If you spend more time copy-pasting on LinkedIn than actually talking to prospects, you’re not alone. Manual prospecting is slow, mind-numbing, and easy to mess up. This guide is for salespeople, founders, recruiters—anyone who wants to automate the boring parts of LinkedIn outreach, so you can focus on real conversations (or just get your evenings back).
We’ll walk through setting up Lagrowthmachine, an automation tool that actually does what it says on the tin. No magic bullets, no “growth hacking” nonsense—just a grounded, step-by-step process for automating LinkedIn tasks that most people do by hand.
Why Automate LinkedIn Prospecting?
Let’s set expectations. Automation doesn’t mean you’ll wake up to 50 new deals a week. What it does mean: you’ll spend less time on repetitive stuff (sending connection requests, following up, moving people between lists) and more time on the stuff machines can’t do—building trust and closing deals.
Automation is worth it if: - You’re doing the same LinkedIn steps every day (search, connect, follow up, etc.) - You have a clear target audience and message. - You want to track who you’ve messaged and when, without spreadsheets.
It’s not worth it if: - Your market is super-niche (think: 20 hand-picked people). - You hate the idea of sending anything that isn’t 100% custom. - You want instant results with zero effort. (Spoiler: doesn’t exist.)
Step 1: Set Up Your LinkedIn and Lagrowthmachine Accounts
Before you automate anything, you need a clean LinkedIn setup and a working Lagrowthmachine account.
To do: - Make sure your LinkedIn profile isn’t half-baked. People will check. - Use a dedicated LinkedIn account if you’re worried about risk. - Sign up for Lagrowthmachine. They offer a free trial, but paid plans unlock the good stuff. - Have a non-throwaway email address for onboarding and alerts.
Pro tip: Don’t use your main LinkedIn for shady scraping. Automation always carries some risk, so play it safe.
Step 2: Define Your Target List
You can’t automate what you haven’t defined. Figure out who you want to reach—and why.
Options for building a list: - Use LinkedIn’s built-in search (filters for job title, location, industry, etc.). - Export lists from Sales Navigator (Lagrowthmachine can help here). - Import your own CSV with LinkedIn profile URLs.
What works: - The tighter your targeting, the better your results. “CMOs at B2B SaaS companies in Germany” beats “everyone in tech.” - Keep lists manageable—200-500 is a sweet spot for testing.
What doesn’t: - Huge, generic lists. You’ll get flagged or ignored. - Buying sketchy email lists—Lagrowthmachine isn’t magic, and LinkedIn will notice.
Step 3: Connect Lagrowthmachine to LinkedIn
Lagrowthmachine works by acting like a very careful robot version of you on LinkedIn.
Here’s how to connect: 1. Log in to Lagrowthmachine and go to the “Accounts” section. 2. Add your LinkedIn account. They’ll ask for your credentials or a LinkedIn session cookie (this is normal for this kind of tool). 3. Complete the verification steps—they’ll walk you through it. If you get stuck, check their help docs or support chat.
Honest take: If you’re worried about security, read their docs on how your data is stored. Don’t use a password you re-use elsewhere.
Step 4: Create Your Outreach Sequence
This is where most people get too clever and trip over themselves. Keep your sequence simple to start.
Typical LinkedIn sequence: 1. Connection request (optional note) 2. Follow-up message if accepted 3. Second follow-up (if no reply) 4. Optional: Email follow-up (if you have their email)
Setting up in Lagrowthmachine: - Go to “Sequences” or “Campaigns.” - Choose LinkedIn as your channel. You can add email steps, too. - Write your messages. Personalize the first line if you can—Lagrowthmachine lets you use variables like {{firstName}}. - Space out your steps. Don’t blast people—wait at least 1-3 days between messages.
What works: - Short, specific messages (“Saw your post on X, would love to connect”) get better response rates. - Two to three follow-ups max. Don’t be a pest.
What doesn’t: - Copy-pasting generic pitch messages. You’ll get ignored, or worse, reported. - Spamming 1000+ people at once. LinkedIn will slow or ban your account.
Step 5: Import or Sync Your Leads
Now you need to get your target list into Lagrowthmachine.
Options: - Import a CSV (with LinkedIn profile URLs) - Sync from LinkedIn search or Sales Navigator - Use Lagrowthmachine’s Chrome extension to grab leads as you browse
Tips: - Check for duplicates—Lagrowthmachine is pretty good at this, but double-check if you’re importing from multiple sources. - Clean your data. Empty or weird profile URLs = wasted effort.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with “enrichment” add-ons for now. Focus on getting one clean list working first.
Step 6: Launch and Monitor Your Campaign
Time to hit “go.” But don’t disappear—watch what happens.
What to do: - Set daily limits. Lagrowthmachine lets you throttle how many invites/messages go out. Play it safe (20-50 per day at first). - Monitor replies inside Lagrowthmachine’s inbox, or sync to your email. - Mark replies as positive/negative/neutral to track what’s working.
Why monitor? - LinkedIn sometimes changes its rules or rate limits. If you get warnings, pause and adjust. - Your response rates will tell you if your message is landing (or if you need to tweak it).
Pro tip: People reply at weird hours. Don’t expect instant results—let your campaign run a week before judging.
Step 7: Handle Replies and Keep It Human
Automation gets you in the door, but real conversations close deals.
How to manage replies: - Jump in quickly when someone bites. Don’t let an interested lead go cold because you were “automating.” - Personalize your follow-up based on their response. Don’t send canned “Great, let’s schedule a call!” unless you actually mean it.
What works: - Set aside 15 minutes a day to check and reply. That’s usually enough. - If someone asks to be removed, do it. Don’t argue or push.
What doesn’t: - Trying to automate every last reply. You’ll sound like a robot, and people can tell.
Step 8: Track Results and Fine-Tune
Here’s where most folks fall off—they set and forget, then wonder why nothing works.
Review weekly: - Connection acceptance rate (should be 20-40% for a good list) - Reply rate (above 10% is solid) - Positive responses (actual interest, not just “thanks”)
Tweak as needed: - If acceptance is low, fix your profile or try a different note. - If replies are low, try new message angles. Be specific, not salesy. - If you get warnings from LinkedIn, slow down or pause.
Ignore: - Vanity metrics like “messages sent.” Only track replies and real leads.
What to Watch Out For
Risks: - LinkedIn doesn’t love automation. Go slow, watch for warnings, and don’t brag about it online. - Lagrowthmachine is safer than most, but no tool is 100% risk-free.
Common mistakes: - Overcomplicating sequences. Start simple, add complexity later. - Treating people like numbers. Automation is a tool, not an excuse to be lazy.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Automating LinkedIn prospecting with Lagrowthmachine isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of discipline. Start small, keep your outreach human, and resist the urge to automate everything at once. The best results come from tight lists, honest messages, and a willingness to tweak as you go.
Don’t overthink it—set up your first sequence, watch what works, and keep improving. The goal is to save time, not to turn your LinkedIn into a spam cannon. Stick with it, and you’ll wonder why you ever did this stuff by hand.