LinkedIn is like the secret sauce of social media lead generation that you can leverage to meet your business goals!
You can search for your ideal connections, communicate directly with them by engaging with their status updates, group discussions and company updates. Developing relationships requires consistent attention and can produce big results. Roll it into your LinkedIn strategy. Maximize and leverage your LinkedIn Profile to stay top of mind with your connections. One place I recommend that everyone starts is with optimizing your LinkedIn profile.
Below are ten top tips that will help you stay top of mind in your LinkedIn network.
10 Ways to Leverage LinkedIn to Stay Top of Mind
Read our 10 Tips to Leverage LinkedIn and gain new wins in lead generation from your LinkedIn network.
1. When you invite people to your network be sure to always tell them why you want to connect and never send the default invitation. This starts building the relationship in a positive way that the invitee is more likely to welcome more conversation with you in the future. People remember those who take the time to write personalized notes.
2. Make an effort each week to follow-up with a minimum of 5-10 people who are already contacts in your network. Circle back around and let them know that you are reaching out to touch base, and ask them how you can be a valuable connection to them and their network.
3. Pay attention to any status updates posted. If you have specific people you are trying to nurture a relationship with, then write a comment with the idea of creating a conversation around the comment. By asking a question in reply they are likely to respond back keeping the exchange going. Clicking the “like” button under a post will never get you the same results!
4. Be committed to post 2-3 status updates per day that offer relevant content to your connections. If you are posting curated content be sure to add your comment in the status update as to what you find valuable in the content you are sharing. When your connections continue to see you posting regularly with good content, you be elevate your image and expertise to your network.
5. Choose several key groups to be active in. Being active means starting discussions that are interesting with topics that will engage the members of the group. Self-promoting your blog posts often do not accomplish this. Ask the group a question that will solicit some type of response and then be sure to reply to all comments. By asking for opinions and feedback you show interest in what others have to say. Again, clicking the ‘like’ button under a post does not elevate your presence.
6. Move the relationship off line by inviting someone to meet with you. Again adopt the strategy of specifically letting the person know why you want to meet and what you hope to accomplish with the meeting. Simply asking busy people out for a cup of coffee isn’t enough!
7. Create content that offers value and give it away for free! By offering a free PDF or Slide Share in the media sections of your profile where you can share your expertise is a great tool to stay top of mind with your network. Create a status update letting people know where they can get your free information.
8. If you regularly produce content such as to a blog, then I encourage you to check out the new LinkedIn Publishing Platform. This gives you the opportunity to share your good content offering added value to your network and beyond. By being consistent and relevant you will stay top of mind with your network and those who are anxious to read what you have to say.
9. Mentioning someone in a status update by tagging their name in a post is a great way to stay top of mind as long as you use this in a relevant way. We all pay attention to when our name is mentioned – right?
10. Thank people when they endorse your skills, this is a great opportunity to stay top of mind! Everyone enjoys feeling appreciated. When another member has taken the time to view and profile and endorse you, don’t let the accolade go un-thanked. It is great to let others know that you value and appreciate the favor and recognition.
Give viewers more to take in that just describing the job skills your want to show. Craft your “perfect” LinkedIn profile. Then, get to know your network better to best decipher opportunities. I can help you create the profile to read like a rock-star bio. This will make it easier for your connections on LinkedIn to give you ideal suggestions that fit your interests and skill set. With an “ideal” profile, others will actually be able to visualize you as a person who embodies the qualities they are looking for.
Also, when conducting candidate searches on LinkedIn, many of the people you identify as good prospects may not be actively engaged in job search. Recruiters and staffing professionals should always try to connect with these people anyway. The objective is to develop a list of target candidates over time, and follow their profile so you will be aware of when things change for them.
But it takes more than a profile presence to prove your unique value. LinkedIn has over 130 million profiles. You need to separate yours from the crowd. ~ bond.us.com
How do you stay top of mind with your LinkedIn network? Please share your ideas below.
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Learn About Lead Generation on LinkedIn
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10 Ways to Leverage LinkedIn to Stay Top of Mind
LinkedIn: secret sauce of social media lead generation
Author: JoAnne Funch,
Owner of LinkedIn for Business
November 16, 2013;
Updated: December 18, 2015
Leverage LinkedIn to meet your business goals! You can search for your ideal connections, communicate directly with them by engaging with their status updates, group discussions and company updates. Developing relationships requires consistent attention and can produce big results.
4 Responses
I try to be as authentic online as I am offline and let the real me come through. In addition to the 10 wonderful tips that you mentioned in your post to maintain visibility,JoAnne, my personal favorite is to keep an eye on the network updates that I receive daily and send greetings for birthdays and congratulations for new jobs, promotions and anniversaries. It’s a great way to get the conversation started again other than the Christmas and New Year greetings that I send every year end. It’s the thought that counts.
Thank you Vatsala for your comment. I agree with you that taking the time to acknowledge people’s birthday’s, promotions and anniversaries demonstrate that you are paying attention and care!
Thanks for the reminder to stay in touch with people in your network on a consistent basis. It is all too easy to neglect existing contacts while you work on expanding your network. LinkedIn is making this easier with birthday and other notifications.
Stan, thanks for your comment. When I ask most people how they stay top of mind with their current connections usually I am met with a blank stare because people simply don’t do more than collect names, which has no long term value.