Introduction

LinkedIn provides an incredible platform for connecting with professionals worldwide, offering vast networking opportunities. Chances are, you’ve built a substantial, professional network comprising individuals from sales, marketing, recruiting, and beyond. 

While it may resemble social media, LinkedIn is fundamentally a business productivity tool, akin to Email or Slack. This is evident not only in its interface but also in its business model. Unlike most social platforms that rely on ads, LinkedIn boasts over 100 million paying customers, primarily generating revenue from premium subscriptions and paid advertisements.

But what if you want to extend these connections beyond LinkedIn or incorporate them into your marketing campaigns elsewhere? Thus, rather than merely accumulating connections, the real value lies in leveraging these connections to propel your business objectives forward. Whether you’re in sales, marketing, or recruiting, LinkedIn serves as the ultimate B2B resource.

This guide is your go-to resource for exporting your LinkedIn connections along with their vital information.

Why You Should Export Your LinkedIn Contacts

LinkedIn is great for finding potential prospects, but reaching out to them directly through the platform isn’t as effective as it seems.

Let’s say you’ve identified 50 promising contacts across 10 companies. You check out their profiles on LinkedIn, but then what? Sending them InMail messages and waiting for responses often leads to disappointment.

Here’s the deal:

  • Low Response Rates: Even if you message all 50 prospects, you’ll likely only hear back from a handful—maybe 5 or 6.

Plus, there’s a limit on how many InMail messages you can send. If you keep getting low response rates, LinkedIn might even flag your account as spam.

  • Limited Integration: Even if you do get responses, these contacts aren’t seamlessly integrated into your sales and marketing processes.

You can’t send automated messages or track engagement, making it hard to nurture leads effectively.

So, what’s the solution?

You need to feed all your LinkedIn contacts into your core marketing or recruitment engine. After identifying potential leads, the best approach is to export their details into your CRM and then start reaching out.

But there are challenges:

  • Contacts in Your Network: Exporting contacts you’re already connected with is straightforward. But if you already know them, why not just pick up the phone and call?
  • Contacts Outside Your Network: If you don’t know the person, you probably don’t have their contact details to export in the first place.

For instance, imagine HR managers scouting LinkedIn for potential hires. If they’re already connected with these candidates, they can easily message them or export their details. But what if they’re not connected? How do they reach out?

Here’s the bottom line:

  • – LinkedIn is a Goldmine of Contacts: It’s where you’ll find a plethora of business contacts.
  • – But Reaching Out Can Be Tricky: LinkedIn isn’t the best for actually contacting these prospects directly.

That’s why exporting your LinkedIn contacts to your CRM or other marketing tools is essential. It lets you enjoy all the benefits of LinkedIn without grappling with its limitations.

The Benefits of Exporting LinkedIn Connections:

When LinkedIn emerged, many executives hesitated, fearing that revealing their professional network would be detrimental. Back then, the concept of sharing business contacts openly seemed counterintuitive. However, while some overlooked its potential as a globally connected business community, they did recognize one crucial aspect: contacts.

Let’s break it down:

1. LinkedIn’s Professional Focus:

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube thrive on user-generated content, be it selfies, memes, or educational videos. Users flock to these platforms not primarily to contact others, but to consume content.

LinkedIn, however, operates differently. While content is present, its true value lies in its users. People visit LinkedIn to connect with professionals, not to scroll through posts.

2. Extensive Network:

LinkedIn boasts an extensive professional network of contacts, with nearly every executive and decision-maker present.

This makes it indispensable for various business endeavors, from talent acquisition to sales prospecting.

In essence, LinkedIn offers access to the right people, making it a go-to platform for recruiters and marketers alike.

3. Navigating LinkedIn’s Web of Connections:

Compared to Facebook’s average of 330 friends, LinkedIn users typically boast 930 connections. Company pages on LinkedIn often garner millions of followers, indicating a densely connected platform.

While this makes finding prospects easier, reaching out isn’t as straightforward. Direct messaging is limited to your connections, and InMail is an option for those with common connections.

However, there’s no additional avenue to contact new prospects directly.

4. Optimizing LinkedIn Connections

LinkedIn serves as an excellent hub for building a professional connection list. However, relying solely on the platform has its limitations. While sourcing contacts is seamless, communication is restricted.

Maintaining meaningful engagement becomes challenging, especially considering the risk of losing connections due to profile issues.

Fortunately, there’s a simple solution: download and export your contacts directly from your browser.

By integrating LinkedIn connections into your existing sales and marketing systems, such as your CRM, you unlock a myriad of benefits. From identifying trends to refining targeting and launching automated marketing campaigns, connection extraction empowers you to take actionable steps towards your business goals.

