Posting Best Practices
Yasmina Akni Ebourki
Last updated: Oct 16, 2024
If you’ve been building a strong LinkedIn network of professionals and are ready to grow it for your business or other platforms, congratulations!
You’ve successfully created a valuable network of LinkedIn connections that can help grow your business.
Now, it’s time to learn how to export your contacts to an Excel file.
Let me guide you step-by-step through the process, covering key points and details to ensure a smooth export of your LinkedIn connections.
TL;DR: Exporting LinkedIn contacts is simple—go to Settings, select "Get a copy of your data," and choose "Connections." Keep in mind that only first-degree connections who have shared their email will be included. Regularly export and organize your contacts to maintain an up-to-date, compliant list for your business needs.
Why Export Your LinkedIn Contacts?
As you know, LinkedIn is a social network rich in valuable professionals and potential clients who could greatly benefit your business.
If you've been gradually building engagement through quality posts and mastering LinkedIn’s tips, exporting your contacts ensures you have a reliable offline list with their names, email addresses, and job titles.
This can be particularly useful if LinkedIn ever experiences an issue, or if your account becomes restricted, ensuring you maintain access to this valuable network outside the platform.
Even if you don’t have immediate plans for your contacts, it’s highly recommended to export them.
Having an offline copy protects your network and gives you the flexibility to integrate these contacts into other sales or marketing functions, supporting a more personal, multichannel approach beyond LinkedIn.
Ultimately, exporting your contacts safeguards your business continuity by giving you independent access to your network should anything happen to LinkedIn.
Key Considerations Before Exporting Contacts
Before exporting your LinkedIn contacts, it’s essential to have a clear objective in mind.
Understanding why you need this data—whether for CRM integration, email outreach, or network analysis—will help you make better use of the information.
Additionally, keep in mind that LinkedIn’s export tool has limitations: some data, like email addresses, may only be available for first-degree connections who have chosen to share it.
Being aware of these restrictions will set realistic expectations for what you’ll be able to access and help you plan accordingly.
To maximize the value of your exported contacts, consider segmenting them based on relevance.
Organizing your contacts into categories, such as “High-Priority Leads,” “Industry Peers,” or “Referral Sources,” allows you to prioritize high-value connections and engage with them more effectively.
By segmenting your contacts, you can focus on meaningful relationships that align with your business or career goals, making your outreach more personalized and impactful.
Step-by-Step Guide to Export LinkedIn Contacts
Now, let’s get into how to export your LinkedIn contacts to an Excel file.
How to Access LinkedIn Settings for Data Export
Go to LinkedIn Settings:
Start from your LinkedIn homepage.
Click on your profile picture at the top right to open the dropdown menu.
Select Settings & Privacy; this will open a new page with a menu on the left.
Navigate to Data Privacy:
In the left-hand menu, scroll down to the Data Privacy section (fourth option down).
Within this section, look for the How LinkedIn uses your data tab.
Select Get a copy of your data to access the export options.
Choose Data to Export:
In the export settings, you’ll see a list of data types you can download.
To export contacts, select Connections and enter your email to confirm.
Submit Your Request:
After confirming your email, click Done to submit the request.
LinkedIn will send you a notification that your data is being prepared.
Receive and Download the File:
Once ready, LinkedIn will email you a link to download the file.
The exported contacts will be in CSV format, compatible with Excel and other spreadsheet programs.
Once it’s ready, you’ll receive an email with a link to download the file, which will contain your contacts in CSV format.
Selecting the Right Data to Export
When exporting data from LinkedIn, you’ll see options for exporting various types of information, including articles, messages, connections, profiles, and more.
For exporting contacts, it’s best to focus on essentials to avoid cluttering your Excel file with unnecessary details.
When LinkedIn sends the email with your exported contacts, the file will typically include each contact's name, last name, LinkedIn profile URL, email (if they have shared it), company, job title, and the date you connected.
Keep in mind that LinkedIn’s export tool functions somewhat like an automated bot, so the data may require manual cleanup.
It’s common to find inconsistencies, like variations in capitalization or branding in names, so you may need to adjust formatting or correct information.
Also, don’t be surprised if some contacts’ emails are missing, as LinkedIn only provides emails for first-degree connections who have opted to share them.
If obtaining emails is your primary goal, you may need to use external scraping tools like Phantom Buster, which can offer more complete data with email addresses where available.
However, note that LinkedIn has export limitations: for standard users, only around 80 contacts are exportable per request, while premium users on LinkedIn Sales Navigator may also face this restriction.
If you have a large network (such as 20,000 contacts), you may need to reduce your expectations or use alternative methods to access all your data.
Best Practices and Tips for LinkedIn Contact Management
Managing your LinkedIn contacts effectively takes time and practice.
While you can connect with virtually any profile, the key is to focus on qualified or relevant profiles that align with your sales or business goals.
As your network grows, it’s essential to periodically review and filter your connections to keep track of those that remain valuable and relevant.
Regularly evaluating your contacts allows you to see which profiles foster connections within your target sector and help you maintain engagement with those who matter most.
As your list expands, remember that LinkedIn can be more than just a sales platform.
Use the organic reach from your connections to drive traffic to your website or services.
However, it’s essential that your LinkedIn presence doesn’t become purely transactional.
Instead, continue to share valuable content consistently, focusing on high-quality conversations and posts.
This approach not only reinforces your personal brand but also builds trust with your network.
Ultimately, quality matters far more than quantity when it comes to LinkedIn connections.
The right contacts are the ones who will boost your visibility, engage with your posts, and help expand your influence.
How Often Should You Export Your Contacts?
The question of how frequently you should export your LinkedIn contacts depends largely on your business objectives and the pace of your network growth.
If you’re expanding your connections gradually, consider maintaining two lists: an initial baseline list and an updated list.
As you identify and connect with promising leads, you can add them to a designated list of potential clients.
This way, you can periodically add relevant contacts without overwhelming yourself with unqualified leads.
The goal isn’t to export every connection, but to focus on those who are most valuable to your business outside LinkedIn.
Regular exports offer the flexibility of maintaining an offline backup, independent of LinkedIn’s platform.
This also provides a clearer view of how your network of pertinent contacts grows over time, helping you track meaningful expansion.
Ensuring Data Privacy and Compliance
This brings us to an essential final point: data privacy and compliance.
When exporting contact information from LinkedIn, it’s crucial to handle this data responsibly, both for your own protection and that of your contacts.
As we’ve discussed, LinkedIn restricts the export of emails and phone numbers unless the contacts are first-degree connections who have opted to share this information.
This safeguard is in place to protect user privacy, ensuring that sensitive data isn’t widely accessible for misuse or exploitation.
Respecting and adhering to these privacy settings and LinkedIn’s data policies is not only respectful, but also helps you maintain compliance with global data protection laws, like GDPR.
It’s best to use this data thoughtfully, only reaching out to contacts in ways that align with their privacy preferences and ensure that any off-platform communication remains compliant.
