Create a LinkedIn target audience: Filter people search results and use them in CompLeadly

Short answer:Start a search on LinkedIn, select the “People” filter and narrow the results using “All filters”. Copy the link from the address bar. In CompLeadly, go to “Target Audiences”, click “Add Target Audience” and then “Paste a link”. Paste the link, click “Apply filters” and save the target audience under a name with “Save target audience”.

The video shows the LinkedIn part: search term, filters for language and connection degree, the 100-page results limit and anonymous profiles. It was recorded in December 2020, and LinkedIn has renamed some filters since then, so a few labels in the video look different today. The steps below describe the CompLeadly part as it works now.

Step by step

1. Enter a search term, such as a job title, in the search bar at the top of LinkedIn and press Enter.
2. Click the “People” filter at the top. LinkedIn will then show only profiles, not posts, companies or groups.
3. Open “All filters” and narrow your search. The most useful filters are “Connections”, “Locations”, “Current company”, “Industry” and “Profile language”.
4. Check the results. If the first profiles match the people you want to reach, your search is ready.
5. Copy the full link from your browser’s address bar. It starts with linkedin.com/search/results/people/.
6. Switch to CompLeadly and click “Target Audiences” in the menu.
7. Click “Add Target Audience” and select “Paste a link”.
8. Paste the link into the “Paste a Sales Navigator or LinkedIn search link…” field and click “Apply filters”. CompLeadly shows you the filters it detected, but saves the exact link you pasted.
9. Click “Save target audience”. In the dialog, enter a name under “Name”, such as “IT decision-makers DACH”. You can leave “Description (optional)” blank.
10. Confirm with “Save target audience”. The target audience is now listed under “Target Audiences” and available in every workflow. “Use in workflow” takes you straight to the next step; “Create another” lets you add another target audience.

Sales, recruiting, job applications: the same process

People search works the same way regardless of why you are searching. For sales, filter by your ideal customers’ role, industry and location. For recruiting, search for candidates by job title and region. If you are applying for jobs, use “Current company” to find recruiters and hiring managers at companies you want to work for.

In all three cases, CompLeadly then works through the target audience in the same way: visiting profiles, sending connection requests with a personal message, greeting new connections with an opener and sending follow-ups. You can see which features your plan includes in the pricing overview.

Tips

• Two or three filters are usually enough. Each additional filter makes your target audience smaller, and it can become too narrow faster than you think.
• Check the size. Standard LinkedIn search shows no more than 100 pages, and CompLeadly cannot process results beyond that. If your search is much larger, split it into several target audiences, for example by location or industry. Here’s why: Why LinkedIn only shows 1,000 search results.
• Choose the connection degree to match the feature. Sending connection requests to 1st-degree connections makes no sense: you are already connected. Messaging features, on the other hand, only work with 1st-degree connections. CompLeadly will let you know.
• Use OR, AND and NOT to make your searches more precise: Find exactly the right contacts with Boolean search.
• No need to switch between your browser and the app: “Create with LinkedIn search” lets you set the filters directly in CompLeadly, while “Check search in LinkedIn” shows you the results.
• You can also paste the link directly into a feature in your workflow without saving it under “Target Audiences” first.

Common mistakes

• The “People” filter is missing. In that case, the link points to a combined search, and CompLeadly displays “Please use a people search”.
• The link was not copied in full. Select the entire address bar before copying.
• Multiple links in the field. CompLeadly cannot tell which search you mean. Paste only one link at a time.
• Many results are labelled “LinkedIn Member”. These anonymous profiles have no profile link and cannot be processed. They appear mainly outside your network. Limit the connection degree to 1st and 2nd degree, or use Sales Navigator.