I will get straight to the point. Whatever your Business, LinkedIn is a necessity for your Marketing toolkit.
LinkedIn is the most up-to-date database of people in jobs, people who own businesses and people with social enterprises that you will find anywhere, literally in the world!
Whether your a personal trainer, you sell children’s clothes, you provide contract cleaners or you dive to the bottom of the deep blue see fixing bridges there is no better way to create a network of contacts that could create leads for your Business.
BUT only if you state the obvious and make it clear what you and your can Business offer.
If you sell to other Businesses then you need to make sure your profile is more than just a CV, the buyers in those Businesses need to see what your Business can do for them and fast.
Even if your customers are better found on Facebook it is a great way to connect with people from networking events, suppliers and partners in a professional way. That network of people will know you, can mention you and even recommend you to their friends and contacts offline.
By creating a crystal clear profile of what you offer LinkedIn can be selling for you at no cost whilst you are asleep or even resting with one eye shut.
So to make your profile a Killer Marketing tool, here are 5 simple things you can do:
1. Use your Personal Profile Headline to blow your own trumpet.
Rather than just your name, position and company name, the most searchable and attractive headlines are those that state what you do for others. Be proud of your speciality, speak directly to your audience, include important keywords and be specific: How about?
AWARD WINNING CHILDRENS DESIGNER or PUBLICITY EXPERT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
It might feel a little cringe worthy but anyone looking at your profile or more importantly searching for services like yours will be in no doubt about what you do.
2. Use your Summary to tell your story.
Most people’s summary is a list of skills, which tells you nothing about how working with that Business could benefit you. So use the summary to snappily state:
- What you do.
- What are the pains/challenges/dreams of the customers you work with.
- How your Business can fix/solve those pains or create those dreams.
- Show evidence of your success.
- Include how someone can experience your Business now i.e. a free trial or guide.
By doing this you have immediately made clear what your Business does in one statement, exactly where the viewer is looking.
3. Use Recommendations & Endorsements as reasons to believe in your Business.
Ask those that you have worked with in the past or are customers now to write a recommendation and endorse you. Start with customers of your Business if you can, even suppliers or partners.
Get recommendations from the past. Like many Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs you may have previously had a job. Even if it is not what you do now you can still be recommended for your fast thinking, hard working and all out great attitude.
4. Join up to LinkedIn Groups where you can show the value of your Business
You will find whole communities on LinkedIn. There are groups by profession like Facilities Managers, Project Managers, Marketing Managers and if they are the people who would buy your services then enter the conversation. Share with them useful information, case studies with the aim to make personal connections that become leads.
If LinkedIn is not the most obvious place to pick up customers for your Business because your a dog walker or a beauty salon it is a great place to network with local small business groups. Build relationships and conversations because you just never know what it could lead to.
5. Share valuable posts that get attention
If you are an Expert in what you do, show that to the network of contacts you have built up.
You can post a status update on the latest breaking news, new innovations you have been involved with, even case studies of your customer success. It all helps to build up your bank of credibility.
You can even post any blogs you write if they are relevant to your contacts onto the LinkedIn Pulse which acts like newsfeed and these will feature in your connections feeds.
If you do all of this then your story will be there at a glance, be credible and you can build up a brilliant lead source.
Let us know how you get on!
For more tips download our FREE guide to the Marketing Trade Secrets of the Pro’s and use them in your Business here
