Anouk van Deurse
To sell your product or service, it is important to have a strong LinkedIn-network. Indeed, we often hear from B2B organizations that their own Linkedin network is an important factor within business development. Making the best use of one's own network is the finest and fastest way to new business generate; after all, the network consists of people who know you personally or professionally and people who have had occasion to accept a connection request before. But that list can also dry up. You have then extracted what can be extracted. And then?
Then it is enormously important to ensure that a new supply of interesting prospects enters the network. You can accomplish this in several ways. For example, you can use Linkedin Automation, where you can send automated connection requests and/or messages to people you have pre-targeted. It is also possible to send targeted invitations only to prospects you have met at a trade show, for example. Which choice you make in this depends on your proposition and target market. One thing is certain: the network must be supplemented with relevant decision makers within organizations that have a connection to your product or service.
Issue 1: Who do you want in your Linkedin network?
In the search for new customers, the first item on the agenda is establishing direction who you want to focus your efforts on. Who is your story going to land best with? Invest extra time in properly mapping the decision makers. Once you know that, you can properly start targeting who you want to add into your network.
Important tip: don't forget to regularly check whether the assumptions you made earlier about who you want to add to your network are correct. Don't just pay attention to the job title someone has on Linkedin, but try to find out who within an organization would benefit most from your solution. Who knows, it may not be someone at the board level, but there may be a manager who has to do jobs every day that you have solved in no time using your software. You want this manager in your network; after all, he or she can create internal support for implementing your solution. That is why it is so important to have direct interaction with the people you add to your network. For example, a list of added contacts is a great starting point for a telemarketing campaign.
Issue 2: What can you offer connections?
When I myself consider accepting a Linkedin connection, the first thing I do is look at the profile of the person who invited me. What is his or her experience, and within what industry do they have experience? In other words, can they enrich me with information that is relevant to me or that I didn't know before? This is something I also consider when I send connection requests myself to broaden my own network. What's in it for them? By sharing interesting content, try to serve as a source of information for your connections. You come across as a knowledge carrier; the moment a prospect is looking for what you can offer, you may come to the table instead of your competitor for that reason.
Issue 3: Are you capitalizing on your efforts?
The moment you put a lot of effort into growing your Linkedin network, it can take quite a bit of time, effort and money. It is important to make sure that you can capitalize on the efforts you have made. See a connection who holds a very relevant position within an interesting company, and has he or she recently liked one of your blogs? Send a message! Or better yet, call this person. Because then you have direct interaction. This way, you ensure that newly added connections can actually lead to business opportunities.
LinkedIn Automation for lead generation
Provided it fits your proposition and target audience, consider deploying LinkedIn Automation. This allows you to send connection requests including messages to contacts with job titles you have pre-targeted. You can then set up a series of messages that the new connections, provided they have accepted the request, receive. That way, you don't have to bother sending messages and scouting profiles yourself.
Also read: ‘When outsourcing phone lead generation is not a good idea’.