We all know how distracting social media can be! Sometimes, it can feel like a time machine. You open the app, start scrolling, and boom! Before you know it, you have spent a good 25 minutes of your busy day on memes or Instareels! As a busy managed service provider (MSP), you surely don’t have the time for that, right? Wrong! If used correctly, social media, especially LinkedIn can be a great source of leads for you. This blog discusses how you can leverage LinkedIn to boost your brand and grow as a business.
What is LinkedIn?
You probably already know what LinkedIn is all about. It is a social networking platform for professionals. While Facebook is great for staying connected with friends and family and Instagram is the perfect place to share pictures from your last vacation, LinkedIn helps you connect and network with co-workers, peers, thought leaders, and professionals in your industry and beyond.
What are the various marketing options available on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn offers many PPC (Pay-Per-Click), i.e, paid advertising options, the LinkedIn feeds/posts are a free (and really effective) marketing avenue to put your brand and messaging out there. You can create a LinkedIn page for your business, separate ‘Showcase’ pages for each of your services such as Cybersecurity, Cloud Services, VoIP, etc. You can further use your own LinkedIn profile to connect with prospective clients. LinkedIn also has various professional groups that you can be a part of to understand industry trends and learn what your peers are doing. Fascinating isn’t it? Research shows sales professionals who spend around 4 hours a week, sales prospecting on LinkedIn see results that are significant in helping them exceed their sales quotas.
So, what are the best practices that you should keep in mind when using LinkedIn to promote your brand or connect with prospects?
Look for connections: The first thing to do, once you sign up on LinkedIn is to look for relevant connections. Search the site for your target audience. Ask questions like:
- Who are you looking for—are you looking for potential clients, employers, or vendors?
- Where can I find them—think about which communities your target audience would be a part of and join those communities.
- Other parameters—do you want to focus on a particular market segment by geographical location or by age group or income group?
Set your parameters first and then search accordingly. Otherwise, it’s very easy to get lost on LinkedIn
Personalize: Once you decide on your target audience, the next thing to do is send ‘Connection’ requests to them. When doing so, personalize your communication. Don’t just send the program-generated request. Greet the recipient by name, add on a line or two about how you can add value to them. A little bit of personalization goes a long way in creating fruitful business relationships.
It’s a two-way street: One mistake most MSPs do is thinking that LinkedIn is just a broadcasting/advertising platform. You’ll have more people joining your LinkedIn network if you provide something of interest to them. For example: Share Day Zero alerts, Cyber security tips, IT articles that will be of interest to your audience.
Add value: Join groups where you can be of help. Answer questions that are being put up at online forums. Add value to the users of the network and they’ll automatically start following you/connecting with you..
Update your profile: Once you’re on LinkedIn, it is important to ensure that your profile is regularly updated. Have you added on a new service line or launched a new product? Your profile should reflect this information.
Consistency is the key: No matter how good your LinkedIn Connections are, you won’t make much progress if you are not consistent in your sales and marketing efforts. You need to post multiple times a week to ensure your brand is visible and out there in the ‘LinkedIn World’.