In short: people who like or comment on the posts of a competitor, or of an expert in your field, are already interested in your topic. The Sales Farmer Watchlist picks them up from the profiles you follow and keeps only those who match your target. Then you let your campaign contact them. Posts from company pages are not read yet.
This page describes a feature and how to use it. It does not settle legal questions. For personal data, read our article on GDPR, then ask a lawyer to review your practice.
Why look at what your competitors are doing?
Their posts gather people who have already raised a hand. Someone who comments on a competitor's post about a precise subject is telling you something: that subject is on their mind right now. It is a stronger reason to write to them than a simple job title.
The goal is not to "steal" customers. These people have signed nothing with that competitor, and nothing stops you from offering them a different approach. There is a limit, though. A reaction is not a buying intention. Someone may comment out of curiosity, out of politeness, or to disagree. So expect reply rates to vary, and test on a small group before you widen the search.
What does the Watchlist do, concretely?
You tell it who to watch. Sales Farmer finds prospects around those profiles. You choose who to contact. The Watchlist produces two things.
People who react. For each profile you follow, the Chrome extension reads the most commented recent posts, then the people who liked or commented on them. It keeps those who match your target and drops the others. These people feed the "people who react" source in My campaign.
Events. On the profiles you watch, the Watchlist spots a job change, a hire, a fundraising round or a new post. These are good moments to write, and your first message can mention the fact.
Who can you watch?
Profiles of people: leaders of competing or neighboring companies, recognized experts, and content creators in your field. The people who comment on their posts are the ones you care about.
Company pages can be watched too: paste the page link (linkedin.com/company/...) as a source. Reading it is only assigned to the extension from version 4.10.0; with an older version the page stays saved but is not read, and the screen says so. The profiles of its executives and its sales reps remain a good complement.
You can follow ten sources at most. For each one, Sales Farmer reads the posts from the last seven days, five at most. A source is read again once a day, and reading stops when the daily limit of LinkedIn reads is reached.
How do you get started?
Three steps are enough.
- Describe your business. The target and the anti-target in your campaign profile are used to sort the people picked up. Without a description, everyone is kept and the sorting is useless.
- Add profiles to watch. You paste the links, or you ask the AI to suggest accounts based on your business. Nothing is followed until you click "Follow".
- Turn the source on in My campaign. The people who react join the list to contact, within your daily limits.
You stay in control at every step. You can remove a profile, turn off a source or pause the campaign.
What should you think of the accounts the AI suggests?
They are leads, not facts. The AI suggests five to ten accounts based on your business, and it can be wrong about a name, an address or the real topic a person writes about. The screen says so: suggestions to check.
Open each profile before you follow it. Check that the person really posts about your topic, and that they are active. An account that has posted nothing for months will not bring you anyone.
How do you write to the people you picked up?
Write about the topic, never about the watching. The opening line is based on what the person did, for example "I read your comment under a post about e-invoicing". It does not name a competitor's page. Quoting that source would reveal where your list comes from, and the message would feel intrusive.
Keep the message short, with a single question. Our guide on message templates gives wording you can adapt. Also say why you are writing, and leave an easy way out: a person should be able to decline in one word.
A word on the competitor's name. If the person mentions it themselves, simply answer. Avoid any disparaging comparison, because it exposes your company and adds nothing.
What precautions should you take?
Three precautions matter more than the others.
Respect LinkedIn. Reads go through your browser and your session. LinkedIn limits very active accounts, and reading many pages adds to the visible activity of your account. The daily limit exists for this reason. Keep your limits cautious: see the LinkedIn limits page.
Respect people. The people picked up did not ask to be contacted by you. Be open about the source of your data if they ask, honor an objection right away, and use the "do not contact" list. The legal framework depends on your situation. Our GDPR article recalls the principles but does not replace professional advice.
Respect your target. A person who reacts at a competitor is not necessarily in your target. Sorting by your description is there for that purpose. The more precise it is, the fewer people you contact by mistake.
An example to fix ideas
Picture a software company that sells invoicing tools to small accounting firms. It follows three profiles: the sales director of a competitor, a consultant who writes about e-invoicing, and a manager at a professional federation. Each week, the Watchlist picks up the people who comment on their posts and keeps only the managers of firms with fewer than twenty people.
The company then writes to those managers about e-invoicing, not about its competitor. This example is fictional. It shows the order of things: a precise topic, profiles close to that topic, sorting by the target, then a message about the topic.
Limits
Here is what the Watchlist does not do, or does poorly.
- It reads company pages only with extension 4.10.0 or later. With an older version, only profiles of people are read.
- It depends on the extension. Chrome must be open, with the extension installed and LinkedIn signed in. Otherwise, the reading waits.
- It is capped. Ten sources, five posts per source, and a daily limit of LinkedIn reads.
- It may not be turned on for your account. Automatic pickup is rolling out gradually, and the screen tells you.
- It does not prove intent. A reaction is not a plan to buy.
- The Starter plan watches 10 profiles, and the Growth plan has no profile limit.
- The AI suggests, you check. A suggested account can be wrong or inactive.
FAQ
Does the person I watch see that I am looking at them?
Reads are made with your LinkedIn session, as if you were viewing their posts yourself. LinkedIn decides what it shows to the person. Do not count on being invisible.
Can I watch a competitor's company page?
Yes, with the Chrome extension version 4.10.0 or later: paste the page link as a source. With an older version, the page stays saved but its posts are not read. The profiles of its executives, its sales reps or the experts who talk about it remain a good complement.
How many accounts can I follow?
Ten sources of posts at most. Event watching (job changes, hires) also counts profiles: 10 on the Starter plan, with no limit on the Growth plan.
Is it legal to contact these people?
The answer depends on your situation, your country and the way you contact them. Read our GDPR article, then ask a lawyer for advice. This page is not legal advice.
See who is interested in your topic
Start with three well-chosen profiles, check what you pick up, then widen the list. Try Sales Farmer free for 14 days, no credit card needed.