LinkedIn networking tips will help you improve your business presence on LinkedIn and allow you to generate more leads. There is no denying the fact that LinkedIn has emerged as one of the leading social networking sites, with close to 740 million users and 55 million registered companies, when it comes to job and business purposes.
LinkedIn not only serves as a platform to find job opportunities but also as a sought-after medium for small businesses and startups to make connections for marketing and generating sales. According to a study conducted by HubSpot, LinkedIn generates 277% more effective leads than other social networking sites such as Facebook.
Linkedin has been putting in commendable efforts to support small businesses by introducing various resources like Small Biz Newsletter, on-demand LinkedIn learning tutorials, and various community features to leverage small businesses networking capabilities.
As a renowned networking site for professionals and businesses, it helps small businesses to generate genuine leads and grow their business.
LinkedIn offers an opportunity to make connections with potential clients globally. Thus Linkedin networking is a great way to establish small businesses and increase their credibility.
Related: Top LinkedIn Marketing Stats
Here are 5 pro LinkedIn networking tips for small businesses to yield maximum results for business growth.
Update LinkedIn Profile
The first step to networking is to have a profile that stands out. To create an impact on the connections make sure that you optimize your filled-out profile.
Here are a few tips to optimize your profile:
- Put your company logo as a profile picture. Profiles with a picture get more views and interactions than the profiles without them. You can hire experts for professional logo design. Putting the company logo will make a lasting impression on the people and they would remember you when required
- Use a noticeable cover photo that highlights the company’s specializations, goals, or achievements
- Fill in the Linkedin headline section that represents your company’s field, products, and services
- Frame a thought-out summary for the profile using strategic keywords. However, remember to keep it crisp and easy to skim
- Optimize LinkedIn URL with your name and keywords.
Related: Headline Writing Tips For Beginners
Connect With Professionals
After updating the profile, the next step is to connect with professionals. Making connections on LinkedIn blindly would be of no use for the business rather try to connect with people related to the industry or potential clients. This is one of the best LinkedIn networking tips to apply.
People from the same industry can provide valuable suggestions ad insights on the business.
Here are a few tips to earn genuine connections:
- Connect with your existing clients or companies you are collaborating with
- Send a personalized message with the connection request introducing the company and a few pointers about it
- Reconnect with people or clients that you have worked with to rejuvenate the business relationship
- Add company’s LinkedIn URL in official email signatures
- Search industry-specific keywords and connect with people that are shown in the result, especially the ones located in the areas nearby the company
- Make sure you stay below the LinkedIn limitations for sending connection requests
Pro Tip: You can also LinkedIn automation tools like E Leads Pro to manage your profile and generate leads.
Join Industry-Specific Groups and Pages
Joining LinkedIn groups is a great way to market your company in industry-specific niche communities.
With the growing number of businesses on LinkedIn, it serves as an opportunity to connect with B2B companies and bring customers together.
You can also create your own LinkedIn group and invite other businesses, professionals, and clients to join for insightful discussions.
Related: Top B2B Ecommerce Marketing Stats
Joining LinkedIn groups is not only a great way to network with industries and clients but also to increase awareness of the brand. Posting insightful content in these groups can establish your company’s credibility and visibility.
Here are a few LinkedIn networking tips to help you find groups to join:
- Access the Groups homepage and use the Discover option to find suggestions of groups to join
- Insert industry-specific keywords in the search bar to find a filtered list of related groups
- Visit the pages of similar businesses or connections and look for groups that they have been actively engaged in
Keep The LinkedIn Profile Active
Merely connecting with people won’t serve the purpose of networking, it is crucial to keep your connections engaged. Also staying active and posting regularly will fetch you more attention.
Posting useful articles that represent a company’s expertise can educate your existing connections and also help you to make new connections.
Here is what you can try to craft engaging contents:
- Try to use industry-related keywords and use hashtags to make your articles more reachable and search friendly
- Instead of putting across everything as an essay, try to fabricate a professional story to keep the readers hooked
- Using pictures, infographics, etc. can further help to diversify the content
- Share experiences, ideas and ask for suggestions from your connections to initiate conversations
- Optimize the posting timings to garner more attention, such as posting during lunchtime or at the end of the day
Related: Best Tools To Measure Social Media Engagement
Ask For Reviews and Recommendations
This strategy can help you gain potential clients and leverage your marketing and brand value. Asking for reviews and recommendations from existing clients, businesses increase your visibility and help you network with your connections.
Reviews and recommendations serve as trusted testimonials of your services. So it is productive to ask for testimonials from clients and partners.
Related: Best WordPress Plugins For Testimonials
Conclusion
With LinkedIn serving as an amazing platform for job-hunt, business collaborations, marketing, and sales, creating a LinkedIn profile for networking with potential clients has become imperative for small businesses and startups.
Networking with the right set of clients and professionals can help your business grow and build a global identity of the company.
Here are the key takeaways from this LinkedIn networking tips blog:
- Maintain an updated LinkedIn profile to build the company’s social identity and branding
- Connect with potential clients and professionals and increase the company’s outreach
- Join LinkedIn groups related to your niche of work and establish yourself as a trusted brand among industry peers
- Keep LinkedIn profile active by frequently posting engaging content that is valuable for the customers or clients
- Ask your clients and partners to post reviews and recommend the services of your company on their page
