Want to improve your sales outreach? Choosing between LinkedIn-first and email-first automation can significantly shape your results. Here’s the core difference: Closely focuses on LinkedIn to build professional relationships, while Instantly uses email for high-volume, scalable outreach.
- Closely is ideal for B2B businesses targeting decision-makers on LinkedIn, emphasizing relationship-building with personalized messaging.
- Instantly excels in email campaigns, offering tools for reaching large audiences efficiently and managing follow-ups.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Closely | Instantly |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Channel | LinkedIn-first with email support | Email-first outreach |
| Best For | Relationship-building, B2B | High-volume outreach, scalability |
| Starting Price | $49/month | Pricing varies; check website |
| Key Benefit | Higher engagement on LinkedIn | Broad audience reach |
Both platforms have strengths depending on your goals. For trust-building and long-term connections, go with Closely. For speed and scale, Instantly is your best bet.
How to use email outreach and LinkedIn automation together
Closely: LinkedIn-First Sales Automation Platform
Closely takes a relationship-first approach to sales automation, focusing on LinkedIn as the core platform for building professional connections. Recognizing LinkedIn as the hub for B2B decision-makers, Closely tailors its strategies to the unique dynamics of the platform, where executives actively engage daily. Unlike other tools that treat LinkedIn as just another outreach channel, Closely integrates its automation entirely into LinkedIn’s professional networking environment.
Operating on a cloud-based system, Closely runs LinkedIn activities continuously. It incorporates proxies and safety measures that mimic natural user behavior, ensuring your account remains secure while maintaining steady outreach efforts.
Closely Features Overview
Closely is designed to make LinkedIn outreach feel authentic and personalized. Its AI-powered personalization engine analyzes each lead’s profile, recent activity, and company updates to craft messages that go beyond generic templates. For example, the platform can reference a prospect’s recent achievements or industry trends, creating messages that resonate on a professional level.
The platform also supports multichannel campaign management, enabling users to combine LinkedIn connection requests, follow-up messages, and email sequences seamlessly. For instance, you can start with a LinkedIn connection request, follow up with a tailored message upon acceptance, and transition to email for further engagement if needed.
Other standout features include:
- Data enrichment: Automatically retrieves verified email addresses, phone numbers, and other key details from a database of over 143 million B2B contacts. This enriched data enhances outreach personalization and integrates directly into your CRM.
- CRM integrations: Syncs LinkedIn interactions, messages, and replies with tools like Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, and GoHighLevel, ensuring all communication is tracked within your existing sales workflow.
- Campaign performance tracking: Offers detailed analytics on connection acceptance rates, message responses, and conversions. A/B testing lets you experiment with different message templates and strategies to refine your outreach.
These features work together to streamline LinkedIn outreach, making it more efficient and effective.
Benefits of LinkedIn-First Automation
B2B outreach through LinkedIn yields stronger results compared to traditional cold email campaigns. Closely users report a 35% increase in response rates with LinkedIn-first strategies and achieve three times more connections with qualified decision-makers [1][2].
The platform also saves time. On average, sales professionals using Closely reclaim 15 hours per week by automating repetitive LinkedIn tasks like prospecting, sending connection requests, and managing follow-ups [2]. This allows teams to focus on high-value activities like closing deals.
Engagement rates are another highlight. Users experience 52% higher engagement on LinkedIn compared to manual outreach efforts [2]. This improved interaction stems from Closely’s ability to scale personalized messaging while maintaining a relationship-focused approach.
Closely’s impact on sales pipelines is notable. Businesses see a 45% increase in pipeline opportunities by consistently nurturing LinkedIn connections through personalized automation [1]. The platform’s effectiveness is evident in its own success – Closely’s team grew from zero to $1.5 million in revenue within a year using their LinkedIn-first strategy [3].
For U.S. businesses, this approach aligns well with professional norms, where relationship-building often precedes direct sales pitches. LinkedIn provides the perfect space to engage with prospects’ content, comment on posts, and build rapport before initiating sales discussions.
