Your Linkedin lead generation strategy seems to be going really well.
Your automation tools send out a couple of connection requests and messages daily, and some prospects are even connecting with you.
What could go wrong?
BAM! You get hit with this little beauty…..
And get logged out of your account… AND find yourself in Linkedin jail.
Goodbye, new sales leads… (Or at least for a certain amount of time.)
If this has happened to you, don’t panic.
There are a few reasons why this happened, and there are some hacks to use to stop this from happening again.
Just because your account has been restricted doesn’t mean that it will always be so, but the problem comes in if it keeps happening, then you could have a permanent ban placed on you.
So be wary, and follow these tips and tricks to help you become a Linkedin outreach in no time at all.
(And if you have tried Linkedin outreach on your own as a founder, or if you’re a new sales rep and you need a bit of help to find those qualified leads, you could always hop on a free 15-minute consultation call with Salesbread. In 2021 we generated close to 5000 qualified leads for our clients and guaranteed 1 high-quality lead per day.)
The reasons why your Linkedin account was restricted and what to do to stop this from happening.
1. You sent too many connection requests at once
Linkedin is all about making new connections and advancing your career. So having many connections is a good thing, but remember to take time when inviting new prospects. Why? Because if you send too many invitation requests at once it will trigger Linkedin’s algorithm and you’re going to end up with a restricted Linkedin account. To be on the safe side, send between 20-25 connection requests per day and not more; especially if you have a new account.2. You are using dodgy Linkedin automation tools
Automation tools have their place in lead generation, but be wary to only use the best tools. When using cheap chrome extensions you stand the chance of looking like a bot and Linkedin won’t take kindly to this. Have a look at the Linkedin user agreement below:
So at Salesbread, we use an automation tool called Expandi to send personalized messages to prospects in their right time zone. We have used Expandi for the past 3 years and have never had a client’s Linkedin profile restricted or blocked.
Why?
Because we are sending messages that prospects want to read and we add in manual expert personalization that is specifically for the prospect.
We never send the same generic message to hundreds of prospects.
And to keep clients’ accounts safe we only send between 20 – 25 LinkedIn connection requests per day.
There are other tools on the market but in our personal opinion, Expandi is the best automation tool out there.
Expandi isn’t a chrome extension and it also has a dedicated IP address, which makes it harder for Linkedin to pick up any “illegal activity.”
So if you are going to use personalization REMEMBER:
- Use the right automation tool, not just the cheapest
- Set limits, between 20 and 25 messages and connection requests per day
- Personalize every single message, so the prospects accept your requests
- Reply as a real person and not with a bot
3. You aren’t personalizing your messages
If you are sending hundreds of these kinds of generic messages:…
Expect to get a few unhappy prospects, who either flag or ignore you.
Later on in this article, you will also see that Linkedin might add a temporary restriction on your account if you have a low acceptance rate.
When it comes to sending messages on Linkedin be sure to personalize every single message.
You might think that this is excessive, but it works. 3 years with no restricted accounts and thousands of positive leads later, shows us that personalization is a necessity.
Once your prospect list is perfect, you will have to research each prospect on the list and write something personal for each person.
At Salesbread we have a personalization employee who does just this.
Here’s how to do it:
If you look at the above Linkedin profile there is a treasure trove of information about the prospect that you can use to write a personalized message.
When writing a personalized message, think CCQ
It stands for:
Compliment
Commonalities
Questions
You could either find something to compliment the prospect on, write something about a shared commonality, or ask a question.
Example:
Connection Request:
“Nicholas, I really enjoyed your interview on YouTube about focusing on mental health. Would really love to connect with you here.”Follow-up message:
Thanks for connecting. By the way, I would love to have you as a guest on our podcast. Would you be interested? If yes you can just reply with your Calendar link. PS: For background, my company has developed a SaaS product that helps employees track their mental wellness.Notice:
We also mentioned what our company does for background. Granted, the above “template” is just an example of what you could say, but you can adapt this approach for your own outreach. Read these articles for some inspiration:4. You are sending spammy messages
Spamming people is never okay. Linkedin says the following about spam:
“Spam refers to abusive, harmful, or disruptive messages and content. We encourage you to flag any content you see on LinkedIn as abusive or disruptive.”If you are doing this (even if it’s just sending 3 messages in 1 day to a prospect) you could get flagged as a spammer. Don’t do this. Wait at least 3 days between messages if a prospect hasn’t responded. Below are some examples of “spammy” messages to avoid sending.
Notice the above messages are pretty much exactly the same thing. The “sent more than a million messages” should be a dead giveaway of spam.
These kinds of messages will get your account restricted or worse, a permanent restriction.
So don’t do this.
5. You have a low acceptance rate
A low acceptance rate tells Linkedin that people aren’t engaging with you. This also might indicate that you are sending connection requests to people who don’t know you, or who have nothing in common with you. Don’t try and connect with everyone. For example, if you are in IT or selling a Saas service for media marketers, it doesn’t make sense to connect with veterinarians or teachers. Rather build a network of professionals in a similar industry who can help further your career, or of people you would like to sell to. When you do this, you will build a profitable network of contacts on LinkedIn.What to do to stop your account from being restricted – Recap
- Don’t send too many connection requests at once. Try only send between 20 and 25 connections per day. We have sent up to 100 requests with no issues, but if you are new to Linkedin lead generation it’s best to limit connections to keep your account safe
- Only use the best automation software and not chrome extensions.
- Make sure to personalize every single message to each prospect on your list.
- Don’t be a spammer and send hundreds of the same messages to your prospects; The Linkedin algorithm will pick this up.
- Ensure that you send connections to people who are relevant to you and your industry. If you send too many requests to the wrong kinds of people, you will have a low acceptance rate and Linkedin will see this as an issue.
The do’s and don’ts of what to do when your account is restricted
But what if you have fallen into the trap and your account is restricted? Is there a way to unrestrict it? Yes, there is. Do the following:1. Disconnect any automation tools and take it slow
Depending on your activity, you might just get a warning before Linkedin fully restricts your account. If this happens, it’s best to heed the warning. If this is the case, disconnect any automation tools that you might be using. Don’t send too many connection requests again and just take it slow. Follow the above advice of only sending 20 personalized requests per day to the right kind of people.2. Don’t create a new Linkedin account or a fake account.
If your account is restricted you might think that the easiest thing to do is just create a new or fake account. Don’t do this. Why? Linkedin will just detect a new account from your IP address. If this happens they will restrict your new account or even ban you for good. Linkedin’s professional community policies state that you must not create a false identity on the social media platform, or create a member profile for anyone other than yourself.If you stick to the guidelines and rules, your account won’t be restricted. Use Linkedin in the way it was intended.
3. If Linkedin asks for proof of identification, do it.
If you get this kind of message, DO NOT IGNORE it. This message is more serious than a warning. This means that Linkedin probably views your account as a bot, and they need proof of your ID to verify your account.
And if you are unsure of what to do, you could always contact Linkedin support for help.
Once your account is reinstated, follow the above tips mentioned throughout the article.
And if Linkedin lead generation is still not working for you….
Contact Salesbread today for a free 15-minute consultation. Linkedin lead generation is a gold mine for qualified leads, but you have to know how to use the platform the right way. We have tons of resources on our site, but if you need some extra help, feel free to contact us. We offer 2 services.- Done-for-you lead generation (which is less than the cost of hiring a full-time SDR.)
- Consultation services (which is half the price of our done-for-you lead generation service.)