If you’re anything like me, you had no idea you were being graded … and worse what to do about it. Fortunately I picked up some tips a few weeks back from social media experts @Rachel Braunstein and @Joshua B Lee at Social Media Week ATX. And then I thought about what it could mean for our label and packaging industry and created a few easy steps you can follow to improve your presence on LinkedIn and attract new buyers.
But really does LinkedIn really matter? Isn’t it just a tool to find a job? I know — you’re already spending all your waking moments running your business, succeeding in our competitive industry and launching new products – so why bother? Well, we all know that the buying process has changed. Recent stats show that 75% of buyers use social media to research vendors (IDC) and that 74% of today’s B2B buyers conduct more than half of their research online before making an offline purchase (Forrester).
So when I learned that a good LinkedIn site generates 2.1x opportunities and is seen by 2.2 x business decision makers — that was a pretty compelling reason to put some effort into it.
First about that grade ….
Go check out your LinkedIn Social Selling Index at www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi. Your Social Selling Index (SSI) measures how effective you are at establishing your professional brand, finding the right people, engaging with insights, and building relationships. It is updated daily. I was pretty pleased that I was in the top 1-2% among my contacts and in our industry …. but there was still a lot I could do to improve. Here’s what I learned:
- ENGAGE with your connections. Every day do three quick things – share a post, like a post, comment on a post. No cheating – make sure it’s three separate posts.
- WRITE articles – you’re a labeling and packaging expert, you know R&D, you’re a successful salesperson or marketer – share that expertise and your insights. But make it useful content, not just a promo piece for your company.
- MINE your connections — go to a company page of any of your customers or potential customer. Review what their employees are interested in — and then create content that responds to those interests.
- Actively CONNECT — when someone comments on your post, always thank them, keep the conversation going.
- Pay attention to your PROFILE:
- Your headline shouldn’t just be a job listing – tell a story
- Get a professional headshot – it matters!
- Use rich media (videos, blogs, etc)
- Put all the relevant info in your summary – including all your contact info – potential buyers may never go deeper
- Ask for recommendations from everyone in the value chain – they really matter, and it never hurts to as
- Describe your experience through the eyes of potential customers
- Include a personal url
At LPC, we’re always thinking about new ways to use traditional and social media to grow our label and packaging clients’ businesses. If you would like us to put that thinking to work for you, reach out to us here.