I have been using LinkedIn lately for some marketing, and although I have done a lot to make my profile great and have made connections and conversations... I am still not quite converting to where I need to be. Now a lot of you might say.. "Well then it`s probably your lack of conversational skills". And although I firmly agree that I can always improve, I think there is something else that I`m not doing to get these peoples`attention. Have any of you marketed on LinkedIn before, and if so, what tends to work? How do you stand out?
Me neither. I don't quite dig linkedin. I got kinda excited and carried away when I first joined it, now I am not sure if I want to spend too much time (or any at all) on it. I find G+ more relevant and beneficial to my business.
I think it depends on the niche, and the country you're in. Don't do everything, but find what works for your business
LinkedIn recently released header images, which allow you to increase your branding and visibility, showcase who you are and attract new followers and connections. They are a lot like the banners you have on Twitter, YouTube, Google+ and Facebook.
It will probably average this way for most users there. It seems like unless you're some kind of a big shot (or claiming to be one): "Look at me, I am CEO of this and that, and I am really successful, and I've had 3,000 start ups - all successful, and I drive a Lamborghini and I travel the world..." and on and on and on you won't have a chance of drawing any significant following. I am not going to quit visiting it, but it's placed on the back burner for now.
I used PPC ads on linkedin for my cable business and did not get a single sale from the effort. It was not a huge campaign (maybe $100 total spend) but it resulted in absolutely nothing for me, despite the high number of IT guys on linkedin.
One other comment: I have been on linkedin since 1999 (it was just starting up) and it is not like other social media sites like FB, Twitter, etc. Just because someone connects with you on linkedin, does not mean that he is following you or anything like that. It just means that you and that person can see each others' connections in case you might know some of those folks to connect with. From a marketing perspective, it is a one-by-one venue in which you have to contact folks individually to see if they are interested in what you have to offer. You can post on linkedin forums but I have not found that to be worthwhile, either. I already posted above about their PPC advertising. For me, the benefit of linkedin is that the contacts that I am connected to tend to keep their emails up to date on linkedin so I can always figure out how to contact them even if it has been years since our last contact. It is a professional rolodex for me.
Start your own group. People on linkedin are mostly business people, but, they also have other interests. I am a member of a golf group and a fishing group. So, if you have a niche that would be of interest to people then start a group about that topic, it does not have to be about business. Remember, Linkedin is a site where business people connect, but it is also a social site, "all work and no play makes jack a dull boy" al
I know that. But don't forget that if you have a bigger, better (even if it's just an account with a bunch of fake achievements) profile on linkedin you'll have a better chance of drawing a larger crowd to it. That's what I was talking about. There are also a bunch of "entrepreneurs" there that do nothing but harvest other people's email addresses. Yes Emily it's your kind I am talking about.
The most effective way to get customers is to find the right conversions (the right people) where people're exactly looking for what you offer.