Linked in for Business Growth 20 Oct 2011

For Business Growth

Using

© Peter Lisney and Irun Business Intelligence 2009

Linked In for Business Growth – Tools & Strategies


Context (Blended Marketing)

SocialNetworking

SocialBookmarking

Multi-Media

Email Mktg.

Link Strategy PPC/Banners

WebsiteOptimisation

Blogging

SEO

PrintAdvertising

Exhibitions & Events

Teleseminars

Joint Ventures

P.R.Direct Mail

Field Mktg.

Networking

Testing &Measuring


Today’s Workshop• Intros: Attendee Objectives / Challenges

• Why use Social Media? Why Linked In?

• Examples of Business Successes via Linked In

• Review your Business & Marketing Goals

• Who am I trying to target?


Today’s Workshop

• Setting up an account & profile

• LinkedIn Etiquette

• Groups, Events, Ads, Discussions, Answers

• What else should I be doing?

• What Next?


Introductions

• 30 second pitch (USP’s)

• Attendee Objectives for today / Challenges


Why Use Social Media?

• Social Media can (if used properly) help you or your brand stay ‘top of mind’ with your ideal prospects and customers

• If you have a relationship, when they’re in the market, you’re in contention and you’re above others who don’t


Why LinkedIn?

• 120m+ professionals around the world as of August 4, 2011

• 26m+ members in Europe

• 6m+ members in the UK


More Facts About LinkedIn

• Professionals are signing up to join LinkedIn at a rate that is faster than two new members per second.

• The company is publicly held and has a diversified business model with revenues coming from hiring solutions, marketing solutions and premium subscriptions.

• LinkedIn has 1,515 full-time employees up from 1000 in Jan 11 and from 500 at the beginning of 2010.


Facts About LinkedIn

• All 2011 Fortune 500 companies have executives that are LinkedIn members

• Linked In’s corporate hiring solutions are used by 75 of the Fortune 100 companies

• More than 2 million companies have LinkedIn Company Pages

• LinkedIn represents a valuable demographic for marketers with an affluent & influential membership


Why Use Linked In?

• Get to know other local businesses• Learn from others Worldwide• Share your ideas and experience• Find new suppliers• Find new customers (Sales!)• Find new employees• UK Companies on LinkedIn


IRUN and LinkedInCorporate Policy & Strategy

• All members are to have an account• Use this to publish events and market• For clients that sign up, use to support

marketing strategy


Examples of Local Successes• Mike Cruse, Vigil Security

• Having been on Linked-In since February this year – an earlier attempt in December 2010 was abandoned due to ignorance of the process – I was contacted seemingly out of the blue by a security consultant, requesting that we connect. Having undertaken a profile check, I decided to agree. A little while later, I received an e-mail asking me if I/my company would be interested in quoting for an electronic security project in the South-East. I was happy to say “Yes” and was contacted with details of the site and a meeting date.

• What I could never have imagined was the sheer size of the project, which has involved proposals of between £140K & £160K. We have gone through the first 2 stages of a 3 stage review and now await the sign-off from the money-men.

• Why did this take place? According to the security consultant, it was initially because my

profile popped up on the Linked-In radar. Having been happy with my profile, the consultant was then very happy with the details found on our company’s website and decided to ask if we were interested.


Examples of Local Successes• Would we have achieved this without Linked-In? Highly unlikely!

• How do both my directors and I feel about Linked-In? Very enthusiastic!

• Would we recommend the best use of Linked-In? Absolutely!

• More information about Vigil Security can be found on our two websites: -www.vigil-security.comww.vigildirect.co.uk

http://www.vigil-security.com/

http://www.vigildirect.co.uk/


Examples of Local Successes• IRUN Canterbury’s latest Linked In success - just

quoted for a 4.5K job directly as a result of a new connection made on Linked In.

• I met an IFA at BoB Networking last week, asking about Linked In and our Social Media and Internet Marketing services.

• He was excited at meeting, on Linked In, a new Business Rescue / Insolvency Practitioner to refer his clients to.

• Turns out it’s our client, and we created the Linked In updates that found him!

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=121725581&authType=name&authToken=Y26m&locale=en_US&pvs=pp&trk=ppro_viewmore


3 Steps To Success on LinkedIn:

Start Conversations

Exchange Information

Build Relationships


Social Media - Measuring ROI• Is time spent on social networking a cost or an

investment? • It depends on the resultsRecommendations:• Nonfinancial impacts (website traffic)• Financial data (advanced Analytics)• Plot social media activity against sales

revenue, transactions, new customers, loyalty data and market research


Strategy• Set objectives (Business & Marketing

objectives)

Q: Who are my ideal customers?

