Stop sleeping on LinkedIn. If you’re trying to establish your name, build a brand or grow your business, this platform is essential. But you can’t just join. You can’t just lurk. Make the most of LinkedIn by doing it with intention. Get results by taking consistent, excellent action.
Here’s how to win on LinkedIn, this year and beyond.
LinkedIn hacks to try today: for ambitious business owners
Start a LinkedIn newsletter
A lesser-used feature than regular posts, LinkedIn newsletters used to be boring and stuffy. But LinkedIn has recently changed that. In a bid to get more users publishing on a regular basis, it’s promoting newsletters beyond your following.
I built the AI for Coaches newsletter to 5,000 followers in under a month. Pharmacist Alex Barker hit 16,000 subscribers with The Happy PharmD, with a third in the last few months. Marketing professional Andy Lambert launched Social 3.0 and got 2000 subscribers overnight. Not only does LinkedIn invite people to follow your publication, every new issue lands in the email inbox of your subscribers. Take relationships beyond LinkedIn by getting involved.
Use the call to action button
If you pay for LinkedIn, you get a special privilege. Access to a “call to action” button, where you can direct your profile visitors to do something specific. Invite them to book an appointment, subscribe to your newsletter, visit your store, website, portfolio or blog.
Not only does this display as a button on your profile, it appears under your name when you comment on posts. People who find your profile now know exactly how to take the relationship further. They know how to get your help. If you already upgraded your account, give this button a whirl. Or start a free trial and test the button before you get charged.
Get clear on your customer
Not everyone is your customer. For best results on LinkedIn, define your ideal customer profile (ICP) in deep detail, then include the information in your headline. This space is prime real estate for your business, and you have 220 characters to play with.
Make it abundantly clear who should hire you. Make it totally obvious who your content is for. Let people know they are in the right place. Whether you’re set up to serve coaches with content, pharmacists battling burnout, marketing managers at startups or people with dogs, add a sentence to your headline to reflect your focus.
Ask why they asked to connect
The more you show up on LinkedIn, the more generic connection requests will fly your way. That’s not good. Without knowing why someone wants your attention, you can’t tell if they’re a potential client, collaborator or team member. You don’t know if they’ll just try to sell to you as soon as you let them in.
Once a week, go through your new connection requests. Don’t accept yet, just politely ask them why they asked to connect. Ask them how they heard about you. Gather information and decide whether they should be part of your world. If they’re timewasters, they won’t respond. But if they match your ICP, use their request as an excuse to get to know them.
Manage your direct messages
LinkedIn posts make all the noise, but the magic happens in the DMs. One-to-one conversations with members of your target audience will lead to connection, collaboration and set up future sales. Direct messaging on LinkedIn is serious business, but the LinkedIn interface is not a serious setup. Kondo will help. A useful tool for business owners and those using LinkedIn DMs to build a brand, it lets you sort through your DMs and not miss anything important.
Don’t let the LinkedIn inbox vortex steal your gains. Sort connections into folders, flag those you want to follow up, and save snippets of sentences you use on repeat. With the system sorted, you can slide in more inboxes, getting to know more people on a whole new level.
LinkedIn growth with 5 simple tricks: test and iterate for awesome results
Nothing moves unless you make it move. Start the momentum and keep it going with these five hacks for LinkedIn success. Start a LinkedIn newsletter, use the call to action function, and include your ICP in your headline. Ask people why they requested to connect and manage your DMs like you mean business. Meet as many relevant people as possible without spending hours a day logged on.