In this post, I will be sharing some simple but effective tactics on how to use your LinkedIn profile to grow your business.
My goal is to unveil the real value of LinkedIn for B2B's and walk you through 3 simple steps that can help you generate more leads and revenue in 2019. Let's dive right in...
Have you been thinking about using LinkedIn to generate more business but don't know where to start?
Many things might be running through your mind, like... "Is LinkedIn even worth the time and hassle?", "What kind of content can I post on LinkedIn?", Moreover, "How do I grow my business with LinkedIn?"
According to Business Insider Intelligence, LinkedIn has over 500 million members. Further research conducted by Apptopia indicates that LinkedIn has 260 million active user base and over 100 million daily users.
In my opinion, LinkedIn is the most powerful platform for B2B's that wants to target decision makers. According to Marketing Solutions Blog, LinkedIn comprises of 61 million senior level influencers, with 40 million that are in a decision-making position.
Now that's a gold mine for B2B's, but unfortunately, many entrepreneurs are finding it challenging to effectively position, market, and generate business on Linkedin.
Below, I have listed three simple but effective tactics on how to use your LinkedIn profile to generate more revenue:
1. Update & Complete Your LinkedIn Profile
A LinkedIn profile which is up-to-date and complete gets much more views than an incomplete profile.
Linkedin profile with photos gets 21x more views and 36x more messages.
In your LinkedIn introduction title, use keywords that relate to your profession/industry to help increase your profile visibility in search results.
For example, if you take a close look at my LinkedIn headline, linkedin.com/in/kingbuari, it reads "Helping Entrepreneurs Leverage Cutting-Edge Web Design & Digital Marketing for Business Growth" you will notice that my intro title ranks for 7 unique keywords:
- Growth Marketing
- Business Marketing
- Digital Marketing
- Web Marketing
- Web Design
- Entrepreneur
- Founder
Most people add headlines such as "Owner of ABC Company," "Consultant at XYZ Enterprises" in their Linkedin profile without realizing that they are missing out on potential business/opportunities from keywords search.
To rank better on Linkedin, research keywords that are relevant to your industry/profession. I highly recommend wordtracker.com or Ahrefs.com for finding keywords.
Also, verify that all your information such as your Linkedin profile summary, places you have worked, skills, and other relevant information is up-to-date and complete.
When your profile information is complete, you'll receive an "ALL-STAR badge from Linkedin.
2. Publish Articles that’ll Help Position You as an Expert in Your Industry
Once your profile is up-to-date and complete, the next step is to publish articles that position you as an expert in your industry.
Linkedin makes up more than 50% of all social traffic to B2B websites and blogs. This means that your articles have a much higher chance of being read and shared on Linkedin than on any other social media platform.
Research conducted by Noah Kagan of OkDork.com indicates that longform contents gets the most shares on LinkedIn. His study showed that 1,900-word articles got the most shares.
Also, OkDork discovered that How-To post gets almost 2x more views than posts with questions. With this in mind, focus on How-To post and steer away from question post.
After you post an article and it begins to get some traction such as likes, comments, and shares, don't forget to engage with your audience in your comment section. By consistently engaging with your audience you will begin to build rapport.
3. Connect & Reach Out to Your Niche Audience
The final step after building rapport is to connect, research your prospect, and lead by giving.
Connect with people that actively engage with your content by sending them a friend request or asking a mutual friend for an introduction. Once your prospect accepts your invitation, please take a few minutes to do some research by reading their profile to gather relevant information then start a conversation by sending them a private message.
E.g. “Susan, thank you for accepting my request. From your profile, I see you're the owner at Lavida Massage in Gainesville and you just celebrated your 2 years anniversary in business. Congratulations! I'm a business owner in the DMV and want to learn more about your business to find out if I could potentially bring you value or send some referrals your way."
Be warm, complimentary, and always lead by giving. Learn about your prospect's business, find a way to bring them value, and look through your network to refer them business.
Do a follow up in about three days to find out if your referral was useful and how else you can help. When you first lead by giving, you put yourself in a much better position to receive down the line.
Most people will immediately return the favor by referring you business at this point, especially when you reach out to them more than 3x in 1 month to bring them value.
If your prospect still does not refer you business after your 3rd "lead with value" contact, then politely ask them to introduce you to friends in their network that might benefit from your expertise or services.
"Give more than you take. That's how you win!" - Gary Vee
These are some of the tactics I have personally used in Linkedin to generate new leads and grow my business from a 5 digit to a 6 digit digital marketing agency.
Try this strategy for the next 30 days and let me know how it goes.
Did you learn anything that could help you grow your business on LinkedIn? Do you have something to add? Please share your thoughts below.
About the Author
King Buari is a speaker, strategist, and founder of Buarich Group; a full-service digital marketing agency. He is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and small businesses to thrive in today's digital world. Connect with him on Instagram.