LinkedIn is one of the most powerful social networks in the world due to its ability to help companies connect with current and potential clients at a moment’s notice. Using LinkedIn to your advantage is something that every business should be considering, whether you are selling a product or a service such as that of a managed service provider. Simply put, you cannot afford to not do IT marketing with the help of LinkedIn.
When it comes to LinkedIn, it is all about understanding the power and reach that it has and then knowing how to manipulate it to your benefit. The more that you know your way around the social network, the more you are going to be able to get out of it through the activity that you have on there. Being active is one thing, but being active in an intelligent manner aimed at growing your customer base on LinkedIn is a whole different ballgame.
How to Use LinkedIn for Internet Marketing
Small to medium sized businesses are always looking for ways to reach their current customers as well as potential new customers. The problem that so many of these businesses have though is that they simply do not have the cash to go out and spend excessive amounts of money on IT marketing and such. Taking this into account, it is very important to be creative with the cash that you have on-hand and come up with new ways to get at your customer-base, without expending ridiculous amounts of resources.
Thankfully, LinkedIn can help you with your Internet marketing in a big way when you know how to use it properly. This goes beyond just sending out messages to what you think are your current and potential customers. It is about taking the presence that you have on the social network and using it to help build and expand your brand. This, in turn, is going to help you with your products and services sales.
Finding New Customers
Posts that you have on LinkedIn should always be directed at your current and potential clients. Everything that you post on LinkedIn should be done with a purpose. Think about your profile page that you have on LinkedIn for starters. You want that page to be truly representative of the message that you want to have to all of your customers. It is your chance to talk about your mission statement, what you hope to provide with your IT services or whatever else you may be doing as a business, and how you can really help your customers.
Consumers search LinkedIn to find matches to what they are looking for in terms of services and products. The more your profile page is geared towards your customer base, the more likely that you are going to be able to match up with these people when they search on the social network.
Connecting with Current Customers on the Social Network
Do not be afraid to use the power of direct messages and such on LinkedIn to reach your current customers and reconnect with them. Be active with your messaging and work with your current customers so that they can endorse your company and help spread the word about your cause and the power of your brand. The more that you use your customers to help you promote your business online, the more credibility your business is going to have overall.
What you want to do is to always post where your business is at and speak about the value that your business can provide the masses. Be sure that you are posting to the social network daily and posting things that are going to be credible to your customers. These are the posts that your current customers will find valuable. Also, be sure to share interesting posts that will get your potential new customers’ attention.
Conclusion
IT marketing is something that can certainly be achieved on LinkedIn when the social network is used properly. You have to think about how to properly promote your brand, get your message heard with a sound profile, connect with your current and potential future customers and use the power of LinkedIn to your benefit.
About the Author
Gar Whaley is Principal and Founder of Aligned Technology Solutions, providing IT support in Washington DC and Northern Virginia areas. Gar’s broad range of experience provides him with a valuable perspective on leveraging technology to help organizations lower costs, grow and enable innovation. He leads ATS with a passion and commitment to providing clients with phenomenal customer service combined with sound technology guidance. Prior to co-founding ATS, Gar spent several years in franchise restaurant ownership before the lure of the dot-com boom enticed him to the technology sector.