My Linkedin Profile
Have you considered improving your presence on Linkedin, but for various reasons hesitated? Maybe because of a lack of time, considering it a low priority, or not sure what it’s all about?
Well, I suggest that now might be the time to harness the power of Linkedin for your business. (And the stock market agrees!)
Consider these stats from Linkedin’s recent report, “The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to Linkedin” (Get your copy here)…
- There were 184 million unique visitors worldwide in the 3rd quarter of 2013.
- 1 in every 3 professionals on the planet is on Linkedin.
- Content now garners 6x more engagement than Linkedin’s jobs properties.
- There are 259+ million users.
- Linkedin is the #1 social media channel to distribute content.
- A survey of Linkedin members found that Linkedin is the most effective social network for delivering B2B content (B2B Content Marketing Report, Holger Shultz 2013).
- Linkedin is the number one social network for driving traffic to corporate websites (Research by Investis IQ).
- Linkedin drives more traffic to B2B blogs and sites than Twitter, Facebook, and Others combined.
- The percentage of companies who report acquiring a B2B customer through Linkedin rose from 45% in 2010 to 65% in 2013.
It’s all very convincing. The big idea here is that while you might look at Facebook as the society page with some business mixed in and Twitter can be either, Linkedin is all business.
Here’s how Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer at Marketing Profs put it, “If Twitter is where you go to meet people you don’t know and Facebook is where you go to talk with people you already know, then Linkedin is where all of you can meet up to get stuff done together.”
The thing to remember is, you don’t really sell things on Linkedin, you look to build relationships. Asking for connections and sharing updates on your Linkedin Homepage establishes your credibility and gets your name out into your marketplace. It does take time, but when you are there with the skills that one of your connections needs, they'll find you. And that's when it pays off.
Two clients have recently gotten in touch with me about selling on Linkedin. Interestingly, they are both sales reps of major corporations and they’re looking for quality leads from Linkedin.
And there’s lots they can do on Linkedin: Company Pages, Blog Posts, Groups, paid ads, Linkedin Sales Navigator, and more. And, by the way, the size of your network and participation in Linkedin Groups significantly increases your visibility in Linkedin search.
My advice to them is first to optimize their Linkedin Profile. Then post links to valuable information on their homepage, keep up with Linkedin Pulse, contribute to their company Showcase pages, and join relevant groups of prospects.
So how do you accomplish all of this? Stay tuned to future posts where I’ll be helping you discover how to take advantage of the power of Linkedin to make the right connections to grow your business fast.
Until then,
Nick
Nick Burns is a Web writer specializing in persuasive copywriting and content marketing. Nick’s services include SEO Web writing, website information architecture, content marketing, consulting, and publishing. He provides clients a winning online strategy plus the content writing to make it work. You can contact Nick here.
