How to export LinkedIn leads from Octopuscrm to your CRM efficiently

If you’re running outreach on LinkedIn and using Octopuscrm to wrangle your leads, you know the drill: LinkedIn is a goldmine, but getting those contacts into your CRM is, frankly, a hassle. This guide is for people who want a no-nonsense way to move leads from Octopuscrm into whatever CRM you use—no matter if that’s HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, or a spreadsheet you lovingly call “the CRM.”

Whether you’re a solo operator or part of a small team, you’ll find practical steps, a few shortcuts, and a heads-up on what to skip. No fluff, no empty promises—just what works.

Why bother with exporting? (And what to watch out for)

Let’s get this out of the way: Keeping LinkedIn leads stuck in Octopuscrm means you’ll eventually lose track, drop the follow-up, or end up with a tangled mess. Getting leads into your main CRM keeps your sales process sane.

Here’s what you’re up against: - LinkedIn’s a walled garden. It doesn’t play nicely with outside tools. - Octopuscrm’s export options are basic. Don’t expect magic “integrations” that just work. - CRMs vary wildly. What’s easy for HubSpot might be a chore for Pipedrive—or vice versa.

But here’s the good news: Exporting isn’t rocket science, just a little tedious if you don’t know the shortcuts.

Step 1: Get your LinkedIn leads into Octopuscrm

If your leads aren’t already in Octopuscrm, you’re skipping ahead. But for completeness:

  • Octopuscrm works as a Chrome extension. You use it to collect LinkedIn profiles—either manually or by searching and selecting batches.
  • It pulls in basic info: name, headline, company, sometimes email (if it’s public), and LinkedIn URL.
  • Don’t expect magic here: Direct emails and phone numbers don’t come with every profile. No tool can do this legally at scale.

Pro tip: Make sure you’re only collecting leads you actually want. It’s easy to get greedy with bulk selects and end up with junk.

Step 2: Export your leads from Octopuscrm

Octopuscrm doesn’t connect directly to most CRMs. Instead, you’ll export leads as a CSV file and then import them into your CRM. Here’s how:

  1. Go to your Octopuscrm dashboard.
  2. Find the campaign or list you want to export.
  3. Look for the “Export” button—usually at the top or in the actions menu.
  4. Download your leads as a CSV file.

What’s in the CSV? - Name - Current position/headline - Company - LinkedIn URL - Sometimes email (if public) - Sometimes location

What’s missing? - Notes, tags, or custom fields from LinkedIn aren’t always included. - Private emails and phone numbers—if you see tools claiming this, be skeptical. They’re either breaking LinkedIn’s rules or just making stuff up.

Pro tip: Open your CSV and check for weird formatting, missing columns, or duplicate entries before importing anywhere else. Excel or Google Sheets is your friend here.

Step 3: Clean up your exported data (don’t skip this)

This is the step everyone wants to ignore, but skipping it will guarantee you a messy CRM later.

  • Standardize your columns. Make sure “First Name” and “Last Name” aren’t lumped together, and that company names aren’t all over the place.
  • Get rid of duplicates. LinkedIn’s API and Octopuscrm aren’t perfect—sometimes you’ll have the same person twice, spelled slightly differently.
  • Fill in missing info if you can. If you know someone’s email or company domain, add it now. Otherwise, don’t fake it.
  • Decide what to do with missing emails. Some CRMs let you import leads without emails, but you’ll have trouble following up outside LinkedIn.

Pro tip: Save your cleaned CSV as a separate file. Never import your raw export—you’ll thank yourself later.

Step 4: Import your leads into your CRM

How you do this depends on your CRM. Here are the basics for the most common setups:

For HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, etc.

  1. Log into your CRM.
  2. Go to the “Import” section—usually under Contacts or Leads.
  3. Upload your cleaned CSV.
  4. Map the columns. Be careful—if “Full Name” is one column, split it first, or you’ll get a mess.
  5. Review the preview. Check for weird formatting or missing fields.
  6. Start the import.

Watch out for: - Duplicates: Most CRMs have some way to merge duplicates, but it’s messy. Clean up before you import. - Field mapping: If your CRM has custom fields (like “LinkedIn URL”), make sure you map them, or you’ll lose that info. - Tagging: If you want to track where these leads came from, add a tag or custom field during the import process (e.g., “Source: LinkedIn”).

For the “I use spreadsheets as my CRM” crowd

  • Just open your cleaned CSV in Google Sheets or Excel. You’re done.
  • If you want to get fancier, you can use filters, color-coding, or simple scripts to keep things organized.

Step 5: Set up a repeatable process (or automate, if you must)

You’ll want to do this more than once, so don’t reinvent the wheel every time.

  • Template your cleanup. Save a blank version of your cleaned CSV headers.
  • Keep a checklist: Export, clean, import, tag. It’s boring, but it prevents dumb mistakes.
  • Set a recurring time: Batch your exports (e.g., every Friday), so you’re not constantly in data-wrangling mode.

Can you automate this?

Sort of. Octopuscrm doesn’t offer direct integrations with Zapier, Make, or most CRMs as of early 2024. Some “automation” tools claim to bridge the gap, but they’re usually clunky, expensive, or outright break LinkedIn’s terms of service.

If you must automate: - Look for browser automation tools (like PhantomBuster), but be careful—LinkedIn can ban accounts for too much automation. - If your CRM allows email imports, you could set up a “maildrop” address and auto-forward leads, but you’ll still have to map fields.

Bottom line: Unless you’re dealing with huge volumes, it’s faster and safer to stick with manual export/import.

What to ignore (and why)

  • “One-click” integrations: If a tool promises direct, instant connections from Octopuscrm to your CRM, read the fine print. Most just automate CSV downloads or scrape data in ways LinkedIn hates.
  • Expensive add-ons: Some services charge a lot for “enriching” your leads with emails and phone numbers. These rarely work well, and they can get your LinkedIn account restricted.
  • Chrome extensions that promise the world: Be skeptical. Many are buggy, or worse, harvest your data.

Pro tips for smoother exporting

  • Always back up your data. Keep a copy of your raw exports in a folder—just in case.
  • Check for LinkedIn’s rate limits. If you’re scraping hundreds of profiles at once, you’re asking for trouble.
  • Update your CRM fields. Add a “LinkedIn profile” field if it doesn’t exist. It’ll save you headaches later.
  • Follow up fast. Don’t let leads sit around post-import; the longer you wait, the colder they get.

Wrapping up: Keep it simple

Exporting LinkedIn leads from Octopuscrm into your CRM isn’t glamorous, but it doesn’t have to be painful. Skip the shiny “automation” promises and stick to a repeatable, manual process. Clean your data, map your fields, and keep your workflow boring—and your CRM will stay useful.

Most importantly, don’t get bogged down chasing the “perfect” process. Build a basic system, tweak it as you go, and remember: Done is better than perfect.