LinkedIn has been steadily rising to the top of the social media totem pole since it’s debut, especially within regards to professional connections. With LinkedIn recently outpacing growth over Facebook in Indonesia and it’s recent acquisition of Rapportive, a tool that lets you see social data of contacts in your email, you don’t want to miss out capitalizing on all opportunities to make your business boom.
The bottom line is sales. Are you ready to increase yours exponentially?
Here is a social media strategy that will work for anyone and give you 5 exceptional ways to generate more leads on LinkedIn.
1. Start by making your initial message a little more personal. If someone reaches out to you online, it may take you a minute to remember their face – “Did I meet them at that conference six months ago, or just bump into them at a Starbucks? Did I actually work with this person at some point?” You get the idea. When you introduce yourself to others, they might have a similar reaction, so be sure to introduce yourself clearly, as you would at a business function, while being as warm and sincere as possible.
2. You need to position yourself as a leader in your industry,so post the latest and greatest things you are working on and don’t let your LinkedIn profile turn into a stagnant resume. Express the trials and tribulations of your work with a sense of humor and make people engaged with you by keeping your profile current and interesting. Talk about the latest-breaking news in your industry and your take on it, just be sure not to regurgitate the common stream of intellect and provide your own unique viewpoint.
Related: 5 Reasons Why You Need A Great LinkedIn Profile
3. LinkedIn has an amazing directory of applicationsto help you promote yourself and link to other social networks like Twitter or Facebook. Make sure you check out the apps directory. I personally use the SlideShare app to put a video on my LinkedIn profile . These are only a few of the many possibilities!
4. Make sure your profile is complete, professional and optimized…no matter what industry you are in! Don’t leave any section of your profile empty and ensure you write you’re your preferred keywords in mind. One of my keywords is “social media speaker” so I have included that throughout my profile so I come up when people search that term on LinkedIn. Also, it’s extremely important to have professional photo on your profile. Hiring a professional photographer or even getting a simple headshot at Walmart will do the trick. Seriously! It’s worth it.
5. Join relevant groups where you target clients are and find ways to engage while adding value to the group. Post relevant information that would be of interest to them and answer questions relating to your expertise. This helps to position you as an expert in the exact area where your target clients are hanging out!
Related: 3 Reasons Why Your LinkedIn Profile Needed To Be Updated Yesterday
These are just many of the ways that I use LinkedIn with amazing results. In fact 70% of all my business actually comes from LinkedInso don’t miss out on the opportunities of this powerful social network for business.
What’s your favorite tip for increasing results on LinkedIn? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
MelonieDodaro, of Top Dog Social Media , is passionate about social media and helps business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals to use social media marketing to boost their visibility, attract new customers and increase their revenue. Dubbed by the media as Canada’s #1 LinkedIn expert and social media strategist, she’s also a regular contributor to several social media and business magazines and is a highly sought after speaker and trainer . To learn more about Melonie visit her web site at http://TopDogSocialMedia.com