LinkedIn is one of the most valuable social media platforms out there. But, a lot of businesses just aren’t sure how to make it work for them. At first glance, there is a lot going on. Businesses and individuals alike wonder where they should start and what they should do on the platform.
To find out the answers, we talked to someone who has a lot of experience growing and building her own LinkedIn page, as well as helping other individuals and businesses do the same.
Judi Fox hit three million video views in 2018 on LinkedIn and is passionate about creating opportunities and results for individuals and businesses using video and social selling strategies.
Judi is a sought after social media content strategist and speaker, with her recent appearances at Video Marketing World, VidSummit, and a frequent guest on marketing and entrepreneur podcasts.
A little bit about LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a 24/7 networking site, but the best part is that people are prepared to do business there already. “If you sum up all the platforms, that’s the one you’re there for networking and business,” Fox said.
But, that doesn’t mean LinkedIn is boring, though!
If you haven’t been on in a while, LinkedIn has a lot going on for it right now. It’s got videos, people are engaged, and there is even a pop-up messenger app. If you’re really looking for return-on-investment from business-to-business on a social platform, LinkedIn is where you need to be at least one of the platforms where you are spending time.
“The one really nice thing about the platform is that you can have a very small following, but reach so many people,” Fox said. “If it’s liked and commented enough by your first-degree connection, it’s going to push it out to second degree to third degree (connections).”
And, like that, reach will continue to expand. But, not only is LinkedIn great for pure reach there are also strategies that can help get seen by even more people.
But, the question is, where to begin? There are a couple options.
You could hang out on and in:
- Personal profiles
- Groups
- Company pages
While it would be ideal to use all of these, Fox said, she understands we don’t have all the time in the world.
So to start, it depends on who you are and where your growth is. “Small businesses need to have their company page,” Fox said. “And, they need to be active there.” This is especially true if their employees aren’t comfortable being on the front line of LinkedIn sharing content and stories.
If you’re a small business, spend time in that space updating your profile, getting reach, and taking advantage of all the different functionalities available to you. Share relevant articles, your own blog posts, and other bits of educational content. Follow other business and comment on their posts, share connections, and use it to be social with people.
If you’re an author, speaker, coach, or other one-person-show (or have just two to three employees), it might be more beneficial to build a brand page first within your personal profile, Fox said. From there you can grow your connections, engage with people personally, and build your brand. Once you have a good following, it’s time to start the company page and begin to convert people.
How to grow connections on LinkedIn
The art on how to take the next step on LinkedIn is all about how you engage with posts. It’s not enough to say, “Great post!” You need to be specific and follow their patterns to engage with them.
“If I’m trying to meet somebody new on the platform, I’m going to make sure to check on their content frequently,” Fox said. “When they post something, I like and comment.” If you have been doing so for a while, you can move on to a direct message and introduce yourself and describe why you’re loving their content. That’s it!
Importantly, Fox says don’t let this be your ask. Wait for the ask. That can mean waiting anywhere from two weeks to three months! “It depends on how influential and how big your ask is,” Fox said.
Summed up, the best method to growing connections is:
- To spend time engaging with the person
- Reach out personally and talk to them about what they’re doing on social media
- Continue to engage and converse with them on LinkedIn
- Wait to build the relationship before you ask them for anything
How to succeed on LinkedIn in 2019
While most people think the name of the game is content, the truth is that comments are a big winner. Comments on someone else’s video or blog shows up as content and you can actually get quite a bit of engagement on comments alone.
“I’ve actually seen someone comment get one hundred likes,” Fox said. “So, be aware that your comment is seen, and if it pops it can be content!”
Fox recommends that you pick 10 people, in your market or not that’s up to you, and work to engage with those people. Comment on their posts!
Next, you can start sharing your own content or content that is sourced from somewhere educational and helpful. Just like every other platform, come up with a good hook and try to get people to click on the see more button (no clickbait though).
Make sure your face is seen! Pick a good headshot (doesn’t have to be professional) that allows people to see your face. No hats, sunglasses, or other obstructions!
Fox also said to choose a great, branded hashtag that people will remember. Hers is #FoxRocks.
Another tip is to make sure all the “above-the-fold” content is relevant to whatever your highest return-on-investment offering or solution. Put your most important inbound lead at the top! Put it in your image, your bio, etc.
“If you can socially-sell from the top-down on your profile, you’re done!” Fox said.
And, lastly, never spam anybody!
Have you started using LinkedIn for your business? What have you found to be the most challenging part? Let us know and maybe we will choose it as our next topic!
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