You have FINALLY created a LinkedIn account. What’s next?
If you answered “build relationships” you are correct! Business relationships are called “relationships” for a reason. You don’t say “hello” and then “here’s my business” with a great profile that gives everyone a good picture of who you are or what’s your business and what you’re offering. You don’t end there. If you did just that then you’re missing the point of social networking.
Engagement is the appropriate word for a certain stage in your business relationship when you are connecting with your prospective leads and getting involved with you actively on activities until they’re ready to shake hands with you on a deal or business transaction.
LinkedIn offers a perfect venue for engagement. It has the tools that you need to connect with your target market and to keep them interested. How do you take advantage ofLinkedIn to generate business leads?
1- Become an active member of LinkedIn groups
You have a maximum of 50 groups to join. Surely, you can find groups that fit your definition of your target market. You can hit the maximum. Because it is next to impossible to engage in all of the groups consistently, choose your top 5 or most valuable groups. To ensure visibility, focus on groups with more than a thousand members. Within these groups, participate in discussions relevant to your business and don’t appear only once in a blue moon. Let your prospective leads get to know you better with your presence and participation.
2- Interact with leads by linking your blog and website
Make your blog and your website known via your LinkedIn profile. Many people are not content with just checking out your personal or business info. They will want to know more details about your business as well as your products and services. Share RELEVANT content with your group, but don’t bombard them. Don’t have your own blog yet? Click hereto find out, why you should start blogging TODAY.
3- Answer questions
While you have an online audience, let them know about your expertise by giving relevant and helpful answers to their questions. Check out the categories that your target market may be interested in and then subscribe to RSS feeds on these topics. Try to answer all the latest questions as promptly as possible before someone else. Every time you answer a question, you get a chance to be visible to everyone who is reading and answering the question. By doing this, you will establish yourself as a thought leader.
4- Create polls, ask your own questions
By creating polls, you are inviting your prospective leads to share feedback and information about what they want and need. This also creates a conversation and fosters loyalty. While taking part in a group discussion, you must also try to start topics that generate interest and promote participation among group members.
5- Have a consistent LinkedIn presence
Strategies one to four are useless if you do them only on your first two weeks on LinkedIn. Commit to a long-term relationship with your prospective leads. Remember that strong relationships with customers aren’t forged overnight. To impact your business positively, you must first build your credibility and let them know your expertise while you’re connecting with them. These efforts may not translate to immediate business but with consistent contact and by giving valuable and relevant information, your prospective leads will think of you first when they are ready to benefit from your services or when they need your products.
Connect with me.
Dennis Koray
Skype: denniskoray
email: info@denniskoray.com
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