LinkedIn is the leading platform for B2B lead generation in the U.S., thanks to its professional user base and tools designed for business growth. It connects decision-makers and professionals who are actively seeking partnerships and solutions. With features like Sales Navigator and Lead Gen Forms, LinkedIn offers precise targeting and higher conversion rates compared to other platforms. However, manual processes and premium costs can be a challenge.
Tools like Closely complement LinkedIn by automating outreach and managing multichannel campaigns. Closely enhances efficiency with AI-driven personalization, contact discovery, and unified inboxes, starting at $49/month. While LinkedIn excels in network access, Closely simplifies outreach, making the two a powerful combination for scalable lead generation.
Key Points:
- LinkedIn: Professional network, advanced targeting, higher ROI, but manual effort and premium costs.
- Closely: Automates outreach, combines LinkedIn and email, and offers affordable pricing with added features like lead scoring and analytics.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Closely | |
|---|---|---|
| User Base | 900M+ professionals | Built on LinkedIn’s network |
| Key Tools | Sales Navigator, Lead Gen Forms | AI automation, unified inbox |
| Cost | Sales Navigator: $79.99/month | Starts at $49/month |
| Strengths | High-quality leads, precise targeting | Multichannel outreach, automation |
| Challenges | Manual effort, premium costs | LinkedIn compliance risks |
Combining LinkedIn’s network with Closely’s automation helps businesses connect with the right audience efficiently while maintaining a personal touch.
1. LinkedIn
User Base and Reach
LinkedIn attracts a massive professional audience, with over 587 million organic visits in 2024 alone[2]. It’s a platform where decision-makers, executives, and professionals actively explore business opportunities. No wonder 89% of B2B marketers rely on LinkedIn for lead generation[2]. What’s even more impressive? About 40% of LinkedIn users interact with business pages weekly, showing a strong intent to engage with professional content[2]. This makes LinkedIn a goldmine for businesses aiming to connect with a focused audience.
AI-Powered Tools and Automation
LinkedIn’s tools are designed to make connecting with the right audience easier. For instance, the Sales Navigator uses advanced algorithms to identify top prospects based on factors like job title, company size, and industry. Then there’s InMail, LinkedIn’s premium messaging feature, which boasts response rates that are 300% higher than traditional email[1]. And if you’re looking to streamline conversions, LinkedIn’s Lead Gen Forms deliver a 13% conversion rate – far above the 2.35% industry average[2].
Cost Efficiency and ROI
When it comes to cost, LinkedIn provides excellent value for B2B marketers. The platform’s cost per lead is 28% lower than Google AdWords[5]. Even with a 30% increase in ad costs in 2023, LinkedIn managed to generate nearly $4 billion in ad revenue, proving its worth as a high-ROI platform[3].
Campaign Management Features
LinkedIn also offers robust tools to manage your campaigns seamlessly. Its analytics dashboard provides real-time insights, helping marketers track engagement, conversion rates, and ROI with ease. Unsurprisingly, 70% of marketers use LinkedIn for lead generation at least once a week, and nearly half log in daily to engage with prospects[4]. What sets LinkedIn apart is its advanced targeting capabilities, which go beyond basic demographics. Marketers can target users based on behavior, content interaction, and professional interests, ensuring campaigns reach the right people at the right time.
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2. Closely
Built on LinkedIn’s strong foundation, Closely takes things further by streamlining automation and enabling multichannel outreach.
AI-Powered Tools and Automation
Closely enhances LinkedIn automation by introducing AI-driven sales agents that handle prospecting and engagement automatically. It combines LinkedIn automation with email outreach, creating a smooth multichannel campaign experience. With AI-powered personalization, it crafts tailored messages at scale, making outreach feel more human.
The platform also simplifies prospecting by automatically pulling verified email addresses and phone numbers. This integration of prospect identification and contact discovery helps speed up engagement efforts.
Pricing and Value
Closely offers flexible pricing plans to suit different needs:
- Starter Plan: $49/month includes one LinkedIn account and 1,000 monthly credits.
- Growth Plan: $127/month supports three LinkedIn accounts and 3,000 credits.
Credits can be used across various outreach activities, such as sending 250 emails, performing 50 phone number lookups, or executing 500 AI-personalized messages per 1,000 credits on the Starter plan.
Campaign Management Features
Closely’s unified inbox brings together responses from LinkedIn and email campaigns, ensuring no lead goes unnoticed. Sales teams can track performance using advanced analytics and detailed reporting tools.
Additional features include lead scoring, web research tools, and CRM integrations to keep prospect data organized. For agencies and larger teams, white-label options and team management tools make collaboration easy while maintaining brand identity.
To support users, Closely offers a 24-hour live chat and assigns a dedicated customer success manager to help optimize campaigns and address any technical challenges.
