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Our Dux-Soup users offer us great insight into how they use the tool to benefit their businesses. When thought-provoking content was shared by one of our users in the Dux-Soup Facebook user group we were keen to find out more about him.
Elvin Mootoosamy is the Managing Director of Recogitate. He’s an agency partner who runs Dux-Soup on behalf of his clients. As both a Dux-Soup user and a data expert, Elvin’s technical approach has even changed some of the ways Dux-Soup HQ uses the tool to run campaigns.
We were thrilled when Elvin agreed to share his experience and the lessons he’s learned using Dux-Soup LinkedIn automation. In a recent webinar with us he shared his advice on:
- How to optimize your LinkedIn lists using spotlight and boolean searches. This covers how to save money on Sales Navigator and the perfect LinkedIn outreach list size.
- The best LinkedIn outreach campaign structure. In this 10-step strategy, Elvin reveals his actions and delays.
- What to measure to determine success and how to get the data you want from Dux-Soup.
- How adapting elements of successful campaigns can help to improve results. Elvin shares how he achieves over an 80% connection acceptance rate!
Watch the webinar recording ‘4 LinkedIn lessons to optimize your campaign strategy’ to listen to all the tips that Elvin shared with us, or keep reading for a 4-point summary of how you can take your LinkedIn lead generation to a new level, using data and Dux-Soup.
If you’re new to Dux-Soup, hit the button below for your 2 week free trial.
Lesson 1. Creating optimal campaign lists
Build a prospect list using Sales Navigator
Elvin recommends using Sales Navigator to filter the LinkedIn database. It offers enhanced features and allows more precise filtering compared to free LinkedIn.
Tip: You may be put off by the monthly cost of Sales Navigator. Elvin suggests paying for one or two months and using the time to create multiple lists. Use the Dux-Soup scan feature to extract the list from Sales Navigator and move it into excel. Once you have your compiled lists, simply cancel the subscription. LinkedIn often offers discounts of up to 50% to entice users back, so you could join again at a reduced price.
Suggested filters and Boolean searches
Here are a few example searches Elvin has suggested to get you going:
- Changed jobs in the last 90 days - People who have recently changed jobs are typically receptive to change and may respond to your product or service.
- Posted on LinkedIn in the last 30 days - This suggested that the prospect is using LinkedIn on a regular basis.
- Connections 2nd and 3rd degree - In your messaging, reference the people you have in common.
- Regional filter - This is useful for building a local group. In your messaging let people know where you’re from and that you’re looking to build a network in that area.
- Filter your list using Boolean search options to narrow it down further. For tips on how to do this, take a look at the blog How to search and filter with LinkedIn and Dux-Soup.
The ideal list size
Elvin runs his campaigns for no more than 250 prospects. A list of this size allows him to control and measure the data, without the volume getting too unwieldy.
Here’s his rationale behind the number:
- Dux-Soup’s default is to connect with 25 prospects per day.
- It will take 10 days to send connection requests to the entire list of 250 prospects.
- Using a series of follow-up messages, Elvin usually finds his campaigns will run for another 3 weeks or so, depending when each prospect accepts the initial invitation.
- Once the initial 10 days has run its course, Elvin starts the next campaign of 250 prospects.
This method means his campaigns can run in parallel.
Quality check - use Dux-Soup “Scan” feature
When you have your list of 250 prospects, Elvin recommends using the Dux-Soup scan feature to move the prospect information into excel.
In Dux-Soup click ‘Download data’ and it will download a CSV file to your computer. This is where you can check the data.
Once your list is complete, check the quality:
- Are the job titles, industry and region selected correct?
- If you’re using Company in the message, double check long names haven’t been truncated.
- Is the first name correct? If there’s a title with the first name the message will look fake. Use the Dux-Soup “name scrubber” option to update anything that’s missing or incorrect.
Lesson 2. Create an effective campaign structure
Use the correct Dux-Soup Plan
Elvin recommends using Dux-Soup Turbo. The additional features allow you to optimize your campaigns with automated follow-ups and you can also integrate with third party apps and CRM systems.
Dux-Soup Turbo also offers more control over the campaign sequencing, you can choose the order of events for your campaign which include visiting, following, endorsing your prospects, or sending InMails.
Recommended Event Sequence
This is Elvin’s tried and tested campaign sequence - this is the one which leads to his 80% acceptance rate:
- Visit
- Follow
- Connection request
- Endorse Skill
- Visit
- Follow up 1
- Visit
- Follow up 2
- Visit
- Follow up 3
Thoughts about the sequence
- Elvin stressed the importance of leaving at least 3 or 4 days between follow-messages. A week is ideal - essentially, the longer the better! Not everyone uses LinkedIn every day so if you want your sequence to appear real, give people time to read and process your messages.
- Consider leaving the connection message blank when you send your connection request (no. 3 in the sequence). Sounds counterintuitive doesn’t it? Elvin uses Follow up 1 for the introductory message and here’s his logic:
- The positive engagement started with step 1 in the sequence. The prospect was told when you visited them.
- The prospect is also made aware that you followed them in step 2. When you follow, you opt in to see the user's content/posts on your LinkedIn news feed without needing to connect with them.
