Oh, I feel this so much. The whole automation obsession on LinkedIn is draining. People treating it like a numbers game, scraping lists, sending the same garbage template. It completely misses the point.
What finally worked for me was going fully manual. No third-party tools, no chrome extensions, nothing touching my account. I do all my research outside LinkedIn - company websites, funding news, job postings that show a clear need. Then I go into LinkedIn just to find the right contact and send one genuinely tailored message.
The trick is chasing quality signals over volume. If a company is hiring for roles that scream "we need what you do," or they just closed a round, or they're expanding into a new market - those are the gems. I'll engage with their content for a few days first, drop a thoughtful comment, then reach out with a reason that's specific to them.
Takes longer, yes. But my reply rate sits around one in five now, compared to maybe two or three out of a hundred when I was trying to scale with scrapers. LinkedIn's algorithm practically rewards being human, and ironically you end up with better leads anyway.
What's your weekly target these days?
