If you're not getting leads from Linkedin, you're doing something wrong.
Over the years, my associates and I at Click Intelligence have tested various approaches to see what works and what can be thrown away in the weekly trash. What did we find? The following key components make up the perfect formula for having a Linkedin Profile that's a Lead Generation Machine.
- Keywords. Just like you would add keywords to a landing page or blog post when you search engine optimize them, you'll want to add keywords to your Linkedin Profile as well. After you've strategically planned which keywords you want to get found for, consider how they can be included across key areas of your Linkedin Profile: The Headline, Summary, and Job Experience sections.
Eric Sachs of Sachs Marketing Group does a great job at using keywords on his profile without keyword stuffing or being overly promotional:
- Thought leadership via Updates and Linkedin Pulse. Show what you know and give to get. Post original, thought-provoking content in addition to curated content that your target audience would find interesting. Don't make this content promotional all the time. The material that you post should inspire readers to take action or at least, teach them something new and make them feel good about the material (and ideally you). If you don't have a blog to house your content on, you can publish it directly on Linkedin Pulse (Linkedin's publishing platform).
- New connection engagement. This is something I recently started doing and had the pleasure of making a few close connections along with one new client because of it - engaging and re-engaging new connections. I don't just re-engage Linkedin users who wish to connect with me, but I reach out to those who I don't know but want to connect with me anyway. I'm often curious why people want to connect with me who don't know me and if we are going to be connected, I want to know something about them and building relationships. Here's an example of what I might do:
An invitation comes in from Joe Smith from ABC Restaurant.
I send him a message that is personalized and unique.
How to Re-engage
Keep track of your top prospects and acquaintances on Linkedin. If you see something that you think they could find value in such as an article or promotion, reach out to them and offer it. In doing so, you can build meaningful relationships.
- Visibility. Optimizing your profile with keywords is not the only way to get found on Linkedin; be visible in Linkedin Groups and on Linkedin's stream.
Groups: Join ones that are applicable to your business and provide thought leadership in discussions.
Linkedin's Stream: This is the area that shows up when you select 'Home' at the top of Linkedin. I encourage you to make yourself visible here, too. It's simple - comment on posts.
5. More connections. Expand your network by connecting with clients and business associates. This is an obvious one but I encourage you to make a list of people who you've worked with and make an effort to connect with them. Per Linkedin's 'rules' you should only connect with people you know and trust, however, introductions to people you don't know can be sent through your direct connections.
With the Linkedin landscape constantly evolving, the formula continues to be work in progress. What are some approaches you've taken to get leads from Linkedin?