If you spend more time digging through LinkedIn than actually talking to leads, this guide’s for you. Manual research is a slog, but automation—if you set it up right—can actually help you find people worth reaching out to. Here’s how to use Warmly to automate LinkedIn lead research without ending up with a pile of junk data (or getting your account flagged).
Why bother automating LinkedIn lead research?
You know the drill: searching, filtering, maybe copy-pasting into a spreadsheet, and then… realizing half your “leads” aren’t even a fit. Automation can help, but only if you’re realistic:
- You won’t get perfect data. LinkedIn guards its info. Automation helps, but don’t expect magic.
- You still need to think. Tools like Warmly are just helpers. Garbage in, garbage out.
- Done right, you’ll save hours. The goal: more time talking to actual prospects, less time clicking around.
Here’s how to do it step by step.
1. Get clear on your real targeting criteria
Before you touch any tool, nail down who you’re actually looking for. This saves serious headaches later.
Be specific about: - Titles (and the real-world variations people use) - Industries or company types - Company size or stage - Geography (if relevant) - Must-have signals (like recent funding, tech stack, etc.)
Pro tip: Build two lists—“must haves” and “nice to haves.” If you’re fuzzy here, you’ll end up with random leads and wasted outreach.
2. Set up LinkedIn for cleaner automation
Warmly works best if your LinkedIn is in good shape.
- Clean up your LinkedIn connections. Bots and fake profiles muddy your results.
- Tweak your privacy settings. If you want Warmly to pull more data, make sure your profile info is visible to connections or the public (within reason).
- Don’t go wild with automation. LinkedIn hates spammy behavior. Stick to sensible daily limits, or risk getting restricted.
What doesn’t matter: You don’t need LinkedIn Premium for basic automation, but having Sales Navigator helps a lot with advanced filtering.
3. Connect Warmly to LinkedIn
Once you’ve got your targeting straight and your LinkedIn cleaned up, it’s time to hook up Warmly.
- Install the Warmly browser extension or log in to the web app.
- Connect your LinkedIn account as prompted. (Some features may need you to authorize access.)
- Double-check permissions. Only give what’s needed—no need to hand over the keys to your whole life.
Heads up: If you’re using multiple accounts, pick one and stick with it. Warmly tracks activity, and hopping between accounts can make things messy.
4. Build and refine your lead lists
This is where most people get lazy—don’t.
- Use LinkedIn’s advanced search to create highly targeted lists. Warmly can help automate, but you still need a good starting point.
- Save your searches. Warmly can monitor these and pull in new matches automatically.
- Refine often. If you’re getting a lot of irrelevant leads, tighten your filters. Don’t just blame the tool.
What works: Layering filters (title + industry + company size) gives you cleaner results. What doesn’t: Overly broad searches (“CEO” in the US) will flood you with garbage.
5. Set up automation carefully
Warmly can automate lead capture, enrichment, and even some outreach. Here’s how to set it up without crossing the line into spam.
- Automate data capture: Pull profile info, emails (if available), and company data. Check for deduplication—no one likes getting three emails from you.
- Enrichment: Warmly can fill in gaps (like work history, mutual connections, etc.). Always sanity-check the data before using it.
- Set sensible limits: Don’t scrape thousands of profiles at once. Stay under the radar—think 50-100 new leads per day, max.
Ignore: Anyone promising “unlimited” LinkedIn scraping. That’s a fast track to getting banned.
6. Review and clean your leads
Automation gets you a list, but it won’t be perfect. Build a quick review step into your process.
- Spot-check batches of leads for obvious mismatches.
- Tag or remove bad data. Warmly lets you flag irrelevant leads.
- Update your targeting if needed. If the tool keeps pulling the wrong people, adjust your filters.
Pro tip: Spend 5 minutes a day reviewing, not an hour fixing mistakes later.
7. Prep for outreach the right way
The point of all this is better conversations, not blasting templates.
- Personalize, even if it’s light. Warmly can surface mutual connections or recent activity—use these to stand out.
- Don’t spam. If you wouldn’t reply to your own message, don’t send it.
- Track responses and iterate. Warmly can help here, but you still need to pay attention to what actually gets replies.
What works: Short, relevant messages referencing something specific about the lead. What doesn’t: Mass-sending generic pitches. You’ll get ignored (or reported).
What to ignore (and what to double down on)
Ignore: - Hype about “AI-powered” anything that promises perfect leads. If it sounds too good to be true, it is. - Automation for the sake of automation. If you’re sending more messages but getting fewer replies, you’re going backwards. - Any tool or Chrome extension that asks for your LinkedIn password directly. That’s sketchy.
Double down on: - Regularly updating your targeting and filters. - Reviewing small samples of your results before scaling up. - Keeping your messaging human.
Wrap-up: Keep it simple, keep it human
Automating LinkedIn lead research with Warmly can save you real time—if you set it up with intention. Don’t overthink it: start small, tune your filters, and sanity-check your leads. The goal isn’t to build the world’s biggest list; it’s to have more conversations with people who might actually care.
Try it, tweak as you go, and don’t be afraid to ignore the “growth hacks” that just make more noise. Good luck—and don’t forget to follow up with the people who actually reply.