Morning all!

Normally you can get some good sensible advice on here!! 🙂

So, what is the STW opinion of using LinkedIn for promoting a business?? Is LinkedIn still relevant? Was it ever relevant? Are there any other sites that are better for promoting. We’ve got the usual Twitter profile set up etc which is fine so we’re just looking for other avenues in the ‘mire’ of social media!

Over to you!

Who are your customers?

I’d be looking for specialist bloggers, trade reporting sites etc and sponsoring banners on there.

Unless you have proof and experience that people in your industry are big linked in users?

With Twitter etc you can’t just have a profile you actually have to post relevant content, get RT’s, followers.

Does anyone, other than recruitment agencies, actually spend any time using LinkedIn?

I must look at it less than once a month.

Wwaswas – i’ve checked a few of the specialist bloggers out and some companies seem to be vague about what they can deliver…possibly a bit of hot air?? If you can suggest someone that would be great.

In terms of our customers using LinkedIn it really is a mixed bag as to those who do and don’t and probably 50/50…..

Twitter seems to be working well for us at the mo, so looking at integrating that with other channels.

I don’t want to spend a load of time though on some emperor’s new clothes!! 🙂

Wwaswas – i’ve checked a few of the specialist bloggers out and some companies seem to be vague about what they can deliver…possibly a bit of hot air?? If you can suggest someone that would be great.

In terms of our customers using LinkedIn it really is a mixed bag as to those who do and don’t and probably 50/50…..

Twitter seems to be working well for us at the mo, so looking at integrating that with other channels.

I don’t want to spend a load of time though on some emperor’s new clothes!! 🙂

LinkedIn is great as a sales tool – finding the right contacts, making initial contact and establishing the first step in a sales process.

You’ve got to think about who your target client is, who the decision maker is etc. Make gentle contact, brief 2 liner saying who you are and you’d welcome opportunity to have a no-agenda chat at some stage as to how you can help them.

It’s a funnel, so expect 90-95% attrition at stage 1, but probably one of the most effective tools for proactive business generation.

Think of it as a sales tool, like an outbound phone call, rather than a marketing or branding channel.

Think of it as a sales tool, like an outbound phone call,

Think of it like a nuisance phone call!

Luckily you can stop people emailing you via it by just disabling all notifications.

LinkedIn is a recruitment agency’s best friend so said my mate who works at one – these days they don’t have to pay £££ for researchers they just search LinkedIn with a Premium membership.

OP I have friends who have tried to market via LinkedIn but in my and their view Facebook and Twitter are far superior, spend your time and money there

Think of it like a nuisance phone call!

Luckily you can stop people emailing you via it by just disabling all notifications.

Nothing I hate more than shit, badly researched cold calls or messages, BUT a proactive contact from a potential service provider with something that may be useful now or in the future is something I would always welcome.

Which reiterates what I’d say about using the platform for researching and contacting the right people to build your sales pipeline.

But of course, we don’t know your business sector so all advice here is a bit skewed by our own specialties and experience……

Feel free to PM me if you want a more specific chat!

Does anyone, other than recruitment agencies, actually spend any time using LinkedIn?

Well it’s very popular with jobseekers and has about the best user experience of the big job boards.

I’ve used it when looking for freelancers in the past, but I don’t know if I’d think to use it to find a company as a supplier.

We use it a lot, not by paying LinkedIn for ads or such but by writing pieces on our products and just releasing to followers, I think between the 3 of us in the company we have 8000 connections and putting out a few pics of our visits to customers or our products in use with end users has seen our sales grow via this platform.

Its better for potential customers to see the products in use by fellow professionals rather than at a trade stand at a conference.

We also run short video clips of new products in development, this always keeps the messages fairly fresh and engages people. We get a lot of ideas from our connections and because its global we also get potential partners or distributors contacting us.

Works really well for us, FWIW we are in the medical education products business

If you’re in B2B, than LinkedIn is the best social medium. Wite101 says it all.

Ok this is a bit of a specialist subject of mine (when not drinking coffee), don’t buy ads they’e kind of pointless, expensive and whilst have phenomenal targeting but unless it is a job rarely gets any real traction.

Connecting to good people you know (really know including mates, family, peers but not idiots or competitors) And then use the search to find who they know and ask for an intro (using face to face, telephone, email or last resort LinkedIn). Connecting for the sake of it as you think people will read your articles is a trap, don’t do it, everyone else is liek you and doesn’t spend there life there reading stuff from other people – that is Twitter 😉

Content doesn’t make it work, talking to people does, use status updates most but only once per day.

Company page is hygiene factor, could lose you a client but not gain you one.

On the jobseekers thing even LinkedIn say only 20% of users are looking or could be coerced into a new role, that menas 80% aren’t. UK has 24M users and around 75% active on a monthly basis.

If you want a chat or to know exactly how many of your target people are there just shout.

James