17 Oct Does LinkedIn Generate Leads?

LinkedIn has more than 175 million users; over half include business owners, managers, senior management and C-level executives. For business development, LinkedIn delivers a professional audience – a stream waiting to be tapped into for real business leads. Just like any social networking platform, you have to be using it effectively in order to see results.

What should you pay attention to?

Is your profile complete? Or does it read like a simple resume?

Your goal is to give other LinkedIn users a complete look at all you have to offer when it comes to your industry. Your profile is like a valuable piece of real estate—so you must maximize the space you’ve got to get the best results.

Also make sure your profile image is cropped and professional – first impressions are paramount!

Connect!

Speaking of first impressions, when you send a connection request do you use the default invitation or do you write a personal note about where you met and why you’re interested in connecting?

Don’t just create a profile and hope the right leads will find you – constantly check categories, groups, previous employers, and more for the audience you are looking for.

Participate

One of the keys to LinkedIn is remaining visible and active. Just like Twitter and Facebook timelines, it is a fast-moving information stream. Every time you make a connection, edit your profile, post content or participate in a group, you show up in LinkedIn’s stream. This is a mini-marketing message to your connections.

Be an Expert

One of the more overlooked features of LinkedIn is Answers. Just as you can post content to your profile to highlight your expertise, you can answer questions posed by other LinkedIn users. This is a great way to demonstrate your knowledge. The bonus to this feature is the fact that you’ll be exposed to people who are outside your immediate circle of connections, expanding your reach exponentially.

As with all social media, it’s all about staying visible and increasing your reach, two fundamental components that can be easily achieved with LinkedIn. How do you use LinkedIn to brand your message and generate leads? Post in the comments section below or on our Facebook page!