B2B lead generation is a pain. You know it, I know it, everyone who’s ever built a list or combed LinkedIn knows it. If you want to stop wasting hours on manual research, automating the grunt work makes sense. This guide is for people who want real results, not just another “growth hack.” No magic bullets—just a practical walkthrough for automating B2B prospecting using Scrapin.
Why bother automating B2B lead gen?
Let’s get this out of the way: automation isn’t a miracle. It won’t fix a bad offer or make uninterested people excited to talk to you. But if you know who you want to reach, it will save you a lot of time and mindless clicking.
Manual lead gen is:
- Slow and repetitive
- Prone to mistakes (copy-paste errors, missed profiles, etc.)
- Soul-crushing if you’re doing it for more than 10 minutes
Automation flips that. You get:
- Consistency (no one forgets a step)
- Scale (pull 500 leads, not 5)
- Time back for things that actually need a human brain
Scrapin is one of the tools built for exactly this. Is it perfect? No tool is. But it’s straightforward, not outrageously expensive, and does what it says on the tin.
What is Scrapin, and what does it actually do?
Scrapin is a web scraping tool designed for people who want to automate prospecting. It pulls data from LinkedIn, company websites, and other sources, then spits out a spreadsheet you can actually use. You feed it some criteria (search URLs, filters, etc.), and it goes off to collect info like:
- Name, title, and company
- Email addresses (when available)
- LinkedIn profiles
- Company size, industry, and more
If you’ve tried scraping before and hit walls with CAPTCHAs or bans, Scrapin tries to minimize those headaches. It’s not magic—LinkedIn will always fight back—but it’s better than most DIY scripts.
Step 1: Set up your Scrapin account
Let’s get the basics out of the way.
-
Sign up for Scrapin
Go to the Scrapin website and sign up. They offer a trial, so you don’t have to commit cash right away. -
Download the app or set up the Chrome extension
Scrapin works via a desktop app or browser extension, depending on what you want to scrape. For LinkedIn especially, you’ll use their Chrome extension. -
Connect your LinkedIn account
Yes, you need a LinkedIn account. No, you don’t need Sales Navigator (but it helps). Scrapin uses your session to mimic real user actions—it’s less “bot-like” than some alternatives.
Pro tip:
If you’re scraping a lot, consider using a fresh LinkedIn account. LinkedIn can get twitchy if you pull too much data too fast.
Step 2: Define your ideal lead
Skip this and you’ll end up with a garbage list. Automation does exactly what you tell it, so be specific.
- What job titles are you after?
- What industries?
- What company size?
- What locations?
- Any tech stack or keywords?
Don’t just scrape everything and hope for the best. It’s tempting, but you’ll end up sorting junk later.
How to do this:
- Build your LinkedIn search manually first. Use filters to get your target audience as tight as possible.
- Save the search URL—this is what you’ll feed into Scrapin.
Pro tip:
Test your search—scroll through the first 2-3 pages. If you’re seeing a lot of irrelevant profiles, tighten your filters.
Step 3: Set up your first Scrapin campaign
Now for the fun part.
- Create a new campaign in Scrapin. Give it a name you’ll remember.
- Paste in your LinkedIn search URL (or Sales Navigator URL, if you have it).
- Choose what data to collect.
You can usually pick from a list: name, title, company, email, etc. Don’t go overboard—stick to what you’ll actually use. - Set limits.
Scrapin lets you control how many profiles to visit per day. Start slow (20-50 per day) to avoid getting flagged by LinkedIn. - Hit Start.
Scrapin will start visiting profiles and pulling data in the background.
What to watch for:
- If you’re scraping a lot, spread it over several days.
- LinkedIn will notice if you suddenly view 500 profiles in an hour. Don’t be greedy.
Step 4: Enrich and clean your leads
Scrapin’s output is only as good as the sources it finds. Sometimes you get full emails; sometimes just names and companies.
- Enrichment:
Scrapin can try to find emails based on company domains and name patterns. Don’t expect 100% accuracy. Verify before sending. - Cleaning:
Remove duplicates, obvious junk, or companies that don’t fit your ICP (ideal customer profile).
Pro tip:
Run your emails through a simple verifier tool. Nothing tanks deliverability faster than sending to dead or bounced addresses.
Step 5: Export your data
Once your campaign finishes, you can export your leads as a CSV or Excel file.
- Open the file. Spot-check for weird formatting or missing data.
- Back up your results. It’s easy to overwrite a good list accidentally.
Step 6: Plug into your outreach workflow
Automation means nothing if you sit on the data. Plug your leads into whatever outreach tool you use—cold email, CRM, sequences, etc.
- Don’t blast everyone at once. Start small, watch your response and bounce rates.
- Personalize at least one line in your outreach. Automation gets you the list; it doesn’t make you less generic.
What works:
- Tight, relevant lists = better reply rates
- Short, clear messages
- Following up (without being a pest)
What doesn’t:
- Bulk spam (you’ll just get blocked)
- Overpromising (“I saw you’re crushing it!” isn’t fooling anyone)
What to ignore (and what not to buy)
- Shady email lists:
Don’t buy random lists off the internet. They’re mostly garbage and often illegal to use. - Tools that promise “verified direct dials” for pennies:
If it sounds too good to be true, it is. - Overcomplicated automation stacks:
Start simple. You don’t need 10 tools duct-taped together to get results.
A few gotchas and real talk
- LinkedIn rate limits:
Even with Scrapin, you can get restricted. Don’t scrape hundreds of profiles per day from a new account. - Data quality:
You’ll always need to review and clean. No tool gives you a perfect list. - Legal and compliance:
Don’t be creepy or spammy. Follow GDPR/CCPA rules if you’re reaching out to Europe or California.
Summary: Keep it simple, keep it moving
Automating B2B lead gen with Scrapin isn’t rocket science, but it’s not totally “set and forget” either. Start small, focus on quality over quantity, and build from there. Don’t get distracted by shiny tools or wild claims. Just get a list, clean it up, and start talking to real people. Iterate as you go. That’s how you actually get results.