How To Get Every Contact You Need Using Data Scraping

Data scraping is a useful skill that will help you find the correct prospect. Wether you’re a student looking for an internship or you’re a small business looking to attract new clients by getting their email and phone number.

I’m shocked that a skill so valuable isn’t common knowledge. Now rest assured this is a skill that no one knows about even on an international level. Only digital marketers and web developers are using data scraping for their clients and they sell it for a big purse. 

1. How To Get Every Contact You Need Using Data Scraping
   1. Using extensions 
      1. What are the best free data scrapers online ? 
         1. Lusha
         2. Apollo
         3. Wiza
   2. Using Apps
   3. Is Data scraping legal ? 
   4. What to do with the data scraped ? 
      1. If you’re an individual looking for an opportunity
      2. If you’re a company and the data you scraped is for commercial use : 
   5. To sum things up

Using extensions 

Ok picture this, you’re a job seeker or a student looking for a job opportunity or an internship for your PFE. You go on LinkedIn or any other job board to try to land a job. You tried and applied for 200+ opportunities but nothing worked. What do you do ? 

You start reaching out to companies. That’s called cold calling. 

But you’re going to tell me, ok Alaa, it’s a smart idea but how do I do that without a way to contact the company ? 

Introducing online data scrapers. 

These are essentially  extensions that you can add on your browser and get the contact information from the person you were looking up on LinkedIn. 

What are the best free data scrapers online ? 

There is a ton of companies that offer data scraping and have very good extensions, here are the ones I used by the past : 

Lusha

Lusha’s free plan offers 50 Emails and 5 phone Numbers per month.

Apollo

Apollo’s free plan offers 10 Emails and 5 phone Numbers per month.

Wiza

Wiza’s free plan offers 20 Emails and 5 phone Numbers per month.

Using Apps

Now this concerns small and big businesses mostly. This involves scaling data massively and not only on LinkedIn but rather on all platforms that those businesses are targeting.

For example let’s take a marketing company that specializes on doctors.  This agency can then go and use apps that will allow it to scrape all the data they ant  from google maps. 

Here’s an example of me using these apps to do exactly this.

After using Octoparse I successfully found information about each and every dentist in Casablanca : Their phone number, their website, their location and the number of reviews they have.

Is Data scraping legal ? 

The ethics and legality of data scraping from platforms like Apollo, Lusha, or Octoparse depend on several factors, including the terms of service of the platform being scraped, the purpose of the scraping, and the methods used. Here are some key points to consider:

• Terms of Service (ToS): Most websites and platforms have terms of service that users agree to when accessing their data. These terms may explicitly prohibit automated scraping or specify restrictions on data usage. It’s important to review and comply with these terms to ensure ethical and legal behavior.

• Permission: Ethical data scraping typically involves obtaining explicit permission from the website or platform owner before scraping their data. This permission may be granted through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) provided by the platform or through other means, such as obtaining a license or agreement.

• Purpose: The purpose for which the scraped data will be used is crucial. Ethical scraping involves using the data responsibly and legally, such as for research, analysis, or personal use. Using scraped data for spamming, phishing, or other malicious activities is unethical and illegal.

• Data Privacy: Scraper operators must also consider data privacy laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States. These laws regulate the collection, processing, and storage of personal data and require obtaining consent from individuals before collecting their personal information.

What to do with the data scraped ? 

Now that you know how to get the data you need. You have to make use of it and store it accordingly.

If you’re an individual looking for an opportunity

Create a quick spreadsheet and organize the data in columns.

Here are the tips to follow to maintain a great contact list : 

• Use the same format for every contact you have.
• Try to clean your contact list as much as you can.
• Have your contacts grouped in different sheets for different purposes.

If you’re a company and the data you scraped is for commercial use : 

Look for a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and import all of your data there. 

Not to get into all the details but a CRM will : 

• Help you nurture your leads. 
• Update you on your sales situation.
• Help you automate and mass communicate with your prospects.

To sum things up

Data scraping is an invaluable skill with diverse applications, from aiding job seekers in finding opportunities to empowering businesses to expand their reach and target new prospects.

Embracing the possibilities offered by data scraping and handling the acquired information responsibly can lead to enhanced opportunities and streamlined operations.