Like it or not, your online presence is more important than ever in a world where curating your Instagram account sounds more like common sense and less like something only relegated to the micro-celebrity crowd.
At Sapper, we’re well aware that first impressions are important. When a potential client clicks on any of our web or social media sites, we want to be sure that we’re consistently presenting ourselves as the cutting edge lead generation company that we are.
Want prospective clients to be both impressed and amazed? But don’t know where to start? To quote every clickbait article in the universe “The answer will surprise you!” First off…
Update Your LinkedIn Page!
But why? Isn’t LinkedIn just ‘Business Facebook?’ Nope! This article tells us that it’s actually a great networking tool. If you don’t like reading articles, let me sum it up: there are over 5 million users of the platform, and 76% of them are regular, executive level users.
This sounds amazing! But how do I make my LinkedIn profile awesome? Easy, follow these 5 steps to improve your LinkedIn for lead generation:
Make it Pretty
People love good visuals, so it’s important to showcase your workplace in the header photo of your LinkedIn page. Ideally, you want to stay away from the typical stock photo tropes of random people in business suits, hands shaking, or pictures of people on laptops in coffee shops. Take the time to find a photo of your workplace or team you think really captures your businesses’ values (don’t be afraid to hire a photographer!) or use your business logo. Think carefully about the first impression you want to make with your audience–what does your header photo tell them?
Brag about yourself!
Tell the world all about the fantastic things your business does and how you helped your company accomplish those goals. It helps if you start with the motto or creed that your company follows and then adding in some personal notes about how you are tied to it. As an example, here’s something I put together for my workplace, Sapper:
Sapper employs scientific methods and tests multiple approaches before crafting a unique email strategy that helps you get more sales meetings with your dream clients.
So far during my tenure at Sapper, I have [insert amazing thing or alternatively this list of accomplishments].
You can also write up a personal motto/summary for the top of your profile that outlines any professional or career goals and experience you have. Here’s a link to an article with a few great examples to get you started on your own.
Connect with your Coworkers
Are you connected with everyone who works with you? The best part about connecting with your coworkers is that you can get started networking in your own backyard. See what your cohorts are reading / sharing and connect with colleagues to start to make the most of your LinkedIn page.
After all, the more connections you have, the easier it is to reach a broader audience in the spaces you want to be in. Think of this simple formula: More connections = more networking = more opportunities to expand your business!
Engage / Network Regularly
Set a goal to get on LinkedIn every business day, every week, every other week, or every month to add connections, share articles, and comment and like articles shared on your feed by your connections. Not only does this prove you are an actual human being and not a robot, it’s an excellent way to network without having to leave the house.
To make the most of your experience, you can also join and contribute to groups within LinkedIn. From sales acceleration to marketing, you can discover groups that would be a good fit for you no matter what you’re into. Start by clicking the grid on the top right of your LinkedIn profile and selecting ‘groups’ to see what looks good!
