When you first start using LinkedIn, it can be overwhelming. There are so many things to keep track of your profile, your network, your feed and there’s the additional pressure of knowing what you’re doing is a part of your business strategy.
But don’t worry. In this course, we’ll take you through all the steps necessary to generate your first 10 leads on LinkedIn. We’ll talk about how to craft your account so that it’s attractive to potential clients and how to build a network that actually helps you grow as a professional. We’ve even included tips on how to build relationships on- and off-line that drive people back to your LinkedIn page and help you generate even more leads.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for generating leads and building business relationships. |
| Optimizing your LinkedIn profile and regularly engaging with your network can increase your chances of generating leads. |
| Using LinkedIn’s advanced search and advertising features can help you target specific audiences and industries. |
| Creating and sharing high-quality content on LinkedIn can establish you as an industry thought leader and attract potential leads. |
| Personalizing your outreach and building genuine connections with your prospects can lead to more successful conversions. |
1. Grow Your Network
Generating leads on LinkedIn is all about having a strong network and building relationships with them. Your network will serve as the foundation of your lead generation efforts and can be tapped at key moments when you need to generate more leads or reach out to a specific person.
Having a large network is also important because it will help your content reach the right people. When you publish useful content that educates your audience and provides value, your connections (and their connections) will share it with others in their networks and help you expand your reach. This allows you to gain exposure for yourself and your business, build new relationships with prospective customers, and open yourself up to opportunities from people outside of your immediate network who are interested in what you have to offer.
To grow your network on LinkedIn, start by connecting with everyone in your company. You can easily do this by clicking “Find & Invite” on the top left of the homepage under “My Network.” Then select “Search All Companies” at the bottom of the dropdown menu and type in your name of yours or browse through suggested results until you find it, click on it when it appears among search results (the first one should be yours), then click “See all” next to any names that appear underneath.
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2. Optimize Your Profile
Write a headline that stands out. You have 120 characters to make an impression here, so use them wisely. Something like “Digital Marketing Expert” or “Content Writer for Hire” won’t get you far, because anyone can put something similar in their profile. Instead, try using the headline as a way to advertise something unique about yourself, or your skillset: “I’ve Generated $30M+ in Leads on LinkedIn” or “Expert Content Creator and Digital Marketer 1,000 Articles Published.”
Another great place to showcase what makes you stand out? Your summary section. Here’s where you can talk about your background, the type of work you enjoy doing most and why, and why someone should hire you instead of someone else. Use numbers (e.g. I’ve worked with over 50 clients) and data-backed information to support what you’re saying (e.g. 75% of my clients say they see positive ROI from my campaigns).
3. Join Groups
Join groups. LinkedIn Groups are an excellent way to find prospects and grow your network, but they’re not just there for the taking. Groups aren’t worth much if you join them all willy-nilly. You want to make sure you join groups that are relevant and specific to your target niche. Look for groups where your prospects or customers might be gathering online, and take note of what they’re talking about and what questions they’re asking.
If you’re not sure which groups to join, ask! One of the best ways to learn more about which groups you should be in is by asking your existing customers or members which ones they belong to. Not only will this save you some time in making a decision, but it will also give you some insight into how these people think, information that can help inform other decisions down the line (e.g., things like marketing campaigns, sales messages, etc.).
4. Post Updates
Your LinkedIn profile is not a stale collection of information about your career history and personal interests. To be effective, it must also be a dynamic portal to new opportunities. By continually posting updates on your newsfeed, your profile will demonstrate that you are an active participant in the LinkedIn network.
As you decide what kind of content to share with this audience, keep in mind that another person’s time is valuable and you need to respect that. As well, don’t treat them as people who only want to hear about you or your company. You should be sharing something that they are genuinely interested in reading a piece of information or resource they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
The good news is that posts do not need to belong or elaborate at all; a simple link and brief description will suffice (and save everyone involved some precious time). Just make sure it’s relevant to other members’ professional interests, as they may unfollow you if they think you’re spamming them with advertisements or unwanted solicitations.
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5. Demonstrate Your Expertise With Long-Form Posts
A long-form post allows you to show off your depth of knowledge on a certain subject. These posts show up in the newsfeed, but they can also be found by clicking on an author’s name and scrolling down to see “Articles and activity.” This is a great place for you to have a library of your best work. When people click on this part of your profile, they’re usually looking for deeper insights into who you are and what you do.
