The powers of lead generation through LinkedIn are exceptional for both online and offline business. Here are
1. Participate in LinkedIn Answers:
This is one of the more useful (and under-utilized) tools on LinkedIn.
It’s a section where people can ask industry-specific questions and get
advice. And guess who’s giving the advice? You are, because you’re an
industry insider with a lot of helpful knowledge, right? Answering
questions related to your industry on a regular basis can help you
establish yourself as a thought leader. If you have blog posts or other
content that provides helpful information about another user's question,
make sure it's optimized for lead gen (with a call-to-action), and link
to it in your answer.
2. Add LinkedIn Applications: One of the more
interesting places to visit on LinkedIn is the Applications section.
This is where you can find and add new and interesting apps that can
improve the experience people have on your LinkedIn page. Let people
know what business books you’re reading with Amazon's ReadingList app.
You can even set up simple polls to find out what’s on the minds of your
customers and prospects. For lead gen, and an app that pulls your
recent blog posts onto your Page.
3. Join LinkedIn Groups: You should definitely join
several groups on LinkedIn. The trick here isn’t just joining the
obvious groups in your industry, it’s joining groups that are outside
your industry that might help you grow your business. By stretching out a
little bit, you’re expanding your reach, which is always good for
business and helpful in lead generation. So, for example, if you’re an
accountant, you don’t want to just join accounting groups -- you’ll want
to join groups for entrepreneurs, small business owners, restaurateurs
and other groups outside of your immediate circle.
4. Conduct a LinkedIn People Search: This is a
terrific tool for sales people, people looking for jobs, or
business-to-business owners who want to get their foot in the door at a
large corporation. Just do a people search for your target company using
the upper right-hand search box. When you generate results, use the
refining options on the left to view your first connections (also known
as direct connections and your second connections. Assuming you have no
first or direct connections, filter by checking off the "2nd
connections" box. This will return a list of names of people at your
target company. On their individual profiles, you’ll see a list of your
shared connections. From that point on, it’s a cakewalk. Just ask your
friends to introduce you via LinkedIn to the people at that target
company with which you want to connect. Bingo, you’re in.
5. Experiment With LinkedIn Direct Ads: LinkedIn has
an advertising program that can be used to drive new prospects to your
landing pages, LinkedIn groups, or other destinations. The ads work the
same way Google paid search ads work. You simply write a headline, add
some copy, and create a destination link. Then you bid on how much
you’ll pay LinkedIn every time someone clicks on the ad. If you pay $1
to LinkedIn for a click-through and it takes 50 clicks before you
convert a customer, then you’ve just spent $50 for 1 customer. If your
product sells for $500 each, investing $50 to generate $500 is not a bad
return on investment.
6. Try LinkedIn Mobile: Yes, LinkedIn has a mobile
application. If you haven’t already downloaded it to your smartphone,
just go to your app store and download it for free. The LinkedIn mobile
app is best used when you’re at a trade show or an event where you’re
making one-on-one contacts, and it's best used on the iPhone. During a
conversation with a prospect, ask them to turn on LinkedIn on their
smartphone. Then, bump your phones together lightly. If they have an iPhone and their settings are correct,
then LinkedIn will transfer contact information between phones using
Bluetooth. No typing, no misspelled words, just instant transfer of
information ... and a lead!
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