Social media is arguably the most effective marketing platform available to businesses these days. But LinkedIn tends to take a backseat to the social behemoths Facebook and Twitter. It’s a shame too, because LinkedIn is the largest professional online network we have at our disposal. Figuring out how to actually use the site to generate a profit though, may look like a daunting, near impossible task. Thankfully, Marki Lemons-Ryhal, an award-winning social media speaker and author with over 25 years of marketing experience, broke it down “Sesame Street”-style for the rest of us.
Because of LinkedIn, gone are the days when you’re forced to approach a rigid secretary and wait for hours in a musty office with only a faint glimmer of hope of gaining access to a buyer, all the while being stared down from behind a pair of comically thick glasses. Well no more! This site “gives you the ability to bypass the gatekeepers,” Ryhal described, and connect with your end-user directly. That’s why this is so important to your business. Removing the middleman saves time; time is money, and money is glorious.
When you first log in to LinkedIn, you’ll be prompted to create a profile for the world to view. Similar to other social sites, your photograph will be one of the first impressions you give people, so don’t screw it up. Smile, be professional and you’ll be fine.
Next up is your headline, which is basically where you sell yourself in 120 characters or fewer. When writing your truncated ad, Ryhal suggested that “you maximize every character in this space and think of making it keyword rich. We don’t want to use filler words.”
Keywords will be sprinkled throughout your profile to ensure that your profile is Grade A searchable. Your goal here is to have your LinkedIn profile pop up on the first page of a Google search; that’s how you know you’ve really made it in life. When rewriting your history and resume to include these hot-button words, make sure you write in the way that people search. In Ryhal’s example, she suggested that not many people will search “award winning,” but they will type “social media speaker” and bam! There she is.
You have the option to link three outside websites to your profile. And, because I can’t emphasize enough the need for keywords, please do not name your website link, “my website.” If someone searches “my website” on Google, guess what comes up? Not you, I can tell you that.
Moving on to your skill sets. LinkedIn has a plethora of skills you can choose from and you can actually have up to 50 listed, but I advise you to refrain from using all 50 spots. While you may be wildly talented, you want people to endorse your more prominent skills, which they’re more likely to do when there are fewer of them.
And just who are these people endorsing your mad skills? They’re your connections. You can search for people you know, titles, company; the possibilities are endless. But not all connections are created equal. You will inevitably receive invitations to connect with people you don’t know. Whether or not you accept is completely up to you, but Ryhal suggested avoiding people without a photo, who haven’t built out their profile as well as those who have absolutely nothing in common with you. If the connection isn’t going to be mutually beneficial, why bother? It’s like a much less creepy version of online dating.
Like everything in life, people want proof and your acclaimed skills are no exception. You have the option to include videos, pictures and documents of what you’ve done (provided you’re not bound by a confidentiality agreement) to really showcase your talents. You can even upload entire PowerPoint presentations through SlideShare, a program that’s owned by LinkedIn. Ryhal explained that “SlideShare is to PowerPoint and PDF what YouTube is to video.”
Finally, share relevant content two or three times a week to keep your feed active. If you need help finding articles related to your business, check out buzzsumo.com, or sign up for email alerts. Using your Gmail account, you can set up alerts for any new content on promotional products, so that as soon as that information hits the internet, you’re in the know.
Yes, the initial development of your profile will be time consuming, and even the upkeep of it will seem unbearable at times, but just remember, it’s still all about who you know in the professional world. With LinkedIn, you can expand your network and make numerous new connections to benefit your business.
Melissa Carey is the digital content manager for iPROMOTEu – A Woman’s View, a program specifically designed to support women distributors in the promotional products industry. Contact Melissa at mcarey@ipromoteu.com.