Three Tips for Using Linkedin for your B2B Business Networking

I have slowly become a huge fan of Linkedin , using this business networking site for the majority of my lead nuturing.  I now work in a new market where my existing contacts aren't particularly helpful, other than for possible referrals.  Linkedin now has  become an invaluable tool for me to reveal the decision makers I need to connect with within national organizations.  It has also helped teach me what roles beneath the C level are influencers in decision making. 

I thought I would share this observation from a fellow B2B marketer on the subject.  I am glad I am not the only one who obsessively follows the same procedures, looking for that next big lead!

3 Quick Tips – Using LinkedIn for Sales and Inbound Marketing

Roman Kniahynyckyj

If you view LinkedIn as only a business networking tool rather than a lead research and nurturing tool, you might be missing out on some sales opportunities. Here are three things I do on a regular basis to make sure my LinkedIn profile is fresh and “sales ready.”

 

1. Update your LinkedIn status daily – you can do this either manually or through an automated feed to a blog you write or follow. I do a little of both. I use dlvr.it to publish each new Kuno blog post to my LinkedIn profile. I also use Hootsuite to manually publish article links that I find relevant or interesting.
2. Ask to be part of someone’s network (not the other way around) – The standard connection verbiage LinkedIn uses is “I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” That seems a little backward to me. When I connect with folks on LinkedIn, I always ask to be part of their network. I always view the potential value of someone else network as greater than the value of mine. If someone makes me a part of their network, I see it as a privilege.
3. Who’s looking at you – From your LinkedIn home page, you can click on a link to see who’s viewed your profile (left hand side, middle of the page). Check this regularly – you may see the sales prospect you have been nurturing has reviewed your profile – and it may be a good trigger for a follow up call. Moreover, be sure to consider LinkedIn profiles in their entire context. Why is your potential client in a particular industry or position? Was it a conscious career choice or an unplanned trajectory? What is the overall theme of their career? I’ve recently been working with someone who is passionate about sustainability and water policy and, upon reading her LinkedIn profile, I saw how she successfully aligned her passions with her career growth.

What LinkedIn tips can you share? Looking for more LinkedIn help? Check out our other LinkedIn resources.