Getting the Most out of LinkedIn® as a Marketing Tool

LinkedIn® is one of the most powerful marketing tools that you have in your sales toolbox.  Use LinkedIn to get recognized as an expert in your industry; research companies and their key management teams; and to connect for former colleagues and vendors.

Here are a few of Peggy’s Pointers to help you get the most out of LinkedIn:

• Connect ASAP
  • As with any networking activity, be prudent to follow-up with a prospective connection within 24-72 hours.
  • Things happen and sometimes we get behind the 8-ball. If there has been a time-lag since you met the prospective connection, be bold and remind your contact how, where and when you met.
• Personalize your connection request
  • Create an invitation that is uniquely tailored. Interview your potential connection through a customized email.
• Request to connect
  • Only send a request 1 time. Keep in mind if your prospect doesn’t respond immediately, they may not be an active user of LinkedIn.  The system will remind them there is a request to connect.
  • For example, I met several keynote speakers/trainers at an event in January.  Afterward, I reached out to all of them to add to my professional circle.  Several responded immediately, however, there were 3 who didn’t respond until last month.  I chalked that up to the fact they travel extensively and simply didn’t have the time to reply promptly.
• Content is King
  • Limit your posts to 1-2 times/week and only 1 time/day. If you bombard your connections with blog posts or ads, you could be setting yourself up to be blocked.
• Personal contact policy
  • Some people like to connect via direct email vs through LI messaging.
• Notification Updates
  • LinkedIn notifies you of your connections’ updates of a new job, an anniversary, and a birthday. Keep in touch with your connections by writing a personalized congratulatory note.
  • Recently I created a letter to send to all of my LI contacts whom I haven’t had contact within several years.  This letter was geared to inform my contacts about new product/service offerings that I am currently marketing   The response was great.  Several people reached back to me with a request for more information.
• Groups
  • LinkedIn allows each person to be a member of up to 100 different groups.
  • Even though you can be a member of 100 groups, select 3-5 key groups to join and be active with content and engagement to them on a regular base.
  • I recommend that you select groups within your industry as well as prospective industries of which you expect to market to.
    • Since I am a packaging specialist, I am a member of several packaging groups.  In addition, I am a coach/consultant therefore I also belong to groups that specialize in coaches.
• Endorsements
  • LinkedIn allows up to 50 skill endorsements per person. Only endorse someone for the skills that you are aware they possess.
  • To receive endorsements, it’s okay to contact 6-8 of your connections asking them for a specific endorsement. Send an endorsement request especially if you have recently gained new skills via training and/or project experience.
  • Keep your request to a minimum of 1-2/month.
• Recommendations
  • The best way to receive a recommendation of your work/skill-set is to give one to someone else.
  • Be specific in your recommendation request otherwise you may receive a standard blah response. Don’t be afraid to send a rough draft with details of which you want to be recommended.
  • If you have recommendations that are not completely flattering to you, remove them from your profile.
  • Only request 1-2 recommendations per month.
  • Be sure to send a thank-you note, preferably a hand-written one.
• Update Function
  • Before you make any changes to your LI profile, be sure to go to your Privacy and Settings and turn-off your broadcast update function until you have completed changes.

I work with individuals to update their LinkedIn profiles and help make it functional as a marketing tool.

Peggy P. Edge © 2018

www.peggyedge.com