Detailed workflow for running a LinkedIn drip campaign in Expandi

If you’ve got a B2B product or need to reach people on LinkedIn without spamming them, you’ve probably heard about drip campaigns. The good news is that tools like Expandi let you automate the process—if you do it right. This guide walks you through setting up a real LinkedIn drip campaign in Expandi, minus the hype or wishful thinking. It’s for sales, founders, recruiters, or anyone who wants actual replies (not just more “Seen” messages).

Let’s get you out of “random spray and pray” and into a workflow that actually gets results.

1. Prep Before You Touch Expandi

You can’t automate garbage and expect gold. Get these basics right first:

  • Define your audience. Who do you actually want to reach? The narrower and clearer, the better. “Decision makers at SaaS companies under 100 people” beats “anyone on LinkedIn.”
  • Polish your LinkedIn profile. People will check you out. If your profile looks half-baked or scammy, expect a lot of “ignore.”
  • Draft actual messages. Don’t use canned copy Expandi gives you. Write your own. Think about what would make you reply. Short, direct, and not desperate.

Pro tip: If you’re not sure about your message, send it manually to 10 people first. Watch what works (or doesn’t) before you automate.

2. Set Up Your LinkedIn & Expandi Accounts

  • LinkedIn: Use a real account you control. Avoid “burner” accounts—LinkedIn’s gotten much better at sniffing out fakes, and you don’t want your main account banned.
  • Expandi: Sign up and connect your LinkedIn profile. This means logging in via LinkedIn so Expandi can send messages and connection requests for you.

Heads up: Don’t try to connect multiple LinkedIn accounts to one Expandi seat. It’s a fast way to get everything shut down.

3. Build a Targeted Lead List

This is the step most people rush—and regret later.

Three (Real) Ways to Build a List:

  1. LinkedIn Search & Filters
  2. Use LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator or normal search.
  3. Filter by title, company size, industry, location, etc.

  4. Save your search, then export the list as a CSV if you have Sales Nav, or scrape it using Expandi’s “People Search” feature.

  5. Import Existing CSVs

  6. If you already have a vetted list, upload it directly.

  7. Make sure your CSV has at least: First Name, Last Name, LinkedIn profile URL.

  8. LinkedIn Groups or Event Attendees

  9. You can scrape group members or event attendees through Expandi.
  10. This works well for niche audiences.

Skip: Buying lists from shady providers. You’ll just annoy people (and risk account limits).

4. Upload and Clean Your Lead List in Expandi

  • Import your list: Go to the “People” tab, click “Import,” and upload your CSV or add from search.
  • Deduplicate: Expandi tries to do this, but double-check. Remove anyone you’ve already messaged or who’s outside your target.
  • Tagging: Use tags to segment by campaign, persona, or outreach reason. It pays off when you want to personalize later.

5. Build Your Drip Campaign Sequence

Here’s where most people get lazy and generic. Don’t be that person.

  1. Create a new campaign: In Expandi, choose “Campaigns,” then “Create New Campaign.”
  2. Pick the right campaign type: For LinkedIn, use “Connection Campaign” (for people you’re not connected with) or “Messenger Campaign” (for 1st-degree connections).
  3. Add your lead list to the campaign.

Example Sequence (Tweak to Your Needs):

  • Step 1: Connection Request
  • Personalize with the first name and a reason for connecting (“Saw we’re both in SaaS,” “Noticed your post about remote work,” etc.).

  • Keep it short—one line is enough.

  • Step 2: First Message (1-2 days after accept)

  • Thank them for connecting, mention something relevant, and don’t pitch right away. Ask a simple, low-friction question.

  • Step 3: Follow-Up (3-5 days later)

  • Reference your earlier message. Be polite, not pushy. If you’re pitching, do it here—but keep it clear and direct.

  • Step 4: Final Nudge (optional, 7+ days after)

  • Acknowledge if they’re not interested, offer to leave them alone, or share a resource. Don’t keep pestering.

Pro tip: Don’t send more than 2-3 follow-ups. More than that and you’re just noise.

6. Personalize Your Campaign

Expandi lets you use “dynamic fields” (placeholders like {first_name}, {company}). Use these, but don’t overdo it.

  • Reference something real: If you scraped company names or locations, use them. But don’t fake “personalization” (“Saw you work at [company]!”) with nothing to back it up.
  • Avoid over-automation: Too many variables or “spintax” makes messages sound robotic. One or two fields is plenty.

What to ignore: Tools that promise “AI personalization at scale.” Most come out awkward or obviously automated.

7. Set Message Timing & Cadence

  • Space out your messages: 1-3 days between steps is normal.
  • Working hours: Schedule sends for weekdays, preferably mornings. Expandi has time zone features—use them.
  • Randomize: Expandi can randomize the send times a bit. This helps avoid LinkedIn’s anti-automation radar.

Warning: Don’t blast hundreds of messages a day. LinkedIn will notice, and you’ll get throttled or banned. Keep it under 70-100 actions/day if you want to keep your account.

8. Launch & Monitor

  • Preview first: Send test messages to yourself. Check for weird formatting or obvious automation errors.
  • Start the campaign: Hit “Launch,” then watch the first batch go out.
  • Monitor replies: Expandi pulls in responses, but you should also check LinkedIn directly. Reply yourself to anything that looks promising.

9. Handle Replies (Don’t Automate This)

  • Real conversations matter: Once someone replies, stop the sequence for them in Expandi. Take over personally.
  • Be fast: The sooner you reply, the better your odds. Don’t leave people hanging for days.
  • Don’t pitch slap: If someone says “not interested,” respect it. Move on. You want a good reputation, not just a high message count.

10. Analyze & Iterate

  • Track key metrics: Connection rate, reply rate, and positive replies are what matter. Ignore vanity metrics like “messages sent.”
  • Adjust your copy: If you’re not getting connections, your invite sucks. If you’re getting connections but no replies, your follow-ups need work.
  • Small tweaks > Big overhauls: Change one thing at a time and watch results.

What doesn’t work: Copying someone else’s “proven” sequence word-for-word. Every audience is different.

11. What to Watch Out For

  • LinkedIn limits: They change often, and Expandi isn’t magic. Stay under recommended daily actions.
  • Bad data: Garbage lists kill campaigns. Always check your data before uploading.
  • Too much automation: The more it feels like a robot, the less it works.

Ignore: Anyone promising “set and forget” lead machines. There’s no shortcut to real conversations.

Wrapping Up

LinkedIn outreach works best when it feels human, even if you’re using a tool like Expandi. Keep your workflow simple: get your list right, send thoughtful messages, and actually reply to people. Don’t obsess over “hacks” or the latest automation tricks. Start small, learn what works for your audience, and tweak along the way. That’s how you build campaigns that get real replies—not just more noise in someone’s inbox.