Remember, quality always trumps quantity. While it may be tempting to send out a high volume of cold emails in hopes of casting a wide net of profiles per day, focusing on crafting thoughtful, personalized messages to a smaller pool of prospects can ultimately yield better results.

Steps to Export/Download LinkedIn Contacts

Exporting your LinkedIn connections can serve multiple purposes, from safeguarding your contacts to analyzing your professional network of contacts or integrating them into other platforms like Gmail or Excel.

Here’s how you can efficiently download your LinkedIn connections:

  1. Start by clicking on the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.

  2. From the dropdown menu, select “Settings & Privacy.”

  3. On the left pane, navigate to “Data privacy.”

  4. Under the “How LinkedIn uses your data” section, click on “Get a copy of your data.”

  5. Next, choose the specific data files you’re interested in, and select “Connections.”

  6. Click on “Request archive.”

  7. Enter your password and click “Done.”

  8. You’ll then receive an email to your Primary Email address containing a link to download your list of connections.

Please keep in mind:

  • Some email addresses may not appear if your connections haven’t allowed their professional email address to be downloaded.

  • The vCard and CSV format might not support all characters, particularly affecting languages with extended character sets.

  • You can only export contacts who are 1st-degree connections.

  • If you’re exporting connections due to a duplicate account, ensure to close the extra account and import your connections list to another LinkedIn account.

How to Import LinkedIn Contacts into Gmail

Importing your LinkedIn contacts into Gmail is a breeze. Just follow these simple steps:

  1. Open your Gmail account and click on the Apps icon located in the top right corner.
  2. Next, click on the blue Contacts icon.
  3. In the Contacts page, look for the “Import contacts” prompt in the middle and click on it.
  4. Choose the CSV file you previously downloaded from LinkedIn.

Voila! Your LinkedIn connections will seamlessly populate in the Contacts section of your Gmail account.

This method streamlines your communication and networking efforts by integrating your corporate email addresses directly into Gmail.

Taking Action with LinkedIn Contacts

Making the most of your LinkedIn connections involves a step guide aimed at leveraging your network for sales and marketing endeavors. Let’s delve into each facet:

1. Streamline Sales Campaigns:

  • Streamline Outreach:

Choose an email marketing tool that seamlessly integrates with LinkedIn, such as Mailchimp, HubSpot, or Salesforce Marketing Cloud, to automate outreach to your connections.

  • Sync Accounts:

Connect your LinkedIn account with your chosen email marketing tool by granting necessary permissions to access your LinkedIn contacts.

  • Craft Tailored Campaigns:

Develop personal email marketing campaigns targeting your LinkedIn connections, incorporating tailored messages, promotions, or valuable content.

  • Automation Features:

Utilize automation tools within your email marketing tool to schedule and send emails automatically to your LinkedIn contacts, based on specific triggers or timeframes.

2. Segment and Nurture:

  • Analyze Contacts:

Analyze your LinkedIn contacts to identify common traits like industry, location, or engagement level, facilitating effective segmentation.

  • Set Criteria:

Determine segmentation criteria aligned with your business objectives and target audience, such as industry-specific content delivery or re-engagement strategies for inactive contacts.

  • Utilize Tools:

Leverage CRM or email marketing tools with robust segmentation capabilities to create dynamic contact lists based on predefined criteria.

  • Personalize Communication:

Tailor your personalised messages to each segment’s interests, challenges, and preferences, customizing content, subject lines, and calls to action accordingly.

3. Integrate with CRM Systems:

  • Select the Right CRM:

Choose a CRM system that aligns with your business needs, such as Salesforce, HubSpot CRM, or Zoho CRM, and seamlessly integrates with LinkedIn.

  • Enable Integration:

Activate LinkedIn integration within your CRM platform to synchronize contacts, messages, and activities between LinkedIn and your CRM system.

  • Centralize Data:

Sync LinkedIn contacts with your CRM database to consolidate customer data in one location, ensuring consistency and accuracy across all touchpoints.

  • Enhance Relationship Management:

Utilize CRM functionalities to effectively manage relationships with LinkedIn contacts, tracking interactions, setting follow-up reminders, and analyzing engagement metrics.

LinkedIn serves as a valuable platform for connecting with professionals, building relationships, and driving business growth. However, simply having a vast network on LinkedIn isn’t enough to translate into meaningful opportunities. It’s essential to adopt a strategic approach to convert connections into leads and customers effectively.

Here’s a structured plan to achieve this:

  • Define Your Ideal Customer Profile: Understand your target audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points to tailor your messaging and approach accordingly.
  • Nurture Connections with Valuable Content: Share industry insights and best practices to establish trust and credibility among your connections.
  • Initiate Personalized Conversations: Reach out to connections with personalised messages that demonstrate genuine interest and attention to detail.
  • Build Relationships and Create Opportunities: Identify collaboration opportunities and invite connections to relevant events to foster meaningful connections.
  • Convert Leads into Customers: Present your value proposition clearly and compellingly, guiding leads through the purchasing journey with testimonials and social proof.

