Find Targeted Connections
LinkedIn isn’t just for job seekers. Business owners can use the social networking platform to find their exact target market and people in these roles. Then, send messages that show up in their inbox and start building relationships with them.
Leverage Your Connections and Build a Leads List
After you are connected, simply search their name and click on contact information. Most will have an email and phone number right there for you to begin to reach out and make introductions. If you upgrade your LinkedIn account, you can also use the advanced search option to filter your searches. You can choose from industry, years of experience, location, current company, seniority level and more.
Nurture Your LinkedIn Profile
It’s important that before reaching out to individuals, you take care to update and complete your LinkedIn profile with keywords, include a professional high-resolution headshot make sure you have been consistently posting educational expert articles and projects you have created over a reasonable period of time. Having a consistent history and complete profile broadcasts to the world that you are sure of yourself and your brand. It’s kind of like a first date: show up and look good. Transparency builds credibility and trust with your audience.
Use Mass Messaging
A little known feature of LinkedIn is its mass messaging feature. You can actually direct message (“DM”) up to 50 first level connections through this function. Maker sure your message is still personal and try to really narrow down the recipients so that you don’t come across as self-promotional. It’s just a great way to cast a large net amongst a group of targeted individuals. you never really can tell who is using LinkedIn regularly, so this a great way to reach the most responsive individuals of an organization and start to build a relationship.
Beware of These Anti-Social Marketing Behaviors
It can be easy to forget that an online social networking platform is a real place with real people behind the profiles. So, act accordingly! Don’t self-promote yourself in groups, contribute value to the conversation. Congratulate your friends and colleagues when they post achievements. Find and share interesting articles, pictures and videos. And, don’t just leave the default picture on your profile. Show up online with a great photo of yourself. It’s your very first introduction.
Conclusion
LinkedIn is a terrific platform for professional industries, especially the technology field. It’s a great way to expand your network online and target the right people for your business. It also provides a virtual platform to share your accomplishments and style. Watch out for anti-social behaviors like centering everything around yourself and not socializing, which is what the platform is all about. Send personalized messages to larger groups of people to find out who will be most likely to get together with you for a coffee and a chat. And, finally,always keep connecting and growing your network. The more opportunities you have, the more likely you will find just the right people for your business.