Note: Linkedin have made changes that mean that it’s no longer possible to export email addresses
Below are instructions on how to import your LinkedIn contacts into Mailchimp for use with email marketing.
How to export email addresses of your LinkedIn connections
- Login to LinkedIn.
- Click My Network near the top left of the page.
- Click See all under Your connections to the right of the screen.
- Click Manage synced and imported contacts (near the top right of the screen).
- Click Export contacts which is under Advanced actions to the right of the screen.
- If prompted, sign in to LinkedIn.
- Click Request Archive.
You will receive an email to your Primary Email address which will include a link where you can download your list of connections. - Under Pick and choose: Select the data files you’re most interested in click Connections then Request Archive.
After a few minutes you’ll receive an email message from LinkedIn. Click the link in the message to download the file from LinkedIn.
How to import your LinkedIn connections into a Mailchimp list
Once you unzip the file as downloaded from LinkedIn above, you’ll have a csv file which, when opened with Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel or similar, will contain the following columns; First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Company, Position, Connected On and Tags. The columns will be filled with data of your LinkedIn 1st degree connections (there is no way to export 2nd and 3rd degree connections).
Importing your LinkedIn connections as Mailchimp subscribers is now as simple as performing an import of a CSV file into Mailchimp.
How LinkedIn connections can be used in Mailchimp
The obvious two ways to engage your Linkedin connections from within Mailchimp is for advertising and email marketing.
Advertising to LinkedIn connections in Facebook, Instagram and Google Ads
Facebook, Instagram and Google retargeting ads are very quick and simple to create in Mailchimp. It is easy to create a segment of your imported LinkedIn connections to show specific ads to those contacts only. This means that when your LinkedIn connections view Google Ads or login to Facebook or Instagram, they’ll see your adverts even although they haven’t signed up to receive email marking from you.
Sending email campaigns to your LinkedIn connections
Before sending email marketing to your LinkedIn connections you must have their approval. There are spam laws and Mailchimp have terms of use that prohibit sending unsolicited email marketing.
Once your LinkedIn connections have been imported in to your Mailchimp list you can easily send a campaign to your LinkedIn contacts by creating a segment.
Please be aware that you must have the permission of your LinkedIn contacts in order to send them email marketing.
Thanks for the informative post Gary.
By connecting through linkedin and sharing their contact details, have users effectively opted in to receiving emails from personal email accounts?
thanks
@James, unfortunately I don’t believe that this will meet acceptable consent 🙁
With respect, then what does it matter if you don’t meet the consent requirements? Why take someone through this whole process of exporting from LinkedIn into Mailchimp if you can’t do it?
There are many ways that senders may get permission to send email marketing to people. Some senderse have received permission to send email marketing to their LinkedIn subscribers and therefore Mailchimp can be used to send email marketing to those that have agreed.
The Linkedin download no longer includes email addresses.
Yes, unfortunately Linkedin seem to have stopped the ability for this to work 🙁
Gary, maybe you can answer a Catch-22 question. I’m new to Mailchimp, having written a novel after a long international business career. I’m setting up an email list on Mailchimp (connected to my author website) to use for blogging, emails and notifications about the book’s progress through the publishing process. I’ve read everything I can find about how to set up a an initial Mailchimp email list, but all the instructions assume the names you’re entering (into the CSV) have already given permission to email them. I have hundreds of LinkedIn, Facebook and Outlook contacts, many of whom know about this book and have expressed interest. Others might like to know about it and hear news. Can I create a Mailchimp email list of my various contacts’ names and send a message explaining what I’m doing and inviting them to join my mailing list, or must I first email them personally or in groups to ask them to go to my author website and sign up there? No place have I found clear answers as to whether Mailchimp can be used to GET permission or if permission must be granted before ANY email from Mailchimp is permitted. I’ll be grateful for any guidance you have.
You cannot send an email asking for permission to send future email marketing according to the CAN-SPAM act and Mailchimp Terms of Use. Before sending email marketing you must have permission from the recipient.