This document provides an overview of how businesses can use LinkedIn to boost sales and profits. It explains that LinkedIn delivers a ready-made professional audience and has over 175 million users, half of whom are business owners and managers. The document outlines steps for setting up a personal and company profile page on LinkedIn and provides tips for using LinkedIn to generate leads, such as updating status weekly, working contacts, and participating in groups.
4. AUTHOR:
Susan Schauer John
Susan is the media
marketing creator of
Spider Web Connections.
Follow her on Twitter
@SpiderwebConnec!
5. Why do I keep hearing about
LinkedIN?
We are a local business. We advertise locally.
Do we need LinkedIN?
Reasons:
1. You can boost sales and profits by taking advantage of
the features LinkedIn has for entrepreneurs.
2. Because LinkedIn is a powerful networking tool, it can
help you exponentially increase your sales leads.
3. LinkedIn delivers a ready-made professional audience
to tap into.
4. LinkedIn has over 175 million users - 50% of whom are
business owners, managers and senior management.
6. SET UP:
First you will need a personal profile page.
From here you can create a LinkedIn page for your company.
8. STOCK :
Profile:
Develop a strong personal profile page.
1. Good photo. Friendly, clear.
2. Complete the profile.
(A completed profile gets us to seven times more views than
a skimpy one).
The site will prompt you periodically to fill in more
information. It does not all need to be done in one sitting.
9. Next: Create your
Company Page.
(Company pages do not
have as many features as
personal pages.)
There are 4 sections:
1. Overview
2. Employees
3. Product Pages
4. Statistics
Write simply and clearly.
Convey your company
message.
10. If you have employees, be sure they include your COMPANY
INFO on their profile pages.
This will increase exposure for your business through their
LinkedIn networks.
11. STOCK:
Collect recommendations.
Don’t be afraid to ask. And don’t forget to give.
Both your personal and company pages have places for people to make
recommendations about doing business with you and share their experiences.
Encourage your customers to tout your company in this way.
Theundercoverrecruiter.com
12. Join and Participate in LinkedIn Groups
After completing your personal and company profile pages, start looking for LinkedIn
Groups where prospective clients might be. Join them.
// Page 12
13. MAINTAIN:
Optimizing LinkedIn for
Lead Generation & Promotion
topnews.in
Update Your Status Once a Week
Personal and Company pages have update functions. (Similar
to status updates on Facebook.) Us them to post brief
company-news updates, musings about your field,
recommendations, etc.
Each time you post an update, you appear on the home page of
all of your LinkedIn contacts!
Therefore – keep these updates relevant to your business and
your company’s focus. Keep it professional and informative.
allthingsd.com
14. Work Your Contacts.
As you build your personal profile network and attract
new followers to your company page, I strongly suggest
using LinkedIn’s Advanced People Search to find
prospective customers.
technorati.com
Here you can find prospective customers and others who
would be valuable to add to your network.
Invite them to become contacts.
17. References:
• David Gowel, is one of the leading experts on LinkedIn and it’s place in social media
today. He has written: The Power in a Link: Open Doors, Close Deals, and Change the
Way You Do Business Using LinkedIn. A terrific book about the new form of marketing
for business.
• Jay Baer and Amber Naslund have written a terrific book called: The Now Revolution.
It captures completely the new face of marketing for businesses.
http://www.convinceandconvert.com/
• Gwen Moran is the author of the article: 6 Ways Small Business Owners Should Use
LinkedIn. Available on: http://www.nextavenue.org/blog/
• There are a number of great social media newsletters available for free that I read
regularly and highly recommend. Each has contributed to my education and writings.
They include:
– http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/
– http://maximizesocialmedia.com/
– http://www.toprankblog.com/
– http://www.bizsugar.com/
– https://www.facebook.com/business/build
18. They will never be gone!!
Call us today:
410-253-9131
www.facebook.com/pages/SpiderWebConnecti
ons/
http://pinterest.com/sfschauer/spider-web-
connections/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/spiderwebconnecti
ons
www. SpiderWebConnections.com
Editor's Notes
#13: ----- Meeting Notes (9/21/12 18:06) -----If you are a B2B you want LinkedIn. If you are clothing or other retail you want Pinterest.