LinkedIn for Business

5 Powerful LinkedIn Strategies

&

How to Build an Effective LinkedIn

Business Page

Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc. 1

About Me

Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc. 2

Today’s Agenda

Overview of LinkedIn

LinkedIn Etiquette

To Connect or Not to Connect

Beware Shortcuts & Pitfalls

Best Practices

What is a LinkedIn Business Page?

How a Business Page Can Showcase You, Your Business, Employees Products & Services

Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc. 3

What is LinkedIn?

World’s largest Professional social network

Used exclusively for Professional Networking 161M+ users in 200+ countries, 45M in US 68% of users are 35+ years old, 69% of users make $60K+

Assists businesses with finding & sharing opportunities

Gated Community to build trust Company Pages, Communities & Discussion Groups Direct Connect to Key Decision Makers

Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc. 4

LinkedIn Video: http://youtu.be/ZVlUwwgOfKw

The Value of LinkedIn

Contact network built on direct connections

Place for digital networking, collaboration, brainstorming, idea sharing & finding resources from like professionals

Leverage Advanced Search to find the right people

Raise awareness of your Product or Service Offering

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc. 5

Connection Etiquette

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Connection Etiquette

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Connection Etiquette

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Connection Etiquette

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10Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc.

11Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc.

Connection Etiquette

12

Connect, do not Friend Personal Connection Write a brief personal invite to connect “We Met At, We Know Person X, You Work With…”

Find Common Ground

Hi Megan, I noticed we were both in (fill in the blank) group on LinkedIn, that Jeff Smith and Jon Rogers are mutual friends and we grew up in the same city. I’ve heard great things about your company and thought it would be good to reach out and learn more about it from you!

Don’t try to sell yourself Avoid Marketing Speak & Blatant Selling Tactics

Digital Handshake vs. In Person

Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc.

Building Connections

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Look for Centers of Influence Thought & Discussion Leaders Individuals w/ large 2nd & 3rd tier connections

Use Real Life Connections People Like You Colleagues, Friends, Family, Relatives, Vendors, Customers, Service Providers, Bankers, Accountants, Chambers of Commerce Similar Business Owners & Competitors Your Consumers Business Email Lists, Address Book, etc.

Be Consistent Make Connections part of your daily workflow Use as a “Thank You” Note after every networking event

Complete Profile

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Complete Profile

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Customize Your Profile Headline

Don’t be afraid to call yourself an Expert

Common phrases or statements about what your company does, has to offer, products, services, etc.

Snapshot about your expertise or industry

Professional Photo, Logo or Headshot

You are the face of the brand or business

People like to do business with people they KNOW or recognize

Eliminate missed or “I don’t know this person” connections

Make Yourself Visible

Add Keywords to Specialty or Skill Section

Helps you be found on Google Search & LI Advanced Search

Join Groups of interest to you and comment occasionally on discussions

Recommendations

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Ask for Recommendations

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Educate your clients on “How To” make a powerful referral

Joe,

Thank you for working with us on Project X. Would you mind giving our business a referral on LI?

What results did you have from our work together? How has that changed your business?What was the best part about working with us?

Please send us a few sentences and we will be happy to write up the recommendation for you and send it back to you for review.

5 Recommendations Minimum

Ask for a Business Referral

Avoid Shortcuts

Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc. 18

Avoid Buying LI Connection Lists Joining mass LI Email Lists Open Connector Groups (an everyone group) Spamming a Group or LI News feed (Twitter)

Build a Valuable Network Not everyone is a connection Connect with people & customers who are going to promote your business

The Real Cost of a shortcut is the loss of an opportunity to become better in the future. If it’s too good to be true, it probably IS!

What is a LI Business Page?

19Copyright © 2012 Constant Contact, Inc. http://learn.linkedin.com/company-pages/overview/

Products & Services

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Products & Services

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Page Bonus Features

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Careers Post a Job Your Company Has Available

Product & Services Input Detailed Info about Product/ Services Bulleted Items & Product Highlights (SEO) Link Directly to Your Company Website Page Company Logo or Product Image Disclaimer Statement Option Add a YouTube Video Add Recommendations/ Testimonials

Add a Follow Button to your Website

Page Statistics & Insights

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Questions

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Free Resources

www.SocialQuickStarter.com

Learning Center at LinkedIn

learn.linkedin.com learn.linkedin.com/small-business/eposode-1 learn.linkedin.com/entrepreneurs

www.willgladhart.com/wgc_resources

blog.hubspot.com or mashable.com/social-media

FREE LinkedIn Assessment

OR

FREE 30 Minute Social Media Marketing ConsultationFor Your Business

www.willgladhart.comCl: 562-881-4484

Email: will.gladhart@gmail.com