Follow Up to Previous Marketing on LinkedIn Article

Last week, I wrote an article detailing how you can start marketing on LinkedIn by pimping out your LinkedIn profile to make it more attractive to prospects. This week, I’m going to show you a few different ways you can begin attracting people to your business by connecting with them on this frequently overlooked social networking website.

More Tips for Marketing on LinkedIn

Search For and Connect with People

LinkedIn has a search function that allows you to look up members in specific industries, companies, positions, educational levels, by name, and even by keyword. Some of these features require you to upgrade your LinkedIn account to the Pro level in order to use them. But you will be able to find and contact people who have a need for your products, services, and opportunities.

Join Groups Filled with Your Prospects

Like most social networking sites, you can connect with like-minded individuals on LinkedIn by joining groups. Use the search function to find groups related to your interests or business type. Not only will you be able to interact with potential prospects but you can often trade ideas on how to make your mutual businesses better and more profitable.

Alternatively, Start a Group for Marketing on LinkedIn

If you can’t find a group that fits your needs or you have a unique idea for one that will attract people in your target market to you, then start a group to use for marketing on LinkedIn. The one caveat to this is that you need to be prepared to run the group. A lot of people get caught up in the excitement of building an online meeting place that draws people to their business that they don’t realize the work involved in maintaining the group and keeping it relevant. If you are willing to put in the time, then you can definitely reap rewards from your efforts.

Use the Event Feature to Network Offline

LinkedIn has an event feature that lets you post information about events, both online and offline that you may be hosting. Additionally, you can find events that other people are hosting which will provide opportunities for you to meet with potential prospects in person.

Answer Questions in the Answer Section

Perhaps one of the best places to meet and impress prospects as well as do marketing on LinkedIn is through the Answer section of LinkedIn. This is the place where people post questions ranging from seeking business advice to how to better use LinkedIn. Taking the time to answer questions in this section helps to position you as an expert and encourages people to seek you out whenever they need help again. This can be just the thing you need to open the door to a long term relationship.

Direct Ads Campaign

If you’ve got money to spend, the LinkedIn will happy to post your marketing materials on their site. They have options for both companies with large budgets (over $25,000) and people with small budgets. Click on the Advertising button at the bottom of the LinkedIn site for more information on their program.

Because LinkedIn is a business oriented site, it makes the perfect place to look for prospects interested in joining a home based business opportunity. Take some time to get to know this often overlooked social site and you may be surprised at how much you get out of it.

Download my free social media checklist (sign up in sidebar) for a daily to do list of all the things you need to do to increase your following. For personalized help, contact me for a free consultation on the best way to market your business online including using LinkedIn and other internet business tools.

(photo credit: nan palmero)

For more social media marketing tips including marketing on LinkedIn, read other articles I’ve written about using social media outlets to build your business.