Since 2003, LinkedIn has been connecting millions of professionals, enabling them to communicate, exchange ideas, find jobs, recruit and even prospect. Its growth is extraordinary: every second, the site registers 2 new users.
With 225 million members in 2015, up from 17 million in 2008, LinkedIn is the world's leading social network. The key to making the most of LinkedIn lies in your visibility. But what kind of visibility are we talking about?
There are still too many people who confuse this formidable tool with a "Facebook for professionals". Profile photos at the beach, with friends on vacation, with your cat, or even a selfie in your garden are legion. Not to mention those who use it as a real-time outlet for their emotions. In terms of professional image, there's still some way to go.
When it comes to visibility, more and more people are using LinkedIn applications like Twitter, subscribing to RRS feeds and automatically relaying articles on the social platform. In theory, this sounds great, and it saves a considerable amount of time, but in reality, most users can't systematize the control of the content they relay, so who can believe that it's really essential and intended publications? So, sure, it allows you to be present and visible, but with what relevance?
Between errors of taste and spelling mistakes, the unprofessional user quickly becomes a "pollutant" on the news feed. As a result, at best, users hide these news items, at worst, these same contacts delete from their networks users who have become too cumbersome. A flood of posts in the space of a few hours can quickly disqualify you as a real expert.
Conversely, creating one or two in-depth, quality articles a week, related to current events and your customers' concerns, will be extremely effective in terms of credibility and authenticity. It takes more time, but the payoff is equal to or even greater than the effort. Your profile and your content may be seen/read by your major client or future major client, so it's advisable to be vigilant about what you post so as to become a real source of information for your contacts.
LinkedIn is synonymous with mutual aid and goodwill exchanges.
It's highly recommended that you recommend your contacts' skills, put them in touch with people who might be of interest to them, comment on their posts... In other words, give before you receive! On LinkedIn, proactivity and generosity go hand in hand.
We at Practys Conseil have witnessed just such a phenomenon. By simply putting two contacts in our circle in touch with each other, we indirectly and unknowingly found a new prospect. Simply because, touched by our gesture, one of the two contacts recommended us to a customer a few weeks later. And that's where LinkedIn's strength lies, in the Second Degree circles - in other words, the contacts of your contacts.
When targeting a potential customer, before connecting directly with the risk of not being accepted, try as much as possible to connect with an intermediary in your First Degree circle, who you may or may not know, and who knows your target. As in "real life", getting a recommendation from a mutual friend is the easiest way to get in touch with the person you want.
You can also prospect using LinkedIn Groups, which enable professionals to get together by sector or project. With nearly 2.1 million groups today, you're guaranteed to find real opportunities. One of the many advantages is that you can see the profiles of group members, often from the Second and Third Degree, and contact them more easily than if you had made a spontaneous request to be added.
So like, comment and share! It doesn't take long, but it keeps you visible on LinkedIn, and thanks to the expertise you bring to your content, you'll build a trusted profile and get noticed, perhaps by your future customers.
That's exactly what we're aiming for!