How to get the most from Linkedin

The New York Times have published an interesting article on How to Use Social Networking Sites for Marketing and PR.  It covers LinkedIn saying that it is primarily being used for career development and the quality of the network you create lies in the quality of the contacts, not the quantity.

Krista Canfield, LinkedIn’s public relations manager, suggests you treat your contacts like you treat your Rolodex. “You wouldn’t hand over your Rolodex to everyone you meet at a conference,” she says, noting once you make a contact, that person has access to your network.

Once you’ve established a list, be judicious how you use it. You can send notes to your contacts but if you send too many, those notes are not as likely to get read or you might even be dropped as a contact. Use the list for small announcements: events, job openings, or vendor recommendations.

A secondary level for outreach is LinkedIn’s Groups. Currently there are more than 150,000 groups, including business forums, alumni groups, fan clubs, and conferences. If you run an interior design firm, or sell to interior design firms, you can choose from nearly 90 groups catering to that field. Some are credential-based; some are based on geography. The group “owner” approves your membership to ensure validity.

Another way to build your credibility on LinkedIn is by participating in its Answers forum. For instance if you are a travel agent you might want to visit the Business Travel section to see if you can give any advice. Canfield suggests using the soft sell. “Approach the discussion as you would at a business lunch,” she says. “You know people are there to further their businesses and make good contacts, but you need get to know them a bit before promoting your services.” Another tip: check out their public profile before engaging them in a conversation. Chances are you might have a connection, whether it’s a college, a personal interest, or a shared skill such as speaking the same foreign language.

For the long term, the value for marketing on social networking sites may be simply the ability to reach niche groups via advertising. Most of these sites have targeted text advertising with fees in reach of small businesses. LinkedIn’s fees can be as low as $5 for 1,000 impressions and allow users to set a budget. Advertisers can choose two of seven criteria to target, including geography, industry, seniority, and company size.

 

Sydney Public Relations Agency, CP Communications provides specialist media, traditional and online PR strategies that get amazing results. Contact us today. For more great tips visit our website www.cpcommunications.com.au. 

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