Let me guess, the first things that comes to your mind when you hear “LinkedIn” is related to professionalism, an online resume, or job searches. Initially, job searches were the main purpose of the platform, but it has slowly grown with it’s dynamic changing in the world of business. This has resulted in it becoming an under-utilized tool that has the potential to highly benefit your business.
LinkedIn is the world’s biggest professional community with 80% of business-to-business leads come from LinkedIn, and 43% of business-to-business marketers attributing sales to LinkedIn.
It’s an ideal place when trying to connect with an owner or manager of a company, or trying to collaborate locally. A lot of businesses gain mutually beneficial relationships, becoming each other’s clients.
Research has found this to be vital in the effectiveness of online marketing, as 52% of buyers list LinkedIn as the most influential channel during their research process. That’s right, Linked In! With LinkedIn’s high authority on search engines, your personal or business profile may be the first thing a potential client bases their decision on.
In light of this, in this post we will provide you with our best advice on using LinkedIn to its highest potential!
Make Personal Connections
People are genuinely interested in what you are up to now and want to be supportive of what you are doing. Old coworkers, friends from school, extended family, community members, they want to know, so make those connections on LinkedIn!
Even if you don’t know someone well or know them at all, you can still make it personal when connecting with them on LinkedIn by sending them a message. However, be aware of the following.
- Don’t send the default messages – The person on the other side ends up receiving so many of the same message. Your message is not going to stand out among them.
- Make sure you create a real and unique message – Ask more about them, their business, and what they do.
- Do not send spam or try to sell things to people right away – People can sense when you’re in it for the profit, so develop authentic connections first and then, explore mutually beneficial opportunities.
Build a Better Profile
Use a Professional Headshot as a Profile Photo
- Make sure it’s close up, that you have appropriate clothing, good lighting, a light coloured background and a friendly smile. Don’t use a logo, make it more personal than that.
Get a Header that Describes More of What you Do.
- Create a custom header (on Canva or Photoshop) that incorporates your brand colours and high-quality-res photos of you or your service/products.
- Make sure you keep the text minimal, while using the space to promote something you offer. Finally, make sure the dimensions are appropriate for LinkedIn’s header (1584 X 396 px).
Describe Your Passions in Your About Section.
- Make your first sentence count. If you don’t hook them right away, you’ll lose them! Provide a description of what you do, why you’re different, and how you can help.
- Additionally, include what excites you most professionally and drives you and your business. Make sure you reveal your character in an authentic way.
- Explain your present role and what you do in simplest terms. Use keywords that will highlight your top skills. Listing “specialties” at the end of your summary is one way to do this!
Ask for Recommendations
This can be done on your profile and be sent to those who you are already “connected” to through LinkedIn.
Simply click “request recommendation” and fill out the fields “relationship” and “position at the time” and include a personalized message with your request by changing the text in the message field before sending!
Have at least 10-15 recommendations on your page and ask for detailed recommendations related to how you helped solve your client’s problems.
It’s okay to provide them with guidance on what you’d like included in the recommendation. For example, ask them to describe the problem they had and how you were able to solve it for them.
Create a Company Page
Lastly, if you haven’t already, create a company page! Make sure you keep it up to date and relevant to your target audience. It’s another location where prospective clients can learn more about your services and evaluate whether you are a good fit for them.
With these quick tips, you’ll soon be improving your business connections. If you have any questions about managing your business’s LinkedIn, contact me!