Leveraging LinkedIn to Develop Business

Let’s face it, most professionals joined LinkedIn because they got a request from someone in their network-they know, but they aren’t quite sure what to do with LinkedIn. However, what most professionals may not realize is that LinkedIn can also help you to develop business

Increase Your Visibility
LinkedIn boasts a global membership of more than 135 million members. In addition to the opportunity to connect with this staggering number of professionals and key decision makers, your LinkedIn profile offers another benefit: Many LinkedIn profiles are listed well above traditional websites on the first page of search results. This increased visibility keeps you in front of decision makers and translates into more connections, which can be leveraged to create more opportunities for business.

The key to success with your profile is to make it personal. Most professionals make the mistake of cutting and pasting their stiff corporate bio. That's the last thing you want to do. LinkedIn is a network. People want to get to know the real you, not your legal or marketing department's version. Draft your profile in a manner similar to how you would speak. Give the reader an opportunity to get to know your story.

Leverage Your Network
The most powerful feature of LinkedIn is your network. It's the hub that powers everything else. LinkedIn's advanced search feature gives you the ability to see who you are connected to and exactly how. This can make building prospect lists, preparing for prospect meetings and active business development activities way more efficient.

The key to success here is two fold. First, you need to have connections that are continually growing. At a bare minimum, you will want to make sure you have listed all your academic degrees and credentials, as well as every company you have worked for professionally. This will tell LinkedIn where there are possible connections so that they may suggest people to connect with. Second, you have to be proactive. Connecting or just having a profile won't win you the business. You have to use the information to reach out to people.

Generate Opportunities
One of the secrets of LinkedIn is the ability to bring together people who can share relevant, quality content around a particular topic. They do this in two areas - "groups" and "answers." By monitoring and participating in both areas, professionals will find opportunities to share their knowledge around particular topics, which can lead to opportunities for business, speaking or writing, as well as identify direct requests for resources.

The key to success when participating in groups is to avoid the appearance of self-promoting. No one wants to read an advertisement. If you share relevant and valuable information, people will seek you out. If you are responding to a direct request, especially one in the answer area, make sure your response isn't generic. If, for example, the request is for an international tax expert with experience in Germany, do not respond with, "I am a CPA who does audit and tax." Instead, reference the specific request, mention your experience, and then reference helpful resources.

Sarah Johnson is the chief growth strategist with Inovautus Consulting, a firm that works with CPA, law and professional service firms to help them grow more effectively. She is author of "Practical Ideas for Growth," a blog dedicated to growing professional firms. Her counsel and strategies have helped move firms to the next level in their marketing and recruiting efforts. Connect with Sarah at 773-208-7170, sjohnson@inovautus.com, or www.linkedin.com/in/sjjohnson. 

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