Using LinkedIn for BusinessNovember 20, 2015Jim DeLorenzo

Brief AgendaLinkedIn basicsThe Company PageMarket ResearchTarget Research“Blogging” on LinkedIn100 Percent

LinkedIn Profile PageLinkedIn stats show that its

members with 100 percent full Profiles receive 46 percent more Profile Page views than those who don’t. The more complete your page, the more you’ll open yourself up to opportunities.

A must: A professional photo.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Some LinkedIn Profile Photo Tips DO include your face.  The ideal LinkedIn portrait is

cropped close and tight, like this: shoulders, some neck, and definitely your face. Think of "profile photo you" as a triangle with hair inscribed within a LinkedIn square. People want to be able to instantly recognize you." Don’t be afraid to get in there.

DON’T crop an obvious group shot. In other words: no half-cropped faces of ex girlfriends, as in the photo in the last slide. No dangling arms of your college buddies from that time you guys flew down to Señor Frog’s and did Fireball shots. Your photo should be of you, and only you.

DO wear what you would wear to work. Or at least where you’d ideally like to work. That sweaty photo of you hiking above the clouds in Machu Picchu? Your adventurous side holds little currency in the LinkedIn universe.

Build Your LinkedIn Connections to 500 or more.It’s been said that a strong

network is like money in the bank. For example, your network can help you become better known, introduce you to influencers and help you secure clients. Getting and staying connected with others is a powerful strategy for marketing your business.

Leverage the power of LinkedIn Alumni Groups

Joining an Alumni Group is a great way to reconnect with people who know enough about you to willingly help you grow your business; purchase your services or products or introduce you to those who may. It presents another opportunity to make new connections.

Secure Endorsements from past & present Clients

Prospective clients are likely to scan your LinkedIn endorsements before reading your entire Profile Page or considering hiring you.

Add in the 25 top skills you want to be endorsed for, with your best skills at the top.

Endorsements are a place where opportunities find you.

Regularly share valuable information with connections

Aside from updating your Profile, this simple box lets you add tips and resources and refer others to industry information such as articles and whitepapers. It’s another excellent — yet subliminal — strategy for marketing yourself.

Join 10 LinkedIn GroupsWhile LinkedIn encourages members to join

up to 50 of its groups, if you’re just starting out, 10 is a manageable number. Don’t be a “lurker” though; comment regularly in these groups when you have valuable info to share and start discussions.

To stay active in a group, it’s important to visit and share on a regular basis — at least three days a week. I’ve found that the best time to participate is 8 a.m. your time.

One more tip: Always thank others for their comments.

Upload PDFs, Videos, Audio & SlidesThis “show and tell” technique

allows you to strut your stuff. Since adding these types of things lets others see you in action, it’s a great way to market your skills and expertise to potential clients and brands.

SlidesharePresentationsInterviews

Lazy LinkedIn BehaviorsSending a pre-written connection messages If you met someone at an event, would you say: “ I'd

like to add you to my professional network.”Why would you say it on LinkedIn, when you want to

make a great first impression? If you want to avoid scripted invitation messages,

there’s only one “Connect” button to use: The one located below a person’s picture when you open up his or her full profile. Read all about them, scroll through their bio, and then click that “Connect” button.

Once the customizable message box opens up, erase all of the standard content and write something personal.

 Selling something without building a relationship

Study the prospect’s profile. Go to his or her personal website if they have one, and search out more information about them.

Write a formal business note using LinkedIn. Try something like this: “Dear Jim, thank you for connecting with me here on LinkedIn. I read about your successful background and am interested in asking you a few questions. I may be able to provide you services and I would like to explore the possibilities. May I have the e-mail address you prefer for business correspondence? Sincerely, Janice.”

LinkedIn – ANOTHER tool in your Marketing Arsenal

LinkedIn is a tool for developing meaningful professional relationships. Use it as a launching pad to talk to people on the phone or meet face-to-face for the best results.

The Company Page5 steps to engaging followers on LinkedIn

1. Establish your presence2. Attract followers 3. Engage followers 4. Amplify through the network 5. Analyze and refine

Build Out Your Products & Services Page Marketers who build out their Products & Services page

tend to have twice as many company followers. Use this page to tell members what you do best – and give

them compelling reasons to follow you. Tailor your offerings: You can design multiple

configurations of your Products & Services page based on one or two of the following criteria: members’ geography, company size, seniority, job function, or industry.

Go beyond products:You can link to just about anything from your Products & Services page.

Direct members to your latest and greatest white papers, case studies, or how-to content.

Tell a story through video: If your company has a YouTube channel, embed product demos or customer testimonial videos that tell a compelling

Optimize for SearchCompany Pages are very SEO-

friendly. Google shows previews of up to

156 characters of your page text, so be sure your description leads with powerful, keyword-rich sentences.

Members can also search for companies by keyword on LinkedIn, so include words and phrases that describe your business, expertise, and industry focus.

Attract FollowersEmployees are 70 percent more

likely to engage with your Company Updates. Encourage them to add a link to your Company Page to their email signatures.

Once your page is all set, drive traffic its way with a compelling blog post or email newsletter announcement.

Add a “Follow” button to your website.

Join the discussion in LinkedIn Groups

Target Groups relevant to the industries or customers you serve. Use LinkedIn’s search bar to find groups by keyword.

Find the right Groups: Contribute to popular discussions members have started. As people like and reply to your comments, you have a chance to become a “Top Influencer” in the group.

When appropriate, link to your Company Page to help interested members gather more insights and info.

When you post in Groups, aim to help members solve problems and share insights with one another.

Analyze & RefineIn any marketing campaign, success

depends on your ability to measure performance and use that data to optimize content.

LinkedIn’s analytics tools empower you to do just that, ensuring you have the insights you need to strengthen follower relationships.

Experimenting with different kinds of content is the best way to improve engagement and amplification.

Measure Engagement

Engagement rate is the ratio of clicks, likes, comments, and shares to total impressions.

This is a key metric for understanding how often members take action on your updates.

Measure Amplification

Amplification rate is the ratio of likes, comments, and shares to total update impressions.

This helps you understand how often members are sharing your content and what they find most interesting.

Market ResearchUse LinkedIn to look at

competitors and peers – what are they doing, who are they doing business with, etc.

Use LinkedIn to find potential clients – find employees at companies you wish to do business with and make a connection.

Follow-up with personal notes via LinkedIn, learn who they are & what the company does.

Target Research - Finding ClientsTake a Target Client and search

LinkedIn for any users from that client

Connect with as many LinkedIn users from that client as possible

Begin sending them notes, special information, targeted information

Update them on your company’s activities as often as possible

Tailor messages directly to them

100 PercentYour goal as a company and as

employees of the company is to have 100 percent completion of your profile

Devote 100 percent of a given time each day to update and utilize all the tools available on LinkedIn.

Stay in touch with 100 percent of the connections you have on LinkedIn.

Stick with it – 100 percent.

“Blogging” on LinkedIn“Publish a Post”Your opportunity to use LinkedIn

to connect your blog content to fellow LinkedIn members

Generate additional views of blog copy

Generate additional clicks to your website

Generate good will and interest in your business with potential clients

Thank you!I will be happy to answer any

questions.If you wish to ask me other

questions after today’s presentation, I can be reach through LinkedIn!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimdelorenzo

Cellphone: 215-266-5943E-mail: jim@jhdenterprises.com