making a success of linkedin · • share useful content and links (use pulse to help) •...

LinkedIn…how to get started and use for lead generation and business development.

Liz Barnes BSc, Cert Ed, DipM, FCIM, Chartered [email protected], 01273 834434 07766 623692

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Making a Success of LinkedInLiz Barnes – [email protected]

“Effective business networkers say that 90% of new

business is achieved through networking and word-of-

mouth referrals.”1

“Referrals generate about 80%

more results than a cold call.”2

Agenda• Why LinkedIn? Facts and figures

• Getting your LinkedIn profile to ‘All Star’

• Authentic networking and building relationship

• How to build yours and your Company profile

• How to build your network

• Using status updates

• How to give and get recommendations & endorsements

• Joining groups and contributing

• Using advanced search

• Raising your profile

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Facts and figures

• More than 300 Million users

• 41% of LinkedIn visits are via mobile devices

• 2.1 million LinkedIn Groups

• Executives from ALL Fortune 500 Companies registeredon LinkedIn!

• LinkedIn is now valued at over $7.5 billion

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Usage – frequency and time spent

68% of people access LinkedIn weekly

Average time spent on site is 17 mins



Community and TLC Social networks are all about:

• Relationships

• Conversation

• Sharing

• Building friendships / trust

• Being authentic

• Demonstrating credibility

• Interesting people

• New ideas and learning stuff

• NOT shouting, selling, coercing, bribing

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TRUST LIKEABILITY CREDIBILITY

Listen, engage

but don’t sell

Why should you use LinkedIn?

• To build network of potential referrers, influencers and clients

• To identify new business opportunities

• To increase individuals’ profiles as expertsin their field

• To reinforce the profile and reputation of the firm

• To attract high calibre, new staff

• To develop relationships

• To keep up-to-date with the industry and competitors

• To build traffic to website (direct and search engine)

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4 key benefits of LinkedIn

2. Your activity keeps you front of mind with your connections (and your connections’ connections)

3. Provides forums for conversations about issues, opportunities and information

4. Your profile & company profile are indexed on LinkedIn & Google searches (+ answers & groups)

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1. People are more likely to check you out on LinkedIn than a website, often first via Google (LinkedIn profiles rank well due to relevance).

Your profile

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• Your gateway to your professional reputation



Your Profile / your persona

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• Compelling headline – 120 characters, descriptive, keywords

• Summary – write in 1st person

• Add photos and other media to demonstrate your credentials

• Customise your LinkedIn URL

• Projects, Languages, Courses, Publications, Volunteering

• Add, website, email and telephone number

‘All Star’ profile vital:Executive summary

PhotoEducation

Last 3 positions3 recommendations

Your company profile

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Status updates• Solve problems

• Share useful content and

links (use Pulse to help)

• Reference your relevant

business activity

• Share personally and as a

company

• Get staff to share / comment

on Company Posts

• Comment / ‘like’ / share

• Be authentic, respectful and

professional

11KNOW – LIKE - TRUST

Giving and receiving recommendations

• Give recommendations first – it shows willing

• Don’t go overboard and remember that your recommendation might be there a long time

• Never recommend people you don’t want to

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• Cultural norms are changing – it’s OK to ask for a recommendation. Most people are delighted to oblige

• Tell people what you would like them to emphasise or suggest a few thoughts

• Return the favour



Endorse skills

• Take care with LI suggestions

• Endorse individuals from their profile page

• You can add other skills

• Thank those who endorse you

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• Endorse people in your network

Q. Why is recommending and

endorsing good for business?

Build your network• Search for individuals and then ‘connect’. May need email address

• ‘Get Introduced Through a Connection’.

• Send an InMail (paid-for account)

• Regularly review ‘People you may know’

• Join Groups, then review their membership for new contacts

• ‘Tag’ (classify) your connections for easier review

• Send message(s) to your connections

• Hook up on LinkedIn straight after face to face meeting and share helpful content, suggest groups etc

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Groups• Use the Directory for Groups to find suitable ones. LinkedIn will also

recommend them (Groups you may like)

• Join Groups – where your target audience hang out– Listen to, then engage with discussions– Invite people to connect and build relationship around shared ideas– Demonstrate your expertise but don’t patronise– Share suitable content– Don’t try to sell – most groups won’t allow it anyway.

• Manage the digests (default is daily!!)

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• Check out Group Profile and Group Statistics showing number of members, demographics (seniority, function, location, industry), growth

Group statistics

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Thank you for your timeLet others know how to find you

Do hook up with us on LinkedIn

• uk.linkedin.com/in/wesleyearp

• @preview_says

• uk.linkedin.com/in/lizzbarnes/

• @EnvocaUK

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Creative strategy and marketing tactics - on and offline activities

Business acumen to drive sales through planned marketing

• Brand building

• Digital communication and Email marketing

• E-commerce

• Graphic design

• Sector specialisms: travel, recruitment, education, professional services, engineering

services, engineering

www.preview.co.uk

Founded in 1994

• Web design and build

• Marketing strategy and research

• Marketing plans and campaigns

• Marketing training



Search function• Standard search box

People Jobs Company

Groups Universities Inbox Articles

• Advanced ‘people’ search by:

Keywords, name, title, company, school, location, country, postcode

Relationship (1st, 2nd etc), Location, Current Company, Industry, Past Company, School, Profile language, Nonprofit interests.

• Can save searches and have weekly email updates

• ‘Reference Search’ available for upgraded members only.

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Promote your LinkedIn activity• Email signatures (all staff)

• ‘Follow Us’ and ‘Share’ Buttons on all media incl website Blog, FB and LI

• All offline marketing collateral

• Provide links to tweets from Blog, FB, LI

• Email or web campaigns suggesting followership

• Blog about your discussions on LinkedIn and backlink

• Promote your status updates across other platforms

• Some companies use LinkedIn Direct Ads

• Remember to think about KEYWORDS

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Letting others

know what you can do is the best

way of generating

leads



Your Profile / your persona

• Individuals have profiles – companies can have pages if administrator has email domain

• Is the individual representing the company?

• Guidelines on what your employees can post.

• Encourage re-posting / commenting / liking of your company posts.

• 100% profile is vital:Executive summary Photo EducationLast 3 positions 3 recommendations

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The perfect match

What are you known for?

• Sector expertise

• Subject expertise

• Role expertise (leader, facilitator, completer finisher etc)

• Personality (benign dictator, tenacious)

What does your client target market value?

• Knowledge translated into insight

• Capability to move thinking forward

• Ability to add value

• Leading edge skills or methodologies

• Capacity to assimilate and communicate

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