Sending connection requests on LinkedIn can be a tedious and time-consuming task. However, there are ways to automate and streamline the process of connecting with other LinkedIn members. This allows you to focus your time on more strategic relationship-building activities.
Why Automate LinkedIn Connection Requests?
Manually sending connection requests on LinkedIn has some major drawbacks:
- It’s very time consuming – Sending requests one by one takes up a lot of time each day
- No follow up – It’s easy to forget to follow up with people who haven’t responded to your request
- Hard to keep track – Managing all your pending requests and existing connections becomes difficult
- Not strategic – Mass blasting connection requests dilutes the value of your network
Automating the process helps overcome these issues by:
- Saving time – Automated tools send requests faster than doing it manually
- Follow up reminders – Tools can automatically send follow up messages to non-responders
- Staying organized – Centralized tools keep track of all your connections in one place
- Targeting strategically – You can target automated requests using advanced search filters
LinkedIn’s Policy on Automation
Before automating requests, it’s important to understand LinkedIn’s automation policies:
- Use automation ethically – Don’t spam people with unwanted requests
- Add personalized notes – Always customize your connection requests
- Reasonable volume – Keep your daily request volume reasonable to avoid limits
- Honor opt-outs – Respect member settings like automatically ignoring requests
As long as you follow these guidelines, you can safely automate requests without risking your account.
How to Automate LinkedIn Connection Requests
There are several methods and tools for automating connection requests on LinkedIn:
Browser Extensions
Browser extensions like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and LinkedIn Campaign Manager include automation features:
- Send bulk requests from search results
- Auto-accept inbound requests
- Tag and organize your network
- Schedule automated messages
These simplify request management directly within LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Automation Tools
Third-party automation tools like Dux-Soup and Linked Helper offer advanced options:
- Highly customized targeting
- Granular follow up settings
- Analytics on your network
- Integration with email and calendars
These provide maximum automation capabilities outside of LinkedIn.
LinkedIn Automation Services
Some companies offer done-for-you LinkedIn automation services, including:
- Identification of target connection prospects
- Customized messaging for invites
- Periodic network maintenance
- Detailed analytics reporting
These options outsource the automation process so you can focus on other priorities.
Step-by-Step Guide
If you want to manage LinkedIn automation yourself, follow these steps:
- Research target prospects – Identify who you want to connect with using LinkedIn search, groups, companies, etc.
- Craft your message – Create a short, personalized message template to use for invites.
- Configure your tool – Set up your selected automation tool and integrate LinkedIn.
- Import prospects – Add your prospective connections to the automation tool.
- Set a daily volume limit – Stay within LinkedIn’s automation limits to avoid issues.
- Send initial invites – Use the tool to send your first batch of requests.
- Schedule follow-ups – Set the tool to automatically follow up with anyone who doesn’t respond.
- Monitor and refine – Check analytics and optimize your outreach strategy.
Getting the Most Out of Automated Requests
To build the most valuable network possible with automated connection requests:
- Personalize invites – Include each person’s name, company, etc. in your message
- Target strategically – Prioritize connections who fill gaps in your network
- Segment and tag – Organize your connections using tags or lists
- Send thoughtful follow-ups – Don’t just repeat the same message
- Review analytics – Identify response patterns to improve targeting
- Connect offline too – Combine online automation with in-person relationship building
Automation Ethics
When automating LinkedIn connection requests, always remember:
- Quality over quantity – Curate your network, don’t just collect connections
- Add value – Offer help and advice to your connections
- Be transparent – Disclose if you use automation tools
- Respect privacy – Never scrape data or contacts
- Honor opt-outs – Delete contacts who ask to be removed
- Use judgment – Pause automation if you notice issues arising
Automation is a tool to help you connect – but relationships still require personal effort.
