Lovely Jubbly LinkedIn!
“He who dares, wins.” The lovable rogue of the 1980’s television, Del Boy, epitomised the entrepreneur of the time. Wheeling and dealing, brick-like mobile phone and Filofax in hand.
Delboy loved a good one-liner, and I’m sure he would have known this one “Your network, is your net worth”. The success of his next deal depended on the contacts held in the palm of his hand, in his Filofax.
In 2020, we have powerful tools in the palm of our hands that Del would have loved to have access too.
Imagine if Del had access to a worldwide, interconnected address book of contacts. Each time he adds a business card to his Filofax, a whole world of other contacts become opened to him.
Welcome to LinkedIn.
LinkedIn started as a recruitment tool, but has now become a powerful tool for business.
You will regularly hear me talk about using Social Media, for a purpose in our business.
For me, social media is all about communicating with a group of people I need to be seen by. I want to be seen as the go-to photographer in my specialism.
First things first.
We need to create a visually appealing profile.
LinkedIn allows us the facilities to add videos, photos, and articles to our profile. Use every tool we have available. The more interesting you make it, the more time people will spend looking at your profile.
Create a strategy to build your audience.
Predominantly, as a pet photographer, I want to be seen by respected people in pet-related fields. Marketing Managers at pet food companies, local dog trainers, dog walking businesses, etc.
People buy people. LinkedIn is a known business resource and people will connect with others that have shared interests and shared customer groups. Don’t be afraid to reach out and connect with people that can push your business forward.
Just remember, once connected, now’s the time to build trust and relationships, not to sell to them.
Become a social butterfly, comment on posts, give advice and like the posts of your targets. It ensures your name is regularly in front of your connections and fresh in their minds.
How can we build trust?
That’s simple. With the content we like, share and comment on. When writing or scheduling content, think about these things. What would your network like to hear about? How could you help them? What fits in with your brand?
I like to use five key areas to post around on social media.
These cover:
- Industry News. I’ve attended a conference and learned something I want to share.
- Insider Knowledge. I’ve read a book and learned things my network could benefit from.
- Inspirational. A quote, story or meme that inspired me and could inspire others.
- Personal. Letting down my armour to let my network see the real me. Often dog-related.
- Advice. Reach out to your network for advice, prompt your network to promote themselves to solve the problem.
Like all social media, LinkedIn loves regular fresh content and is the perfect platform for those of us with a business to business element to our company.
Remember we can use photos, videos, testimonials, slideshows and articles all as ways of spreading our message.
My top 10 tips for LinkedIN:
- Use an up-to-date, professional headshot.
- Use the banner space for personal branding and to capture attention.
- Make your profile more than a CV. Make it interesting, add fresh content.
- Fill out every section in your LinkedIN profile. What are you interested in? Which professional bodies are you part of? Do you volunteer?
- Think about SEO and synonyms when creating your content, LinkedIn is a great search engine and your profile will appear based on the content provide in the profile.
- Don’t ignore relationships from past jobs or businesses, including those contacts. Trust takes time to build, so working with someone for 10 years can carry weight when it comes to recommendations.
- Don’t spam. Request smart. Add personal messages and tell people why you want to connect with them.
- Test your photo on Photofeeler.com to see what your image says about you.
- Get your Social Selling Index Score and work on the right areas of your profile to increase your visibility.
- Most of all give more than you expect to gain. “Networking is not about just connecting people. It’s about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities.” — Michele Jennae
Getting to grips with LinkedIN?
Delboy would have seen the potential. He also loved a pint down the Nag’s Head.
LinkedIN can take you there too, look out for LinkedIn Local groups around the country, a great way to face to face network, and build your local presence.