Closely Pricing and Plans
Closely offers flexible pricing plans to suit businesses of all sizes, with all amounts billed in U.S. dollars on a monthly basis:
- Starter Plan ($49/month): Includes one LinkedIn account, unlimited email accounts, and 1,000 monthly credits. Credits can be used for 250 email finds, 50 phone lookups, or 500 AI personalizations. Ideal for individuals or small teams.
- Growth Plan ($127/month): Supports three LinkedIn accounts and offers 3,000 credits monthly, covering 750 email finds, 150 phone lookups, or 1,500 AI personalizations. Designed for growing teams managing multiple profiles.
- Essential Plan ($205/month): Expands to five LinkedIn accounts with 5,000 credits monthly. This plan suits established teams, allowing for 1,250 email finds, 250 phone lookups, or 2,500 AI personalizations.
- Custom Plan (starting at $350/month): Includes 10 LinkedIn accounts and customizable credit allocations. Perfect for larger organizations with specific needs.
All paid plans include white-label options, enabling agencies to rebrand the platform. Additionally, there’s a free plan offering basic tools, one LinkedIn account, and 50 monthly credits – ideal for testing the platform.
The credit-based system gives users flexibility, allowing them to allocate credits based on campaign priorities. Whether it’s email finding, AI personalization, or phone number lookups, you can adjust usage to align with your outreach goals and budget. This adaptability ensures the platform scales alongside your business needs.
Instantly: Email-First Outreach Platform
Unlike platforms that emphasize LinkedIn for relationship-building, Instantly focuses solely on email to deliver high-volume outreach with maximum efficiency. By automating the entire process, Instantly ensures emails reach inboxes and generate responses at scale. This email-only approach positions it as a direct and cost-effective way to connect with decision-makers.
Designed with enterprise use in mind, Instantly can handle thousands of emails daily. It employs advanced warming techniques to safeguard sender reputation and navigate spam filters effectively. These technical strengths form the backbone of Instantly’s powerful feature set.
Instantly Features Overview
Instantly’s standout features revolve around its advanced email deliverability and automation capabilities. Here’s what makes it tick:
- Deliverability Infrastructure: The platform automates warming for sender accounts, helping build a strong reputation with providers like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo.
- AI-Powered Personalization: Using prospect data – like company size, industry trends, and recent updates – Instantly’s AI creates tailored messages that feel personal.
- Automated Follow-Ups: Multi-touch sequences adapt based on recipient behavior, sending follow-ups if an email is opened but unanswered, ensuring campaigns stay active.
- Reputation Monitoring: The system tracks domain and IP reputation, adjusts sending patterns, and removes invalid addresses in real time to maintain optimal performance.
- CRM Integration: Instantly syncs seamlessly with tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive, integrating email interactions – opens, clicks, and replies – into existing sales workflows.
These features work together to streamline high-volume email outreach for businesses.
Benefits of Email-First Automation
Using Instantly’s email-first automation offers clear advantages for businesses looking to scale their outreach efforts. Key benefits include:
- Improved Deliverability: Structured warming and reputation management systems help ensure emails land in inboxes, not spam folders.
- Scalability: Businesses can reach a massive audience simultaneously, making it ideal for broad markets or product launches.
- Cost Efficiency: Email outreach often costs less per contact compared to other channels.
- Detailed Analytics: Instantly provides insights into what works – whether it’s the subject line, email template, or sending time – so users can continuously refine their campaigns.
This approach is particularly effective for B2B companies targeting mid-market and enterprise-level accounts, where professional email communication is often preferred.
Instantly Pricing and Plans
Instantly offers a variety of subscription plans tailored to different business needs. Pricing typically scales based on email volume and features, with billing in U.S. dollars on a monthly basis. For the latest pricing details, it’s best to visit Instantly’s official website.