A: Revisit your P&L --> bottom line

– Local clients– National– International


Setting Up an Account


• Edit your profile• Add your picture• Manage your account settings

Basic Settings


Improving and Optimising Your Profile

• Select a profile headline that is keyword rich and says what you do and not who you are

• Make your profile ‘public’ so Google can see it and prospects can read it

• Add descriptions to your 3 websites• Use keywords where ever possible• Connect to your Twitter account and even a

blog


Do's and Don'ts• Do

– Ask questions– Answer Questions– Post Interesting posts of others’– Engage

• Don't– Try to sell all the time– Be spammy– Be dull– Let LinkedIn consume you!


Linked In Etiquette

1. Don't say yes to an invitation from a person you don't really know (or have some connection with).

2. ALWAYS personalise an invitation to reflect where/when/how you met or the common ground or reason you wish to connect. Make it easy for the person to remember you and accept your invitation.

3. Don't send invitations to people who don't know you.

4. Don't put your email address under your name on your profile.

5. When you send an invitation, don't apologise.

6. Remind me how I know you.

7. Think about LinkedIn from the other person's perspective.

8. Keep things a little informal.


Linked In Updates

• To Sell or Not to Sell?• Services & offerings• Start conversations• Ask questions• Take a few minutes to think about a short-

list of questions you might ask


Linked In Updates

• Answer questions• Enter conversations, give informed

opinions• Don’t be inflammatory• Repost topical information & events• Special offers & guarantees• Take a few minutes to think about a short-

list of topics & events to post


LinkedIn Groups• Join

relevant groups in your sector, and your target audience sectors

• A group gives you a reason to connect (required by LinkedIn)

• Use other people’s groups to find relevant people you may be interested in connecting with

• As the number of connections grows, create your own groups to engage, segment connections and connect with them appropriately.

http://www.linkedin.com/myGroups?trk=hb_side_mygrps

http://www.linkedin.com/myGroups?trk=hb_side_mygrps


Publish your Events


LinkedIn Pay per Click Ads

• Like Google and Facebook PPC

• Only pay when someone clicks

• Target your ads


Setting Up Direct Ads


Target Your Ads & Measure


Measure Your LinkedIn KPI’s

• Number of connections (as long as they are meaningful)!

• Direct enquiries• Sales• Website visits - Google Analytics• Advanced Analytics – Goals / Sales


Discussions / Answers


What else should you be doing?


BoB – Best Networking Format• It combines the best of all the other networking

organisations

• It is professional, business-focussed, friendly, enjoyable, promotes your business, regular, not too regular, affordable, excellent web presence, structured but not too strict.

• If you’d like an invitation to visit (Canterbury, Ashford, Maidstone, or other areas), let me know.


Start a Blog – Wordpress.com


Facebook page for fans


FaceBook page for fans


Hootsuite.com

• Can manage multiple accounts

• On multiple social networks

• Integrates Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blog etc into one panel.


What Next?

• Please complete our Feedback form

• Let us have your email address so we can send you a link to this presentation

• Register your account and start using it, find me and connect!

• Or email me back with your LinkedIn username, I will connect

• Contact IRUN for further support


Summary (Blended Optimisation)

SocialNetworking

SocialBookmarking

Multi-Media

Email Mktg.

Link Strategy PPC/Banners

WebsiteOptimisation

Blogging

SEO

PrintAdvertising

Exhibitions & Events

Teleseminars

Joint Ventures

P.R.Direct Mail

Field Mktg.

Networking

Testing &Measuring


A Bit About Irun• Business development specialists who take the

complexity & pain out of Internet Marketing, harnessing it to grow your business. How?– Business Website Design– Search Engine Marketing & Optimisation– Customer Databases & Email Marketing– Social Media Marketing– Referral System (collects Feedback, Testimonials & Referrals)– Ongoing Web Management

• Clients large and small UK wide including Holiday Inn Express, Abacus Accountants

and Thames Water


A Bit About Irun

Offers• One to one, 60 minute Internet marketing clinic.

Normally £120. Offer £90 (ex vat)

• Develop and manage your Social Media account(s).Normally £250 per month. Offer £199 per month (ex vat)

• Or if your website needs an overhaul arrange an appointment with one of our team


Any Questions?