Download - Maximizing LinkedIn (July 2014 Edition)

Maximizing LinkedIn

Agenda Intro Strategy Profile Optimization Recommendations &

Endorsements Connecting & Prospecting Group Membership Ads Premium Features Maximizing Chamber Membership via

LinkedIn Measuring the Results

Download this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2

Q&A

We will have Q&A at the end of each section.


Download This!

Download this slide deck at:

http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2


What do you want?

What is your one main desired takeaway today?


Fun Facts


LinkedIn launched in 2003. Now 11 years old.

LinkedIn has over 200 million users (in total) and gains 2 new users every second.

LinkedIn has an above-average number of users that are well-educated, male, aged 25 to 64, high-income individuals

53% of B2B marketers have acquired a customer through LinkedIn, compared to 22% for B2C

LinkedIn received over 1 BILLION pageviews in the last 30 days (as of 7/8/14)

Fun Facts


LinkedIn Demographics

A Story

I recently posted a downloadable piece of content on my blog (with registration form)

Shared that blog article: As a LinkedIn status update In 49 out of 50 LinkedIn groups


The Power of LinkedIn

A Story


One Week Later… I received the following from LinkedIn

4,755 pageviews on that article 1,634 website visits 1,083 downloads on new content 460 downloads on old content (linked to by

new) 851 new email subscribers 930 pageviews on an older article (linked to by

new) 51 group post “likes” 36 new connection requests 27 group post comments

A Story


My Online Sales FunnelSEO & Social

MediaBlog Articles

Downloads

Email Mktg

Webinars

LEADS

STRATEGY


Strategy

Who EXACTLY are you going after? Prospects? Strategic Partners? Referral

Sources? What EXACTLY makes you different? What EXACTLY do you want to get from

this? Meetings? Email subscribers? Website

visitors?BE SPECIFIC.

Strategy


Strategy

Define demographics Age Gender Occupation/position Family situation (marriage, number of children, caring

for an elder adult, etc.) Income/revenue level Geographical region Education level or number of years in business

Target Market


Strategy

Define psychographics What are their needs? What are their buying habits? What are their lifestyle patterns (hobbies/interests,

beliefs, values, behavior patterns/habits)? What publications do they read (online & offline)? Where do they go for their education/research? What do they love to do (hobbies/activities)? What do your clients care about when it comes to your

services?

Target Market


Strategy

Define situational characteristics What are the common situations that they are in?

Define pain points What are the most painful problems or issues that

your market is trying to deal with? Why? What keeps them up at night? What are they scared/afraid of? What negative things will happen if they DON’T use

your products/services?

Target Market


Strategy

Why are you better than your competition? Mission, Vision, Values Education? Experience? Customer Service?

Define benefits of them using your services What good things will happen for them or their business? What positive emotional or egotistical effects would they

experience?

Brand Differentiators


A Story


Your Online Sales Funnel??

?

?

?

LEADS

Strategy

Increase my total number of connections by a minimum of X per X (week, month, etc.)

Increase LinkedIn-driven website & blog traffic by a minimum of X% per X (week, month, etc.)

Post activity should be a minimum of X posts per (week, month, etc.)

Set Goals

v

Questions

Questions on Strategy?


PROFILEOPTIMIZATION


Profile Optimization

Profile Picture DON’Ts


(Yes, these are actual LinkedIn profile pictures. *sigh*)




PROFESSIONAL headshot GREAT headline (TIP: For SEO

purposes, put your name first, i.e. “Pam Aungst is a…”)

CUSTOM profile link (URL) LINKS to Company Profile &

Website COMPLETELY filled out SMART keywords Projects Multimedia SPEELCHEK!





Contact Info



“Summary” is About YOU



Position Description = What You Do At Your Co.



Multimedia Looks GREAT



Projects



Skills: It’s a #s Game



Each Skill is Clickable: A Way to Get Discovered



Stuff & Things



Interests -> Companies -> Add a Company

Fill out 100% Add Showcase Pages

Link to your profile as place of employment

Company Profile



Link Personal & Company Profiles



The company logo should be 100px x 60px.

The square company logo should be 50px x 50px

A branded cover photo should be on the page. Cover photos are 646 pixels wide and 220 pixels tall

Company Profile Images



Showcase Pages


Products & Services pages have been replaced with Showcase Pages

Showcase Pages are extensions of your Company Page, designed for spotlighting a brand, business unit, or initiative

Can have up to 10 Can post updates & sponsored updates Can optimize for SEO

Questions

Questions on Profile

Optimization?Download this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2

RECOMMENDATIONS & ENDORSEMENTS


Recommend & Endorse

EndorsementsQuantity = Credibility


Recommend & Endorse

RecommendationsQuality AND Quantity


Recommend & Endorse

The Greedy Way


Recommend & Endorse

The Gracious Way: GIVE to GET

“Reciprocal gifting is a driving force in how people build relationships

with one another.”

–Ric Dragon, Social Marketology


Recommend & Endorse

Choose your words carefully

Be authentic Recommendations

you GIVE are shown on YOUR profile. If you wouldn’t recommend that person “IRL”, don’t do it online.


