There is more to social media than Facebook and Twitter. LinkedIn, the leading business social network, has steadily made a name for itself in the business world. There are very few people who do not have a LinkedIn profile and it has become a hangout for professionals and job seekers alike. Why not make use of this worldwide network to make connections and generate sales leads?
The first thing that you should do is to obviously create a personal profile as well as make sure that your company has a page. When creating a company page, remember to fill out as much detail as possible since that lends credibility and makes your seem more professional. You will be able to describe what the company does and what industry you are in, add the services or products your company provides, upload a company logo image, indicate the amount of employees and add a company website.
Once a company page has been set up, it becomes easier to build a network. Encourage all employees to link to the company page since everyone’s individual connections can be useful in the future. Also, as a company and as an individual, follow your competitors or peers. Take part in conversations between companies and employees to get yourself noticed.
Join LinkedIn Groups. There are obvious groups that you could join that pertain to your industry. Yet, in order to grow bigger and gain more reach, join groups that you normally wouldn’t think of. Groups that will help your business grow. Think of groups that cater to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Along with this, read articles from LinkedIn Influencers. These are people who are influential online in the LinkedIn universe as well as in the real world. They might mention something that you will give you an idea or link you to a person that could be helpful.
Download the LinkedIn mobile app. There are four apps in total. There is one for your smartphone and one for your tablet, both keep you up-to-date on industry news and allow you to easily update your profile. The LinkedIn Contacts app helps you to have your LinkedIn connections’ details on your smartphone or tablet and to easily store new details. There is also Pulse but this is more for keeping up-to-date on all types of news.
If you perhaps have an iPhone, you can make use of a nice Bluetooth feature the next time you are meeting potential prospects. With the LinkedIn app installed on your iPhone, you can ask the person whose details you want to share to switch on LinkedIn. Then simply lightly tap your phones together and your lead’s details will be immediately transferred to your phone. Yes, this is gimmicky so try at your own peril.
LinkedIn’s Direct Ads is another great way of getting in touch with a large audience. It works about the same way as Google’s paid search ads. You write a headline, add some additional copy and create a destination link. Then you simply bid on how much you will pay every time a person clicks on your ad. You can get very specific with your advertising by targeting people according to region, seniority in a company, title, membership and so forth. This way you will more easily gain the attention of the people you want. The great thing is, you determine how much you are prepared to spend.
There is something that many people may not think of doing that is free and so simple – search! Just use LinkedIn’s search feature to look for your target company and the connections that company has. You will see what connections you may share with people in that company. There is always someone you know who knows someone in your target company. Simply then ask if the person you know can introduce you to their connection. Happy linking!
