One of the primary reasons why we need a LinkedIn profile is that it can help us become better networked. It is also easier to be recommended by other professionals using our profile and it can also serve as our online resume.
There are now 90 Million users on LiknkedIn and people are jopining at the rate of 1 every second - more importantly the average income of LinkedIn users is over £100,000. That says a lot about the power of the network.
When I first started using linked in I linked up with lots of power networkers but found that was not really useful except in expanding my reach. It was not until the Groups feature was significantly improved that the real value of the network has become aparent.
I joined 49 groups, and set up my own GenderShift group which now has about 110 members. With my own group I can broadcast messages - though its important not to overuse the feature of people will leave. I participate as much as possible in discussions on groups and I have invited a number of people in the UK I would like to connect with - and most have accepted.
Again you have to use these features respectfully - When you invite members of a group you can do so without their email address by indicating you are in the same group. If you have already invited them - then you will be asked for their email address to invite again - I have found a few times that I have been asked to decifer a graphic image after I have sent a lot of invites - so now I limit it to a few every day.
The real benefit of this has been that I am able connect with key contacts on major corporations. If you have ever tried to reach someone in a large company when you don't have a name you will know how difficult it is. Many organisations only publish a call centre number.
As a result of this strategy over the past couple of months I have already had one booking for speaking and a number of enquiries for help - I have also managed to recruit some really excellent contacts to my own group. More importantly I am establishing my name and reputation in a community of professionals who potentially could be buyers or influencers of my services.
So check out the article and get working on making LinkedIn a significant tool in your marketing strategy.
4 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formGreat article - Linkedin can be a great resource if you actively participate in discussions and groups!
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9:12 pm
One of the primary reasons why we need a LinkedIn profile is that it can help us become better networked. It is also easier to be recommended by other professionals using our profile and it can also serve as our online resume.
1:52 am
I have not ever used linkedin to attract new customers. I will give it a try.
9:13 am
Great Post! Linkedin is a good resource for small businesses. And this blog really helps to improve the usage of linkedin.
11:28 am