If you are looking for more ways to generate leads, LinkedIn can be a great tool, and one that has long been used by B2B marketers to attract qualified inbound leads. LinkedIn has a myriad of awesome features that make it ideal not just for those that are looking for jobs or want to connect with their colleagues in an environment that is more structured than Facebook. It’s also become the perfect place to look for clients. Because there is still a social aspect to LinkedIn, it makes connections more personal and therefore, more effective.
Here are five things you can to do up the attractiveness of your LinkedIn profile to qualified leads:
1. Think of your profile as a webpage.
When you start thinking of your profile as a webpage, rather than as just a social media profile, you will start to consider how it is going to be crawled by Google. While your initial goal may be to be more attractive to leads that are already on LinkedIn, because LinkedIn is a website with incredible authority, having an effective profile on this website gives you a very high-level and high-ranking domain to be connected with. With the right keywords, your profile can become a top ranking link in relevant search results—which, as any marketer knows, is an extremely valuable spot to hold.
2. Find the right keywords and include them.
Should you include keywords in your LinkedIn profile? Yes! Remember, we’re treating your profile like any other webpage. You should be aware of what the people you want to connect with will be searching for both on LinkedIn and on the internet in general and find a way to make sure that your profile is one of the top search results on both venues. You do this by including the most relevant keywords. You can do this the same way that you would find keywords for any other website you are building: by doing keyword research. Google’s keyword planner is a great place to start.
3. Consider the purpose of your profile.
Most people create their profile to use as an online resume. There is nothing wrong with that idea, but this is not the format that is going to be most effective for you, who is trying to attract leads through LinkedIn. Instead of focusing on your job history, focus more on your qualifications and capabilities, in reference to the work that you want to do.
Your profile’s goal should be to show viewers how you can help them achieve their goals and how you can solve their problems. It should be a powerful piece of marketing, not simply an online resume. Talk about your “features” and your “benefits” in clear, concise, and convincing language.
4. Think about how people use the search function.
LinkedIn’s search function isn’t just used to search for people that you already know. It’s used to search for people
that you want to know and do business with. Remembering this information can help you create a profile that is more attractive to potential leads. If someone is looking for a business like yours, what are they going to type into the search function? Your profile should aim to be as informational and valuable as your website is, so that it is favored by LinkedIn’s search.
5. Make sure that your profile is fully optimized.
There are nine features that you should optimize in order to make sure that you are first, visible and second, attractive to leads. These are:
a. The headline – The headline is the text that appears right after your name and talks about your current position. It is this little piece of text that will convince someone to click on your profile.
b. Contact info – Make sure that this area includes all of the information that a prospect needs in order to get in touch with you. It could even include a landing page with nothing more than a contact form.
c. Summary – Use your summary to showcase the benefits of choosing you over your competition and how you can solve their problems. Include keywords!
d. Experience – Experience is a great way to show your history of solving client/customer problems over time.
e. Marketing – You can attach PDF reports or documents to your profile that include social proof or offer value to visitors—this will make your profile stand out.
f. Endorsements – Ask previous clients for endorsements. This acts as social proof and is very important.
g. Publications – This area will include anything you might have published that will demonstrate your value to your visitors.
h. Recommendations – Like endorsements, recommendations are essential social proof.
i. Groups – Join relevant groups—this makes you more visible and demonstrates your interests!
LinkedIn can be a valuable tool in your digital marketing strategy. Follow these five steps and your profile will be more attractive to leads!
If you are looking for more ways to generate leads, LinkedIn can be a great tool, and one that has long been used by B2B marketers to attract qualified inbound leads. LinkedIn has a myriad of awesome features that make it ideal not just for those that are looking for jobs or want to connect with their colleagues in an environment that is more structured than Facebook. It’s also become the perfect place to look for clients. Because there is still a social aspect to LinkedIn, it makes connections more personal and therefore, more effective.
Here are five things you can to do up the attractiveness of your LinkedIn profile to qualified leads:
1. Think of your profile as a webpage.
When you start thinking of your profile as a webpage, rather than as just a social media profile, you will start to consider how it is going to be crawled by Google. While your initial goal may be to be more attractive to leads that are already on LinkedIn, because LinkedIn is a website with incredible authority, having an effective profile on this website gives you a very high-level and high-ranking domain to be connected with. With the right keywords, your profile can become a top ranking link in relevant search results—which, as any marketer knows, is an extremely valuable spot to hold.
2. Find the right keywords and include them.
Should you include keywords in your LinkedIn profile? Yes! Remember, we’re treating your profile like any other webpage. You should be aware of what the people you want to connect with will be searching for both on LinkedIn and on the internet in general and find a way to make sure that your profile is one of the top search results on both venues. You do this by including the most relevant keywords. You can do this the same way that you would find keywords for any other website you are building: by doing keyword research. Google’s keyword planner is a great place to start.
3. Consider the purpose of your profile.
Most people create their profile to use as an online resume. There is nothing wrong with that idea, but this is not the format that is going to be most effective for you, who is trying to attract leads through LinkedIn. Instead of focusing on your job history, focus more on your qualifications and capabilities, in reference to the work that you want to do.
Your profile’s goal should be to show viewers how you can help them achieve their goals and how you can solve their problems. It should be a powerful piece of marketing, not simply an online resume. Talk about your “features” and your “benefits” in clear, concise, and convincing language.
4. Think about how people use the search function.
LinkedIn’s search function isn’t just used to search for people that you already know. It’s used to search for people that you want to know and do business with. Remembering this information can help you create a profile that is more attractive to potential leads. If someone is looking for a business like yours, what are they going to type into the search function? Your profile should aim to be as informational and valuable as your website is, so that it is favored by LinkedIn’s search.
5. Make sure that your profile is fully optimized.
There are nine features that you should optimize in order to make sure that you are first, visible and second, attractive to leads. These are:
a. The headline – The headline is the text that appears right after your name and talks about your current position. It is this little piece of text that will convince someone to click on your profile.
b. Contact info – Make sure that this area includes all of the information that a prospect needs in order to get in touch with you. It could even include a landing page with nothing more than a contact form.
c. Summary – Use your summary to showcase the benefits of choosing you over your competition and how you can solve their problems. Include keywords!
d. Experience – Experience is a great way to show your history of solving client/customer problems over time.
e. Marketing – You can attach PDF reports or documents to your profile that include social proof or offer value to visitors—this will make your profile stand out.
f. Endorsements – Ask previous clients for endorsements. This acts as social proof and is very important.
g. Publications – This area will include anything you might have published that will demonstrate your value to your visitors.
h. Recommendations – Like endorsements, recommendations are essential social proof.
i. Groups – Join relevant groups—this makes you more visible and demonstrates your interests!
LinkedIn can be a valuable tool in your digital marketing strategy. Follow these five steps and your profile will be more attractive to leads!
Published on October 20, 2015
About the Author: Chris Williams
