Your Linkedin Profile: One of the most powerful professional networking tools available!
With around 1 billion members (May 2024), and growing exponentially LinkedIn s a fantastic place to find the right team for your business, and to be found. BUT … with so many people there, you need to stand out, not blend in.
Your Linkedin Profile is the perfect place to showcase your current role, your past accomplishments, and your personality, so that people can get to know you before they actually meet you. There are so many ways to make your profile stand out – if you make the most of them
The power of LinkedIn starts with having a powerful and persuasive profile that attracts your ideal clients and connections. It continues by strategically connecting with individuals and businesses in helpful, non-spammy ways.
Have you ever accepted a LinkedIn connection, only to be quickly pursued by offers to audit your website, upgrade your logo, or hop on a discovery call? I’m sure you have – it’s one of the reasons why people don’t accept connection requests. Let me be direct on this: I am NOT suggesting that you pursue this kind of strategy on LinkedIn (or anywhere else!). Maybe you could help these people (although many people using this technique are just starting out and possibly can’t help anyone), but human nature is such that we all resist being chased.
It’s far more successful and engaging, to create interest and intrigue than to show desperation. Your behaviour on LinkedIn – as in all your business and personal outreach – should be human and honest. Engage and interact and give other people the opportunity to see the value you offer so they reach out and ask you for help.
How Can Linkedin Help Your Business?
Did you know that:-
- 77% of businesses prefer to do business with a company whose CEO is on Linkedin?
- 68% of people check out people they meet on Linkedin before contacting them again?
Linkedin is the ultimate networking space for professionals. It is global, multi-lingual, and provides a showcase of your achievements and recommendations. A Linkedin Recommendation has more authority than one on your own website, because it must be uploaded by the person giving it, not by the person receiving it.
Your Direct Response Marketing LinkedIn Strategy
#1 Optimise Your LinkedIn Profile.
Follow direct response marketing principles as you write your profile. Let people know who you are, what you do, and why they should trust you. Focus on THEIR needs, not your skills. After all, people pay to solve problems they can’t fix themselves.
Make sure you have an offer: a clear reason WHY they should contact you, WHAT you are offering them, and HOW that will benefits them. Highlight the need they are aware of and the dangers of not solving the problem. Add those details to your profile so readers are aware of exactly what to do.
#2 Look for People You Know on LinkedIn
Start by building a network of people you already know so you build a list of connections who won’t wonder who you are. If you really don’t know anyone on LinkedIn, then you can skip this step, but it’s a good idea to find at least 50 people who already know your name and let these be the core of your starting community.
That way, when you start reaching out to strangers – you have 2nd and 3rd level connections who already know some people you are connected to and you don’t look like a person who just joined LinkedIn yesterday and is looking for people to spam. It also gives you a chance to start engaging with people and buildling your skills.
Once you are comfortable use the 6-degrees of separation principle to connect with your ideal clients and people with whom you really want to connect.
#3 Engage on LinkedIn
For most people, LinkedIn engagement should be intentional, but doesn’t have to be time-consuming. You should deliberately engage with carefully chosen people and groups by commenting thoughtfully and ‘humanly’. Some people clearly just cut and pasted comments or have a VA do so on their behalf – I really hate this kind of behaviour because it betrays the idea of connection.
It’s better not to engage at all than to paste the same “Interesting thought.” or “Great post.” comment on a dozen different strings. On the other hand, LinkedIn probably isn’t your first responsibility. It’s actually a good habit to use those 5-10 minute gaps in your day constructively by hopping on LinkedIn and commenting on a few posts (or comments on posts) as a supplement to posting on LinkedIn either automatically or natively at specific times.
However, you choose to do it, use LinkedIn to build your network, learn about industry problems and solutions, and demonstrate your knowledge and interest.