5 Ways to use LinkedIn as a small business | Nicky Kriel | Social Media Coach & Trainer

Why LinkedIn?

100 million business professions
World’s largest audience of influential and affluent people
Average Household Income $109k
45% of members are business decision maker
Growing rapidly – new member every second
Largely untapped
Can export contacts so you can own the data
Free database that can be searched

Ways to use it as a small business

1. There is no point in being fabulous if you can’t be found

LinkedIn Profiles have a very high Google Page Rank. There is a good chance that if someone is searching for your name, your LinkedIn profile will be one of your top search results. What does your profile say about you right now? Is it up to date? Is it filled in 100%?

Many people will search on LinkedIn using keywords. If you search under the relevant words or phrases that customers might be looking for, how do you rank? Have you optimised your profile yet for keywords?

2. Find out more about the potential business partner and customers

LinkedIn is a great resource for researching people before you meet up with them. Some things to look at

website(s)
social media
past experience
blog
testimonials – what are other people saying about them?
contacts – do you share mutual acquaintences that you could speak to directly?

3. Increase your network

Having ten or twenty connections on LinkedIn is not going to help you that much. It is not so much the people you know as the people they might know. The bigger your network the more opportunities you have. BUT, remember there is no point in just collecting people for the sake of numbers. You want to build a quality network of people. Each year of your life you meet new people. So who do you already know that you haven’t connected with yet?

past colleagues
people who were at school or university with you
people you have met networking (do you have a pile of business cards somewhere?)
people on your mailing list or contact list
people you meet through social events or shared interests

When was the last time you contacted some of your connections? I know someone who met up with an old colleague for a quick cup of coffee to stay in touch and walked away with eighteen days of training.

4. Set up your expertise in your niche

LinkedIn allows you to show your expertises by

Having your level of experience available for everyone to see on your profile. Have you filled your profile in thoroughly?
By actively taking part in discussions in Groups, you can display your knowledge by giving helpful advice and asking thought provoking questions
By using the Answers section of LinkedIn to field relevant questions and answer questions about your industry
By providing useful links to relevant articles in updates
By linking your blog so that you show your depth of knowledge

5. Find and connect with potential customers

LinkedIn is probably the world’s most useful database for a small business. You have 100 million business professionals data at your fingertips and it is FREE.

Learn how to use the advanced search function to find potential customers.
See how you are already connected to them
Do they share a group with you? Do you know someone who could introduce you to them?
Read their profile thoroughly
Make contact

This post is about the “what to do”, let me know if you want to know the “how to do it”.

Nicky Kriel

Nicky Kriel is a Social Media Coach & Trainer inspiring, educating and empowering Business Owners to use Social Media more strategically. She is also the author of How to Twitter for Business Success. For more information visit http://www.nickykriel.com or to find out about her courses that she runs in Guildford visit http://www.nickykriel.com/courses