LinkedIn is a powerful prospecting tool, but only if you participate using a consistent strategy, marketing experts say.
A half-hearted approach to LinkedIn marketing will only waste your time and leave you short of the results you want, says Michael Wickware, creative director with Wickware Communications Inc. in Toronto.
A large part of that participation consists of posting comments, both on your own page and on group forums. The following pointers can help you create and maintain an active LinkedIn presence:
> Start a routine
Make a habit of checking out what’s new in your LinkedIn network.
Many LinkedIn users create a profile and then never do anything with it, says Sara Gilbert, founder of Strategist in Montreal. Spend just 15 minutes every day checking your profile and looking in on any discussions taking place in the groups you have joined.
As well, send out invitations to people you think may be prospective clients asking them to join your network. Be sure to mention how you know them, such as through a group.
Check the site only once a day, Gilbert says, otherwise it may start to interfere with your work.
> Leave a comment
Join conversations on LinkedIn by posting comments regularly.
Post something once or twice a week, Gilbert says. You can write a comment on your wall or in a group discussion. Or you can post a link to a relevant article or to your newsletter.
> Keep self-promotion to a minimum
Don’t make the online conversation all about yourself.
Follow the “eight to one” rule when posting comments on LinkedIn, Gilbert says. The first eight postings should relate to your target market and may have nothing to do with your business. For example, if you know many of your clients are avid golfers, you might post an article on golf equipment.
The ninth posting can be about you, she says. That’s when you can promote your newsletter or your business in general.
Never push products or try to make a sale when commenting online.
> Give others a say
Be careful not to dominate any LinkedIn group conversations, says Jay Palter, principal with Palter Social Media Strategies in Edmonton.
Look closely at how often people participate in the group, he says. If there are lots of comments from many different people, then contribute often to that conversation.
On the other hand, if it’s a quieter group, save your opinions for another time. People might think you are overbearing, Palter says, if you are the only person posting on the group page.
This is the final installment of a three-part series.
IE