Article by Katina Beveridge, Digital Advisor, Western Sydney Business Centre
3 Ways Small Business Can Use LinkedIn to Boost Sales
LinkedIn is more than just about making personal and professional connections. As a business owner, this social media platform is also a great sales prospecting tool. It is easy to use, has a wide reach (600 million users), most of all, it’s free!
LinkedIn brings a lot of benefits to small business owners aside from making friends in the industry. Let’s look at five different ways to boost your sales and increase your revenue using LinkedIn.
Use LinkedIn Sales Navigator.
The first place you should start if you want to boost your sales is the sales navigator tool. It is a great tool that connects buyers and sellers within the LinkedIn platform. This tool uses a unique algorithm to find prospects with needs that are perfectly aligned with what your business offers.
Once you’re given the lead recommendations, you can use Sales Navigator to connect with and offer your product to your prospects. It’s a good place to start in introducing your business and finding new prospects.
Use Groups to engage with prospects.
People with similar likes, interests, needs, skills, and industries are grouped into Groups on LinkedIn. These groups will let you learn more about the industries you want to target and can be good source for prospects. One of the best ways to engage with prospects in a Group is by asking questions. This will build trust and authority while reaching out to the other members of the groups, which can lead to sales inquiries.
With Groups, you can get insights on your prospects’ activities and you can have detailed information about them, which are usually restricted to First Connection levels. By getting to know your prospects more, you’ll be able to create a more personalised approach to introduce your business.
Optimise your profile for lead generation.
When prospects look at your profile, do they know where to go next or what to do after? Turn your LinkedIn profile into a walking advertisement of your business so your lead generation efforts don’t go to waste. When you connect with a prospect, the first thing they look at is your profile. If it is not interesting enough, they’ll probably just skip your connection request and proceed with the next.
To optimise your LinkedIn profile, add current links to your company website and a professional photo. Don’t forget to add your Twitter and Facebook page. Having good recommendations will also help you look good in the eyes of your prospects. Remember that sales is about building trust and relationships.
Bottom Line
LinkedIn is a great platform, not only for being social but for sales as well. It is equipped with a wide range of features to help you connect with the right prospects and to entice these prospects to buy from you. You can start off with the three techniques above to begin your LinkedIn prospecting.
