Need to Find Businesses? Get LinkedIn!

 
Kathleen Dorsey - Global Results
a Maryland based SEO and Social Media Company
http://www.globalseoresults.com

You may be thinking to yourself that there is no reason for you to actively use the Social Media account called LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). Your customers are not on there since you sell to Mrs. Smith, not IBM. Well, times have changed and they have changed with a blink of an eye.

For those of you not familiar with LinkedIn, think of it as Facebook for business. This is where you will find purchasing agents, jewelry company owners, retail buyers and owners and many more of your targeted contacts to help you expand your sales. It started as a business directory but has grown into an unmatched platform of communication between business professionals. Still not convinced? Keep reading.

 Here are a few LinkedIn statistics…

·        There are 50 million users of LinkedIn worldwide: this population is bigger than that of Canada, Austria and Switzerland COMBINED

·        50% (25 million) of these users are here in the United States: this population is bigger than all of Spain’s

·        LinkedIn has 1 new user joining EACH SECOND currently

·        By 2010, Generation “Y”  (DOB ’76-late 90’s) will outnumber the Baby Boomers and 96% of them would have joined an online Social Network

·        49% of all LinkedIn users are decision makers

 No matter how you feel about online promotion and networking, your clients, both consumer and business, are online. In fact, just recently social media communication (posting updates on Facebook, texting etc.) surpassed emailing. More people “talk” through social media than email now. 

 Even if you never thought, or even heard, or LinkedIn for your business, read the following ideas of how LinkedIn could help you and your business. The following is a beginner’s list of LinkedIn uses for you and your industry. 

1.       Create an optimized online profile (think of it as a resume) for you and your business. LinkedIn ranks highly within a Google search, so by doing this correctly you will expose yourself to Google and expand your online reach. However, you must optimize this profile correctly with your targeted keywords and descriptions. Your profile will be your online resume, showing your background as well as your accomplishments.

2.       Connect with possible buyers. There are many strategies to create when thinking of connecting to partners whom may be of benefit to your business. Perhaps jewelry makers, purchasing agents or retail shop owners may be a target for you. If so, there are ways to find them throughout LinkedIn and connect just as you would if you went to a networking event.  You can, for example, use the advanced people search option It is here that you can type in a keyword like “purchasing agent” and the search will produce anyone on LinkedIn with that title.

3.       Find relevant LinkedIn groups to join. Believe it or not, whoever your target is, they most likely have an online LinkedIn group for their association. Once you search for groups within LinkedIn using relevant keywords such as “jewelry”, you can submit a request to its administrator for acceptance to your chosen group. Then you will start to participate within the group by posing thoughtful discussion topics, answer another member’s question or you can even promote relevant events or news.

4.       Participate! When you go to a traditional networking event, you have a choice to participate and meet new people or walk around the room all night and never talk to anyone. LinkedIn is an online networking event. You have the same decision- do you get to know new people or hide? There are many different ways to participate within LinkedIn such as posing questions for responses and answering questions- both within your LinkedIn groups as well as to LinkedIn in general, These questions do not necessarily need to be focused just on your business. An example would be: “What worked for your marketing in 2009?” or “How did you reach international customers?” As you can see, you can use this platform not only to promote you and your business, but to also learn from others.

 LinkedIn is a powerful tool. It can be used for marketing as well as business education. One piece of advice that I would give is not to get “lazy” with your connections. Once you connect with someone on LinkedIn, try to have a phone call with them. Remember, we are still human. Communicating online is convenient but we will still do business with those who we like. Having a conversation once in awhile with your online connections will create the rapport you will need to continue your business alliance.

 LinkedIn is one of many online avenues of finding new customers for your business. Remember that this is the place for business professionals and owners. Not only can you find possible buyers for your products, but you can also find suppliers and learn how to run your business more effectively.