If you’re tired of copy-pasting the same LinkedIn follow-ups and losing track of who you’ve messaged, you’re not alone. Manual outreach is a grind. This guide is for salespeople, recruiters, founders—anyone who wants to automate LinkedIn follow-up messages without sounding like a robot. We’ll walk through how to do this using Zopto, a tool that promises to take the repetition out of prospecting. We’ll cover what works, what’s risky, and how to avoid common mistakes.
Why bother automating LinkedIn follow-ups?
Let’s be real: Most people don’t reply to your first message. It usually takes a few nudges. But sending those reminders by hand? That’s a recipe for missed opportunities and wasted time. Automation helps you:
- Stay organized (no more sticky notes or spreadsheets)
- Get replies you’d otherwise miss
- Spend less time on grunt work
But before you get too excited, know this: Automation can get your account flagged if you’re careless. And if your messages sound spammy, you’ll just annoy people faster.
Step 1: Know What Zopto Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
First, Zopto is not magic. It’s a LinkedIn automation platform that lets you set up sequences—chains of connection requests and follow-up messages that go out on your behalf. You build a campaign, define your target audience, set up a series of messages, and Zopto handles the sending.
What it does: - Sends personalized connection requests and follow-ups on your schedule - Lets you build multi-step “sequences” for each campaign - Tracks responses, so you know when to stop (or keep going)
What it doesn’t do: - Write your messages for you (thankfully) - Guarantee replies or leads (obviously) - Replace the need for decent targeting and personalization
Pro tip: If you want true set-and-forget, you’ll be disappointed. Zopto helps, but you’ll still need to monitor your inbox and tweak your campaigns.
Step 2: Get Your LinkedIn House in Order
Don’t skip this. If your LinkedIn profile looks half-baked or you’re spamming 400 people a week, you’re asking for trouble. Before you even touch Zopto:
- Make sure your profile is complete, current, and not full of buzzwords
- Warm up your LinkedIn activity—comment, post, and connect with people organically for a week or two
- Know LinkedIn’s current limits (connection requests, messages per day). Zopto can’t save you from a LinkedIn ban if you go wild.
What to ignore: Anyone who says you can “blast out” thousands of messages a week safely. That’s just asking for a restriction.
Step 3: Define Your Target Audience
Zopto works best when you’re specific. Vague targeting leads to junk responses or, worse, angry messages.
- Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator for more granular targeting (filters like job titles, company size, geography)
- Export your target list, or connect Sales Navigator to Zopto directly
- Keep your list focused. Quality beats quantity every time.
Warning: Spraying the same message to random people is the fastest path to getting ignored—or flagged.
Step 4: Setting Up a Zopto Sequence
Here’s where the automation magic (sort of) happens.
4.1 Connect Your LinkedIn Account
- Sign up for Zopto and connect your LinkedIn account
- Follow their onboarding steps—yes, you’ll have to hand over your LinkedIn credentials (this is standard for these tools, but use a strong password and enable 2FA just in case)
4.2 Build Your Campaign
- Name your campaign something descriptive
- Import or sync your target audience
4.3 Create Your Message Sequence
A “sequence” is just a series of steps. Most campaigns look like this:
- Connection Request — Short, non-pitchy, no links.
- Follow-Up 1 (2–3 days after acceptance) — Friendly nudge, maybe referencing something in their profile.
- Follow-Up 2 (5–7 days later) — Direct but polite reminder.
- Final Touch (optional) — Last nudge, or a simple “let me know if you’re not interested.”
Example sequence:
-
Connection Request:
“Hi [First Name], saw we’re both in [Industry/Group]. Would love to connect and share ideas.” -
Follow-Up 1:
“Thanks for connecting, [First Name]. Curious how you’re tackling [Relevant Challenge] at [Their Company]. Happy to swap notes if you’re up for it.” -
Follow-Up 2:
“Just wanted to bump this in case it got buried. If now’s not the right time, no worries.”
Pro tip:
Keep it short. Avoid links and attachments. Use their first name. Don’t launch into a pitch right away.
4.4 Set Timing and Limits
- Space out your messages—Zopto lets you set delays between steps
- Limit daily actions (connection requests, messages) to mimic normal human behavior
- Pause sequences automatically if someone replies
What to ignore: Advice that tells you to max out every limit. It’s better to run a steady, low-volume campaign than get flagged for suspicious activity.
Step 5: Monitor Responses and Adjust
Automation isn’t “fire and forget.” The real work is in checking your inbox every day.
- Respond to replies promptly—don’t let leads go cold because you assumed Zopto would do everything
- Pause sequences for anyone who replies (Zopto can do this, but double-check)
- If people keep ignoring you, tweak your messages. If they’re hostile, revisit your targeting.
Pro tip:
Track which message in your sequence gets the most replies. Sometimes it’s the second or third follow-up, not the first.
Step 6: Stay Out of Trouble
LinkedIn doesn’t love automation. Here’s how to stay under the radar:
- Keep daily actions well below LinkedIn’s published limits (as of 2024, this is around 100 connection requests/week, but it changes)
- Vary your message copy and connection request text
- Don’t run campaigns 24/7—schedule them during normal business hours
- Log in and use LinkedIn “by hand” regularly too
What doesn’t work:
Trying to “game” the system with fake accounts or huge volumes. LinkedIn is smarter than you think.
Step 7: Measure, Iterate, and Don’t Overthink It
No automation tool is a set-it-and-forget-it solution. The best results come from regular tweaks:
- Review your campaign stats every week—response rates, connection acceptance, negative feedback
- Test new message variants (but don’t change everything at once)
- Drop what isn’t working. If you’re not getting replies after three messages, stop—don’t pester people
Pro tip:
Sometimes, less is more. A simple two-step sequence can outperform a five-message saga.
The Honest Bottom Line
Automating LinkedIn follow-ups with Zopto can save you hours and help you stay organized—but it won’t fix bad targeting or lousy messaging. The best approach is to start small, keep your outreach personal, and treat automation as a helper, not a replacement for real conversations.
Don’t chase every new tool or tactic. Stick to the basics, watch your results, and improve over time. The simplest system that works is usually the best one.