So, you want to automate some LinkedIn outreach without getting lost in a maze of settings, “growth hacks,” or spammy tactics. Good. This guide is for people who want results without burning their reputation—or their money—on tools that promise magic. We’ll walk through each step of setting up your first campaign in Zopto, a tool that automates LinkedIn outreach a bit more responsibly than most. If you can follow a recipe, you can do this.
Let’s get right to it.
Before You Start: What Zopto Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Zopto automates some of the grunt work on LinkedIn: profile visits, connection requests, and follow-up messages. It sits between you and LinkedIn, running campaigns so you don’t have to live inside your browser all day.
But here’s the thing: Zopto is not a magic lead vending machine. Results depend on your targeting, messaging, and how realistic your expectations are. If you expect 80% reply rates and instant sales, you’ll be disappointed. If you want a steady, mechanical way to reach more people without burning your account, you’re in the right place.
Step 1: Get the Right LinkedIn Account
First, Zopto only works with LinkedIn Premium accounts—ideally Sales Navigator. Yes, that means you’ll be paying both LinkedIn and Zopto. That’s just how it is.
What you need:
- A LinkedIn Premium (or Sales Navigator) account. Regular free accounts don’t cut it.
- A LinkedIn profile that’s actually filled out, with a photo and some details. People ignore empty profiles.
Pro tip: If your profile screams “automation” or “sales pitch,” people will ignore you. Clean it up before you start.
Step 2: Set Up Your Zopto Account
Head to Zopto and sign up for an account. You’ll need to connect your LinkedIn profile during setup.
Here’s how it works:
- Zopto will ask you to log in via LinkedIn. Follow the prompts.
- You may have to verify your identity a couple of times—LinkedIn can be twitchy about third-party logins.
- Set up two-factor authentication on LinkedIn if you haven’t already. Zopto sometimes needs this to keep things running smoothly.
Watch out for: If LinkedIn throws “unusual activity” warnings, stop and reconnect manually. Don’t ignore these, or you’ll risk a temporary ban.
Step 3: Define Your Ideal Audience in LinkedIn
Don’t even think about blasting cold messages to everyone. It’s lazy, and it rarely works.
Use LinkedIn’s search tools (ideally Sales Navigator) to filter by:
- Industry
- Job title
- Geography
- Company size
- Any other criteria that actually matter for your offer
Once you’ve narrowed down a solid search, save the search. You’ll need the search’s URL for Zopto.
What to ignore: The urge to go super-broad. Quality beats quantity every time. A list of 500 well-targeted people trumps 5,000 randoms.
Step 4: Import Your Audience into Zopto
Now, back in Zopto:
- Click “Create New Campaign.”
- Choose the option to import from a LinkedIn or Sales Navigator search.
- Paste in the URL of your saved search.
- Zopto will import the profiles that match—yes, it might take a few minutes.
Honest take: Zopto isn’t perfect at scraping every single profile, especially if LinkedIn throttles you. Don’t panic if a few are missing.
Pro tip: Don’t import the same people twice. Zopto does some deduping, but double-check your lists.
Step 5: Set Up Your Outreach Sequence
This is where most people trip up. Don’t write spammy, generic messages (“Let’s connect, I’d love to add you to my network!”). You’ll sound like a robot, and not the good kind.
A simple sequence looks like:
- Connection request note: Brief, non-pushy. “Hi [FirstName], noticed your work in [Industry/Topic]. Would be great to connect.”
- Follow-up message (day 2-3 after accept): Short, relevant. “Thanks for connecting, [FirstName]. Curious—are you working on [Problem/Topic] at [Company]?”
- One more follow-up (optional, a week later): Polite check-in or offer a resource. Don’t beg.
Tips:
- Use Zopto’s personalization tags (like [FirstName])—but don’t overdo it.
- Write like a human, not a template machine.
- Never send more than 2 follow-ups. Nobody likes a stalker.
What to ignore: Overcomplicated drip sequences with six touchpoints. It looks desperate. Keep it simple.
Step 6: Set Your Outreach Limits (Don’t Get Greedy)
Here’s where people get themselves into trouble with LinkedIn’s spam police. Zopto lets you control your daily limits for connections, messages, and profile views.
Best practices:
- Start slow. 30-50 connection requests per day is safe for new accounts.
- Spread actions out over the day—not all at once.
- If you’re running multiple campaigns, add the limits together. Don’t go over 100 actions/day, even if Zopto “lets you.”
Why so cautious? LinkedIn is cracking down on automation. It’s not worth risking your account just to move faster.
Step 7: Monitor and Adjust Your Campaign
Once your campaign is live, keep an eye on:
- Connection acceptance rates: Under 20%? Your targeting or message stinks.
- Reply rates: 10-20% is good. Lower? Tweak your copy.
- Warnings from LinkedIn: If you get any, pause everything and check your limits.
What actually works:
- Personalizing your first message (even a tiny bit) helps a lot.
- Following up once, politely, gets more replies than you’d think.
- Tracking which messages actually get replies—Zopto’s analytics aren’t fancy, but use them.
What doesn’t: Worrying about every little detail in your message formatting. People care about relevance, not bold fonts or emojis.
Step 8: Reply and Move Conversations Offline
Automation ends when someone replies. Don’t keep sending automated drips after that—it’s a fast way to a bad reputation.
Do this instead:
- Jump into LinkedIn manually and reply like a normal person.
- If there’s interest, move to email or a call as soon as it makes sense.
Pro tip: Don’t pitch hard in your first real reply. Ask questions, be curious, and see if you can actually help.
Step 9: Clean Up and Iterate
No campaign is perfect out of the gate. After a week or two:
- Pause and look at your numbers.
- Ditch what isn’t working—bad messages, weak targeting, etc.
- Test small tweaks: subject lines, connection note, timing.
- Keep it simple. The goal is conversations, not fancy automation flows.
What to ignore: Getting obsessed with advanced features (InMail, group invites, etc.) until you’ve mastered the basics.
Wrapping Up: Don’t Overthink It
Automated LinkedIn outreach with Zopto can save you time and help you start more conversations—if you keep things targeted and human. Start small. Tweak as you go. If you’re not embarrassed by your first campaign, you waited too long to launch.
Keep it simple, be real, and don’t get sucked into the hype. If you do that, you’ll be ahead of 90% of the people automating LinkedIn today. Go run your first campaign—and remember, you can always adjust as you learn.