Remember!

Do’s and Don’ts

DO NOT: Forget Your

Manners

Download this slide deck at http://bit.ly/LIBASICS14

Promptly thank people for recommending you

“Keep it IRL”

If you wouldn’tdo it offline,

don’t do it online!


Recommend & Endorse

To ask for a clarification/correction on a recommendation you receive. It’s a reflection of you!


Don’t Be Afraid…

Recommend & Endorse

“I received your request for a LinkedIn recommendation. I’m happy to vouch for your expertise, but since we didn’t actually work together and I wouldn’t be able to answer any specific questions about my experience with you if they arise, I think it might be best if I contributed to your profile with an endorsement instead of a detailed recommendation.”


Endorse Instead

Questions

Questions on Recommend/

Endorse?Download this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2

CONNECTING& Prospecting


Connecting/Prospecting

v

DON’T be too restrictive

Would you go to a networking event and REFUSE to speak to people that you haven’t already met?

Build Your Network



“Keep it IRL”




PREMIUM


1. LinkedIn Premium1. Business, Business Plus, Executive

2. Premium For Recruiters1. Talent Basic, Recruiter Lite, Recruiter

Corporate3. Job Seekers Premium

1. Job Seeker Basic, Job Seeker , Job Seeker Plus

4. Sales Navigator1. Sales Basic, Sales Plus, Sales Executive

Premium Subscriptions


Premium

BOTH allow for: InMails Better searching capabilities Full profiles More introduction requests

Premium vs. Sales Navigator


Premium

Sales Navigator adds: Lead recommendations

(finds decision makers) Lead Builder (list maker) TeamLink (find common connections)

Premium vs. Sales Navigator


Premium


Find People to

Connect With



1. Import your email contacts

2. Use the “People You May Know” feature

3. Explore connections of your connections

Import & Explore


NoUpgradeNeeded


Fellow Group Members


People who comment on your posts

People who post interesting things

People who converse a lot People in the group directory No

UpgradeNeeded


People Who Viewed You


Connect and/or ask: How they

found you Why they

were looking for people like you

How you can help them or each other

UpgradeTo See More


Search


Basic (free) account search results include: Full profiles w/names for 1st &2nd degree connections

+ full profiles when searching by name Profile summaries for 3rd degree, out-of-network profiles, and fellow

group members Max 100 profiles Basic filters to refine results

Premium account search results include: Full profiles of 1st and 2nd degree connections Full names for members in your network, and those you share groups

with. Profile summaries for out-of-network profiles Extensive search results (varies between account types) Premium filters to refine your results

Upgrade forMore Functionality


Advanced Search


• Keywords• First Name• Last Name• Title• Company• School• Location• Country• Postal Code• Relationship

• Current Company• Industry• Past Company• School• Profile Language• Groups

• Years of Experience

• Function• Seniority Level• Interested In• Company Size• Fortune• When Joined

RED = Premium Only Upgrade forMore Functionality


Boolean Search


Quoted searches - For an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotation marks (e.g. "product manager").

NOT searches - To exclude a particular term, type that term with an uppercase NOT immediately before it (e.g. programmer NOT manager).

OR searches - To see results that include 1 or more terms in a list, separate the terms with an uppercase OR (e.g. sales OR marketing).

AND searches - To get results that must include 2 or more terms in a list, you can use the upper-case word AND as a separator (e.g. manager AND director).

Parenthetical searches - To do a complex search, you can combine terms using parentheses. For example, to find people who have "VP" in their profiles, or have both director AND division in their profiles, type: VP OR (director AND division)

NoUpgrad

eNeeded


Get Connected



Request Connection



Customizing the Intro


Mention: Common ground Where/how you

met Why you’d like

to connect


Customizing Greeting…


When clicking “Connect” from the following places, you CAN’T customize a connection request greeting.

Search results People You May Know

You CAN customize a connection request greeting when clicking “Connect” from:

The person’s profile Group membership list When “hovering” over a member’s picture in a group


Request Introduction


Upgrade to getMore than

5 per month


Request Introduction



Send InMail


Need to say more than you can fit in the connection request intro box?

Send an InMail (Premium feature) explaining why you want to connect.

InMails only get deducted from your balance if accepted.

UpgradeRequired


Accepting Connections





Be wary of profiles that: Are from

*certain* foreign countries

Are named “Prince So-And-So”

Lack a profile picture

Have spammy headlines

Anatomy of a Spammy Profile:




Want to be a little more conservative? Try this:




Consider replying to ALL connections with a message

Or be selective and reply to potential good offline connections

Good to reply to all customized connection requests




Easier to reply before accepting than after

Just remember to go back and accept


What Now?



Start Networking:Send a Message



Try to Take it Offline



It’s Networking!


If you WOULD do it offline, DO do it online!