This is not the place for quick tips or life hacks in 280 characters or less. You want to give people something valuable that will take them longer than ten seconds to read because it has some substance behind it. Use these long-form posts sparingly (once every couple of months), but when you do post something here, make sure it’s good quality content!
6. Focus On What You Can Do For Them
Your message should be personal. People are more likely to respond to a message that’s written just for them, so make it clear that you’re not sending the same message to everyone on your list. Mention something specific about them or their business it will catch their eye and help you stand out from other messages they may receive.
As opposed to asking if they have time for a call, ask what’s a good time for you to reach out and introduce yourself. Be sure there’s something in it for them: What can you do for this person? Focus on how you can help them solve a problem instead of how their business can help yours (at least at first).
Don’t promise anything unless you’re going to follow through on it and quickly! If you say someone will get back to them with information within 24 hours, make sure that happens or risk losing any credibility that your original message helped create.
Put yourself in the prospect’s shoes: no one is excited by an email or phone call from someone he doesn’t know who immediately starts talking about himself; we’re all much more interested in what someone else thinks about us, so focus on your listener before focusing on yourself.
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7. Use Linkedin Advertising
Now that you know the basics of LinkedIn’s targeting and content features, it’s time to discuss how to integrate these components into a cohesive ad. One of the easiest places to start is by thinking about one goal for each ad campaign: do you want to drive awareness? Generate leads? Close deals?.
Each has its own best practice guidelines, but generally speaking, make sure your ads are geared toward the goal, don’t try to force an awareness campaign if your real intent is lead generation. Also, be sure to make it clear what you want people to do: give them a call-to-action (CTA) button instead of just text alone. It’s a simple step that can boost engagement significantly.
Once you’re ready with your goals and CTA, use A/B testing on different ads repeatedly until one stands out as being most effective than focusing all your efforts on that one particular ad! You’ll get the most bang for your buck by honing in on an ad that works rather than trying out lots of different ones at once.
8. Do A Little Research Before Reaching Out
LinkedIn is a great tool for networking and personal development, but in order to get the most out of your experience, you need to know who you’re talking to. I don’t want to sound like an uncaring advisor, but before you invite people over for coffee or strike up an email conversation with a stranger, make sure you know what their business does. LinkedIn has all kinds of features that can help you find out more information about someone’s background and specificities.
For example, if you’re interested in learning more about a particular industry or profession, the LinkedIn Answers feature can give you insight into the daily lives of people like yourself. The Questions section is probably the best place to start looking into some keywords related to your interests after all, we’ve all had our own hangups about topics in one way or another.
Another great resource is searching around on their profile page you’d be surprised how much useful information people might share about themselves if they’ve done any kind of research on how to present that info on LinkedIn. Some might simply include their contact info and job title; others could elaborate on their strengths and weaknesses and include links to blog posts that explain why people would be interested in hiring them…even though these posts may not even be accurate representations of their actual work.
The key thing here is trying not to come across as creepy or predatory when asking questions online. You’ll find it easier if you feel comfortable enough with this person that they’re willing to ask questions first (generally speaking). Who knows? They may have seen your profile too!
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9. Reach Out Over Linkedin, Not Email
LinkedIn is more than a digital resume. It’s an opportunity to show off your personality, your expertise, and your value in ways that aren’t possible on a traditional resume. It’s also a great place to make connections and find job opportunities. You can even follow influencers in your industry or check out the latest job postings from companies you want to work with.
For salespeople, LinkedIn is an easy way to find clients and build relationships with them before you ever reach out over email or pick up the phone. Remember: people trust recommendations from someone they know, so if you have mutual connections with one of your leads, be sure to mention them when reaching out.
Whether you’re new to selling or just new to LinkedIn for sales prospecting, use these tips as a guide for leveraging this professional network in order to generate more leads for yourself and get ahead of the competition!
10. Make Your Offer As Easy To Accept As Possible
Now that you have a list of leads to contact, don’t go running into them with your pitch right away. Remember, most content consumers aren’t looking for a sales pitch; you should be positioning yourself as a trusted resource first.
Make your offer as easy to accept as possible. The best way to do this is by making it sound like the recipient isn’t missing out on anything if she doesn’t accept your offer, but is rather gaining something extra like free information or advice if she does accept your offer.
When reaching out with an introductory email or message, explain what value you can provide and why they should trust you. Otherwise, they won’t have any reason to respond and won’t be incentivized to care about what you’re offering them.
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Wrapping Up
By the end of this article, you’ve learned how (and why) to create a winning LinkedIn profile, how to craft outreach messages that get you a response, and how to qualify your leads so that they’re primed for conversion. You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to grow your network on LinkedIn when you know what to do.
