Using LinkedIn for Business promotion

Using Linkedin as a pool of leads

When we start a new business we are told by mentors to get a list and start calling, yet with recent research telling us over 80% of decision makers (who else would you be trying to talk to?) will never entertain a cold call, and with the average return on cold calling between 1-3% it is now proven to be a waste of time, unless you outsource your telemarketing to real experts who charge around £15-20 an hour.

Many new business owners do not see the potential in Linkedin, yet ask any forward thinking recruitment company where they would be without using Linkedin and a cold shudder runs down their spine.

First off; you have to have a few more contacts than 100 to make it worthwhile, so how do you grow your Linkedin? The best thing about Linkedin is the quality of your contacts; see how they are called contacts and not friends? The wholesome way to get a decent contact base is: asking every person you meet at networking events and in your daily course of your business life, if it’s ok to be a contact on Linkedin. For the past 5 years I’ve done just that and now I have over 2,000 contacts and that’s worth 2 million friends on Facebook.

The other way is to join and find people in LinkedinGroups that you share and ask people to be your contact that way. Each way you need the persons email address and this is Linkedin’s way and trying to secure that you have at least met or emailed one another.

One tip if you are desperate to get a few good contacts on Linkedin quickly is to write a few good blogs and post them in all your groups and also have your email displayed clearly in your summary.

OK Monday morning and you need appointments; go to Linkedin and use the search button to find companies you want to deal with, then with a little digging you can find all the employees and the decision makers, next write a well thought out email explaining what you do and a compelling reason to meet you, and then follow that up with a call, then your calls to appointment ratios go from a measly 1-3% to around 20-25% which is a huge improvement! You can get nearly 30% success if you have already met them, see, this networking really works and the magic is in the follow up.

Make sure you have a good Linkedin business photo and you have made an effort to fill your linkedin profile with Slide shares you have published, and Videos from your You tube channel, and very important; create your business page with separate pages for each service or product you do. Take the time also to write recommendations for your colleagues and associates, and a few endorsements won’t go amiss either, your associates will reciprocate.

I remember as a small boy being sad that I didn’t get any letters so my Mum, sat me down and explained the basics of writing to people first, and lots of letters to get a surprise when the Postman calls!