Every sales professional knows the challenge: finding prospects who are actually interested in what you’re selling. It’s hard to spot people who are already evaluating solutions.
You can find them in LinkedIn groups. LinkedIn groups offer access to thousands of professionals who’ve already raised their hands by joining communities around topics relevant to your solution.
Group membership is a clear signalGroup membership is a clear signal of topic interest. When someone joins a LinkedIn group, they’re telling you exactly what they care about. Use it to prioritize outreach and drive conversions.
This works when you pick the right groups. This guide shows you how to find the groups where your target audience gathers, use PhantomBuster’s LinkedIn Group Members Export automation to collect up to 2,500 visible members per group, review them in your Leads view, then trigger the LinkedIn Outreach automation for personalized messages that reference your common ground.
You’ll learn to turn passive group membership into active sales conversations.
Why target LinkedIn group members?
LinkedIn groups are a strong source of warm prospectsLinkedIn groups are a strong source of warm prospects. Unlike cold outreach, where you’re starting from zero, group members have already self-selected into communities around specific topics, industries, or challenges. This creates multiple benefits:
- Pre-qualified interest: When professionals join groups, they’re signaling active interest in that topic. For instance, a sales manager who joins a “Sales Management Executives” group is telling you they care about sales leadership. That’s an insight you can use.
- Built-in personalization: Shared group membership gives you immediate common ground. Your connection requests have greater context than plain cold outreach that feels random. Mentioning the shared group makes your invite feel relevant.
- Access to decision-makers: Many niche groups attract industry leaders and senior professionals. Joining these groups gives you access to people who might otherwise be difficult to reach through traditional prospecting methods.
- Reach hundreds of similar prospects: LinkedIn groups can have thousands of members. A single relevant group gives you access to an entire community of potential customers who share professional interests.
The key is being strategic. Don’t just join groups randomly. Instead, identify where your target audience congregates, then use PhantomBuster’s outreach automation to send relevant connection requests at a safe, steady pace.
How do you prospect using LinkedIn groups? A step-by-step guide
LinkedIn groups give you a great starting point for introductions and connections. But how do you use them for prospecting? Here’s a guide to take you through the full process, along with automations to scale it.
Step 1: Find relevant LinkedIn groups in your niche
Pick groups where members match your ICP by role, company size, and region to avoid wasting daily limits. Choose well, and members will better match your target audience.
Start by searching for keywords related to your industry, your prospects’ roles, or problems your solution solves using the LinkedIn search bar. After searching, look for the Groups filter in the search results page to narrow down to only group results. Example: Search “CRO”, then choose the Groups filter in results to see executive communities.
When evaluating groups to join, consider these factors:
- Member count and activity: Prioritize groups with recent posts and comments. Activity beats sheer size. A successful LinkedIn group shows regular member engagement, not just a large number of inactive members.
- Member composition: Check if the group members match your target audience. Click into the group page to see sample member titles and industries. Are these the people you want to reach?
- Group rules and focus: Read the group’s purpose in the group settings or description. Some groups are highly promotional, others focus on meaningful discussions. Choose groups that align with how you want to build relationships.
A focused group of sales leaders beats a generic group with more members but low engagement.
Tip: Join first and contribute. It builds credibility and keeps outreach aligned with group rules. Be active and get involved in conversations. This gives you credibility when you reach out, lets you observe conversations to understand member pain points, and helps you stay up to date on industry trends.
Step 2: Extract LinkedIn group members with PhantomBuster
Once you’ve identified a relevant group, collect member data with PhantomBuster’s LinkedIn Group Members Export automation. This step helps you analyze the profiles and segment them better.
PhantomBuster’s LinkedIn Group Members Export automation handles this process, allowing you to extract up to 2,500 visible members from any LinkedIn group you’re in.
The workflow is simple: Add the group URL → choose how many members → launch once or schedule.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Copy the group URL: Navigate to the LinkedIn group page and copy the full URL from your browser’s address bar.
- Access the automation: Go to PhantomBuster and select the LinkedIn Group Members Export automation. Click “Use now” to get started.
- Connect your LinkedIn account: PhantomBuster needs permission to access LinkedIn. Follow the prompts to securely connect your account.
- Configure your extraction: Paste the LinkedIn group URL into the input field. Set the number of members you want to extract (up to 2,500 visible members per group). Paste the group URL and run a single-group export.
- Launch the automation: Run once to create your seed list, or schedule a monthly refresh to catch new members. Click save and launch the automation.
The automation extracts publicly available data from the group’s member list, including names, headlines, connection degree, and profile URLs. You won’t get full profile details because LinkedIn limits what’s visible on the member list, but you’ll have enough to filter and identify prospects.
