|
|
Like this article? PLEASE +1 it! |  |
|
Building Your Network on LinkedIn
| Guest post by: Rita Cartwright |
Article Overview: Building your network on LinkedIn may appear to be a little overwhelming in the beginning, but it doesn’t have to be.
 |
Free Download - How to Write Your Articles for Better SEO By Rita Cartwright |
Building Your Network on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is another great resource for marketing your business, product, or service. Unlike other social networking sites, LinkedIn specifically targets professionals, entrepreneurs, and the like to network right on their website. It takes the social aspect of networking to a completely different level.
Build Your Network Day-by-Day
Building your network on LinkedIn may appear to be a little overwhelming in the beginning, but it doesn't have to be. Start out small by connecting with people you already know. With a user base of more than sixty million, it is usually a safe assumption that most (if not all) of your colleagues are on this social networking site.
Once you have connected with people you already know, start reaching out to existing customers. If you are advertising your LinkedIn profile on your homepage and other social media outlets (such as Facebook and Twitter) you are probably already receiving connection requests from your customers.
As your network grows, start attracting new contacts by searching for people who may be interested in your product or service. This is also a great way to build business relationships with other companies. Incorporating non-competing businesses into your network is a great way to get more exposure.
Remember, a hearty network takes time and effort to build and you will only get out of it what you put into it. You need to be prepared to devote a good amount of time to building your presence within the LinkedIn site. However, you will find that the investment of your time will have a solid pay off in the end as long as you stick with it.
Marketing on LinkedIn: Building Groups
Building a network on LinkedIn is only the beginning of a successful LinkedIn marketing plan. Once you have firmly established your place within the virtual walls of this social networking giant, it is time to push it a step further with the Groups feature. There are two sides of this feature - creating groups and joining groups. First, let's discuss the benefits of joining LinkedIn Groups.
Joining Groups
Start this phase of your LinkedIn marketing plan by joining existing groups. This will allow you to get a feel of how the people within the network communicate with each other, find hot topics for discussion and, of course, it gives you instant access to a larger group of people for your own network.
Take some time to explore different social groups as you familiarize yourself with this feature. This will allow you to "test the social networking waters" so you can discover how your different networking ideas or plans work with different groups of people.
Build your LinkedIn reputation by actively participating in existing discussions. Get your name out there so people know who you are. Once you have built up your "name" with your participation, try starting some discussions of your own. You will often find that having a strong following on any social network will bring more traffic to your discussions. Of course, this can always be enhanced with a compelling discussion title and the content to back it up.
The key thing to remember when joining a Group on LinkedIn is that you must not just be a name in the list - you must be an active, participating member. You will not build your social media reputation by being another "name" in the crowd. You must make your presence known.
Create a Group
Next we will cover creating groups. Once you are familiar (and comfortable) with the Groups on LinkedIn you will be able to take your marketing plan even further by building your own Group. Doing so will help to increase your own social network dramatically. It will also allow you to build a stronger reputation in your own industry or market.
Keep in mind that simply having a LinkedIn Group is not necessarily enough. You need to be the "face" of your group. Stay actively involved in the discussions, post credible and reliable information, and don't just make it about your own product. Make the people in your network feel that they are important because they belong to something.
As your LinkedIn Group grows, you will be able to add Group Managers to help you moderate the discussions and activities. What many people don't realize is that a lot of social network users really want to feel involved in something important; therefore, they will be willing to moderate a group for no compensation at all.
Use the Manager's Choice (Featured Discussions) feature to highlight your own articles or marketing pieces for yourself. Don't forget to feature discussions from other users as well - again, so you don't appear to be too zealous with your own marketing plugs.
As you spend more time with your newly formed LinkedIn Group, you will find yourself growing more and more accustomed to the features and how to use them to your advantage. Take the time to familiarize yourself with what you can and cannot do as you steadily build the number of members in your Group. Of course, remember to take time to actually get to know your most active participants and keep yourself available to everyone in your LinkedIn Group as a potential mentor or for networking opportunities.
Quick Prospecting Tools
What Is LinkedIn – Can It Help Me Promote My Website?
Legal Marketing: LinkedIn's professional growth
Grow Your Network With Everyone You Meet
How to Build On Line Relationships for Success
Part IV: Can LinkedIn Increase Your Sales?
Growing Your Business Using LinkedIn – Interest and Participation
Is Your Online Business LinkedIn?
Legal Marketing: Best practices for connecting on LinkedIn
Why Facebook and LinkedIn are Good for Your Business
Having Trouble Reaching a Specific Prospect — How to Reach That Hard-to-Reach Prospect in One Try
Social Networking – Are You Crazy YET?
