There are many ways to generate more leads from your LinkedIn network especially utilizing some of the newest platform updates.
There is more to leveraging your network for leads than cold messaging without a lead in. Working the network you have can be a much shorter sales cycle thus producing faster results.
Here are 4 ways to generate more leads, bring you more top of mind status all while building your credibility within your network.
1. Learn Who is Following You
If you have switched your profile over to Creator Mode and people are now ‘following’ you vs connecting with you, there is an opportunity to find out who these people are and learn more about them.
- Go to MY NETWORK on the navigation bar
- Click on the left side bar PEOPLE I FOLLOW
- At the top look for FOLLOWERS – click to view the people who have chosen to follow you
They followed you for a reason, so review their profile and see if they are someone you might want to send an invitation request and learn more about.
These could be great prospects for your business!
You can choose to +Follow the person back, if you have a premium account, you can send them an in-mail and start a conversation or you can send them a connection request if you have decided this person would be a great addition to your network.
2. 4 Ways to Use the Bell Notification
One of the newer features is the ‘notification bell’ where you can click to be notified when someone you like creates a post. So, if there is someone’s posts/content you find particularly helpful, then by clicking on the bell you will receive a notification of their next post.
If the person is someone in your industry and they post relevant content, perhaps this will save you time from researching news that someone else is already reporting.
Second, you might want to follow the posts of a client so you can engage with their posts letting them know they are seen by you. This is simply a great strategy for supporting your existing clients.
The third strategy is to follow the content of someone you want to stay top of mind with. Perhaps it is a prospect and as you start to engage with their posts in a thoughtful way, it now brings you to the attention of that person.
Fourth, if you post content consistently and it is well received, notify your email list and let them know how to not miss any of your content by clicking on the bell. When you educate others on features they didn’t know about (like I am with you right now!) you are giving them more access to you and your thought-leadership.
You do NOT have to be connected to someone to receive notifications of their content. Once you click on the bell icon, you will see a message appear in the bottom left corner of your screen that says “You’ll be notified of all new posts from Joanne” – so please click on my bell and see how it work!
3. Ask for Referrals
Be conscious of the network you are building on LinkedIn & elsewhere
Getting a referral removes a lot of the decision-making risk from the consumer.
Nurturing a network that knows how to refer you can generate many leads, so choose your network carefully and know who would be a good referral partner in your network. As you reach out, think first about ways you can make the relationship valuable to them, not just you.
Nurture Past Customers
By staying top of mind with past clients who were so overjoyed by their experience with you,
will probably refer somebody who is more likely at least to be in an ideal customer as well.
– Email follow-up information that can continue to support past clients
– Create a system to check back in with them in regular intervals just to see how they are doing
Don’t assume people know how to refer you
Beyond past customers, don’t assume other colleagues and even friends know how to refer you.
It is best to teach them and craft a sentence or two you could send a referral partner on how you would like to be referred. The quality of leads increases dramatically.
Get in the habit of asking for referrals
Many people fear asking someone for a referral – time to get over that.
At the conclusion of every sale, you might ask your client “Is there anyone in your network that you think could benefit from my services? If so, I’d appreciate an introduction. Or would you mind making an introduction?
4. Promote Virtual Events
Events such as webinars can position your expertise and elevate your credibility while getting your message in front of many people at one time.
LinkedIn has made it simple to promote events and invite your network to attend. There are a couple of ways to promote your content.
- LinkedIn Live
As I mentioned in a previous blog post, if you have selected ‘creator mode’ in your profile you have access to LinkedIn Live which allows you to schedule a video production and invite your network to receive notification when you are going live. You may be familiar with live video from Facebook Live which has been in use for many years now. - LinkedIn Live Broadcast
As LinkedIn states, being an active part of the conversation at an event can help you make new connections, bolster your professional brand and inspire peers. In our new experience, you can participate in the live conversation by raising your hand and joining the speakers, “on stage” to help direct and add to the discussion. - Create & share online & offline events
LinkedIn Events feature helps you organize online and offline events. As a LinkedIn member, you can create an Event, add details regarding the theme and itinerary, and invite other members to join. You can choose to create the Event from your LinkedIn profile or from the Page where you’re the admin.
From your HOME tab on the top of the navigation bar, you will see in the example below on my side bar shows all past events I have created and a + sign to click and open a new event template.
When you open create an event, the template shown below opens and you can complete each section for your event. Many people are holding webinars on Zoom or other offline platforms which is fine, I recommend in the first line of the ABOUT section you let people know they do need to register at: (link to your offline registration page). Otherwise, people will simply click on yes they will attend but not officially be registered on your registration link.
To ensure those people who have said yes they will attend, I suggest you open the networking tab every day you are promoting your event and send a message to each person thanking them for their interest in your webinar and remind them in order to get the login credentials to your webinar they do need to register and then provide the link.
Yes, it does take multiple steps, but it is worth the effort because of the potential exposure you can get from the right people in your network that could attend your webinar.
Conclusion
Are you using any of these four strategies and features to drive more opportunities and leads?
A LinkedIn marketing strategy is a must if your ideal clients are active on LinkedIn. If you do create content consistently you may want to turn on the ‘Creator Mode’ feature which I wrote about in this article.
You may also want to review my blog post: 5 Ways to Gain More Exposure and Sell More Services
Both of these articles offer specific’s to LinkedIn Marketing that gains the most reach in the newsfeed, but adding value is up to you.