Run time depends on group size. Exported members appear in Leads, where you can filter by headline, location, and degree before launching outreach.
Step 3: Filter and segment leads in the Leads view
Once the export is complete, you’ll have up to 2,500 visible members (depending on the group and your visibility). You now need to start filtering this data to gain insights from it. With PhantomBuster, use headline, location, and connection-degree filters to isolate your ICP from the broader group membership.
Navigate to the “Leads” tab in your automation and click “View my leads.” This opens your Leads view with a filter already applied, showing only members from your recent extraction.
Now add additional filters based on your search criteria:
Filter by headline
This is often the most effective filter. Click “Add condition,” select the “headline” variable, and use “contains” to search for relevant keywords. For example, if you target sales managers, filter for headlines containing “sales.” This immediately narrows your list to prospects in sales roles.
Combine multiple filters
Stack filters (headline + location + 2nd/3rd degree) to narrow to likely decision-makers in your ICP. For instance, you could filter for:
- Headlines containing “sales”
- Location matching your territory
- Connection degree of 2nd or 3rd (meaning you can send connection requests)
Save your filtered list
Once you’ve applied filters, save this as a list with a descriptive group name like “Sales Managers – [location name] – Sales Leadership Group.” This creates a targeted segment you can use for outreach campaigns.
The goal is to move from thousands of members to a focused, ICP-matched list of potential connections. This targeting ensures you’re sending connection requests to the right people and not wasting your daily limits on poor-fit prospects.
Step 4: Set up automated connection requests and follow-ups
With your filtered list ready, you can automate personalized outreach at scale. PhantomBuster automates sends and scheduled follow-ups, so you spend time on responses—not admin.
Select the LinkedIn Outreach automation in PhantomBuster. Configure it as follows:
Input your list: Choose the filtered list you just created as your source.
Craft your connection request: LinkedIn allows a short note with connection requests. Reference your shared group membership to establish common ground. For example:
“I saw you’re also a member of the Sales Management Executives group. Let’s connect!”
For more connection request examples, explore different approaches that resonate with your audience.
Keep it brief and friendly. Avoid self-promotion in initial requests. Focus on building the relationship first.
For examples of concise structures, see trainer Jasmin Alić’s breakdown.
Schedule follow-up messages: Set up automated follow-ups that are sent out a few days after people accept your connection requests. Wait at least one day before the first follow-up. Example message:
“Hi [FirstName]—saw we’re both in [Group]. Curious: what’s working for you to [group pain]? Happy to swap notes.”
This opens a conversation naturally rather than jumping straight to a sales pitch. You’re tapping groups for networking opportunities first, sales opportunities second.
Set your limits: Configure daily invitation limits. Start at 10–20/day to protect account health, then increase only if acceptance stays high. LinkedIn’s limits change, so monitor acceptance rates and adjust. LinkedIn’s weekly caps vary by account. Keep volume modest and prioritize quality over quantity.
Launch the automation: Save your settings and activate the automation. It will now send connection requests at your scheduled pace, track acceptances, and trigger follow-ups according to your schedule.
PhantomBuster sends invites on schedule and triggers follow-ups after acceptance; you jump in when a reply lands.
Step 5: Monitor and optimize your outreach campaign
Once your campaign is running, use PhantomBuster’s reporting features to track performance and refine your approach.
Track these stages:
- Invitations sent
- Connections accepted
- Messages sent
- Replies received
In PhantomBuster Reports, track connection requests, acceptance rate, replies, and time saved.
Use these insights to:
- Test different messages: If your acceptance rate is low, experiment with different connection request notes. Sometimes a simple change in wording makes a significant difference.
- Adjust your targeting: If you’re getting acceptances but poor message engagement, your targeting might be too broad. Refine your filters to focus on more qualified prospects.
- Refine your follow-up timing: Pay attention to when people respond. Some audiences engage more with messages sent on certain days or with different time gaps. In Salesbread’s dataset, replies skewed to Mondays and Thursdays; test this with your audience.
The goal is continuous improvement. Start with your best guess, measure results, and iterate based on what the data tells you.
What are best practices for LinkedIn group member outreach?
Connecting with group members is effective, but it requires thoughtful targeting and pacing. It has pitfalls. Here’s how to avoid them:
- Join before you extract: Join relevant groups yourself before extracting members. This gives you legitimacy and helps you understand group culture. You’ll also know if the group is the right match for you.
- Personalize beyond the group: When you’re reaching out to group members, don’t just stop at mentioning the shared group. Take it a step further where possible. Reference their headline, location, or any mutual connections.
- Provide valuable content: Post a short take (80–120 words) weekly on a group-relevant pain, plus one case snippet. Pin it so new connections see it. That way, your group members will see value in connecting with you.
