LinkedIn and Salesforce are two of the most popular platforms for sales and marketing teams. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 810 million members globally. Salesforce is the #1 customer relationship management (CRM) platform with over 150,000 companies using it worldwide.
Many sales and marketing professionals use both LinkedIn and Salesforce daily. So it’s natural to wonder – is there an integration that connects the two platforms? The short answer is yes, LinkedIn and Salesforce can be integrated in several ways.
Official LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce Integration
The easiest way to connect LinkedIn and Salesforce is to use the official LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce integration. Sales Navigator is LinkedIn’s sales tool that helps sales professionals find new prospects, build relationships, and close more deals.
LinkedIn offers an official integration that connects Sales Navigator directly with Salesforce. This allows you to sync LinkedIn Lead, Contact, Company, and Account data into Salesforce automatically. It also pushes Salesforce data like deals and activities back to Sales Navigator.
With the official integration, users can:
- View LinkedIn profiles, news feed posts, and company pages directly within Salesforce
- Add LinkedIn Lead, Contact, Company, and Account data to Salesforce with one click
- SyncSalesforce records to Sales Navigator so info stays up-to-date
- Capture LinkedIn messages and InMail within Salesforce for a complete record
The LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce integration must be set up by a Salesforce admin. But once enabled, it provides a seamless connection between the two platforms.
Benefits of the Official Integration
Key benefits of the LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce integration include:
- Increased data accuracy – Syncing data between platforms reduces manual entry errors.
- Improved efficiency – Sales teams don’t have to constantly switch between apps.
- Enhanced personalization – Integrated LinkedIn profiles add context for more personalized outreach.
- Complete view of prospects – LinkedIn and Salesforce data combines for fuller relationship views.
Third-Party LinkedIn-Salesforce Integrations
There are also third-party integrations on the market that connect LinkedIn with Salesforce:
1. GroSocial
GroSocial offers a LinkedIn-Salesforce integration tool called GroExtend. Key features include:
- Real-time syncing of LinkedIn data to Salesforce
- Contact record updates when LinkedIn profiles change
- Social selling insights like shares, comments, and reactions
- Relationship maps to visualize connections
2. LinkedPiper
LinkedPiper is another option that offers capabilities like:
- Automated synchronization of LinkedIn and Salesforce data
- Bulk Lead, Contact, Company, and Account imports from LinkedIn to Salesforce
- Tracking of LinkedIn profile views, messages, and network updates
- Relationship mapping to identify shared connections
3. Cirrus Insight
Cirrus Insight connects Salesforce with email, calendar, and social media platforms like LinkedIn. Features include:
- Sync LinkedIn Messages into Salesforce for a complete history
- Create LinkedIn Lead, Contact and Company records from email signatures
- Embed LinkedIn profiles and newsfeed posts directly in Salesforce
- Track Opened Emails from LinkedIn in Salesforce
How to Choose the Right LinkedIn-Salesforce Integration
When evaluating LinkedIn-Salesforce integrations, here are some key factors to consider:
- Ease of use – How intuitive and simple is the integration to use day-to-day?
- Data sync flexibility – Can you customize what and how data is synced between the platforms?
- Support and documentation – Is onboarding, ongoing support and documentation provided?
- Security – Does the integration meet enterprise security, compliance and governance requirements?
- Pricing – What is the pricing model and does it fit your budget?
It’s also a good idea to check reviews and talk to other customers using the integration. Make sure the integration delivers on promised functionality and reliability.
Steps to Integrate LinkedIn and Salesforce
Once you’ve chosen an integration, here is an overview of what’s involved in setting it up:
- Get access to the integration – Subscribe to the official LinkedIn Sales Navigator integration through Salesforce or sign up for a third party integration product.
- Configure authentication and permissions – Allow data sharing between LinkedIn and Salesforce via API integrations and ensure proper permissions are set.
- Map data fields – Match up fields between LinkedIn and Salesforce to enable syncing (e.g. Job Title on LinkedIn maps to Title in Salesforce).
- Set sync preferences – Choose whether to sync data in real-time or on a schedule and adjust filtering as needed.
- Test and validate – Try out the integration and confirm that data is syncing as expected before rollout.
- Train end users – Educate sales teams on how to take advantage of the integration through demos, documentation and support.
Implementation time can range from a few days to a couple weeks depending on the complexity and number of users. Maintenance is also important – setting up automated data monitoring and sync error alerts.
Conclusion
Integrating LinkedIn and Salesforce delivers significant benefits for sales teams by providing complete, up-to-date views of prospects within Salesforce. The official LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce integration offers a seamless way to connect the platforms. Third party options like GroSocial, LinkedPiper and Cirrus Insight also provide automated syncing capabilities.
When evaluating options, look for a solution that is easy to use, flexible, secure, supported, and cost effective. Take the time to properly implement the integration across your sales organization to drive adoption. With an effective LinkedIn-Salesforce solution in place, sales teams can boost efficiency, personalization and productivity.
| Integration | Key Features | Considerations |
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| Official LinkedIn Sales Navigator-Salesforce |
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| GroSocial |
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| LinkedPiper |
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| Cirrus Insight |
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FAQs
Can I connect LinkedIn and Salesforce for free?
The official LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce integration requires a Sales Navigator license. Some third party options like GroSocial offer free trial periods or freemium versions with limited functionality. But robust, enterprise-grade integrations usually require a paid subscription.
What types of LinkedIn and Salesforce data can be integrated?
Typical data fields synced between LinkedIn and Salesforce include:
- Profiles
- Contacts
- Leads
- Accounts
- Companies
- Job Titles
- Locations
- Messages
- Emails
- Activities
- News Feed Posts
The specific objects supported will depend on the capabilities of the integration you choose.
How often does LinkedIn-Salesforce data sync?
The official LinkedIn-Salesforce integration and products like GroSocial offer real-time, bidirectional syncing as data changes. Other tools may sync on a scheduled cadence (i.e. every 24 hours). Some integrations also allow you to trigger manual syncs as needed.
Is the LinkedIn-Salesforce integration secure?
Reputable integration providers use secure protocols like OAuth 2.0 for authentication and SSL/TLS encryption for data transfer. Make sure any solution you implement meets your company’s security standards and has passed necessary compliance audits.
What are the pricing options?
Pricing models for LinkedIn-Salesforce integrations include:
- Per user monthly subscriptions
- Flat monthly fee depending on data volume
- Annual contracts with volume discounts
- Free versions with limited functionality
Expect to pay $1-2k+ annually for robust integration capabilities, depending on your use case and user count. Evaluate the ROI based on expected sales productivity and efficiency gains.
Summary
An integration between LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Salesforce provides significant value for sales teams by uniting two critical platforms. While the official integration requires Sales Navigator, third-parties also offer capable syncing tools. Key to success is choosing a solution that seamlessly fits your sales workflow and enables access to complete, timely prospect data directly within Salesforce for increased sales productivity.
