I have to confess that during the various lockdowns I had more time to do my own social media. Yet, like many a hairdresser with untidy locks or a carpenter with shelves that need fitting, I always used to take the time to ensure my clients’ social media is done and dusted before doing my own.

But with the extra time, while business was quiet, I was able to be a bit more consistent on LinkedIn and it has definitely paid off. I picked up new clients who all mentioned that they had seen what I was posting on LinkedIn and wanted to work with me.

Find your Purpose for using LinkedIn

There are numerous reasons for using LinkedIn. It’s a worldwide platform with millions of active users but there are also over 3 million UK members associated with small companies.

People are very familiar with using it as a job seeker and having an online CV, but LinkedIn is the No. 1 platform for business-to-business lead generation and it is also known as a trusted and influential platform.

Businesses can use it as a networking and relationship-building tool as well as for research.  It is also a great place to showcase your business and personal brand and establish yourself as a thought leader or industry expert.

It helps to think about why you want to use LinkedIn and create a clear plan. Is it to generate leads or is it to see what your competition is doing? Is it to find suppliers or keep in touch with people from the past?

Who is your Ideal Customer?

Think carefully about the sort of business or person you want to connect with, what are their challenges, problems and objections – what is your solution, and what is the ‘pain’ that you solve? How can your product or service help them, what are the benefits?

This will lead you to think about your ideal customer, your target market or your ideal connection on LinkedIn. A great way to get your head around your ideal customer is to think about them as a person, and create an Avatar or customer profile. There is plenty of advice on the internet or download my Customer Avatar template from here.

Tailoring your Message

Once you have a clear idea in your mind of who you want to connect with and build a relationship with, this can help you tailor your messages, language and images. Imagine speaking to the person defined in your customer avatar and your messages will have more impact but will still resonate with lots of other people with similar issues.

When you have a clear plan about why you are logging into LinkedIn and who you want to be talking to you will find it easier to find connections, create great content and get leads.

It’s not rocket science – like any marketing strategy you have to think about what you want to get out of LinkedIn and how much time to invest. The more proactive you are the more you will benefit.

If you want some one-to-one support on improving your profile on LinkedIn, get in touch:

[email protected]