Lead generation is not always a straightforward process, especially if you are dealing with a platform that you are not intimately familiar with.
LinkedIn is a great example of this; hundreds of millions of business people use it, but few may consider its potential when it comes to generating leads.
To remedy that, here are some ideas for LinkedIn-fuelled lead generation that could change the way you work with this particular social media site.
Curate Your Connections
It may seem obvious, but overlooking the power of connecting with the people you know via LinkedIn is a major misstep that many users take. Part of the problem comes down to the sheer volume of connections that you might be able to add to your network, especially if you have a huge pool of contacts to consider.
Because of this potentially titanic task, it makes sense to break it down and only dedicated five to 10 minutes a day to adding connections and curating your network. This will help you generate leads going forward without feeling like an insurmountable obstacle.
Once you have got a handle on this, you can start to look outside of your immediate network and pinpoint potential leads, either manually or by using the baked-in recommendation feature.
Invest In Ads
While a more passive approach to lead generation on LinkedIn can pay dividends over time, if you are looking for a more immediate impact then generating leads through paid-for ads can be effective because this is how Linkedin make money.
If you’re in the SaaS space, there may be plenty of pitfalls that B2B ads on LinkedIn can stumble into, such as failing to leverage enough budget to be effective and relying on poorly considered content that does not mesh with the intended audience. However, these are the same stumbling blocks that exist in every digital ad sphere, so if you are familiar with this world then you should be in a good position to use paid promotions on this platform effectively.Get To Know Your Prospects
In order to generate leads on LinkedIn that are actually worth pursuing, it is sensible to get a comprehensive idea of kinds of people you should be targeting and the ways in which they present themselves on the site. This can inform your decision-making and strategies as you progress.
There are various ways to do this, the most basic of which is to visit the profiles of those already in your network, or those on the peripheries. This not only lets you assess them more thoroughly, but also sets the wheels in motion by letting them know that you have viewed their profile automatically. In turn if they then view your profile upon seeing this, it will be obvious that this is a lead which is worth following up on.
Be Consistent
As hinted at earlier, establishing yourself on LinkedIn with a view to generating leads is not a one-off process, but rather one which must be considered as an ongoing responsibility.
Brief flurries of activity separated by long periods of radio silence will mean that you are rarely at the front of any of your connection’s minds. Instead the approach of ‘little and often’ works best; setting aside a tiny portion of your working day for LinkedIn admin is the ideal way to make sure that your efforts are rewarded.
Provide Valuable Content
Chasing leads on LinkedIn is definitely a worthwhile tactic, but you can also make sure that people come to you by offering them something which captures their interest.
You have a number of options for how to achieve this, the first of which is to add valuable content to your own profile, which can in turn be shared and distributed by those in your network and beyond. Making sure that this is relevant to your field and industry will ensure that it has the highest impact and the greatest chance of generating leads.
Another solution is to either join an existing group or create one of your own from scratch, giving you another place to post and share content that willhttps://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/best-practices--content-marketing/2016/new-linkedin-research-reveals-how-to-create-engaging-content have similar benefits to those already described.
If your content is compelling enough, then it may even reach viral status, although this should not be your main goal when creating it. Also brevity is one of the most important assets of content on LinkedIn, so keep that in mind.Do Not Be Afraid To Engage
LinkedIn is unambiguously aimed at helping business people connect with one another, so there is no need to be shy when it comes to following up on potential leads; indeed this is arguably the entire point of the platform.
It is always a good idea to avoid being overly enthusiastic or aggressively sales-focused in your early interactions with any prospect, but equally you need to be confident enough to make the first step and engage proactively, rather than being entirely passive.
Over time your experience with LinkedIn will help with lead generation, so get stuck in rather than sitting back and waiting. If your looking for more ideas on how to make money with Linked check out our ultimate list of 45 ways to make money with Linkedin.
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