- Now you’ve got their interest!
- When they receive the blank connection request in step 3, they’ve nothing to judge you on, they’re not being sold to and you’re already on their radar so they accept it.
- The connection request is the most important part of the sequence.
- Endorse (step 4) follows the connection request because it continues to reinforce positive behavior. You can choose to endorse a skill (Elvin suggests the bottom 3 or top 3 skills) and again the profile owner is made aware of your endorsement.
- Following and endorsing are passive ways to interact with the profile and often generate a positive response. This increases the chances of getting a positive outcome in terms of opening a conversation and getting a meeting.
- In your connection message focus on the benefits for the prospect and do not mention any sales. For example, you might be interested in their feedback or experience within your sector.
Lesson 3. Measure the data to improve
Why measure?
Measuring your data is an important step to understanding the success of your campaign.
Once you’ve analyzed your data, you can make changes to your campaign and run it again. By reviewing the data and assessing the results you can continue to tweak your campaigns and update the strategy. It’s a way of ensuring that you’re continuously improving your methods.
Monitoring and controls
Measuring your data allows you to keep track of the daily activity on your LinkedIn account (i.e., how many visits did you make, or how many messages did you send).
Ensure the Dux-Soup throttle controls are working as you expect them to. The throttling tab is found in the Dux-Soup options and is where the daily limits for visiting, scanning and connection requests are set.
Real-time analytics
It’s important to be able to keep track of where your prospects are in a campaign. For that to happen, the data needs to be in a format you can do something with.
Dux-Soup integrates with lots of different platforms including Google Sheets. You can add a Google sheet URL to Dux-Soup to push all LinkedIn actions to the Google Sheet dynamically.
Dux-Soup provides the necessary AppScript to link to your Google Sheet. To find out how to set this up have a read of the blog Building a dashboard using Google webhooks.
To see Elvin demonstrate his dashboard go to 23:51mins of the recording.
Lesson 4. Analyze your data
Elvin shared an example of how he approaches data analysis.
He selected 5 clients at random, each running campaigns between 2-5 weeks long. The campaign strategies for each were as follows:
- Clients 1-3: Visit, send Connection Request (with message), Visit, Follow-up (x2)
- Client 4: Visit, Follow, send Connection Request (blank message), Endorse, Visit, Follow-up (x5)
- Client 5: Same as client 1-3: Visit, send Connection Request (with message), Visit, Follow-up (x2)
These two charts show the relative activity for each:
Study summary
This is what the data tells us:
- Clients 1-3 have very similar acceptance rates ~20% (they had the same campaign strategy).
- Clients 1 & 3 have low engagement (a low number of messages were received).
- Client 4 has a different campaign strategy - they achieved a 33% acceptance rate!
- Client 4’s relative improvement vs clients 1-3 is ~+13%.
- Client 5 has an acceptance rate of 78%! Why? They are recruitment headhunters targeting a specific sector. Their prospects are very receptive. They’re keen to find out about potential new and better positions, thus making it a great tool for recruiters!
In summary, to get the best out of LinkedIn Dux-Soup automation, follow the 4 lessons!
- Target active users of LinkedIn.
- Consider your list size relative to the daily connection limit. Make it small and sensible so you can measure it.
- Consider 2nd and 3rd degree connections.
- Target a prospect list in your immediate region.
- Mention you have connections in common.
- Demonstrate that you are interested in their background/experience and would like to learn more about them.
- Consider a blank connection message! (Use a later follow up message for the engagement.)
- ‘Visit’ and ‘Follow’ profiles ahead of sending a connection request.
- Endorse just after sending the connection request.
- Leave at least 3-4 days between messaging (Elvin recommends 1 week between sending follow-up messages).
- Dux-Soup follow-up sequences only work if a prospect connects!
- If prospects don’t accept your connection request and select “I don’t know this person” as their response, it’s the equivalent of spam and can draw attention to your LinkedIn account.
- Grow your network! You might not make an immediate sale with your new connection but the new prospect will now see your content going forward, and that could lead to a future sale.
Want to listen to the Q&A with Elvin?
There were plenty of questions for Elvin, so head to 31:11mins of the webinar recording to find out the answers to these questions (and many more):
- What are the best practices for keeping a Sales Navigator account safe while using Dux-Soup for LinkedIn automation?
- At what stage of the process do you start to sell?
- How wide do you go with regional lists?
- How do you connect the scan data list with the Dux-Soup campaign?
- Does Dux-Soup save your Boolean criteria in the same search for a campaign?
- If the list in Sales Navigator is too long, do you clear it and start a new list, or use filters in the CSV file to reduce it?
About Elvin Mootoosamy
With over 15 years of experience in the financial services industry, Elvin is a seasoned professional with a wealth of knowledge and skills. As the former European Head of Trading for a UK hedge fund, he has a proven track record in equities and derivatives, having worked in both ‘buying’ and ‘selling’.
Elvin has always been driven by his passion for technology, having honed his skills as an algorithmic trader. He is committed to delivering user-centered solutions by utilizing his expertise in software development to improve clients’ experiences.
Elvin’s education is also a valuable asset, with a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London, which further solidifies his ability to tackle complex issues with a creative and innovative approach.
