Sales automation is a dream scenario, especially on a social platform like LinkedIn where it can be tricky to achieve efficiency if handling campaigns manually.
With the help of modern tools, all sorts of activities can be automated today. But what are the benefits behind this which will make you consider adopting them, and are there any pitfalls to be aware of before you take the plunge?
Saving significant time on lead generation
Using a solution like salesflow.io is a no brainer if you are aiming to cut down on the time it takes to generate leads, without making any compromises in terms of the quality of the prospects you source.
All you need to do is set the parameters for your search, and tools can handle lead generation with impressive accuracy, with the power of AI ensuring that you don’t have to end up chasing leads that don’t fit your ideal criteria.
With the time you save here, you can rebalance your schedule and refocus your efforts on other sales tasks that might otherwise be pushed down your to-do list.
Losing touch with sales skills
Perhaps the biggest bug bear for sales specialists who decide to automate is that it means they are not necessarily going to keep their eye in with the skills they need to fulfill certain aspects of their role.
For example, with LinkedIn automation you can not only find prospects with software tools, but also send out initial messages and follow-up replies without needing to lift a finger.
This could mean that your prospect nurturing abilities are left to go fallow, so it may be wise to combine automation along with a small amount of manual intervention, so that this doesn’t happen.
Boosting conversion rates
Amping up your lead generation is all well and good, but how about actually converting prospects into paying customers? Again, this is an element that automation can orchestrate, and there are a few ways in which this is achieved.
The most impactful strategy in this regard is responsiveness. Once you’ve sent out a message to a new contact, the metric that matters most when building towards a conversion is how quickly you react if you receive a reply from a prospect.
Without automation, that might mean being willing to fire off responses at all hours of the day and night, which is neither feasible nor sustainable for sales team members. With automation on your side, replies can be detected and a customized response sent in a jiffy.
Dicing with account deactivation
LinkedIn is not a fan of users trying to harness the platform it offers for sales purposes, unless they are doing so through its integrated paid ad solution. Because of this, it can take punitive action against accounts that are found to have breached its user agreement.
Over-using automated tools is the quickest way to feel the wrath of LinkedIn’s administrators, and this will start with short term limitations, while repeat offenders could face complete deactivation.
The answer in this instance is to be savvy in your use of sales automation tools, and also recognize that these services are built with the limitations of LinkedIn in mind. A good tool will be able to avoid potentially spammy tactics, while still giving you the benefits mentioned above.
Establishing your brand
The end result of LinkedIn sales automation will not just be new contacts and conversions for your company, but also the gradual and organic-seeming development of a robust brand identity.
A few brand-building tactics can be put into play when using LinkedIn for lead generation, such as including links to your site and your other social profiles, as well as any content you have created, to build interest.
Thus your campaigns which are managed automatically on LinkedIn can also feed into your other marketing efforts, perpetuating the growth of your client base.
Wrapping up
The pros of LinkedIn automation more than outweigh the cons, and it’s because of this that a growing number of businesses are turning to this platform over the other social media sites out there at the moment.
So long as you use these tools wisely, automating sales activities on LinkedIn will be just the catalyst that your brand needs to thrive.
