6 LinkedIn Soundbites with ❤️...

... from Yours Truly - an ex-LinkedIn trainer who's been active on the platform for a decade.

kiss, kiss 😘

Let's get straight into 'em, hey?

1. DIGITAL FOR NETWORKING

Think about it:

If LinkedIn describes itself as ‘the world’s largest professional network’ - and it does - then LinkedIn is, essentially, 'digital for networking.'

In other words, LinkedIn is a 24/7 networking opportunity.

Now, I appreciate even the thought of 'networking' brings some of us out in hives - including me at times - but the opportunity LinkedIn affords us to converse and build rapport with other human beings all over the world should not be lost on us from a professional/business perspective.

⚪️ FACT: at least 90% of the business relationships I’ve built in the past decade started with a simple conversation on LinkedIn.

How does that work, you might ask?

Well, in my experience:

CONVERSATION builds RAPPORT

RAPPORT conceives TRUST and

TRUST creates OPPORTUNITIES

(unforced; very naturally)

How do I start a conversation?

The way I’ve always done it is by engaging with others’ posts. (Questions work particularly well, I find.) 

You’ll be surprised how quickly rapport can be built with others.

But it all starts with a conversation.

2. YOUR LINKEDIN SHOP WINDOW

Wherever you're at in your career or business, think of your LinkedIn profile as a shop window - a shop window where you can showcase all your problem-solving expertise to potential employers or clients.

And since we now have the capability to display PDF documents and videos on our profiles - as well as links to our website, etc. - we really should make the most of the opportunity to 'window dress.’

Why?

Because it’s increasingly likely that someone will ‘meet’ us online before they meet us in person. Consequently, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to make a great first impression with my LinkedIn profile.

Do you?

3. DIGITAL FLYERS

Sticking with the shop analogy, think of your content as flyers you've printed to attract potential customers to your shop.

In other words, posting content in the LinkedIn newsfeed is like handing out flyers on the high street.

But a word of caution: Content that seeks to sell directly rarely does well. I’ve found the best way to ‘sell’ with content is to tell stories which showcase my expertise as part of the story. One of my favourite ways to do this is to create an imaginary conversation between myself and a character modelled on an actual client. The reader can often relate to the client (because they face similar challenges) and can see that I have the expertise to help them overcome them, too.

But there’s no getting away from it. Creating good content is a skill and it can take years to hone. Just make a start is my advice. It gets easier and you'll learn what works and works less well as you go along.

4. VIRAL SCHMIRAL

The temptation with content is always to try and create something that’ll 'go viral.'

But, in my experience over the years, content designed to generate likes only does precisely that - it creates a whole lot of extra social media admin with little to no benefit in terms of business opportunities.

The type of content that creates opportunities? In my experience, tips and advice.

But it's a long game.

A few years ago, I received an enquiry by email: “Darrel, could you come in and discuss LinkedIn strategy for our business.” I visited a couple of days later, ready to pitch my wares (as you do). The person who’d emailed me shook my hand and said, “Hi, Darrel, I’ve been following your content for two years and am keen to work with you. As long as your costs fit within our marketing budget, I’m ready to start.”

TWO YEARS.

5. COLLECTING CONNECTIONS

Okay, this is just my opinion, but I think collecting connections is kinda pointless.

Look, I get the thinking: 'the more connections, the more exposure.'

But it really doesn't work like that on a platform that's policed by an algorithm.

My advice (should you choose to accept it): It's better to focus on creating valuable content and letting your network grow organically as genuine fans rather than chasing connections just for the sake of having a large 'network' of strangers (who might never see your content anyway due to the algorithm).

(Oh, and another thing to remember while we're at it: Most LinkedIn users hate being on the receiving end of the classic ‘connect to pitch combo.’ If you want to reach LinkedIn users that are potential clients, there are far better ways to do it than connecting and then immediately pitching your services. Remember, LinkedIn is a networking opportunity. If you wouldn't do it at a physical networking event, don't do it at a digital one.)

6. STRATEGY, STRATEGY, STRATEGY

Approaching LinkedIn as part of a broader sales and marketing strategy has been key to my personal success on the platform. Much of my business growth over the past decade has been generated via LinkedIn. Not because I’m necessarily particularly ‘good’ at it, but because I’ve stuck to a strategy.

To be completely honest, I’m not very active anywhere else online. I’ve spent time on other platforms over the years, but LinkedIn has been a constant and the others have come and gone. (In fact, I’ve generated far more leads with LinkedIn than with a website, let alone other social media platforms.)

My recommendation? Choose one platform and go deep on it. Don’t paddle on many platforms and paste the same content to them all. (If it works for you, fine - but it never has for me.)

In closing, here’s what I prioritise when it comes to LinkedIn:

⚪️ Who needs my help? Why does it matter to them? I build my profile and most of my content around those two questions.

⚪️ For every product or service I launch, I create a nicely-designed PDF brochure to support it. Most overlook this, but it’s been a good tactic for me. (What’s more, you can use a free tool like Canva to create brochures fairly quickly and easily these days.)

⚪️ I try to post content most days (M - F). But only if I have something of value to say. I’m big on sharing tips and advice which showcase my expertise. (Small on selfies and humblebrags.)

⚪️ As time allows me, I engage with others' content to converse and build rapport - not to sell - as I explained earlier, if we allow relationship-building to take its natural course, opportunities will eventually arise. You can't force it. (If you try, you'll burn the bridge.)