How to Scrape LinkedIn Followers

TL;DR:

• Organize LinkedIn followers into targeted lists for sales teams by scraping followers from own pages and competitors
• Manually scrape followers using LinkedIn features or developer tools, or opt for LinkedIn Sales Navigator for automated scraping
• Use automation tools like LinkedIn Helper, Dux-Soup, and PhantomBuster to efficiently scrape LinkedIn followers
• Be cautious with automation tools to avoid exceeding daily limits and potential account suspension
• Consider using safe automation tools like Letterdrop for scraping LinkedIn followers within platform guidelines

So, your buyers are on LinkedIn.

How do you organize them into a targeted list that your sales team can actually use?

The answer is simple: scraping followers from your own pages and from competitors with the same ICP.

Up to 89% of B2B teams are using LinkedIn for lead gen. Why shouldn't you?

How to Scrape LinkedIn Followers Manually

If you're willing to put in the time, you can scrape LinkedIn for followers with minimal overhead. In fact, LinkedIn has some native features that can help you avoid the cost of automation tools.

For example:

• The "People You May Know" Feature: This is of course based on mutual networks, connections, shared interests, and industry. It's not a direct way to scrape follower lists per se, but it's a useful (and free!) way to identify prospects to target
• Manually Recording Relevant Page Followers: If you're looking to "steal" an audience from competitors or other pages with the same ICP as you, simply connect with those pages. You'll be able to see relevant followers, especially if you filter by "Followers of" with a LinkedIn search

Another way to extract a list is with the "Developer Tools" feature in your browser. Capture web traffic with a HAR file (which can help you avoid an account ban) and manually parse the data, if you know what you're doing.

Alternatively, you can buy LinkedIn Sales Navigator for about $99 a month, if you opt for the core package.

1. Upload your "Book of Business", either through syncing your CRM to Sales Nav or by manually adding current target accounts
2. Focus the specifics of who you're targeting using Lead and Account Filters. This helps you zero in on factors like:
   1. annual revenue
   2. buyer intent
   3. headcount growth
   4. recent job changes
   5. seniority
   6. role
   7. industry
   8. location, and more
3. Set up alerts to stay up-to-date on the latest target accounts

You can then export this data into a CSV file.

How to Automatically Scrape LinkedIn Followers

Alternatively, you can let automation tools do the legwork for you.

This allows you to:

• Collect data from thousands of followers in a matter of minutes
• Export this data into CSV files, Google Sheets, or CRM systems for immediate use in your lead generation campaigns
• Schedule scraping processes to run regularly, ensuring you always have up-to-date follower lists

Using Scraper Tools

We have a dedicated blog post on how to scrape leads from LinkedIn using automation — and another that includes a list of the best LinkedIn automation tools like LinkedIn Helper, Phantombuster, and more that can scrape data.

Here's a quick rundown of some best-in-class tools to help you automate scraping LinkedIn followers:

1. LinkedIn Helper

• Automates profile visits and connection requests, helping you scrape followers efficiently.
• Includes features to set daily limits for safe usage.
• Great for managing outreach campaigns alongside scraping tasks.

2. Salesflow

• Works seamlessly with LinkedIn Sales Navigator to target and extract follower lists.
• Smart filters allow you to narrow down followers by key demographics.

3. Dux-Soup

• Automates scraping of LinkedIn profiles, including followers, based on visits and searches.
• Easy to set up with its browser extension.

4. Expandi

• Extracts and targets company page followers using detailed filters.
• Ideal for personalized outreach campaigns.

5. Zopto

• Scrapes LinkedIn followers and integrates them into your LinkedIn campaigns.
• Offers detailed analytics to track lead performance.

6. Octopus CRM

• Scrapes LinkedIn followers and imports them into CRM workflows.
• Allows you to build custom lead generation funnels.

7. Meet Alfred

• Automates scraping followers from LinkedIn posts and activity.
• Manages followers across multi-channel outreach sequences.

8. PhantomBuster

• Scrapes followers from LinkedIn event attendees, groups, searches, and connections.
• Offers flexible workflows for efficient data collection.

9. HeyReach

• Scrapes followers across multiple LinkedIn accounts for broader reach.
• Ideal for agencies managing multiple accounts with detailed reporting features.

You can even build your own code-free LinkedIn scraper using Axiom.ai, which has a custom bot builder as well as templates to help you get started.

Scrapers Come With Risks

Automation tools have to be used carefully for a number of reasons:

1. They demand a lot of configuration, especially to avoid exceeding LinkedIn's daily limits
2. LinkedIn discourages automation tools like these since they override LinkedIn APIs. This could mean your account gets flagged for spam and even suspended

Letterdrop: A Safe Way to Automatically Scrape LinkedIn Followers

Letterdrop is SOC-2 certified and works directly through LinkedIn’s APIs, ensuring that all scraping activity remains within the platform’s guidelines.

You can set up ICP filters in Letterdrop's settings so that all the followers you scrape are firmly within your target audience.

Here’s how you can use Letterdrop to scrape LinkedIn followers:

1. Scrape leads directly from any LinkedIn post after opting into the Social Selling Chrome Extension, and get this data in one dashboard

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2. Scrape for relevant followers in the background while you work, no problem

Some FAQs
Is Scraping Linkedin Legal?

• Scraping LinkedIn for publicly available data is legal according to a court ruling.
• However, LinkedIn's terms of service prohibit scraping activities.
• Engaging in scraping on LinkedIn can lead to account suspension or banning by the platform, which is why you want to opt for a SOC-2 certified tool.

How to Scrape Competitors' LinkedIn Followers?

To scrape your competitors' LinkedIn followers, follow these steps:

1. Create a new LinkedIn account.
2. Utilize the Sales Navigator free trial.
3. Select the company page of your competitor.
4. Extract the list of followers and gather their email addresses.
5. Engage in outreach with these followers.
6. Additionally, consider reaching out to individuals who comment on or like your competitors' posts for further networking opportunities.

Is It Possible to Scrape Linkedin Profiles?

• LinkedIn prohibits data scraping on its platform and has implemented measures to deter users from engaging in this activity.
• Despite this, tools like DuxSoup can help you scrape profiles — use it at your own risk, though.

Opt For Safe Automation for Scraping LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the place for better lead gen today.

If you're considering automation tools to help you build your prospect list faster, at least consider a tool that prioritizes safety and won't get you suspended from LinkedIn.

If you're interested in scaling your LinkedIn automation safely, reach out to us.