- Respect rate limits: Keep daily invitations modest (10–20/day to start) and adjust to stay safe. Withdraw pending requests older than 2–3 weeks to keep your weekly send window available. Sending connection requests too aggressively risks LinkedIn restrictions.
- Build relationships before pitching: Your goal is building relationships with like-minded individuals, not immediate sales. Focus on starting discussions and providing value first. Pitch once the lead is warm. Cory Blumenfeld shares practical ways to warm up new connections.
- Stay connected to groups: Keep contributing to those groups to build trust and visibility. This reinforces your credibility and can open doors to additional networking opportunities that go beyond the automated connections.
- Follow companies: While connecting with individuals, also follow companies that group members work for. This keeps you informed about industry news and gives you conversation starters.
What common mistakes should you avoid?
When you conduct outreach on LinkedIn, avoid these mistakes that even experienced professionals tend to make:
- Being too promotional: Starting with a sales pitch in your connection request kills your acceptance rate. Lead with value and relationship building.
- Ignoring LinkedIn limits: Pushing too hard, too fast gets your account restricted. Steady, quality outreach outperforms bursts of volume.
- Skipping the filtering step: Sending connection requests to all group members without filtering wastes your daily limits on poor-fit prospects.
- Generic messaging: Not mentioning the shared group in your connection request misses an easy personalization opportunity. Avoid generic lines. Reference the specific group topic or a recent post. Here’s what Gui Groscos suggests doing instead.
- Over-following up: Too many follow-ups too fast feels pushy and hurts your brand. Give people space to respond.
Frequently asked questions
How many LinkedIn group members can I export at once?
You can typically extract up to 2,500 visible members per group using PhantomBuster’s LinkedIn Group Members Export automation. Availability depends on LinkedIn’s current UI.
If you need more leads, target multiple relevant groups and combine your lists in the Leads view for a larger pool of potential connections.
Will group members know I extracted their information?
LinkedIn doesn’t notify members when you view public group member lists or export public data with PhantomBuster. Follow LinkedIn’s terms, group rules, and local data/privacy laws. Use business info only and avoid adding contacts to marketing lists without consent. They’ll only see your connection request when you reach out, just like any normal LinkedIn interaction.
How many connection requests should I send per day?
Keep daily invitations modest (about 10–20 to start). Avoid building up large numbers of pending requests. Monitor your acceptance rates and adjust to maintain account safety.
What should I say in my connection request to group members?
Keep the introductions simple and reference your common ground through the shared group. Also, try to personalize your message based on the recipient’s profile or recent posts. Avoid self-promotion in initial requests. Focus on building the relationship first.
Example: “I saw you’re also a member of [Group Name]. I’d love to connect and exchange ideas!”
How long should I wait before sending a follow-up message?
Wait at least 24 hours after someone accepts your connection request before sending your first follow-up. This gives them time to review your LinkedIn profile and makes sure that your outreach doesn’t feel pushy.
Can I use this strategy for multiple LinkedIn groups?
Yes. Run exports for several relevant groups, then merge and filter the leads in the Leads view. This builds a larger pool of qualified prospects who’ve shown interest in relevant topics across different communities.
Where lawfully available, you can also enrich with business emails from compliant sources. Verify lawful basis (e.g., B2B legitimate interest), respect regional laws (e.g., GDPR, CAN-SPAM), and honor opt-outs.
What if I get a low connection acceptance rate?
- Your connection message needs improvement
- You’re targeting the wrong audience
- Your LinkedIn profile needs optimization
To fix this, make sure your profile picture is professional, headline clearly communicates value, and profile demonstrates expertise. Finally, test different connection request messages to find what resonates.
Turn group membership into meaningful conversations
LinkedIn groups are an underused source of warm prospects. By identifying where your target audience gathers, extracting member lists, filtering for your ideal prospects, and automating personalized outreach, you transform passive group membership into active sales conversations.
The power of this approach lies in the intent signal. These aren’t random cold prospects. Instead, they’re professionals who’ve actively joined communities around topics relevant to your solution. They’re already engaged, interested, and part of your professional network in some way.
Start by identifying two or three highly relevant groups in your niche, join them, and participate authentically to gain valuable insights about member pain points. Then, use PhantomBuster to export members, filter them in Leads, and send timed outreach from one workflow—so your invites and follow-ups run hands-off while you handle replies.
Automation handles the repetitive work, but relationship building still requires the human touch. While automating outreach, be sure to give that personal touch in your messaging for sustained success. Avoid self-promotion in initial requests. Focus on building the relationship first.
Ready to start connecting with group members who are already interested in your space? Start a 14-day free trial to export group members, filter your ICP, and send timed invites—so you book more meetings from group activity.