As LinkedIn becomes the largest growing professional network with 225 million members, more and more businesses are taking advantage of the tool to reach potential clients. According to Hubspot, more than half of B2B marketers that are on LinkedIn have acquired customers through the network. So how can your association leverage this professional network to reach potential members?
It takes more than a keyword search to reach and obtain the members you want. In order to take full advantage of LinkedIn’s growing professional network, you should consider these five important tips in the process:
1. First and foremost, have an “all-star” profile – Make sure you and your association’s profile is completely filled out before reaching out to business prospects. This goes for your employees as well. In addition, include a compelling introduction – one that tells your story and answers, “why should people care?” People pay attention on LinkedIn so it’s important that you and your association communicate its service offerings effectively and professionally.
2. Actively engage in the network – Does your association offer a special program for small business owners, or what about women in business? Well, there is a group for that. Get involved in the discussion or step up your thought leadership game and start the discussion. This will connect you with professionals you may have never had the chance to meet otherwise. So take advantage of these new connections and engage. Join the groups that suit your target audience or get involved in your local community by joining groups that relate to your prospects’ industries.
3. Stay up-to-date – What topics or issues matter most to your organization? Follow them. LinkedIn allows you to subscribe to the informational resources that matter to you and your members. Don’t just follow though, share too! Experiment with optimal times of sharing updates with your network and figure out the best times for engagement. Assuming that you are already following your members (if you aren’t — you should be!), stay on top of their activity and reach out personally (and professionally). Maintaining your established relationships can potentially lead to positive referrals.
4. Brand yourself – Both you and your association can show off some of your proudest moments. Did your association make a groundbreaking discovery in the business world or host a successful conference? Amplify it on LinkedIn with slideshows, videos or articles. Showcase some of your best work so they don’t have to look any further when you reach out to potential members through the social network. It’s also a great idea to share your LinkedIn widget on your website and blog.
5. Organize your contacts and connections – LinkedIn has a great feature where you can tag your connections so you can stay organized and easily identify all of your contacts. You also have the option to sync their email and contact information so you can have them all in one database. This can provide a leg up on follow-ups and potential leads.
After establishing credibility on you and your association’s LinkedIn profile, make sure you are using it to its fullest potential by actively engaging in your network. It’s important that prospects see you building a lasting impression on the site, because most likely, they are interested in what you have to share.
Is your association on LinkedIn? If so, how do you leverage the network? Please share your ideas with us in the comments below!