If you’re looking to streamline your LinkedIn connections management and maximize their utility, leveraging external tools can be a game-changer. Consider integrating an Email Discovery Service into your workflow, such as Adapt.io, which seamlessly extracts professional emails from LinkedIn profiles.

This not only simplifies the process of gathering contact information but also ensures you have accurate and up-to-date details for your outreach efforts. By combining this with a robust Download Archive feature, you can effortlessly export your LinkedIn contacts straight to your CRM or email marketing platform, enabling you to initiate targeted campaigns and nurture relationships beyond the LinkedIn platform.

In essence, integrating these external tools gives you access to advanced options to unlock the full potential of your LinkedIn connections, transforming them into valuable assets for your business growth initiatives.

How To Easily Export LinkedIn Contacts With Adapt.io

The Adapt Email Finder Chrome extension stands out as a top-notch tool for exporting LinkedIn contacts directly to your CRM. After installing and activating the browser extension, simply visit any LinkedIn profile and click on the extension icon to retrieve the contact’s business email address and phone number.

Moreover, you can extract email addresses directly from LinkedIn’s search results page. Just follow these steps:

  • Choose “Create New List” to initiate the process.
  • Begin selecting the contacts you’re interested in, and they’ll automatically be added to your list.
  • Head over to “My Leads” on Adapt.io, where you’ll find the comprehensive list of contacts you’ve gathered.

With the Adapt Email Finder Tool, exporting LinkedIn contacts becomes a seamless and efficient task, empowering you to manage your connections with ease.

Here’s a quick guide to exporting your LinkedIn contacts with Adapt.io:

1. Install the Adapt Chrome Extension:

    • Head to the Chrome Web Store and search for Adapt.io.
    • Click “Add to Chrome” and install the extension.

2. Access LinkedIn:

    • Once installed, visit LinkedIn and log into your account.

3. Search for Contacts:

    • Utilize LinkedIn’s search feature to find the contacts you wish to export.

Open the Adapt Extension

    • Click on the Adapt.io extension icon in your browser’s toolbar to activate it within LinkedIn.

4. Export Contacts:

    • Within the Adapt.io sidebar, locate the option to export contacts and click on it.

5. Choose Export Format:

    • Select your preferred format for exporting contacts, such as addresses in CSV format or Excel files.

6. Confirm and Download:

    • Review your export settings and confirm the export. Your contacts will be compiled into a downloadable file.

7. Download and Save:

  • Click the provided download link to save the exported contacts file to your computer.

8. Verify the Data:

    • Before use, ensure the accuracy and completeness of the exported data, checking for any formatting issues.

9. Integrate with CRM (Optional):

    • If you use a CRM system, explore the option to import the exported contacts directly into your CRM for seamless management.

By following these steps, you’ll effortlessly export your LinkedIn contacts using Adapt.io, enhancing your prospecting efforts and lead management capabilities.

Streamline your LinkedIn connections management with Adapt.io – Install now to effortlessly export contacts straight to your CRM!

FAQs

Yes, you can export all your LinkedIn connections together. However, keep in mind that LinkedIn limits this to 10,000 contacts and 1000 views per day.

LinkedIn offers CSV file format for exporting contacts, compatible with applications like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

Each contact’s name, email address, company, title, and any notes you’ve added will be exported.

Absolutely, you can import them into various CRM and marketing platforms, though the process may vary depending on the software.

Yes, simply log in, go to “My Network” > “Connections”, click the ellipsis, choose “Export contacts”, select the format, verify your identity, and LinkedIn will email you a download link.

Log in, go to “My Network” > “Connections”, click the ellipsis, choose “Export contacts”, select CSV file format, verify your identity, and LinkedIn will email you the download link.

Export your LinkedIn connections as a CSV file, then in Outlook, click “File” > “Open & Export” > “Import/Export”, choose “Import from another program or file”, select the CSV, and follow prompts.

Yes, by going to “My Network” > “Connections”, clicking the ellipsis, choosing “Export contacts”, selecting Excel format, verifying your identity, and LinkedIn will email you the download link.

A contact export tool to extract data from LinkedIn profiles for marketing or recruitment purposes, ethically used according to LinkedIn’s terms.

Unfortunately, you can’t export followers from a company page. You can view them in “Admin tools” > “Followers”.

Navigate to “Sales Navigator” > “Leads” or “Accounts”, select contacts, click “Export”, choose format, and verify identity for download.

LinkedIn doesn’t offer direct transfer, but you can export contacts as CSV from one account and import them into another using “Add Connections”.

Visit “My Network” > “Connections” to view contacts manually or export them as CSV via the ellipsis menu.