Mar 08, 2016 Written by Guest
Getting the most out of LinkedIn extends beyond just making connections. Think of your LinkedIn as a true networking tool where you can participate from your laptop or mobile device. If you go to a networking event and then never follow-up, engage in any additional events or discussions, you will be forgotten after your business card lands in someone's pocket.
If you are not comfortable making connections on LinkedIn, visit my previous blog on generating leads on LinkedIn. If you are making connections and sending follow-up messages, take the next steps to engage with your contacts through LinkedIn Posts.
If you are not comfortable making connections on LinkedIn, visit my previous blog on generating leads on LinkedIn. If you are making connections and sending follow-up messages, take the next steps to engage with your contacts through LinkedIn Posts.
1. Post Your Own Content
Be a Thought Leader and share content. If you write blogs that are helpful and insightful to your target market (not just a sales pitch), share those blogs from your website to LinkedIn.
If you want to get even more traction, post the article to your profile. Just above the Summary section on your profile is a button that says "Publish Post." There is an area to upload a photo, add a description, write the content and finally add up to three tags. Tags are the words people would use to find the article (i.e. LinkedIn, Social Media, Content Marketing).
You can choose to add a long or a short article. You can even choose to add part of your article and add a hyperlink to the full article located on your website.
LinkedIn also allows to you save the post for later or publish the post immediately.
If you get enough shares, likes and views your blog may appear in the LinkedIn Pulse. When this happens you get even more exposure.
2. Extend your audience with Groups
LinkedIn allows you to be a part of 50 groups. Not long ago joining groups was fairly easy, now you almost need to be invited. However, if the group makes sense for you to join the administrator will likely let you join.
You can share your posts in groups. I like to add a compelling question that relates to the blog and get feedback from the group (Do you publish posts regularly on LinkedIn?) The goal is to get people to start a conversation.
This is a great way to reach beyond your current network, because you don't have to be connected to someone for them to see your post. You only need to be in the same group. If someone from that group comments, likes or shares, your post can be seen by their connections, and so on.
To get people to engage with you in Groups, you should participate as well on other people's posts. It's not exactly a Like for a Like, but it definitely helps. Plus your comments are seen by the group, so add your own helpful insights.
3. Share with Individuals
If you publish or share a posts that you think will be especially helpful to one person or several people, share your post with them directly. You can even write a message like, "I know you were wanting to know how to use LinkedIn more effectively, so I thought you would enjoy this post."
From a marketing strategy perspective, there are four reasons why should you post thought leadership to your LinkedIn profile.
1. Demonstrate yourself as a thought leader
2. Expand your exposure to those outside your connections
3. Open up dialog
4. Stay top of mind with your target market
What my clients tell me is that when we post a blog that really hits a pain point or interest of their target market, they are able to more easily engage in a conversation and reconnect with past connections, clients and prospects. This is just one more touch point to stay engaged with your target market.
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