LinkedIn – Business Networking Online
LinkedIn or LinkedOut! It's time to get in!
Using LinkedIn - 5 Easy - To - Follow Tips to Profit!
LinkedIN: The Most Unique Social Media Platform
The Referral Habit - Sales and Marketing Training
Legal Marketing: More LinkedIn questions and answers
The Truth About LinkedIn That You Might Not Want to Hear
Leverage Social Media - LinkedIn Strategies
Article Tags: LinkedIn, LinkedIn Groups, social networking, social networks
|
About the Author: Rita Cartwright RSS for Rita's articles - Visit Rita's website After Rita earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing, she was hired and trained by Sears to be a Sales Manager. She soon discovered retail sales was not for her. So, Rita decided to become an entrepreneur offering virtual assistant services. Since 2002, she has provided word processing services and other virtual assistant services to entrepreneurs and small business owners. During the past eight years, Rita has used various Internet marketing strategies to market her online business and discovered that she has a passion for Internet marketing. As a result, she decided to focus on offering Internet marketing services and recently, decided to change her business name to RJ's Internet Marketing Services in order to reflect the niche service offerings. Rita enjoys being an entrepreneur, as well as working with other entrepreneurs, especially, business and life coaches. She admires how they transform people's businesses and/or lives by helping them to become successful. Today, Rita is glad she didn't receive any job offers 10 years ago. She has been more successful at searching for clients as opposed to searching for employers. Click here to visit Rita's website   Working with a Virtual Assist |
Related Forum Posts
10 best franchises to get involved
- My advice is:
1) Go to the library and start reading business books (accounting, finance, etc.)
2) Go to your local community college and enroll in night classes
3) Join the local Chamber of Commerce
4) Network / Network / Network -- through the above sources.
Once you have spent two years doing the above, then look for a 55 - 60 year old business person that is looking to reduce their time in the business. Then you can work on a sweetheart financing option.
Re: On Which Social Media Sites Are You Most Active?
- I'd be curious to hear how you guys use LinkedIn. I have close to 3,000 connections and never use it.
I've been told the secret is to use groups (which I don't) so I'd love to hear how you guys are benefiting from LinkedIn.
Type of business with building
- If you owned a building and Wal-Mart was opening its doors across the street in a previously unoccupied area (along with 12-14 small shops), what type of business would you start?
Here are the considerations:
1. Money is a non-factor
2. Building is fairly large (10,000) square feet
3. Building is on the corner of a busy intersection (about to get much busier)
Re: Twiiter an sales
- [quote="soldlab":1ycb8vnm]I guess though LinkedIn is better for actual leag generation and personal contacts. What do you think?[/quote:1ycb8vnm]
I've had a lot more success (thus far) with Twitter than LinkedIn or Facebook.
Re: MLM Marketing, youtube, and buzzirk mobile.
- I have experience with MLM too. My initial reaction to the business was "snake-oil salesman" but once I got to understand the "overall business model" I am now an advocate to it.
MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) is also known as Network Marketing. I realized an MLM business is no different than any other business. One needs to focus on both words "Network" and "Marketing" and give both equal respect. Some people focus heavily on the Networking part but forget "Marketing".
I've started to use Building on a Budget and Magnetic Sponsoring concepts in my NM business and have found that people don't get involved so much because of the product but more because of what you bring to the table as far as marketing systems and support.
I have both products listed in my signature. you don't have to buy it as the link to the free videos itself provides you a good understanding of what is required to position yourself as my above paragraph.
If you do plan on purchasing it I can tell you that the measly $40 will open your eyes BUT your upline will not be too happy (atleast in the short term) beacuse the system is not duplicateable.
I wrote this post as a polar post to Bulmer's reply as I have exhausted the friends and family networking and realized i never really focused on marketing. My leads now are more qualified and open to hearing about my opportunity than the other way around.
my 2 cents if you plan on growing an MLM or Networking Marketing business.
Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.
Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.
Featured Article
by: 
Best Automated Forex Trading Strategy
Build Your List with Joint Venture Giveaway Events
May 2012 Top 100 Social Media Experts to Follow on Twitter
What to measure to be phenomenally successful in business
10 mistakes of media relations
Newsletter
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!
Popular Articles
Selling On Ebay The Good The Bad And The Ugly
3 Pointers to Recruiting and Retaining Good Staff
Soda Vending Machine = Energy Hog
Selling On Ebay The Good The Bad And The Ugly
3 Pointers to Recruiting and Retaining Good Staff
Soda Vending Machine = Energy Hog
Suggestions
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.
Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.