How to automate follow up messages for B2B leads in ScrapeLi

Let’s be honest: sending follow-ups to B2B leads is nobody’s favorite part of the job. It’s repetitive, it’s easy to forget, and doing it well is weirdly hard. If you’re using LinkedIn to generate leads and you haven’t automated your follow-up messages yet, you’re wasting hours you’ll never get back.

This guide is for people who want to actually get replies from real decision-makers, not just “touch base” with a spreadsheet. We’ll use ScrapeLi for the heavy lifting. I’ll walk you through setting up automated follow-ups that don’t sound like a robot wrote them. I’ll also flag what to watch out for so you don’t get your LinkedIn account flagged or annoy your prospects.


Step 1: Understand What ScrapeLi Can—and Can't—Do

Before you dive in, know what you’re dealing with. ScrapeLi is a tool for scraping LinkedIn data and automating outreach. It’s best for:

  • Pulling target leads from LinkedIn searches
  • Sending connection requests and follow-up messages
  • Managing basic sequences

What it doesn’t do:

  • Replace human judgment—your messaging still matters
  • Guarantee deliverability or responses
  • Handle deep CRM workflows (it’s not Salesforce)

Pro tip: If you’re expecting a “magic bullet” where you push a button and close deals, you’re in for disappointment. ScrapeLi is powerful, but it’s only as good as your targeting and messaging.


Step 2: Build a Quality Lead List

Don’t skip this. The best automation in the world can’t save you from a bad list.

How to build a list in ScrapeLi:

  1. Refine your LinkedIn search
    Use Sales Navigator or standard LinkedIn filters to zero in on your ideal prospects. Get specific—industry, title, location, company size, etc.
    Don’t just grab everyone with “Manager” in their title. That’s how you wind up in spam folders.

  2. Export with ScrapeLi

  3. Use ScrapeLi’s Chrome extension or web app to scrape the search results.
  4. Export to a CSV or import straight into your ScrapeLi dashboard, depending on your workflow.

  5. Clean your data

  6. Remove obvious junk: blank names, duplicate profiles, weird characters.
  7. Spot check a handful of entries. If you wouldn’t message them manually, take them out.

What doesn’t work:
“Spray and pray” lists. If you can’t personalize your message even a little, it’s not going to convert.


Step 3: Write Your Initial Message (Don’t Sound Like a Bot)

The first message sets the tone. Most people overthink this and end up sounding like every other LinkedIn spammer.

Tips for a solid opener:

  • Be direct about why you’re reaching out (“Saw you’re leading [department] at [company]…”)
  • Mention something real about their company or role if possible
  • Keep it to 2-3 sentences
  • Don’t sell in the first message—just start a conversation

What to avoid: - “Hope you’re well in these unprecedented times…” (it’s not 2020 anymore) - Walls of text - Overly formal language

Example:

“Hi [FirstName], saw you’re leading growth at [Company]—always curious how teams like yours tackle lead gen. Open to connecting?”


Step 4: Set Up Your Follow-Up Sequence in ScrapeLi

Here’s where the magic happens. ScrapeLi lets you set up automated follow-ups that kick in if your lead doesn’t respond.

1. Import Your Leads

  • Go to the “Leads” or “Campaigns” section in ScrapeLi.
  • Upload your cleaned CSV or pick the LinkedIn list you scraped.

2. Create a New Campaign

  • Click “New Campaign.”
  • Give it a clear name (e.g., “SaaS CFO Outreach June 2024”).

3. Add Your Initial Message

  • Paste in your opener.
  • Use merge fields for basic personalization (like [FirstName] or [Company]).
  • Double check formatting—broken tokens will make you look lazy.

4. Build Your Follow-Up Steps

  • Add a follow-up message to send X days after the initial, only if there’s no reply.
  • ScrapeLi usually lets you set at least 2–3 follow-ups. Don’t go overboard.

What works:
- Keep follow-ups friendly and short (“Just bumping this up in case it got buried”) - Reference your initial message (“Following up on my note last week…”) - Offer a clear next step or question

What doesn’t:
- Guilt trips (“I guess you’re not interested…”) - Sending a new essay every time - Following up more than 3 times—after that, you’re just nagging

5. Set Timing and Limits

  • Space messages at least 3–5 business days apart. Any closer and you’re a pest.
  • ScrapeLi lets you set daily send limits. Stay well under LinkedIn’s max (I recommend under 50 per day to avoid getting flagged).
  • Randomize send times if possible—looks less bot-like.

Step 5: Personalize, Test, and Avoid LinkedIn Jail

Automation is great, but if your messages look the same as everyone else’s, you’ll get ignored—or worse, flagged.

Personalization tips: - Use fields like first name, company, or job title. - Try referencing recent company news (if you have the data). - Don’t overdo it with fake personalization; if you can’t make it sound natural, skip it.

Testing: - Send a handful of messages to yourself or a colleague first. Check for formatting issues or weird tokens. - Watch your response rates. If you’re getting ignored or flagged, tweak your templates.

Staying out of trouble: - Don’t send connection requests AND messages to huge numbers of people at once. - Don’t use super-aggressive copy. LinkedIn users report spam quickly these days. - If you get a warning from LinkedIn, stop all campaigns and let things cool off.


Step 6: Track Results and Iterate (Don’t “Set and Forget”)

Here’s what separates decent outreach from the stuff that actually lands meetings: iteration.

What to track: - Connection accept rate - Reply rate (not just opens) - Which message in your sequence gets the most responses

How to improve: - If nobody’s replying, your opener probably stinks—rewrite it. - If people connect but ghost you, your follow-ups might be off. - If you’re getting flagged, cut down your volume and get more targeted.

Ignore: - Vanity metrics like “messages sent.” It’s about real replies and meetings, not just activity.


Step 7: Handle Replies Like a Human

The point of automating follow-ups is to free up your time so you can have real conversations when it matters.

  • When someone replies, jump in manually. Don’t let a bot handle real prospects.
  • Take notes—ScrapeLi isn’t a full CRM, so track key convos somewhere safe.
  • Don’t keep messaging people who say “not interested.” That’s how you get blocked.

Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)

  • Too many messages, too fast: You’ll trip LinkedIn’s alarms. Stay conservative, especially at first.
  • Bad targeting: If you’re messaging people who aren’t even in your industry, expect low results and more spam reports.
  • Forgotten personalization tokens: Few things are more embarrassing than “Hi [FirstName],” going out to 500 leads.
  • Overly generic copy: If your message could go to anyone, it won’t resonate with anyone.

Keep It Simple: Start Small, Learn, and Adjust

Automation can save you hours, but it’s not magic. Start with a tight, well-targeted list and a simple sequence. See what actually gets replies. Tweak your approach—don’t just copy-and-paste what “gurus” say works.

Remember: the best outreach feels like it was written by a real person who actually cared. Use ScrapeLi to handle the grunt work, but keep your wits about you. Iterate, improve, and don’t overthink it. Good luck!