Creating a LinkedIn Strategy

However, a lot of people are on the platform for the wrong reason—to spam, which they think will make them money—which is why a lot of people are wary about making new connections.

Therefore, your LinkedIn marketing strategy should consider both ends: the high volume of people on the platform, but also the large percentage of people that are on spam alert.

In this article you'll learn how to develop a killer strategy for your portfolio.

1. Focus On Your Page's Details

Your LinkedIn page is, in a way, like a digital business card or resume for potential employers or contacts to review. If it's well done, neat, and professional-looking, people will be more likely to reach out or reply to your messages

On the other hand, if your profile has typos, isn't filled out, or worst of all, looks like you're using the platform to sell something, chances are you'll have a hard time making connections.

First and foremost, you should prioritize filling out your page. Cover your work history for at least the last ten years, and try to get a few close friends to write testimonials or speak to your skill level. This will help you stand out and also give you a bit of credibility.

No matter who you hire, you'll also need to take into account their salary, benefits, and other employee expenses like a computer and the necessary training materials.

2. Identify Your Ideal Connections

How do you know where to start if you've never done this type of keyword research before? An agency will know exactly how to handle this, getting you the results you're looking for.

Professional Ad Copy Writing

In a nutshell, LinkedIn's biggest problem is that too many people use it for the wrong reason. They copy/paste the same message and send it to thousands, if not tens of thousands, in hopes of a response.

But as is the case with anything, this strategy doesn't really work. Quality trumps quality any day of the week. You're much better off knowing exactly who you should be talking to and reaching out to a smaller pool of contacts.

Consider things like:

• A person's position in their company
• What role they are in (management, assistant management, etc.)
• What their profile says about their ambition or career goals (are they looking for a job?)

Above all, consider how you can help the people you're reaching out to. It's part of human nature that we're able to smell when someone is trying to pull a fast one on us. What value are you bringing them, and how are you communicating that with your message and your profile?

3. Identify Your Goals

This could easily be step #2, but the two are interchangeable because you're not actually marketing yourself yet. In either case, one way to figure out your ideal connection is determining what the goal of your marketing campaign is.

Are you:

• Gaining leads for your business or a new service you're providing?
• Looking for a new job or to develop new skills?
• Looking to drive traffic to a lead page or your website?
• Hoping to hire someone from another company?
• Just wanting to grow your network in your industry?

Say this, whatever it is, in plain words to your contacts. People are on high alert until they know what you're asking of them.

4. Set Up Analytics

You might choose to create an analytics system by hand, or go with a software like Google Analytics. But keeping track of your marketing efforts is important for determining success, adjusting your strategy, and keeping track of leads that come out of your hard work.

Analytics can also tie into the goals of your campaign. Ask yourself questions like: what percentage of people are you hoping to engage? How many clicks per day are you hoping to get?

One perk to using Google Analytics is that it integrates with your website. Once you set it up you won't have to do anything else. (Or consider using a digital marketing agency.)

5. Form Relationships

Cold messaging people, engaging people through blog posts, and advertising on LinkedIn. What do they all have in common?

They are forms of marketing, but all are just seeds that have been planted—and a real marketing plan thinks about the long-term as much as it does the short-term.

Consider how you'll form relationships with new connections on LinkedIn. Predetermine the medium (email, phone, group chats, etc.) and the amount of time you'll give them before following up. Even if they show interest in you or your business, the ball is still in your court in the early stages.

6. Connect Across Platforms

Perhaps one of the most overlooked LinkedIn business marketing strategy is the need for a LinkedIn social media strategy. While the platform is used by many, other titans in the social media space like Facebook and Instagram make it look small in comparison.

It will help you in growing relationships and in doing market research to follow new leads or connections on different platforms. Don't do it the day you meet them, of course; but sticking with the theme of forming relationships, this is a good strategy to implement down the road.

Create A LinkedIn Strategy

You can divide any good LinkedIn strategy into a few key components. Knowing your goals, respecting other people's time and use of the platform, and having a long-term plan for converting leads or further fostering relationships are all keys to a successful strategy

If this seems overwhelming, consider scheduling a free consultation today to help you that span across all social media platforms.