6 linkedin questions w words

You could be here because you’re already a LinkedIn rock star and you’re looking for cutting edge strategies to help you get more from your LinkedIn marketing efforts. (You’re definitely in the right place!).

But more than likely, you’re a professional who signed up for LinkedIn a few years ago and haven’t really done much with it yet. That’s okay – but you have also come to the right place.

By LinkedIn’s last count, they have more than 433,000,000 users worldwide. Imagine the possibilities for your business! I can help you build a strong LinkedIn presence, then put it to work for you. Getting started on LinkedIn doesn’t have to be intimidating. But there are clear steps you need to take.

linkedin users worldwide, us / marketing

The path to LinkedIn success starts with a few questions.

Before you start taking action on LinkedIn, it’s critical to ask yourself some key questions. These questions will not only drive your actions now, but will guide your ongoing LinkedIn marketing and strategy down the line:

  1. What makes me different? LinkedIn has evolved way past the days of serving as an online resume. Today’s LinkedIn users are looking to make “real” connections with people in a digital world. Building or nurturing those connections requires telling your story on LinkedIn. From your headline to your summary, one of your primary goals is to help people feel like they truly know you. Answering this question is critical to achieve this goal.
  1. What do I want out of this? “Being on LinkedIn” isn’t a goal. Neither is “make more money.” Why are you here and what do you want this tool to do for you? Just as you would in your job or for your business, set clear goals for what you want to achieve (start with 6- or 12-month goals, if appropriate, then you can get as granular as needed by setting monthly, weekly or even daily goals). A better goal would be “increase the leads in my sales funnel by 50% in three months.” We also dig into identifying and setting plans for reaching your goals in the Linked Academy (coming soon – be sure to sign up for my email newsletter to be notified when we launch).
  1. Who is my target audience? The answer to this question will vary widely for some of you. If you’re a solopreneur, you’ve likely taken the advice of experts like John Lee Dumas and have defined your avatar (or your “perfect” customer). This is going to be extremely valuable for you on LinkedIn. You need to be extremely clear on who it is you can help and who you want as your clients and customers in order to craft a LinkedIn marketing strategy that converts. If you need help defining your avatar, John offers some great tips in his blog.
  1. Who should I connect with? Gone are the days of connecting with as many people as possible. Today’s most successful LinkedIn users are highly targeted in who they connect and engage with. I have had the most success and teach my clients to spend 90% of your time connecting with their target market, influencers and referrals sources. Define who it is in each category that you should be connecting with and then get started.
  1. What do I have to offer? Finding success on LinkedIn means conveying the value you can provide to your previously defined target market.  Some people need guidance here – this isn’t the place for marketing speak, so the right message is essential. On your next client call, thank the client for your business and ask him or her why they like working with you. Or talk to a colleague for some perspective. Just be sure to understand who you are and what value your target market sees in you. If you can establish this on your profile, it will make transitioning conversations offline significantly easier and more fruitful.
  1. What do you want everyone to see? Google crawls social media sites like LinkedIn and provides them with a great deal of authority in its search rankings. That means when people search for you, they’re likely finding your LinkedIn profile (in addition to your website or other social media profiles). Your “public” LinkedIn profile is what the world can see, not just your connections. Carefully curating this profile helps you convey a precise message. Test out various combinations of profile elements in your public profile to ensure your message is the right one.

A careful, strategic approach to LinkedIn marketing will help you build a solid foundation for your continued success. Take the time to answer these questions and you’re off to a great start.

Did this blog help you?  If so, please take a moment to comment below and SHARE on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn!

 P.S. If you made it this far, you are definitely curious how LinkedIn can work you Connect with me on LinkedIn!

Cheers,

Dennis Brown
“Stop the madness. There’s a better way!”
LinkedIn Marketing & Social Selling Consultant, Trainer, Speaker

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