If you’re tired of sending the same LinkedIn messages over and over, or losing track of follow-ups, you’re not alone. Outreach is tedious, and frankly, most automation tools either spam people or break LinkedIn’s rules. This guide is for sales reps, founders, and anyone who wants to use automation to start more conversations on LinkedIn—without trashing their reputation or getting their account flagged.
We’ll cut through the fluff and show you exactly how to use Klenty to automate LinkedIn outreach and follow-ups in a way that actually works. No “growth hacks,” no magic bullets—just real steps for building a repeatable process.
1. What Klenty Can (and Can’t) Do for LinkedIn Outreach
First, a reality check: Klenty is great for managing outreach tasks across email, CRM, and LinkedIn, but it doesn’t send LinkedIn messages for you automatically (that’s against LinkedIn’s terms). Instead, it helps you schedule, organize, and track manual LinkedIn actions—like connection requests, messages, or profile views—so you can do more in less time, and nothing slips through the cracks.
What works well: - Creating outreach cadences combining email and LinkedIn steps - Reminding you who to message or connect with each day - Tracking replies and automating follow-up reminders
What you shouldn’t expect: - Fully automated LinkedIn messaging (unless you want your account restricted) - “Spray and pray” campaigns (they just don’t work on LinkedIn) - Turning cold outreach into warm leads overnight
Bottom line: Klenty is a solid assistant for LinkedIn outreach, not a robot that does your work for you.
2. Getting Set Up: The Basics
Let’s get the boring parts out of the way fast.
a. Connect Your CRM and Email
- Link your CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, etc.) to Klenty so you can pull in your contacts.
- Connect your email account to send automated emails as part of your outreach sequences. This lets you combine LinkedIn and email—much more effective than using just one.
b. Install Klenty’s Chrome Extension
- Install the Klenty Chrome extension. This is how Klenty can “show” you your LinkedIn tasks while you’re actually on LinkedIn.
- The extension doesn’t violate LinkedIn’s policies—it just helps you stay organized.
c. Clean Up Your Prospect List
- Garbage in, garbage out. Make sure your prospect list has correct LinkedIn URLs and names.
- Remove duplicates and obviously fake or low-quality profiles.
Pro tip: Don’t bother with giant, scraped lists. Focus on prospects you actually want to talk to.
3. Building a LinkedIn Outreach Cadence in Klenty
A “cadence” is just a fancy word for a sequence of steps: connect, message, follow-up, email, wait, repeat. Here’s how to build one that actually gets replies.
Step 1: Create a New Cadence
- In Klenty, go to Cadences > New Cadence.
- Name it something you’ll recognize (e.g. “LinkedIn + Email Outreach - SaaS Founders”).
Step 2: Add LinkedIn Steps
You’ll see options like:
- LinkedIn Connection Request
Schedule when to send connection invites. Klenty will remind you who to connect with each day.
- LinkedIn Message
Once a connection is accepted, Klenty can prompt you to send a message.
- LinkedIn Profile View
As a “soft touch,” viewing someone’s profile can warm them up before you reach out.
Example sequence: 1. Day 1: View profile 2. Day 2: Send connection request 3. Wait 3 days 4. Send first LinkedIn message (if connected) 5. Wait 5 days 6. Send follow-up LinkedIn message
Step 3: Mix in Email Steps
- Add email steps before or after LinkedIn actions. Sometimes people will reply to email even if they ignore LinkedIn, and vice versa.
- For best results, don’t bombard people on both channels at the same time—space things out.
Step 4: Set Wait Times
- Use realistic wait periods between steps. Spamming people day after day is a great way to get ignored (or blocked).
- Typical waits: 2-5 days between LinkedIn touches, 3-7 days between emails.
4. Personalizing Messages Without Losing Your Mind
Nobody wants to get a generic “I’d like to add you to my professional network” message. But you can’t write a novel to every prospect, either.
Use dynamic fields:
Klenty lets you use placeholders like {{FirstName}}, {{Company}}, etc. in your LinkedIn and email templates.
Keep it short:
- For connection requests: “Hi {{FirstName}}, saw your post on {{Topic}}—would love to connect.”
- For first messages: Reference something specific (recent post, mutual connection, event).
Don’t overdo it:
Adding one line of personalization is enough. Don’t try to fake familiarity—people can smell it a mile away.
5. Executing Tasks: How Klenty Keeps You on Track
Here’s where Klenty earns its keep.
a. Daily Task List
- Each day, Klenty gives you a to-do list: who to connect with, who to message, who to follow up with.
- You do these actions manually through LinkedIn (using the Chrome extension for guidance).
b. Logging Activity
- When you complete a LinkedIn step (like sending a message), mark it done in Klenty.
- Klenty tracks which prospects have replied, so you don’t keep nudging people who already responded.
c. Handling Replies
- If someone replies on LinkedIn, mark it in Klenty so they’re pulled out of the cadence.
- This is key—nothing kills trust faster than ignoring a reply and sending more “canned” messages.
Pro tip: Always read the reply before responding. Sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised.
6. Avoiding LinkedIn’s Spam Traps
LinkedIn is cracking down on automation and spam. Here’s how to stay on the right side:
- Limit daily actions:
Don’t send 100+ connection requests a day. 15-30 is safer and looks more human. - Don’t repeat yourself:
Avoid sending the same message to everyone. Change it up, even if it’s just a sentence. - Watch your acceptance rate:
If lots of people ignore your requests, LinkedIn will notice. Target people likely to say yes. - Don’t use “fully automated” bots:
Klenty keeps you manual—on purpose. Tools that send messages for you are risky.
7. What to Ignore (and What to Double Down On)
Ignore:
- “Secret” LinkedIn hacks promising 10x more replies—they’re usually recycled tricks or get your account flagged.
- Overly complex cadences with 8+ steps. No one wants five follow-ups from a stranger.
Focus on:
- Writing natural, human messages.
- Following up once or twice, then moving on.
- Building a process you can stick with every week.
8. Measuring Success (Without Obsessing Over Vanity Metrics)
Don’t get caught up in open rates or connection acceptance rates alone. Here’s what actually matters:
- Replies: Are you getting real responses?
- Meetings/booked calls: Is outreach leading to actual conversations?
- Quality of conversations: Are people open to talking, or just brushing you off?
If you’re not getting results, tweak your message, targeting, or cadence. Don’t just send more.
9. Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Forgetting to mark replies: Double-messaging someone who already answered makes you look sloppy.
- Not customizing enough: If you sound like a robot, you’ll get treated like one.
- Giving up too soon: It takes time to find the right approach for your audience.
10. Keep It Simple—And Iterate
Automating LinkedIn outreach with Klenty can save you a ton of time and mental energy, but only if you keep things simple. Start with a basic cadence, personalize just enough, and don’t worry if your first attempts are rough. Make small tweaks each week, pay attention to what actually gets replies, and don’t get sucked into the latest “automation hack.”
You’re better off being consistently good than occasionally brilliant. Good luck—and keep it human.