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Email-First vs LinkedIn-First Automation Comparison
When it comes to multichannel automation, the choice between tools largely depends on your outreach goals. Closely leans heavily into LinkedIn-first strategies, focusing on relationship-building with some email support. On the other hand, Instantly prioritizes scalable, high-volume email campaigns. This core difference influences the features, pricing, and overall strategy of each platform.
Feature Comparison Table
| Feature | Closely | Instantly |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Channel | LinkedIn-first with integrated email support | Email-first outreach |
| LinkedIn Automation | Includes LinkedIn automation features | Not available |
| Email Capabilities | Supports email outreach | Optimized for mass email outreach |
| AI Personalization | Offers AI-powered personalization | Includes AI-powered personalization |
| Data Enrichment | Built-in verified email and phone finder | Basic email validation features |
| CRM Integration | Native CRM integrations | Supports CRM integration |
| Monthly Volume | 250–1,250 emails per month (varies by plan) | Designed for high-volume outreach |
| Starting Price | Starts at $49/month | Pricing details vary; check with vendor |
| Team Management | Multi-user support with role management | Includes team management features |
This table highlights the key differences between the two platforms. Let’s dive deeper into what makes each tool stand out.
Platform Strengths and Weaknesses
Closely shines in B2B environments where building professional relationships is the top priority. Its LinkedIn-first strategy, combined with a unified dashboard, makes it easy to personalize outreach across LinkedIn and email. However, email volume is limited based on the plan you choose.
Instantly, by contrast, is tailor-made for businesses aiming to scale their email outreach. It’s perfect for high-volume campaigns but lacks advanced tools for nurturing LinkedIn-based relationships.
Use Cases: Choosing the Right Automation Strategy
The choice between LinkedIn-first and email-first automation hinges on your business goals and target audience. Each strategy has its strengths, and understanding when to use them can significantly boost your campaign’s success. Let’s dive into scenarios where each method shines.
When to Choose LinkedIn-First Automation
LinkedIn-first automation is a smart choice if you’re targeting decision-makers and executives who actively use professional networks. This approach is especially effective in industries where building trust and relationships is key.
For complex B2B sales cycles, LinkedIn-first strategies naturally establish credibility. This is particularly true for sectors like enterprise software or consulting services. LinkedIn’s professional profiles provide valuable insights into prospects, including their roles, company size, and industry-specific challenges.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) campaigns also thrive with LinkedIn-first automation. It allows for precise targeting of companies and enables meaningful conversations with key stakeholders.
Recruiters and talent acquisition teams often see great results with LinkedIn-first approaches. Passive candidates are more likely to engage on LinkedIn than through email. Additionally, the detailed profiles on the platform make it easier to identify and connect with qualified candidates.
Service-oriented businesses like marketing agencies, law firms, and consulting firms also benefit from LinkedIn-first strategies. The platform’s professional environment helps build trust and fosters strong client relationships.
That said, if your focus is on scale and speed, email-first automation might be a better fit.
When to Choose Email-First Automation
Email-first automation excels when you need to reach a large audience quickly. It’s an efficient way to identify interested prospects and generate leads at scale.
For e-commerce and retail businesses, email-first strategies are often more effective. These audiences tend to engage more with promotional emails than with professional networking platforms. Email campaigns are great for showcasing products, offering discounts, and driving direct sales.
Lead nurturing campaigns also perform well with email. Once prospects are in your funnel, email allows you to share educational content, case studies, and product updates. Adding images and videos can further boost engagement.
Event promotion and webinar marketing are another strong use case for email-first automation. Emails can include detailed event information, registration links, and follow-ups to guide prospects through the event experience.
If you’re selling lower-priced products or services, email automation often delivers better ROI. With shorter sales cycles and less need for deep personalization, email’s scalability and cost-effectiveness make it ideal.
Content marketing and thought leadership campaigns also thrive with email-first strategies. Regular newsletters, industry updates, and educational content help build your brand’s presence and establish authority over time.
Performance Metrics and ROI
Measuring the success of your chosen strategy is essential. LinkedIn-first automation typically delivers higher response rates due to the professional nature of the platform, while email-first automation can reach a much larger audience.