Bulk Messaging


Use sparingly Be as genuine as possible Up to 50 people at a time

Click on “Connections” Filter by “Connections Only” Click “Select All” Keep scrolling down to expand list (but not

beyond 50) Back up at the top, click “message” (next to

“Select All”


Good Bulk Messaging



Bad Bulk Messaging


“Keep it IRL”





Keep Networking: Stay in Touch


Click on “Home” Go to

“Connections” -> “Keep in Touch”

Like, Congratulate, and Comment


Enhance Networking & Sales Meetings


Research the people you’ll be meeting with

Find common ground for conversation(but don’t be creepy about it)


Get Techy: CRM Tools for LinkedInCamCard or Evernote

Scan business cards & connect instantlyRapportive Plugin (Gmail) or Xobni

(Outlook)Email plugin that displays social profiles of contacts

Nimble (Social CRM system)Customer Relationship Management software that integrates social communications

Zoho & Salesforce Add-ons (Traditional CRM Systems with LinkedIn “plugins”)Download this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2


Export Email Addresses


OBEY CAN-SPAM LAWS – Send an opt-in campaign

Click on “Connections”Under “Advanced Settings,” click

on “Export LinkedIn Connections”

Questions

Questions on Connecting & Prospecting?


MAXIMIZINGGROUP

MEMBERSHIPDownload this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2

Group Membership

Target MarketTarget MarketTarget Market

Do NOT join groups YOU are interested in

Join groups your TARGET PROSPECTS are in


Group Membership

Foster Discussion “Either/or” type questions “Hot button” issues, i.e.:


Group Membership

Post Articles Interesting articles, your own articles Check the group rules first


Group Membership

Is it GENUINELY USEFUL? Do NOT post anything in a

group without asking yourself:

“Will they find this information GENUINELY USEFUL whether they do business with me or not?”


Group Membership

Become a Thought Leader


Group Membership

Strategy & Schedule

On Mondays, I post a question about X

On Wednesdays, I post an article about Y

On Fridays, I share one of my recent blogs


Group Membership

Group Posting Tools LinkedIn Bookmarklet

lets you post a link to several groups at once

http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=browser_bookmarkletDownload this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2

http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=browser_bookmarklet

http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=browser_bookmarklet

Group Membership


Group Membership

Group Posting Tools Hootsuite Pro

lets you post a link to several groups at once AND utilize scheduling

Watch that posts don’t get cut off (group max char is less than status update)


http://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-6746529-10914669

Group Membership

Always Reply to Comments If someone came up to you

“IRL” and said “Great job on that article!” – Would you just stare at them and not reply?


“Keep it IRL”




Group Membership

Connect w/Group Members


Questions

Questions on Maximizing

Groups?Download this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2

ADVERTISINGON LINKEDIN


Ads

Types of AdsWebsite

(External) (min bid $2.00 per click or

$2.00 CPM)

Company Page (min bid $2.00 per click or

$2.00 CPM)

Sponsored Update (min bid $2.50/click or $10.50

CPM)


Ads

Targeting for Ads


Ads

Uses for Ads WEBSITE ADS:

Drive website traffic from an extremely targeted audience

COMPANY PAGE ADS: Company pages do not see a lot

of engagement on LinkedIn, so

may have a limited return. SPONSORED

UPDATES: Promoting company page posts

in the newsfeeds of both followers and non-followers whose meet targeting. Use for specific events/promotions.


Ads

Example Sponsored Update


Ads

Experiment & Measure


Will LinkedIn ads work for you?

Try it and find out.

Run small tests & measure results.

Questions

Questions on Advertising?


MEASURING SUCCESS


Measurement

Track EVERYTHING Connections made Connection requests

sent Introductions

Requested Recommendations

Given Messages Sent Status Updates

Stream interactions Group posts Group comments Company Page Posts Ads Website Traffic Your Goals (KPIs)


Measurement

Find Trends & Set Behavior Goals 2 out of every 10 messages sent results in a

meeting 1 out of every 5 meetings leads to a proposal 20% close ratio

Send 50 msgs = 10 meetings = 2 proposals = 0.4 sales (oops)

Send 150 msgs = 30 meetings = 6 proposals = 1 sale (yay!)

Behavior Goal = Send 150 messages per month


Questions

Questions on Measurement?


RECAP


Recap Strategy

Define Target Market Define Brand Differentiators Define Why Doing This - Set

Goals

Profile Optimization Professional photo Tagline – 3rd Party – Differentiate Spellcheck! Extras: Multimedia, Projects Fill out company profile &

Showcase pages Fill all out ONE HUNDRED

PERCENT

Recommend/Endorse GIVE TO GET!

Connect/Prospect Don’t be too restrictive Import, Explore, Search, Browse

Groups Connect Request Intro, or send

InMail Use CRM Tools Start networking: send a

message, stay in touch Groups

Ask questions Post GENUINELY USEFUL info Strategy, Routine & Tools

Ads Experiment/Measure

Measure Track EVERYTHING Find Trends & Set Behavior GoalsDownload this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2

But what weREALLY learned

today is…Download this slide deck at http://bit.ly/MAXLINK2

“Keep it IRL”




Questions???Maximizing LinkedIn

Download this slide deck at:

http://bit.ly/MAXLINK22

Ask about my coaching!