On this week’s Dear Katie, I was asked a question that I think a lot of you reading this may also have: People say LinkedIn is a goldmine. I log on there and don’t know what to do. Could you point me in the right direction?
Of course, I can.
I know the feeling when you log into your LinkedIn account and don’t really know what to do. And a lot of people make it seem like LinkedIn for leads is easy. It is, but you need to do a few things beforehand to improve your odds of success.
I’m going to give you a checklist of options for getting leads on LinkedIn in just a little bit, but first, I strongly recommend that you have a well-defined niche first.
Your niche will dive all of the below and help you know exactly where your efforts should be spent.
Post, post and post some more. LinkedIn may recommend poting 1 – 2 times per day, but to be honest, that’s not necessary.
If you can post at least 3 times each week, that’s a great start.
When it comes to creating your content, I recommend batching all of your content for a week, or a month if you can.
Why? If you batch content, you can stay consistent.
Then, when things pop up in real-time that you want to post about, do that, too.
I prefer to post a mix of content to keep viewers engaged, including:
TIP: Not sure what to post? Check out two blogs where I cover the types of content that you need to be creating: here and here.
In addition to posting content, you should also make it a point to engage with others on LinkedIn. There are two groups that you want to focus on here:
Why focus on influencers? Because your ideal clients are probably already following them, and this is just one more way to get your name in front of your audience.
Every day, aim to:
Pro Tip: Create an Excel document or Google Sheet with a list of the people you enjoy engaging with. Add links to their profile, so it’s easy to find them and engage with them consistently.
Social media is all about being social, so make sure that you’re responding to all:
Pro Tip: Whenever possible, ask a follow-up question. Let’s say that your ideal client sends a connection request. You can reply with something like this: Hello [name], thanks for connecting! What types of clients do you normally work with?
Every day, make it a point to add 20 new people to your network who are in your niche. Not sure where to find people? Here are some ideas:
There are SO many ways to find new people. It doesn’t matter how you find them as long as they are in your niche and you’re meeting your goal of adding 20 solid connections each day.
Pro Tip: When adding new people, send a relevant message and ask an open-ended question. Your question could be related to a post they created, a Google Alert you received about them, a comment they left on another post or even something related to their job history.
So many people overlook this step, but it’s one of the most important. If someone raises their hand and shows interest in connecting offline with you (such as booking a discovery call), you need to track them and follow up.
For example, let’s say that someone reaches out to you and says they’re looking for an accountant to help with their business taxes and accounting. To keep this lead from slipping through the cracks, you need to follow up in a timely manner, and when you message them back, include a link to your calendar to schedule a time for a call.
Next, add this person to your CRM or task management system with a task to check to see whether they’ve booked an appointment within a week,
If they haven’t booked an appointment, reach out to follow up.
Let’s face it. Life gets busy and inboxes get messy,
Don’t let something that takes two minutes to do (following up) keep you from growing your firm.
Pro Tip: Try incorporating media into your messages when you follow up. You can send a short video or a voice message to the prospect to make your follow-up really stand out.
Now that you have this daily LinkedIn checklist, you can start adding these activities to your schedule. I recommend dedicating time each day so that you stay consistent. Remember – consistency is the key to building a strong online presence, creating and maintaining momentum and, ultimately, succeeding with using LinkedIn to build your firm.
I know that this checklist can seem like a lot – and it is. But this is the reality of what it takes to win on social media today.
If this sounds like too much work for you, consider hiring a social media manager to alleviate the burden and stay on track.
And, that’s a wrap on this Dear Katie question.
__
Now I want to hear from you. Do you have a question?
Until next time, cheers to your success!
Katie
Aim to post at least three times a week. Consistency is key, so consider batching your content to maintain a regular posting schedule.
Share a mix of photos, videos, and text updates to keep your audience engaged. Focus on content that showcases your expertise and resonates with your target audience.
Engage by commenting on posts from industry influencers and your ideal clients. Aim to comment on at least five posts from each group daily to increase your visibility.
Add about 20 new connections daily from your niche. Use tools like Sales Navigator or search for relevant groups and hashtags to find potential connections.
Track your leads and follow up promptly. If someone expresses interest, send them a message with a link to your calendar for scheduling a call.
If managing your LinkedIn presence feels overwhelming, hiring a social media manager can help you stay consistent and focused on lead generation.