When it comes to cost per lead, there are trade-offs. LinkedIn-first automation – using tools like Closely – might have a higher cost per contact but often results in higher-quality leads. On the other hand, email-first automation tends to have lower costs per contact but may require reaching a larger audience to generate the same number of qualified leads.
Sales cycle lengths also vary. LinkedIn-first strategies often involve longer cycles due to their focus on relationship-building. In contrast, email-first approaches can generate quicker initial responses but may require more follow-up to close deals.
When calculating ROI, consider both direct costs and the time investment involved. If you’re selling high-value solutions with longer sales cycles, prioritizing relationship quality and deal size is crucial. For shorter sales cycles and lower-priced products, efficiency and volume take precedence.
The key is to focus on the metrics that matter most to your business and align your automation strategy accordingly.
Conclusion: Matching Automation to Your Business Needs
Choose an automation strategy that aligns with your business goals and the way your team operates.
Each method brings its own strengths to the table, depending on your outreach objectives. LinkedIn-first automation works especially well for building trust and credibility with high-value prospects. It’s a great fit for industries or roles where forming long-term relationships is key.
On the other hand, email-first automation shines when speed, scale, and cost-efficiency are priorities. It’s ideal for shorter sales cycles or when you’re nurturing existing leads through educational or promotional campaigns.
If you’re operating in the U.S., compliance is non-negotiable. Email automation must meet CAN-SPAM requirements, while LinkedIn automation must follow the platform’s rules and respect data privacy laws.
Your team structure also plays a role in deciding the best approach. LinkedIn-first strategies often require more hands-on effort and personalization, making them better suited for smaller, focused teams. In contrast, email-first automation can be scaled more easily for larger teams with standardized workflows.
Begin with the strategy that complements your business model, and as you grow, consider expanding into a multichannel approach.
Finally, tailor your automation strategy to your customer journey. For high-touch, consultative sales, prioritize relationship-building tools like LinkedIn. For transactional sales, leverage email’s wide reach. Keep an eye on key metrics – such as response rates, lead quality, or volume – to ensure your strategy stays on track.
FAQs
Why does LinkedIn-first automation typically result in better engagement and response rates than email campaigns?
LinkedIn-first automation tends to achieve higher engagement and response rates because it taps into the platform’s professional networking vibe. Messages sent via LinkedIn often feel more personal and relevant since they’re tied to a professional profile, which naturally boosts trust and credibility.
On top of that, LinkedIn users are typically more receptive to discussions about business opportunities or career development. This makes it an ideal channel for B2B sales, recruiting, and multichannel campaigns, where forming genuine connections is crucial. With its focus on personalized messaging and direct interactions, LinkedIn-first automation frequently outshines traditional email campaigns when it comes to response rates and overall engagement.
What are the key advantages of using Closely’s AI-powered personalization engine for LinkedIn outreach?
Closely’s AI-powered personalization engine takes the hassle out of LinkedIn outreach by automating the creation of tailored messages. This means you can connect with prospects on a deeper level without spending hours crafting each message. In fact, this tool can increase response rates by up to 35%, helping you engage your audience more effectively.
Beyond just personalizing your messages, the engine saves you time by handling repetitive prospecting tasks. It analyzes prospect data to generate customized messages at scale, making it easier to build meaningful relationships and turn leads into loyal customers more efficiently.
When is an email-first automation strategy more effective than a LinkedIn-first approach?
An email-first automation strategy is ideal when you need to connect with a large audience efficiently while still keeping the communication personal. It shines in scenarios like nurturing long-term prospects, managing follow-ups, or working within B2B settings where recipients often favor asynchronous communication for convenience.
One of email’s standout advantages is its ability to provide detailed tracking and analytics. This allows you to measure engagement, monitor responses, and fine-tune your approach based on real data. Plus, email integrates effortlessly with CRM systems, making it easier to run targeted campaigns and make informed decisions. This combination of efficiency and personalization makes email a smart choice for high-value outreach that demands carefully customized messaging.