Stop wasting time and missing out on business with these 3 LinkedIn tips.
What I have learned in the time I have owned my business is that there are a lot of days that it feels like I have my my own circus act spinning plates. Making sure that I keep all the moving parts of my business spinning so as to not drop one.
The plates in this case can be client work, business development, graphic design, digital and content marketing, accounting, branding, strategy and so on. Some I enjoy and others not so much, either way they all need to be kept in the air.
When my small business clients reach out to me nine times out of ten it’s because the LinkedIn content marketing plate has smashed to pieces. The common opening line is “Michelle, I know I should but…” Most common answer is I don’t have time.
Which I can 100% relate to. But here’s the catch. If your ideal client is on LinkedIn and you neglect this, very soon you will have a gaping hole in your pipeline. No new business leads coming through at some point will spell disaster. I’m going to make the assumption that cold calling for 99.99% of the population is not their preferred fall back option.
If you are hoping for the quick fix, the short cut, the over promise and under deliver then I’m not the right trainer for your business. MJR
Tip 1 – Stop Wandering Around LinkedIn Aimlessly
The fastest way to waste time on LinkedIn is to not go in with a clear game plan. Logging on and posting each day is not the same things as a considered strategy. Before you start posting anything you are going to want to ensure you have –
- Clear branding strategy for you personally and your company. Where are you going to position your products or services? What is your niche? Who is your ideal client?
- Alignment of your business goals with your LinkedIn strategy.
Clarity around your target audience will drive your content with laser sharp focus. It will guide all that you create, curate and comment.
Tip 2 – Run as fast as you can from engagement pods and automation tools.
When you feel overwhelmed the shining promises of automation and engagement pods can be hard to resist. Automation tools make it all seem so easy you can do it in your sleep. Engagement pods, paid or otherwise, are groups of people out to game LinkedIn by co-ordinating fake responses in a quick period of time on LinkedIn posts.
Both are 100% against the LinkedIn User Agreement. Both put your account at risk of temporary or permanent suspension.
Having lots of new connections that aren’t targeted, that you can’t build relationships with is nothing but a huge waste of your time. Engagement from people not in your target audience launches you a million miles an hour in the wrong direction. You guessed it. At some point you have to turn around and come back.
Not only this, you destroy your credibility, break all digital trust and this can be beyond repair.
Slow down, aim for quality over quantity and build a smaller number of relationships built on trust. LinkedIn isn’t Business Tinder. If in doubt, go back to tip 1 to further refine your audience and tighten your niche.
Tip 3 – Focus on your business, potential clients and industry – not LinkedIn.
As a LinkedIn trainer I eat, sleep (although some people may think I don’t) and breathe LinkedIn so that you don’t have to. I have used LinkedIn daily for the best part of eight years, as well as managing many different company pages across different industries and have an extensive network of LinkedIn trainers and industry experts I collaborate with.
It’s this hands on approach that allows me to stay up to date with new features for LinkedIn Profiles and Pages, algorithm changes, LinkedIn etiquette (yep it’s a thing), home feed optimisation.
As a business owner you should have a deep focus on your industry, existing clients and growing your business and not waste time trying to also be a LinkedIn expert. The simple answer is LinkedIn training.
Yes I absolutely have a vested interest in more business owners doing LinkedIn training with Good Trading Co. That doesn’t make this point wrong. Too many business owners fumble away addicted to likes but not attracting business opportunities.
Stop wasting your time trying to work it all out. I’ve already done it and can train you in LinkedIn best practices. Two hours with me will save you a hundred times this in the future.
Michelle J Raymond is the Chief LinkedIn Strategist at her company B2B Growth Co and a founding member of the LinkedIn Small Business Advisory Council for LinkedIn Pages. Michelle specialises in helping small to medium business owners make a real impact in business. As a leading global authority on LinkedIn Pages, her passion is to change the world by doing good business with good people.
Write a Comment