Before we wrap up, let’s review some key takeaways: The best LinkedIn profiles are rich with information about your professional experience, projects you’ve done, and skills that set you apart from the competition. Use keywords in your profile so that potential clients can find you via search engine results.
When reaching out to people on Linkedin who aren’t already in your network, focus on why working together would benefit them; avoid generic templates, and make personalized connections whenever possible
Further Reading
How to Generate Leads on LinkedIn: A Practical Guide – This article by Neil Patel provides actionable tips for generating leads on LinkedIn, including optimizing your profile, joining groups, and creating valuable content.
12 Ways to Generate B2B Leads on LinkedIn – Mayur Vyas shares 12 effective strategies for generating B2B leads on LinkedIn, such as using advanced search, engaging with your network, and leveraging LinkedIn Ads.
How to Generate Leads on LinkedIn: 6 Steps to Success – This article by HubSpot breaks down the process of generating leads on LinkedIn into six actionable steps, including optimizing your profile, building a targeted audience, and creating engaging content.
FAQs
How do I generate leads on LinkedIn?
Generating leads on LinkedIn requires a targeted approach that involves optimizing your profile, building a relevant network, creating valuable content, and engaging with your audience. Some effective strategies include using advanced search to find prospects, leveraging LinkedIn Ads, and joining groups related to your industry.
How do I optimize my LinkedIn profile for lead generation?
To optimize your LinkedIn profile for lead generation, make sure to include a clear and compelling headline, a professional profile photo, and a summary that highlights your expertise and value proposition. You should also showcase your skills and experience, and include relevant keywords that will make it easier for prospects to find you.
How do I build a relevant network on LinkedIn?
Building a relevant network on LinkedIn involves connecting with people who are likely to be interested in your products or services. You can start by reaching out to people in your industry, joining groups, and engaging with your existing network. You should also personalize your connection requests and follow up with prospects regularly.
How do I create engaging content on LinkedIn?
Creating engaging content on LinkedIn involves sharing valuable insights, industry news, and thought leadership content that resonates with your target audience. You can also experiment with different types of content, such as videos, infographics, and blog posts, and use LinkedIn Analytics to measure the performance of your content.
How do I measure the effectiveness of my LinkedIn lead generation strategy?
To measure the effectiveness of your LinkedIn lead generation strategy, you can track metrics such as profile views, connection requests, engagement rates, and conversions. You should also experiment with different tactics and analyze the results to see what works best for your business.
What Lead Generation Is And How To Get Started?
Lead generation is the process of attracting and converting strangers and prospects into someone who has indicated an interest in your company’s product or service. It does this through a variety of tools (websites, landing pages, social media, content offers) and techniques (SEO, blogging). When done right, LinkedIn lead generation can be a powerful tool for you to use.
How Do I Generate Leads On Linkedin?
This depends on who your target audience is and what they need from you. For example: if they want to learn more about a topic related to your industry, then creating content that addresses their questions would be the best way for them to get information quickly without having any interaction with salespeople at all which means less pressure for everyone involved!
How Do I Get Leads On Linkedin?
There are many ways to generate qualified marketing leads through online channels like social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter; however, one method that has proven particularly effective over time involves using organic search engine optimization (SEO) tactics in combination with paid advertising campaigns targeted towards specific keywords relevant only when people search Google/Bing/Yahoo etcetera – but not so much anymore these days because it’s not as effective.
How Do I Get More Clients On Linkedin?
A salesperson must be a great listener before he or she can earn the trust of a prospect. By asking powerful questions, you’ll position yourself as someone who is genuinely interested in your prospect’s needs and can help address them. That expert advice could be just what the prospect needs to believe in you enough to close a deal.
How Do I Get More Clients?
On average, a professional networker will generate about 1% of all their business from social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. To make that number work for you, you should try connecting with as many people as possible without worrying too much about quality. At this stage, you’ll want to vet these prospects later, when they’re more likely to become your client.
How Can I Find Questions To Answer?
You can find questions by using the search bar on LinkedIn or by going through the most popular topics on the site, which are located under the “More” tab at the top right of your screen.
How Often Should I Answer Questions?
You should answer questions as often as possible, ideally once per day or every other day. If you’re pressed for time, focus on answering only one or two questions each day until your answers start getting more views and likes than not responding at all would have gotten you (this could take up to a week). After that, try setting a goal of answering five questions per day!
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.