You have a LinkedIn profile but are you using it for lead generation?

If you are like 65 per cent of business owners, your number one marketing challenge is generating leads and traffic. Did you know that LinkedIn is the number one social media marketing platform, generating around 80 per cent of the leads for B2B products and services?

Would you like some quick and easy ways to optimise your LinkedIn presence? Read on for our ten tips on generating leads.

10 tips to generate business leads on LinkedIn

1. Optimise your profile

Make sure you're using a professional photo, the name you are known by professionally, and your correct title. Expand a little bit in the headline section. Instead of saying "Accountant", say "Chartered Accountant with over 20 years' experience working with SMEs in the manufacturing space. Member of CPA Australia".

In the summary section, offer solutions to prospective clients' problems. For example, a content writer could say: "Need blog posts and newsletter content but don't have time to write it? I can help you write SEO-friendly marketing content and load it into your preferred CMS".

2. Spend time connecting

When was the last time you looked through your suggested connections? And are you connected to all of your current clients? One caveat: only connect to people you know. An email exchange or social media conversation is enough to open the door to a LinkedIn connection.

3. Follow your current clients

Are you following the business pages of all your clients? This is a subtle way to offer mutual support and show interest in them.

4. Follow prospects

Are you following the business pages of all the people and companies you wish were your clients? This is a good way to find out what's happening in the business and might offer insights into ways you could assist them.

5. Post updates

From posting about your wins, to sharing relevant content, regular posts get you seen - and noticed - because you are positioning yourself as a proactive expert. You may even want to go so far as to create a LinkedIn content plan, or create content specifically for LinkedIn. 

6. Celebrate other people's wins

It is remarkable how much engagement a post about someone else can attract. Whether it's a Q&A with someone you admire, a post of encouragement to friends who are doing well in their business, or a shout out to a connection who has won an award, celebrating other peopled businesses creates good vibes. Make sure you tag the person/people/company you are mentioning - they will love you for it.

7. Write recommendations

Spend a bit of time writing recommendations for your employees, as well as colleagues and clients you have worked with or for. The law of reciprocity is a magical thing - you may people recommending you in return.

8. Funnel prospects to the top of your sales funnel outside of LinkedIn

Don't use LinkedIn to hard-sell anyone. Instead, use it as a way of attracting attention and generating trust. If you're successful at this, you should be able to send warm leads off-site where they will (hopefully) sign up to your permission marketing funnel.

9. Join groups

Join large groups that have an active cohort of members. Make sure you check the rules - some groups won't allow promotional content so be careful not to step on toes by being too 'salesy'. 

10. Create your own group

Can't find a group that suits your needs? Maybe you want to share your specific expertise, passion or pain points? You will need to commit time to creating content and posting, as well as answering questions, but a running a group - especially if it's for a very specific niche - is a great way of learning, connecting and impressing people with your skills and knowledge.

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