Most people are reachable on more than one channel, and most do not answer on the first. A sequence that starts on LinkedIn and follows up by email reaches the same person in two places without sending twice as much on either one. This guide shows an example sequence, the choices behind it, and the setup in GrowPython. The same logic holds in any tool.
Why use two channels
- **Different habits.** Some people live in LinkedIn and ignore email from strangers. Others read email daily and rarely open LinkedIn.
- **Different limits.** LinkedIn has limits on connection requests and messages. Email has its own, set by your mailbox provider. Two channels spread the load.
- **A second chance.** A follow-up in a new place looks less like repetition than a fourth message in the same thread.
- **Longer conversations.** LinkedIn is good for a first contact. Many people prefer to move a longer exchange to email.
Two channels also double the ways to annoy someone. Keep the total number of touches low and every message short.
An example sequence
The timings below are a starting point to adjust, not a benchmark. They assume one person receives one thread of messages across two channels.
| Step | Channel | When | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day 0 | A connection request, with a short note if the account can add one | |
| 2 | After they accept, plus a day or two | A first message: why you connected, one easy question | |
| 3 | A few days later | A follow-up that adds one useful thing | |
| 4 | About a week after step 3, if there is still no reply | A short email that refers to the LinkedIn contact and offers one next step | |
| 5 | A few days later | A last note that leaves the door open and says you will stop here |
Stop contacting anyone who replies on either channel. A person who answered on email should not get another LinkedIn nudge. Check how your tool handles this before you rely on it.
Write each channel for itself
LinkedIn messages are short and informal. Per LinkedIn's help page Personalize invitations to connect, a member without Premium can add a note to up to three connection requests a month, each up to 200 characters (another LinkedIn help page says five), so most requests from a free account go out without a note. Put the reason to talk in the first message after acceptance.
Email can run a little longer, but not much. Use a subject line that says what the email is about, a first line that connects it to the LinkedIn contact, one question, and a plain way to say no. Do not paste a LinkedIn message into an email.
Set it up in GrowPython
A campaign in GrowPython sends from a connected LinkedIn account, to the people on a list, on the days and hours you choose. Email is optional and added in two steps.
- **Connect a mailbox.** On the LinkedIn accounts page, open the Email tab and add the address. GrowPython connects with the mailbox's SMTP details for sending and IMAP for reading replies. For Gmail and Outlook you use an app password, not your normal password. The dialog has presets for Gmail, Outlook and Microsoft 365, Yahoo and Zoho, and a Test connection button. There is no sign-in button for Google or Microsoft.
- **Switch on the email follow-up.** In the campaign's Campaign Flow tab, the Follow-up step has an Email Follow-up switch with its own messages and delays. Write those messages separately from the LinkedIn ones.
- **Check the preview and press Start.** Starting is always your click. A new campaign is a draft.
Email threads then appear in the same Inbox as LinkedIn conversations. You can filter by channel, read both in one place and answer from there. Email replies go out with a short undo window of about ten seconds. See email outreach and LinkedIn outreach for the full detail.
Protect the mailbox
Cold email can affect how mailbox providers treat an address. A few habits help:
- Use a separate sending mailbox rather than your main one.
- Set a daily send limit. GrowPython allows 1 to 500 a day per mailbox. Start far below the top.
- Consider warmup for a new mailbox. When it is on, the daily limit grows from 2 to 50 over 14 days. It is off by default, and a mailbox that already sends a lot does not need it.
- Pause a mailbox that shows problems. A paused mailbox is skipped.
- Include a clear way to opt out, and follow the email rules where your recipients live.
Protect the LinkedIn account
Each LinkedIn account has weekly limits for connection requests, messages and InMails, each between 10 and 200 with a default of 100. The server enforces that range. Campaigns act only inside the working days and hours you set. Start low. Keeping a LinkedIn account safe covers the details. LinkedIn restricts automated methods, so this risk is yours to weigh.
What to measure
- Acceptance on LinkedIn, and replies on each channel.
- Meetings booked, and from which channel the person came.
- Any warning from LinkedIn or your mailbox provider. Treat one as a reason to slow down.
The campaign overview shows where each person is: not started, invite sent, accepted, messaged, replied. The funnels page shows how far people get from import to a reply or a meeting. Compare against your own earlier numbers, not against figures from other companies.
What GrowPython does not do here
- It does not sync with outside CRMs or email platforms.
- It does not promise inbox placement or reply rates.
- The reply bot writes drafts for you to approve. It does not send on its own.
When someone replies and wants to talk, offer times with a booking link from the Inbox. Nothing sends until you press Send.
Questions
- Can one GrowPython campaign use both LinkedIn and email?
- Yes. LinkedIn is the base of a campaign and an Email Follow-up switch on the Follow-up step adds email messages with their own text.
- Does GrowPython sign in to Gmail or Outlook for me?
- No. A mailbox connects with SMTP and IMAP details, and Gmail and Outlook need an app password. There is no sign-in button for either.
- What is the daily email limit?
- Each mailbox has a daily send limit from 1 to 500. Optional warmup raises the limit from 2 to 50 over 14 days and is off by default.
- Where do email replies show up?
- In the same Inbox as LinkedIn conversations. You can filter by channel and answer from there.