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Pros and Cons
Taking a closer look at the upsides and challenges of each platform helps highlight their practical trade-offs. Here’s a breakdown of what each platform brings to the table:
| Platform | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| • Access to a massive professional network with over 900 million users • Built-in credibility for B2B interactions • Advanced targeting options with Sales Navigator • Reduced spam concerns due to native platform legitimacy • Rich prospect data, including job history and connections |
• High cost – Sales Navigator starts at $79.99/month • Manual processes require significant time investment • Limited automation capabilities due to platform restrictions • InMail limitations reduce outreach volume • Advanced features have a steep learning curve |
|
| Closely | • Multichannel automation that combines LinkedIn and email outreach • AI-powered personalization at scale • Unified inbox for managing campaign responses • Budget-friendly pricing starting at $49/month • Data enrichment tools to find verified contact information • 24/7 customer support with dedicated success managers |
• Reliance on LinkedIn’s policies • Credit-based system restricts monthly activities • Automation risks could lead to LinkedIn restrictions • Requires learning to optimize AI personalization • Compliance responsibility falls on the user |
LinkedIn offers a trusted professional environment, ideal for building relationships, but it demands a lot of manual effort for prospecting and crafting messages. Tools like Sales Navigator provide excellent data, but they come with a hefty price tag.
On the other hand, Closely streamlines repetitive tasks with AI-driven personalization and multichannel outreach. It’s a cost-effective solution, starting at $49/month, and includes features like data enrichment and a unified dashboard for managing campaigns. However, users must carefully balance automation with LinkedIn’s compliance policies to avoid potential restrictions.
While LinkedIn excels in fostering trust and professional connections, it lacks in-depth analytics. Closely compensates for this with advanced reporting and clear visibility across multichannel campaigns, making it easier to track and optimize performance.
Both platforms face compliance challenges due to evolving B2B guidelines, requiring users to stay informed and navigate these changes carefully when using automation tools.
Conclusion
LinkedIn has firmly established itself as the go-to platform for B2B lead generation, offering direct access to decision-makers who are ready to engage in meaningful business conversations. Its reputation as a professional networking hub naturally encourages higher interaction rates.
However, while LinkedIn excels in connecting professionals, its manual outreach and premium tools can make scaling efforts a challenge. That’s where Closely steps in. By automating routine tasks, Closely complements LinkedIn’s capabilities, ensuring outreach remains efficient without losing the personal touch that LinkedIn users expect.
The key to success lies in combining LinkedIn’s professional network with Closely’s scalable automation. LinkedIn provides the audience and essential prospect data, while Closely simplifies the outreach process and enhances it with features like multichannel follow-ups.
This combination highlights the importance of balancing automation with authenticity. Closely’s AI-powered personalization ensures that outreach messages feel tailored and genuine, even at scale. Tools like the unified inbox and data enrichment features make it easier to manage responses and access verified contact details for follow-up efforts.
FAQs
How does LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator improve B2B lead generation?
LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator elevates B2B lead generation by providing advanced search filters that make it easier to pinpoint and connect with the right decision-makers. These tools let you zero in on high-value prospects, cutting down on wasted time and making your efforts far more efficient than traditional approaches.
Beyond that, it uses AI-powered insights and tailored lead recommendations to create a more focused pipeline, helping you seal deals faster. Features like real-time updates on leads and accounts ensure your outreach stays sharp and relevant, improving conversion rates and simplifying your sales workflow.
What compliance challenges should I consider when using LinkedIn and Closely for automated outreach?
When leveraging LinkedIn and Closely for automated outreach, staying compliant is crucial to sidestep account problems and legal complications. On LinkedIn, it’s important to stick to the platform’s rules, particularly by steering clear of overusing automation tools or engaging in unnatural activity that could breach LinkedIn’s usage policies and lead to account suspensions.
With Closely, ensuring your outreach aligns with data privacy and consent laws is a must. This includes securing proper permissions before reaching out to leads. As regulations around automated communication become stricter, finding the right balance between effective automation and strict compliance is essential for maintaining credibility and avoiding potential penalties.
How can businesses use LinkedIn and Closely to automate tasks while maintaining a personal touch?
To achieve a balance between automation and personal engagement, businesses can leverage tools like LinkedIn and Closely to manage repetitive tasks such as lead qualification, sending connection requests, and handling follow-ups. This allows more time to focus on meaningful, one-on-one interactions that build trust and strengthen relationships with potential clients.
Automating routine processes ensures efficiency while leaving room for personal touches during critical moments – like addressing specific questions or crafting messages tailored to individual needs. This strategy not only saves time but also helps keep interactions genuine, resulting in better-quality leads and lasting business connections.