You can get new customers on LinkedIn.
It’s happened for GBW and there is no reason it can’t happen for your business too.
If you’re a startup or an established business, LinkedIn can connect you with your target clients and get them interested in what you do. There is a little finesse that goes into the process, but if you do just a few things the right way you’ll get clients from LinkedIn.
The one qualifier to start out is that you sell to other businesses. Most people on LinkedIn work for some kind of business. So if you sell to businesses this is your prime audience.
But the real trick is getting them to come to you with only the occasional little push.
The biggest factor in getting people intrigued by your brand is to fix up your profile.
Here is how you can do that.
1. Write Your Description From Their Perspective
When you go to a job interview you’re telling your story and the interviewer is thinking about how they can use you to improve their business. They’re trying to figure out if they can make a profit off what they’ll pay you. That’s how life works even if we all choose not to believe it.
The same is true if you have your own business and you’re selling to customers. While you’re talking they’re trying to figure out if you can add value to their lives. They want to know if you can make something easier for them, more enjoyable or even if you can do something that will help them make money.
This is tricky, but the best way I’ve found out how to do it is to tell a story. Talk about the different things you’ve done. Share the feelings you’ve had as you’ve worked on different projects. Keep the focus on work projects you’ve done. Use the language the person uses.
For GBW, many of our customers have the basic need of getting more customers themselves. They may have been intrigued by inbound marketing and specifically the ways to get more traffic from search and social. So I use words like social media and SEO when telling my blogging story.
They connect those words to their own situation and become sold on our blogging services.
2. Get A Professional Photo And Smile
It seems simple right?
Then why are you using a photo that makes you look like either a college party animal or like you’re taking your prison photo?
People will judge your entire LinkedIn profile and your entire online existence by your photo. Is it right? That’s the way humans have developed. We’re busy. We need to use certain cues like appearance to make quick decisions. You could do everything on this list, but if you have a photo that makes you look like a joker then it all won’t matter.
Pay a professional to take a photo. Have the setting be something that fits your personality and your industry. It will be well worth it to have something that looks good and appealing. This alone will make you stand out from the majority of profiles on LinkedIn and all of social media.
3. Skip The Wordsmithing
My biggest pet peeve on LinkedIn is how people try to beef up their titles and descriptions. Don’t throw words into these two areas because you think they sound good.
I can’t remember where I heard it or who said it, but one response really made me smile. It comes when you describe yourself with something like:
Proven business manager with a track record of getting sales.
The response to that is, “What are you supposed to be? An unproven manager?”
Don’t beef up your profile with words like:
- Proven
- Cohesive
- Spearheading
- And many others
If it sounds weird then don’t write it. Use simple words to explain what you do. People don’t have time to read long descriptions and titles. They want to know how you could possibly help them.
Another reason to skip the word smithing is SEO. Yes, SEO matters on a site’s internal search. On LinkedIn, the words you use matter a lot. You have to use the language your target customers use.
If you’re a marketer, they’re going to look for a marketer. They’re not going to look for a trailblazing digital connoisseur.
4. Write Your Company Description With Previous Customers In Mind
Customers that come to GBW usually have a common issue. They know they want to start blogging. Some even have, but they find they don’t have the time or experience to write the posts.
They’re too busy working on other things in their business.
That’s the story I share in the description of Ghost Blog Writers on my personal LinkedIn profile. It allows other readers and potential customers to read it and think, “Hey. That’s the same position I’m in.”
That leads them to think that GBW can really help them with their situation since we’re already helping out other customers in the exact same situation.
Find the trait that connects your customers and write about it when you describe your company on LinkedIn.
5. Use First Person
Someone comes to your profile expecting to learn about you…from your perspective. It’s weird when you write your own profile in the third person. It’s awkward for the person that’s reading it and they definitely won’t be interested in contacting you.
Business is personal. Buying something from someone is personal. Make your profile personal. You’ll connect on a more emotional level with the people that read your title and description and they’ll be more likely to contact you if they’re intrigued by your services.
Final Thoughts
You can get people interested in your profile by connecting only with your target customers. LinkedIn has a great search function. That’s right, SEO and search go well beyond Google. Use the search to find people that fit your ideal customer profile. If you can’t connect with them, connect with one of their connections. Then you can usually connect because you’ll be a 2nd degree connection.
The key is getting them to see you whether it’s as a new connection or because you’ve posted a few great posts on a group board where they’re a member. Get their attention and let the fixes you made above do the rest. They’ll come to you.