Leveraging LinkedIn to Grow Your Business

Discussions Include:

• Use LinkedIn to showcase experience, authority, expertise
  
• Summarizing your LinkedIn profile
  
• The benefits of building a LinkedIn network
• Tips on how to use LinkedIn company pages
• Choosing the right content for your LinkedIn company page
• How to utilize your LinkedIn profiles.
  

The Hangout:

Not enough time on your hands??

You can skip ahead to the information this is important to you using the video's table of contents (TOC) in the "About" section of the video in YouTube!

View the Video's TOC Here!

Table of Contents: 
00:20 - Greetings & introduction
02:53 - What's in this show?
03:40 - Use LinkedIn to showcase experience, authority, expertise.
05:03 - Summaziring your LinkedIn profile.
08:03 - The benefits of building a LinkedIn network.
11:26 - Bill's tips on how to use LinkedIn company pages.
14:17 - Choosing the right content for your LinkedIn company page.
17:22 - Sondra's tips on how to utilize your LinkedIn profiles.
20:30 - Inspiration: LinkedIn groups.
22:56 - How to start and benefit from LinkedIn groups.
25:08 - How to find the right LinkedIn group.
28:00 - How to leverage your local LinkedIn group.
31:12 - Where to watch CCC and let's get connected!
34:03 - Maximizing your LinkedIn to grow your business.

The Conversation:

ZEF: How can we all use LinkedIn to grow our businesses? In your professional opinion, should we be using our LinkedIn profile as a resume or to showcase our specific expertise?

BILL: Both, really. Having a resume doesn't necessarily mean you are looking for a job or career. It is the description of your expertise or authority, so absolutely, everyone should have a continually updated LinkedIn profile to reflect their experience and expertise. Using it to grow a business is a matter of using it consistently. Join and engage in groups where your customers/prospects may be (but don't "sell"). Make connections with people you meet at chamber events or trade shows; LinkedIn is still a social network.

ZEF: Sondra, how are you currently using LinkedIn to build and grow your business?

SONDRA: I'm seeking specific clients. I need to be in touch with decision makers of innovative companies in Seattle with a certain amount of employees. I use LinkedIn to find the right person at the right company. I also need to be constantly expanding my network. I need to have a broad database of known service providers to whom I can refer my clients. LinkedIn is an easy way to stay connected to the people I meet while networking in the 3-D world.

Solutions & Results:

BILL'S TIPS ON HOW TO ENHANCE A COMPANY PAGE ON LINKEDIN TO GET MORE FOLLOWERS AND CREATE MORE INTEREST IN THE BUSINESS:


Business pages still have a bit of a way to go on LinkedIn; however, they are getting there. Metrics for engagement are up since last year. 

• The company page actually starts with the personal profiles of the employees
  
• The representatives for the companies should have well-developed, "branded," and optimized profiles - such as making sure the current career is linked to the company page

As far as the company page, good content always trumps all. Make sure there is a link on the website, and actively promote the page.

SONDRA'S TIPS ON HOW TO LEVERAGE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS:


If you have content worth sharing, use LinkedIn.

It may not seem super worthwhile, but I feel so few people use it to post anything compared to Facebook, that when people land on the page, they will see your posts. Also, it took me a while to figure out I needed to actually form my business on LinkedIn, not just say I work there. If you are a small business owner, increase your chances of being found by actually adding your business to their database.

Your Hosts:

Meet Zef Here!

WILLIAM DE ROSA
www.TalkingFinger.com

"William is the president and co-founder of Talking Finger, a multi-award winning social media marketing agency which focuses specifically on integrating social media marketing with other forms of media. Along with his team, he creates comprehensive social media marketing strategies that include a high integration with online and offline marketing initiatives."

SONDRA FIRESTEIN
PursuitOfSeattle.com

"Sondra is the founder of PursuitofSeattle.com, which offers concierge, lifestyle management, and personal assistance services. 'I work hard so I can play harder. When I'm not helping others find balance in their lives, you can find me eating delicious food, paddleboarding, or dancing like nobody is watching.'"

Join us in our 
Google + community for more post-show conversations!

Inspiration - LinkedIn Groups:

ZEF: Do you have a favorite LinkedIn group to which you would refer our audience, Bill? Would you mind sharing what it is about this group that you like so much and why?

BILL: Social Media Examiner has a great group. They do not allow linking to articles, but rather you post topics for discussion in specific. I like that because it keeps the group from becoming a trail of links. It also entices more of a conversation.

ZEF: Any suggestions on how to benefit from a LinkedIn group long-term? What should we be focusing on when we belong to a group? Any "no-no's"? Maybe you have some recommendations and guidelines for those who are thinking of starting a LinkedIn group?

BILL: The key to benefiting from a group long-term is to be involved. You can't join a group one day and then ignore it for weeks, jump in, and expect to get any kinds of results. Like most social networks, consistency is key. Trust is a huge factor. Not selling is also important - use LinkedIn to gain knowledge, as well. 

ZEF: Sondra, are you active in LinkedIn groups? If so, how have you benefited from them? What are your favorite groups and why?

SONDRA: Partially. It honestly took me forever to figure out where they were hiding, since LinkedIn's user face is not so intuitive. Once I did, I found a few local groups that keep me connected with 3-D networking in the area. My favorite group is my own group. I started a monthly women's networking group that's geared towards working through professional challenges at all stages of careers. We found that meeting once a month was satisfying enough and not everyone is on Facebook, so we needed a place to share that everyone would be a part of it. So now we have active discussion boards focused on the specific challenges some of the members are faced with where others can contribute advice.