Archive for September, 2011

LinkedIn is B2B (Business to Business) so it’s ideal for interacting with suppliers and clients. Sales managers find clients are more responsive to LinkedIn than to email or voicemail where they can be overloaded with spam and other junk. LinkedIn gives people control over who they are
communicating with. Therefore, like Facebook and other social media, it has a higher value than voicemail or email. A connection has been made so there is more trust. It is a gatekeeper. This is especially valuable with high-power clients.

Tips for Using LinkedIn

Incorporate your Twitter account so items you post there will automatically be on your LinkedIn profile. Join groups that will offer valuable network connections. Keep your personal profile up-to-date. Add the Polls application to perform market research. Go to the Answer  Questions section to find questions where you can show off your expertise. Request recommendations from satisfied clients. Write recommendations for contacts that you think highly of. Ask contacts for introductions to those you’d like to reach. Put your LinkedIn URL on your email, business card and other marketing materials. Start a group on LinkedIn and begin discussions and weekly announcements. Add a photo.

On a cautionary note, be selective about who you connect with. People may use you to gain contacts, but they may not care about you, your company or your product or service. Ask why they want to be Linked with you.

And ask us if you need help with setting up this or other social media network. This is our business. This is what we do. Call today and we’ll help you start using these valuable tools.

LinkedIn is a strictly Business to Business social media service with over 80 million users. It is used by businesses for marketing purposes, for help with sales, for services to increase customer retention and to deal with customer service issues. If you want to interact with suppliers, partners or other businesses, this is where you need to be.

Set up company and individual employee profiles with information about your services, industry, website, location etc. As you set it up, look at it from the point of view of a client who is looking at it and saying, “What benefits are in this business for me?” Keep it positive and up-to-date. List any job promotions, new hires, anything that says how well you are doing.

Sales managers should use LinkedIn to deal with customers. All your employees should join and say positive things about their jobs and what they do. Employees’ personal profiles should list skills, experience and any other professional examples of work. Employees can create or join groups within LinkedIn where business people meet others with the same interest, careers and duties. Keep these groups active with things members can respond to or share. Some employees may have their own profiles already so have them link themselves to the company profile.

Need help with these social media services? We can set you up with a website, a blog site, and links to Facebook and LinkedIn. Call us today. We’ll guide you through the wonderful world of social media.