If you're tired of chasing LinkedIn leads by hand, this guide is for you. We'll walk through how to set up automated follow up messages using Dripify. No fluff—just real steps, honest advice, and what to watch out for. Whether you're in sales, recruiting, or just want to stop copying and pasting the same messages, you'll find out what actually works (and what doesn't).
Why Bother Automating LinkedIn Follow Ups?
Manual follow ups are a pain. They eat up your time, they're easy to forget, and—let's be real—most people don't respond to the first message anyway. Automation tools like Dripify promise to handle the boring parts: sending follow ups, tracking replies, and keeping your outreach organized.
But let's set expectations. Automation isn't a magic wand. It won't turn cold leads into warm meetings overnight, and it won't fix a bad message. What it does do: helps you save time and reach more people with less effort, as long as you respect LinkedIn's limits and avoid spammy tactics.
Prerequisites: What You'll Need Before You Start
Before jumping in, check these off:
- A LinkedIn account (obviously). A paid LinkedIn plan (like Sales Navigator) helps, but isn't required.
- A Dripify account. It's not free, so make sure you're OK with a monthly subscription.
- A clear outreach goal. Who are you messaging, and what do you want them to do?
- A list of leads. Dripify can pull from LinkedIn searches, but you'll need some idea of your target audience.
If you're missing any of these, stop here and sort them out first.
Step 1: Connect Dripify to Your LinkedIn Account
Dripify works by plugging into your LinkedIn profile (no browser plugin needed). Here's how:
- Sign in to Dripify.
- Log in to your Dripify dashboard. On the first run, it'll prompt you to connect LinkedIn.
- Authorize LinkedIn.
- You'll enter your LinkedIn credentials. This feels weird, but it's required for Dripify to work.
- Pro tip: Use a dedicated browser for LinkedIn + Dripify to avoid weird session conflicts.
- Check your connection.
- If Dripify says you're connected, you're set. If not, try signing out and back in.
Honest take: Dripify doesn't break LinkedIn's rules outright, but automation always carries some risk. Don't go overboard with message volume—LinkedIn can restrict your account if things look fishy.
Step 2: Build Your LinkedIn Lead List
You need leads for your follow ups. Dripify can help you scrape profiles based on LinkedIn searches.
- Run a LinkedIn search.
- Use LinkedIn's filters to get a tight list—industry, title, location, whatever makes sense.
- Copy the search URL.
- Don't overthink it. Just grab the URL from your browser.
- Import leads into Dripify.
- In Dripify, look for "Add Campaign" or "Import Leads."
- Paste your LinkedIn search URL. Dripify will pull in the profiles.
- Double-check the list. Remove anyone that doesn't fit your target.
Pro tip: Quality beats quantity. It's tempting to blast out messages to 1,000 people, but you'll see better results (and avoid LinkedIn's wrath) by targeting 50-150 high-fit leads at a time.
Step 3: Set Up Your Message Sequence
This is where the magic happens. Dripify lets you create a sequence—a series of messages that send automatically if your lead doesn't reply.
1. Create a New Campaign
- Click "Create Campaign" or similar.
- Name it something clear, like "April SaaS Demo Outreach."
2. Choose Your Actions
Dripify's campaign builder uses a flowchart-style editor. For follow ups, you'll want:
- Connect Request (optional): If you're not already connected.
- Message #1: Your initial outreach.
- Wait: Set a delay (e.g., 2 days).
- Message #2: A polite follow up.
- Wait: Another delay (e.g., 3-7 days).
- Message #3: Final nudge.
You can add more steps, but three is usually plenty before you risk sounding desperate.
What works: - Keep messages short and specific. - Personalize where you can, but don't obsess—first name and company are enough.
What doesn't: - Avoid generic pitches. If your message could be sent to anyone, it'll probably be ignored. - Don't send daily follow ups. Give people time to respond.
3. Write and Personalize Your Messages
Dripify lets you use variables like {firstName} and {companyName}. Use these, but don't force it.
Example:
Hi {firstName}, saw your work at {companyName}—impressive!
I help SaaS teams boost demos without adding headcount. Any chance you’re open to a quick chat?
- Message 2: Reference your previous message, but don't guilt-trip.
- Message 3: Keep it light—sometimes a simple "Should I close your file?" works.
Pro tip: Write your follow ups as if you're talking to one busy person, not a crowd.
Step 4: Set Timing and Triggers
Dripify lets you control the gap between messages. Default is usually 1-3 days, but longer is better for cold outreach.
- Wait at least 2-3 days between messages.
- Stop the sequence if someone replies. Dripify handles this automatically—if your lead writes back, follow ups pause.
- Set sending hours. Avoid weekends and odd hours unless your audience is global.
Reality check: If you send too many messages too fast, LinkedIn may flag your account. Slow and steady wins here.
Step 5: Launch and Monitor Your Campaign
You're ready to go live. Before hitting "Start":
- Double-check everything.
- Spelling, personalization, lead quality, timing.
- Test with a small batch.
- Run the campaign with 10-20 leads first. See what replies you get and tweak your messages.
- Monitor for LinkedIn warnings.
- If LinkedIn sends you a "suspicious activity" notice, pause your campaign and slow things down.
Pro tip: Keep Dripify's daily message limits conservative (well below LinkedIn's soft limits—usually 20-50 actions/day, depending on your account age).
Step 6: Tweak, Track, and Improve
Dripify offers basic analytics—open rates, replies, conversions. Use them, but don't obsess.
- Reply rate is what matters. If nobody's responding, your message needs work.
- A/B test your templates. Try two versions of your opener and see which gets more traction.
- Don’t expect miracles. LinkedIn outreach is a numbers game, but quality and timing beat spam.
What to ignore: Vanity metrics (like the number of profiles viewed) won't help you book more meetings.
What Dripify Does Well (and Where It Falls Short)
Works well: - Easy to set up and launch basic follow up sequences. - Handles reply tracking and pauses automation automatically. - Clean interface (compared to most competitors).
Not so great: - LinkedIn is always changing, so there's always a risk of accounts getting flagged. - Personalization is limited to basic variables—it's not magic. - Dripify can't make bad messages good or fix a weak offer.
Bottom line: Dripify is a solid tool for automating repetitive LinkedIn outreach, but it's not a silver bullet.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Annoy People
Setting up automated follow ups with Dripify isn't rocket science, but it pays to start small. Don’t overthink your messages. Launch with a handful of leads, see what gets replies, and adjust. Be respectful of people's inboxes, and don’t spam—remember, your reputation on LinkedIn matters more than any one campaign.
Automate what you can, but always keep an eye on quality. Simple, honest messages sent to the right people work better than any “secret hack.” If you keep things grounded and human, you’ll be way ahead of everyone else chasing shortcuts.