most out of your lead generation and outreach campaigns without fear of being banned.

Lack of Personalization

Your connection messages, comments, and follow-ups may sound unnatural if you don't use a smart automation tool. They'd be missing the personal touch that any outreach effort requires.

To that end, a good automation tool should allow you to send personalized messages based on the recipient’s profile. They have to provide a wide range of communication options, ranging from basic scheduling to more complex recurring or event-triggered messaging.

Conclusion

We hope that this article has given you a better understanding of what a LinkedIn Automation Tool is, the different types available for use, some of their benefits, and some considerations. The next step is to decide the one that best meets your needs.

Linqer is a cloud-based LinkedIn automation tool designed to help you automate and improve LinkedIn prospecting and close more deals. Linger is an affordable automation tool that will ensure a high return on investment.