Yes, it is possible to connect LinkedIn to Power BI. LinkedIn is a great source of professional data that can provide powerful insights when integrated with Power BI’s robust data visualization capabilities. In this article, we will walk through the steps for connecting your LinkedIn account to Power BI and examine some of the key ways these two platforms can work together.
Overview of Connecting LinkedIn to Power BI
At a high level, here is an overview of how to connect LinkedIn with Power BI:
- Obtain LinkedIn data – This can either be done by using the LinkedIn Sales Navigator export features or by using the LinkedIn API.
- Get a LinkedIn API key – To use the LinkedIn API, you will need to register as a LinkedIn developer and get an API key.
- Connect the data to Power BI – Once you have the LinkedIn data in a compatible format like CSV, you can import it into Power BI.
- Model the data in Power BI – Clean up and optimize the LinkedIn data for reporting.
- Create visualizations – Use Power BI’s drag-and-drop tools to visualize the LinkedIn data.
- Share insights – Publish and share dashboards and reports with colleagues.
As long as you have access to the LinkedIn data and a Power BI account, the integration process is relatively straightforward. The bulk of the work goes into modelling the data appropriately and creating meaningful visualizations.
Benefits of Integrating LinkedIn and Power BI
Here are some of the top benefits of connecting LinkedIn with Power BI:
- Enhanced sales insights – Understand sales funnel performance, lead quality, account growth trends.
- Improved recruitment analytics – Analyze candidate pipelines, hiring efficiency, job posting performance.
- Audience analysis – Identify ideal customers, locate influencers, perform competitive analysis.
- Marketing analytics – Track content engagement, demographic segmentation, campaign ROI.
- Company & industry research – Profile target companies, analyze employee trends, benchmark competitors.
These are just a few examples. The bottom line is that bringing LinkedIn data into Power BI unlocks a treasure trove of insights for sales, marketing, HR, and other business functions.
Step 1 – Obtain LinkedIn Data
The first step in linking LinkedIn with Power BI is to get access to LinkedIn data. There are two main options for exporting LinkedIn data:
Option 1) LinkedIn Sales Navigator Export
If you use LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can export data on accounts, leads, prospects, and more. Here’s how:
- Navigate to the appropriate section in Sales Navigator like “My Team’s Accounts.”
- Click the “Export” button.
- Select the data points you want to export.
- Choose “CSV” as the export format.
- Export the data.
This provides an easy way to get core LinkedIn data in a CSV format ready for Power BI.
Option 2) LinkedIn API
For more flexibility, you can use the LinkedIn Developer Program and API to retrieve data.
Key steps include:
- Registering as a LinkedIn developer.
- Creating a LinkedIn app to get an API key.
- Using the API to query data like connections, companies, etc.
- Outputting the data in a structured format.
This requires more technical work but opens up many more LinkedIn data possibilities.
Step 2 – Get a LinkedIn API Key
To use the LinkedIn API option, you need to get an API key by creating a LinkedIn app:
- Go to linkedin.com/developers and log in.
- Click on “My Apps” and then “Create App“.
- Fill in the App information like name, description, etc.
- Agree to the terms and click “Submit“.
- LinkedIn will generate a “Client ID” and “Client Secret” key for the App.
- Save these keys to use in API calls for authentication.
It may take LinkedIn up to 24 hours to review and approve your new app. Once approved, you can use the keys in API calls.
Step 3 – Connect LinkedIn Data to Power BI
Once you have extracted the LinkedIn data in a file format like CSV, connecting it to Power BI is straightforward.
Here is the process:
- Open Power BI Desktop.
- Click on “Get Data” from the top menu.
- Select the LinkedIn data file you want to import.
- Power BI will automatically detect the fields in the CSV file.
- The data will now be loaded into Power BI as a new dataset.
- Click “Save” to save your Power BI Desktop file.
And that’s it – the LinkedIn data is now available in Power BI for reporting and visualization.
Step 4 – Model the LinkedIn Data in Power BI
Once the raw LinkedIn data is loaded into Power BI, the next step is to model and optimize it for reporting.
Here are some tips for modelling LinkedIn data in Power BI:
- Remove unnecessary columns – Delete any columns not needed for reporting.
- Change column data types – Ensure columns like dates have the proper type.
- Create relationships – Build relationships between LinkedIn tables like Accounts and Contacts.
- Add calculated columns – Create custom columns using DAX formulas.
- Organize columns into groups – Structure columns into expandable groups.
Taking the time to clean and model the LinkedIn data correctly will make building reports much easier.
Step 5 – Create Power BI Visualizations
Now we can get to the fun part – creating amazing visualizations with the LinkedIn and Power BI integration!
Here are just a few examples of powerful visuals you can build:
- Account growth chart – Line chart showing new LinkedIn accounts added over time.
- Sales funnel report – Sales stages as funnel comparing target vs. actual.
- Recruiter performance matrix – Grid view comparing key recruiter KPIs.
- Content engagement metrics – Charts showing likes, comments, shares by post.
- Lead list – Interactive list of leads ranked by score.
With the robust visualization toolbox in Power BI, you can build dashboards with drill-down and slicing capabilities tailored specifically for your business requirements.
LinkedIn Account Growth Chart Example
Month | New Accounts Added |
---|---|
January | 250 |
February | 200 |
March | 275 |
April | 340 |
This simple line chart visualization shows the growth trend of new LinkedIn accounts added over time. Power BI makes it easy to create insightful visuals like this.
Step 6 – Share Insights Across your Organization
One of the most valuable aspects of Power BI is the ability to share interactive reports and dashboards across your organization.
To share your Power BI insights from LinkedIn:
- Publish your report to the Power BI Service.
- Share dashboards with colleagues or create organizational content packs.
- Embed charts and visuals directly into internal web portals.
- Restrict access as needed using row-level security features.
Unlocking the value of your LinkedIn data in Power BI is only useful if it can drive better decision making across your organization.
Conclusion
Connecting LinkedIn and Power BI combines two powerful platforms to uncover game-changing customer, competitor, recruiting, and other business insights.
By exporting LinkedIn data, modelling it, and creating world-class visualizations with Power BI, you can make a huge impact on sales, marketing, HR, and every part of your organization.
The integration process does involve some time investment, but the long-term advantages are well worth the effort. So integrate LinkedIn with Power BI today and start reaping the benefits!