With all of the work that is involved with generating leads on LinkedIn, automatic lead generation seems like a viable solution. However, LinkedIn automation tools often create more problems than they solve. When it comes to lead generation management, automatic lead generation isn’t as useful as some experts claim it to be.
Automatic Lead Generation Violates LinkedIn’s User Agreement
LinkedIn doesn’t allow it’s members to use bots, scrapers and automation tools on its platform. If you read through your User Agreement, it states that you can’t:
- Use any software, devices or process to collect data on the platform
- Leverage automated methods to send messages
- Copy information of others via scraping, copying, or crawling
- Send unwanted or unwelcomed messages to others on the network
LinkedIn is clear regarding how it feels about the use of manual and automated tools for collecting data and sending messages on its platform. The social media site has shut down the profiles of users who have violated the User Agreement. LinkedIn is also vigilant about installing and updating various countermeasures to make using automatic lead generation difficult.
Despite this, the LinkedIn lead generation technologies space is still crowded with bots, plugins, scrappers, and software for you to use as part of your lead generation management platform. If automation is forbidden on LinkedIn, why are there so many automation tools out there?
LinkedIn Lead Generation Technologies
Software companies that help business owners with lead generation management aren’t shy about putting testimonials on their websites showing the big name companies that use their automation tools. Companies using LinkedIn for sales leads will find many plug-ins available for Gmail, Salesforce and other sales management platforms that help salespeople scrape a prospect’s LinkedIn profile information and pull it into a database or email contact form.
If bots, scrapers, and software aren’t allowed on LinkedIn, why do so many companies focus efforts on lead generation technologies that help you:
- Send automated connection requests to potential prospects?
- Automate viewing other people’s profiles on LinkedIn to encourage those people to connect with you?
- Set up and run entire automated messaging campaigns that attempt to encourage respondents to perform a specific call to action?
Companies wouldn’t put so much time and money into creating LinkedIn automatic lead generation unless they were able to see a positive return on their investment. Enough businesses feel that it is worth the trouble of consistently having to make adjustments to their automation tools to stay ahead of LinkedIn’s countermeasures. Also, enough people believe that it is worth the risk of being banned on LinkedIn to invest in these technologies.
LinkedIn Lead Generation Managment Through Automation
Is LinkedIn generation so difficult and time-consuming that the only way to do it successfully is through automation? Alternatively, is it that people don’t want to spend the time it takes for lead generation management to deliver consistent results?
The answer is a little bit of both. The fact that many business owners and executives don’t have the time or patience for lead generation activities is why LinkedIn automatic lead generation and other lead generation technologies remain popular despite the risk. Perhaps the people who believe the only way to generate leads is through software are working on a misconception?
It Isn’t About Quantity
Here at RevGrow we always stress quality over quantity for several reasons:
- Microniching helps companies generate more revenue
- Nurturing leads increases conversion rates while decreasing the lead cost
- Qualifying leads increase the revenue generated per lead while reducing customer churn
- Building a strong relationship with a small group of prospects increases brand loyalists in your network
If as a business owner you are sending out thousands of connection requests and trying to send messages to large groups of first-degree connections, then you are focusing on quantity over quality.
When you are selective about whom you are connecting with, then the numbers will be small enough to manage without the need for automation. Being careful with connection requests and keeping the number of people you message on your network manageable also helps to protect your network.
It Isn’t OK to Burn Your Network
Your LinkedIn and other social media networks are as valuable to your business as your email list. When a company follows lead generation management best practices, there will always be people in your first-degree network who are willing to schedule a call with you or respond to any other call to action you create.
If a company uses automation software to “pick the berries,” then the organization will generate leads from its efforts. However, in the process of obtaining a few new clients, the company risks upsetting many first-degree connections.
Those unhappy people may report you to LinkedIn, or they may remove the profile the company is using for this campaign from their network. Other people may not take any steps in reaction to the unwanted messages, but they will most likely ignore any future messages from that profile.
The result is that those prospects may have become good customers and been a perfect fit for the company’s offering. Now, however, the relationship has been irrevocably damaged. If the company runs multiple automated messaging campaigns from the same LinkedIn profile or multiple profiles, there may come the point where so many connections are upset with the strategy that the company will no longer be able to generate leads on LinkedIn.
Why LinkedIn Automatic Lead Generation Isn’t Worth It
LinkedIn lead generation technologies can affect more than just the quality of leads a company receives or run the risk of creating a reputation as a spammer on LinkedIn. Automatic lead generation tools also defeat the purpose of being on LinkedIn or any other social media platform.
You Are Human, and So Is Your Prospect
Social engagement is the main reason to be on any social media platform. Yes, your main reason for being on LinkedIn may be for
Lead generation management isn’t about managing the individuals so that they do what you want them to do; it is about having a repeatable process and understanding where people are in the sales funnel. When you know where people are in the sales funnel, you will understand how to engage with them at any given time: what information they want to receive, what questions they may have, what advice they may want from you.
When you rely on automation to engage with the people in your network, then you aren’t forming a relationship with them. You won’t have a clear understanding of where they are in the buying process, and you don’t know how close they are to buying a solution. You run the risk of losing more sales than you gain because you aren’t daily monitoring your network and taking the time to learn the needs of your prospects.
Running an effective LinkedIn lead generation campaign isn’t easy. There are many moving parts in a business development strategy; however, automated lead generation isn’t the best solution. Reducing the number of connections you nurture, taking the time to get to know the people in your network, and refusing to burn your network to go berry picking are three ways you can make LinkedIn lead generation management effective and efficient.
If you want more advice on how to create a LinkedIn lead generation platform to help you streamline your revenue, click here to access our online guide How to Generate B2B Leads in a Social World. If you want to learn more about ways you can make lead generation management more manageable for your business, contact us for a FREE status session today!
