When it comes to Social Media, most people focus their attention on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Although LinkedIn is a fast-growing network with over 500 million monthly active users, most businesses see it just as a platform for job seekers. This misunderstanding can cost you a lot of missed opportunities. Because, here’s the thing: LinkedIn has one of the highest conversion rates among Social Media channels.
So, what should you do to leverage the power of LinkedIn and grow your client base? You obviously need to start with an optimized LinkedIn Profile, but then the next thing you want to focus on is getting that profile actually found by other LinkedIn users.
Here are some tips on how to get found on LinkedIn
Make Your Profile Visible
Perhaps you are focusing your efforts on search engine optimization (SEO) and trying to boost your organic ranking. That’s an excellent way to grow your business, but you mustn’t neglect the connection between SEO and Social Media. Google sees social media channels as proof that your business is legitimate, active, and value-oriented. So, it ranks platforms like LinkedIn high on the search results page. However, most small businesses are unaware of this fact and fail to make their LinkedIn profile visible, losing precious traffic and potential leads.
Go to your LinkedIn profile and choose the “Make my profile visible” option from the Edit menu.
Have a Complete Profile
If most people don’t bother to read your bio on Twitter or Instagram, they will analyze your LinkedIn profile carefully. That’s why it’s vital not to rush through the process and take the necessary time to create a complete and kickass profile. Also, the more content you have, the more keywords it will contain.
Begin by writing a professional, keyword-rich headline (see below) that will ensure prospects will find your profile via relevant searches. Use the Summary section to present your company and address any question that a potential client might have. Use the Experience section to highlight your most successful projects and present your credentials. And, don’t forget to add media, such as images, SlideShare presentations or videos to make your profile engaging.
Get Smart about the Headline
As mentioned already, you need to create a keyword-rich headline that makes it easier for prospects to find you. For that, you need to put yourself in your audience’s shoes and ask yourself:
- What is your goal?
- Who is your target audience?
- How do you help them?
Now, with these three questions in mind, you can create a thorough and engaging description.
Use Keywords in Your Website Links
LinkedIn uses a variety of factors to decide which profiles are relevant to a certain search. Evidently, the keywords are one of the most important. But, that’s no news, right? However, one secret trick that most people aren’t aware of is that you can use your primary keywords to optimize the website link section.
Here’s the thing: you can customize three links on LinkedIn and use them to send visitors to a specific landing page. By optimizing these links with your keywords, you increase your chances of prospects finding your profile and learning about your business.
Grow Your Network
It’s vital to focus your efforts on getting connections and growing your network if you want to use LinkedIn as a business development tool.
Of course, that’s not to say that you should accept every request that comes your way. You need to come up with your very own LinkedIn Connection Strategy. Here’s mine.
It also means that you don’t just passively sit there and wait to be invited but take the lead and invite relevant connections.
There you have it: a few simple tricks that you help you get found on LinkedIn. Make sure to include them in your strategy if you want to grow your business through meaningful connections.