(This article has been updated Aug 2021 after LinkedIn ceased access to the api.)
Importing your contacts from any source can be done in one of three ways. Those 3 ways are:
- connect and auto-import via an established API
- format your contact data into a common template and import via excel/csv
- export from the source (e.g. gmail) and -- without any manipulation - import that file into BU
To import from LinkedIn, we follow #3 above and we export the contacts from LinkedIn, then import those directly into BlueUtopia via the Data Manager / Import process. All contacts are matched and de-duplicated before being imported.
To import from LinkedIn, follow these steps:
- Log into your LinkedIn account
- In the upper right corner, click your personal icon
- Click Settings and Privacy
- Scroll down to the section called 'Get a copy of your data and click change
- Select the option for getting particular data, then select the 'Contacts' checkbox
This export process will be performed by LinkedIn in the background. You will be notified when it is complete. Download that file to your desktop without any modifications.
After you have downloaded the file:
- Log into your BlueUtopia Admin Panel
- Click Manage Data
- Click Import (you should default to the Constituents tab)
- Click LinkedIn Connections
- From there, simply browse to the file
- Select the desired tagging and coding in the bottom section
- Click Upload
- From there, the system will perform a matching and de-duping process against all existing records and notify you when that process is complete and ready for review/action.