So, you want to scrape leads from LinkedIn and actually do something useful with them—like get them into your email marketing system without pulling your hair out. If that’s you, you’re in the right place. This guide is for folks who are tired of fiddling with endless CSVs, manual copy-pasting, or clunky “integrations” that break all the time. We’ll cover how to wire up ScrapeLi to your email platform, what’s worth automating, and what’s just hype.
Let’s get your scraped leads into your nurture pipeline, fast.
Step 1: Get Your Lead Data Out of ScrapeLi
First off, ScrapeLi is a LinkedIn scraper. It pulls contact info and profile data from LinkedIn search results or lists. You need that data in a clean, usable format. Here’s how to get it:
- Export as CSV: ScrapeLi’s bread and butter is exporting scraped leads to CSV. Good news: almost every email marketing platform can handle CSV imports.
- Check for API Access: As of early 2024, ScrapeLi doesn’t have a public, stable API. Ignore any blog post that swears otherwise. If you see a third-party “integration,” check twice—it’s probably a Zapier hack or a browser extension, not a real API.
- Scrape in Batches: LinkedIn will throttle you if you get greedy. Stick to modest batch sizes (a few hundred at a time) to avoid lockouts or garbage data.
Pro tip: Always double-check your export for weird formatting, missing fields, or junk data. ScrapeLi is solid, but LinkedIn changes often, and that can mess with your results.
Step 2: Clean and Prep Your Leads (Don’t Skip This)
Most people skip this, then wonder why their campaigns flop. Scraped data is messy. Here’s what you need to do before importing:
- Remove Duplicates: LinkedIn is riddled with duplicate profiles, especially if you’re scraping multiple searches.
- Check Email Quality: If you’re scraping emails, expect a mix of work, personal, or even fake addresses. Use a tool like NeverBounce or Hunter to verify emails before you email-blast them. Bad emails mean higher bounce rates—and that tanks your sender reputation.
- Standardize Fields: Make sure your columns match what your email tool expects. E.g., “First Name” vs. “Firstname” vs. “first_name.” Consistency is boring, but necessary.
- Review for GDPR/Compliance: Yes, it’s a hassle, but don’t blast cold emails to EU folks unless you know what you’re doing. If you’re unsure, talk to a lawyer or skip those records.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with scraping every possible field. Most email tools only care about name, email, company, maybe job title. The rest is just noise.
Step 3: Import Your Leads into Your Email Marketing Platform
Now, time to get those leads into your email marketing system. Most platforms (Mailchimp, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, etc.) work the same way.
Manual Import (the old-fashioned way)
- Download your cleaned CSV.
- Log in to your email marketing tool.
- Find the “Import Contacts” option. It’s usually in the Contacts or Audience section.
- Upload your CSV and map fields. Match your CSV columns to the fields in your tool (e.g., “First Name” to “First_Name”).
- Review and confirm. Most platforms let you review a preview before finalizing.
Pros: Reliable, works everywhere, no fancy setup. Cons: Manual process. If you scrape new leads daily, this gets old fast.
Automated Import (if you want to get fancy)
If you’re scraping and importing leads constantly, automate the process:
- Zapier or Make.com: Both tools can watch for new files in Google Drive or Dropbox, then trigger an import to certain email platforms. Some tools (like HubSpot) have APIs that Zapier can use to add contacts directly.
- Custom Scripts: If you have technical chops, use Python to parse your CSV and push leads via your email platform’s API. Only worth it if you do this at scale.
- Native Integrations: Some newer email tools (like Apollo.io or instantly.ai) claim “LinkedIn scraping integrations.” Read the fine print—most still require a CSV step, just automated behind the scenes.
What to skip: Don’t waste time on browser extension “integrations” that promise one-click syncing—they’re flaky and usually break after a LinkedIn update.
Step 4: Segment and Tag Your Leads
Once your leads are in, don’t just dump them into a giant list. Segmentation is what separates actual lead nurturing from generic spam.
- Tag by Source: Flag contacts as “LinkedIn – ScrapeLi” or similar. This helps you track what’s working and tweak messaging.
- Segment by Job Title, Company Size, etc.: Use the data you scraped to build segments. Don’t overcomplicate it—start with simple buckets (e.g., “Marketing Directors,” “CEOs”).
- Set Up Nurture Sequences: Don’t blast cold leads with your main newsletter. Build a drip campaign for new LinkedIn leads: short, relevant, and focused.
Pro tip: The smaller and more specific your segments, the better your open and reply rates. But don’t slice so thin that you end up with 10-person lists—then you’re just making more work for yourself.
Step 5: Monitor Deliverability and Results
You’re not done after the import. Scraped leads are notorious for high bounces and low engagement. Here’s how to avoid the usual pitfalls:
- Watch Bounce Rates: If your bounce rate spikes, pause and clean your list again. Too many bounces = your domain gets blacklisted.
- Track Replies and Unsubscribes: If you’re getting a ton of “not interested” or spam reports, tweak your messaging—or consider if your targeting is off.
- Test, Adjust, Repeat: Don’t be afraid to change up your nurture sequence or segmenting if results are mediocre. Scraping isn’t magic; it’s just a way to get more names to test.
Don’t bother: Don’t get sucked into dashboards tracking 30+ “vanity metrics.” Focus on opens, clicks, replies, and bounces. That’s what matters.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Just Hype
Works: - Scraping and importing in batches (not bulk). - Simple, targeted nurture sequences. - Verifying emails before you hit “send.”
Doesn’t Work: - “All-in-one” integrations that promise automatic syncing and enrichment—most are marketing fluff or fragile browser hacks. - Over-engineering your process. If it takes more than an hour to set up, you’re probably overthinking it. - Mass-blasting cold scraped leads. You’ll get blocked, fast.
Ignore: - Tools that claim “100% deliverability” or “LinkedIn-safe” scraping. There’s always risk. Start small and scale up.
Keep It Simple, Iterate As You Go
You don’t need a 10-step automation pipeline or fancy AI enrichment to start nurturing scraped leads. Keep your setup simple:
- Scrape in batches you can actually handle.
- Clean and verify before you import.
- Use your email tool’s basic import and segmentation features.
- Monitor results, and improve as you go.
If something breaks (and it will, eventually), fix it and keep moving. There’s no perfect system—just one that gets you from scraped lead to real conversation without the headaches.