Here’s a mistake almost every small business owner is making on Linkedin:
They think their ideal prospects are scrolling through Linkedin looking for a post by a complete stranger pitching a product or service.
“Oh good! Another data analysis tool I can start paying for on a monthly basis. Just what I needed!”
…Said no business owner ever.
For some reason, the same content and pitches that you can’t scroll past fast enough is the same way you are hoping to reach your ideal customer on Linkedin. Yes, Linkedin is a more professional setting than all other social media.
However!
This does not mean that you need to be shouting soft pitches out into the void and hoping, for some improbable reason, someone wants to take you up on it. If you really want to use Linkedin to your advantage, a far more strategic and personal approach needs to be taken.
How to Use LinkedIn as a Lead Generation Tool
So how does this work?
Linkedin offers two main ways you can connect with your prospects. (Without spending money on ads.)
- A prospect sees your organic content, enters your network, and eventually reaches out. (Inbound Leads)
- You build lists of prospects and start conversations yourself. (Outbound Leads)
While organic (or inbound) leads play a critical role in your Linkedin strategy, it likely won’t be where the majority of your leads are coming from to start. Outbound leads, (leads where you reach out as the first point of contact) is likely where your focus will be.
From a high level overview, an ideal client flow would look like this:
- You connect with a prospect by sending a connection request. They accept this request.
- They are now in your network and see your organic content. This content provides them value and helps to solve a problem they have in their business.
- You follow up and try to start a conversation. In the conversion you acknowledge your offer.
- The good will you have built up by being a personable and valuable resource encourages them to meet or hop on a call.
So why doesn’t everyone just do that and we all see incredible success?
Well, the process of getting in front of the right people on Linkedin is incredibly simple in theory, but difficult to execute consistently.
How do I ensure my prospects accept my connection request?
How do I produce content that engages them when they see it?
How do I work a conversation into a call?
All great questions that could each be a topic of their own series of articles. But let’s lay out a few cornerstone pieces of strategy to consider.
Key Considerations
First Impressions:
You are (likely) connecting with complete strangers. You can’t expect to send a connection request and start having your calendar booked weeks out.
Important Note: Key decision makers in businesses are hammered with cold DMs pitching a product or service, ALL. DAY. LONG.
You need to separate yourself from this crowd.
This is why the first point of contact should be very casual. Your initial connection should be fairly informal, simply introducing yourself and acknowledging your mutual interests or industry.
The goal here is simple: start building relationships. Not every message will turn into an immediate sale, but the connection is the first step in the process.
Content:
You can become a go-to resource for your ideal client type.
If you are genuinely attempting to help your ideal client type solve a problem or expand their thinking, they will keep coming back to your content. There is no better way to get prospects interested in your offer than to display that you are a valuable asset in their ability to solve the problems they are dealing with.
We often think that this specifically applies to things happening in or around their business. However, as we talked about earlier, Linekdin does not have to just be a sterile, corporate environment.
Your prospects sticking around because they love your personality or point of view on life can be just as impactful! A perfect content strategy for Linkedin blends your personal interests and insights with how to solve problems that exist in your ideal customer’s world.
Turning Conversations into Opportunities
The end goal of LinkedIn lead generation is to establish relationships that eventually convert into sales. However, it’s important to recognize that most people aren’t ready to buy after just one message.
Ideally, a prospect engages with your content to some degree and sees the value that you provide. Again, this is meant to build up the good will for when you go to ask if they would be interested to get on a call.
When following up with prospects three main points need to be hit:
- Personalize Your Follow Ups:
- People are getting more keen than ever in their ability to detect spam or copy/paste messages.
- Spend the 30 seconds to a minute that it takes to learn something about them and include it in the follow up.
- Have a Clear CTA (Call to Action):
- If your offer is too broad, people will be less likely to believe it is something that can help them.
- Include a very clear point about them or their business that makes them a good fit for your very specific product or service.
- Be Persistent:
- The majority of your prospects will not respond right away. This does not mean they are disinterested or not a good fit.
- Persistent follow ups, if you can avoid being spammy, display your urgency and genuine belief in what you are offering.
Client Success
One of our clients, a business and life coach who works with high-level executives in the San Luis Obispo area, was struggling to find qualified leads in this very niche and refined market. Despite her extensive experience and expertise, she found it challenging to connect with the right people.
What she was lacking as a clearly denied approach that tackled her outreach from all angles. She now has a system in place creating content that her target audience loves and is starting conversations that are turning into booked meetings.
After partnering with us, she now consistently receives 3-5 inquiries every month from top-level executives who are interested in her coaching services for themselves or a member of their team. Even though she has a very small potential client base, LinkedIn has become a key tool in expanding her reach and growing her business.
By using LinkedIn as a way to cultivate relationships rather than pitching services, she’s been able to connect with decision-makers who value what she offers.
This consistent flow of interest allows her to focus on delivering exceptional coaching while we handle the lead generation process for her.
If your business could benefit from starting conversations with relevant, top decision-makers, let us set up a strategy for you! You absolutely can start the process of learning how to do this for your business and maybe over the next six months you could find something that works for you.
But why wait?
Our team at Simply Clear has proven strategies ready to implement into your business. Don’t waste time and leads by trying to do it yourself.
Let us put our systems in place so you can start efficiently from Day 1!
