Social Selling on LinkedIn Step-by-Step Guide

LinkedIn initially appeared as a platform for job seekers and those who want to build relationships within their field of work. However, this career-oriented social network has evolved into so much more. Now, LinkedIn has become a tool for lead generation, connecting with business decision-makers, or establishing one’s professional brand.

In addition to this, social selling on LinkedIn has become a profitable strategy for many companies and professionals. LinkedIn is relevant for businesses that cater to career-oriented people or industry leaders rather than those most consider ‘regular customers.’

If you own or are operating a business that would fit the needs of LinkedIn users, how can you start the social selling process? What are the effective ways of reaching high-quality leads and prospects? In this detailed guide, understand the various nuances in navigating LinkedIn and making it a powerful tool for your marketing strategy.‍

Social Selling on LinkedIn: A Step-by-Step Guide

Optimizing your LinkedIn Profile‍

The first step to having a successful strategy in LinkedIn is optimizing your profile. Whether you own the business or someone within your company’s sales department, it is beneficial for your profile to be professionally detailed to build trusted connections.

Some key elements of LinkedIn that would help in sales prospecting include:

1. Profile picture: A professional-looking yet approachable profile picture will be helpful for prospects to recognize and remember you. It feels more personable to new connections that they are talking to another professional than just another company.
2. Job title: Your job title does not necessarily have to be your position in the business, but it can also be what you can do for the client. When finding a prospect on LinkedIn, it can be more eye-catching to see something like “We help businesses optimize their ad spend” rather than “PPC Ads Specialist.”
3. About section: The about section is a way to describe who you are professionally or to introduce what your business offers. It is best to have an engaging, preferably copywritten post to place in this section.‍

Finding Leads Strategically‍

The type of quality leads you will have varies depending on your niche. If you are offering something within the tech-related sphere, it is best to network with tech leaders CEO of small businesses. If you provide a service to other professionals, your leads are people in the same industry.

Here are some strategies that could help you in finding quality leads:

1. Business to professional search: You can look for companies in your target industry, and you will see their business LinkedIn profile. From this page, you will see a small link that shows the number of employees, and a list of people will appear, including their company position. You can have a professional connection request by finding the ideal person for your product or service.
2. Mutual connections: Mutual connections help with social selling. If you pitch to people within your industry, you can easily find people by searching your network and finding professionals with links to potential clients.
3. LinkedIn search: Another helpful strategy is looking for people through the LinkedIn search bar. You can type any keyword to your target audience from your home page and filter out the “people” results.‍

Creating an Attractive Pitch‍

Pitching through LinkedIn social can be tricky, but it can be powerful when done in the right way. An attractive pitch can be sent if you have already formed some interaction with your LinkedIn prospect. It may be great to establish some rapport before sending your pitch after a candidate accepts your connection right away to build trust.

Interacting with their posts, messaging them about a common topic, or introducing yourself can be a helpful strategy. When your prospect shows initial interest, this is a time where you can present your offers through an attractive pitch. You can gain a competitive advantage through customer experience by crafting a pitch that calls attention to their needs.

Below is a guide to having a powerful pitch:

1. Keep it short and straightforward: Long-form messages are not ideal for busy people on LinkedIn. You can be effective by having a powerful beginning line, such as a relatable question, a common industry problem, or an anecdote that sends a strong message.
2. Present why your product or service helps: Introduce your offer concisely by saying how the product or service solves the chief concern.
3. Add a call-to-action: A call-to-action in LinkedIn can be an invitation to reply to your message, schedule a call, or visit a link to your website to get more information.‍

Content Marketing through LinkedIn‍

Many people forget that LinkedIn is also a social media network but geared towards professionals. So, it is also crucial to improve your reach through content marketing on LinkedIn. You can do this by sharing content on your wall for your connections to see. The great thing about LinkedIn is that people see others’ activities when engaging with specific content, which helps you maximize your reach.

Some types of content you can share on LinkedIn include:

1. Blog posts: Informative blog posts can reach your target audience and other key decision-makers, prospects. Make sure to create a catchy caption that encapsulates the topic in your blog post.
2. Infographics: If you have already created infographics for your other social media accounts, it can also be great to repurpose your content on LinkedIn.
3. Relevant stories: Stories about satisfied customers, your personal stories, and inspiring stories of others are quite engaging on LinkedIn. These types of posts drive engagement and will help prospects discover your profile.‍

Creating and Attending Events‍

Another type of strategy that is helpful in social selling on LinkedIn is events. People can easily see events within your city or state, or if you are holding a digital event, you can also quickly reach those within your target industry.

Some examples of significant LinkedIn events include:

1. Live webinars and summits: Webinars and discussions that give away valuable information are always sought-after by professionals. If you offer a relevant webinar along with a call-to-action for your product or service, you will likely gain high-quality prospects.
2. In-person events: You can simply type a location in the LinkedIn search bar and find networking events in your area. In-person events can find excellent prospects, mainly if your business also depends on local clients.

Selling on LinkedIn seems vastly different from other social media platforms, but many businesses should not take it for granted. By following these strategies, such as profile optimization, finding quality leads, content creation, and holding events, one can build a robust network in LinkedIn that produces results.‍

Social Selling on LinkedIn: Growing Your Networks‍

The underlying principle of successful social selling on LinkedIn is done through growing your networks and being purposefully active in the platform. The strategies above are helpful, and they serve as a starting ground for those who want to build a stream of clients on LinkedIn.

Are you looking for a digital marketing agency that can cover your needs in social selling, web optimization, and more? Contact the El monte digital marketing team at E-Marketing Associates.