Can LinkedIn Really Help You Get More Business?

If you’re in sales, one of the major challenges that you’ll come across on a regular basis is finding qualified leads. You can buy as many lists as you can from lead brokers, or create time-consuming marketing campaigns, but nothing can beat the effectiveness of LinkedIn’s platform for finding a captive business audience in one spot. Other than being able to use LinkedIn as a tool to find targeted prospects, you can also use it to keep track of your competitors. By creating a profile for both yourself and your company, you can also take advantage of the network to connect with your target audience and drive traffic back to your website.

Making LinkedIn Work For Your Company

As with other type of social media marketing strategies, using LinkedIn to promote your business means you have to keep your profile current and active. Don’t just think that because you set up a LinkedIn profile that your work is done. It would be like going to a business expo and standing in a corner hoping people will come to you. How would they even know you’re in attendance? You’ve got to be proactive by directly reaching out to other businesses and professionals and give them an opportunity to experience what your company has to offer.

Here are some techniques that can help:

1)      Join LinkedIn Groups: A great way to build relationships with your prospects is to join in on the various discussions going on at LinkedIn groups. For instance, if you are involved in import/export, then you can certainly find a group of professionals who are discussing matters that would pertain to your industry. Join groups and get into the game.

2)      Be a subject matter expert: Get involved in LinkedIn Answer forums, especially those related to your industry and your prospects. The LinkedIn Answers forum allows all members to post questions on any business challenges that they are facing. This allows them to take advantage of the platform’s peer-to-peer network, having any member to answer and to respond to questions posted by any other LinkedIn member. There are several advantages to this feature:

i)        It is an excellent way to gather information and to be on the cutting edge of a particular industry or niche.

ii)      It is also a great way to communicate with prospects and potential partners in a particular niche. If you answer questions, you are positioning yourself as a subject matter expert in your industry and people will turn to you for answers.

3)      Connecting your network with each other: Build your social influence by connecting your contacts or members with each other. Working to connect your network with other members on LinkedIn not only helps you become known as an influencer, there also is an ancillary benefit – your network will reciprocate the favour. 

Although LinkedIn isn't the largest social network, it is one that has the most business-oriented membership.  You not only have all your prospects at one spot, but can tap into a peer-to-peer resource that can help you build your business. However, just like offline networking, you have to work at building relationships with your network using the right techniques.

15 Great Guerilla Marketing Ideas for Startups

The term ‘guerilla filmmaking’ refers to creating a film or video with the barest of resources. That same principle applies to guerilla marketing. This is where a small business can latch onto a simple idea to get the word out about their goods or services. Startups benefit the most from a positive guerilla marketing campaign because of their potential to generate a “big splash” without huge marketing dollars. Here are 15 great guerilla marketing ideas for startups:

1) Put Themes to Work: Anything from special sales to in-store displays can attract more attention when you apply a theme to the event. While the seasons and holidays are good starting point, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box like a “Christmas in July Sale.”

2) Reward Loyal Customers: Handing out a discount coupon to loyal customers will not only generate more of their business but will help get the word out to other potential customers.

3) Start a Blog with Unique Content: If you’re in business, you need a website and that website has to be refreshed with great content. Start a blog and give visitors something new to read or comment on every day.

4) Go with a Viral Video: If you can find a way to get the word out about your product with a video that can go viral you’ll be in a strong position to capitalize on that. Try hiring a young team of college film students and make it funny.

5) Pass out Swag: Sure you can print your company logo on a pen and pass those out but that’s also a bit of a cliché. Today, you can print your logo on just about anything. What can your customers really benefit from? Cup cozies? Cupcakes? Remember you want to create a buzz.

6) Build up your Twitter Network: Encourage customers to follow your company on twitter then use that network to advertise special sales or deals.

7) Switch out your Phone Message: Forget the boring, “We’re not here right now”, swap it out for something fun like, “We’re unpacking product for our next sale.” Make it personal.

8) Ask for Testimonials: If you’ve got happy customers ask them to share their experiences on your website or Facebook page (yes, get one of those too!). New customers like reading positive reviews.

9) Improve Customer Relations: Offer your employees incentives for the most positive customer reviews. When you create a great experience for customers they will keep coming back.

10) Sponsor an Amateur Sports Team: You can’t ask for better community relations than sponsoring a local sports team or two. Just make sure you get your company logo on all the team uniforms.

11) Support a Local Cause: Another way to make a positive impact in the community is to sponsor a local cause. Keep your giving in the neighborhood where you’re customers will see the efforts directly.

12) Use Texts: As with other forms of social media networking, text messages are a great way to remind your customers of special sales or a pick up appointment.

13) Flyers: A slick looking flyer is a great way to generate business. Make sure you have a coupon on the flyer to track their effectiveness and give the person a reason to hold onto that.

14) Make it Personal: If you can find a way to tell your family business story through a local newspaper profile or video then you’ll reach a lot more potential customers by relating to their own struggles.

15) Create a Publicity Stunt: Don’t go too overboard, but even having someone dress up in a chicken outfit to pass out coupons in front of your store can draw attention. It would be especially funny if your store had nothing to do with chickens!

How to Talk to Your Board

Knowing how to manage a large corporation is not enough for a top executive. It is also crucial to know how to work with your board.

Before entering the boardroom, know who is sitting there and what their expectations are. The way board members think or grasp a particular situation may differ from yours. When you live a company daily, your appreciation of its subtleties, or your comprehension of its needs, will differ from those of someone who knows the company from afar. Therefore, learn who your board members are and present reports to them in the way that they want to hear them. Meet them on their terms.

Don't try to impress the board with fancy numbers, terms, and analyses. They know that you know all this. They want to know the bottom line without a lot of hype. However, don't underestimate their expectations. Present the risks and challenges that the company faces. Your job, after all, is to guide the company through these. They want to know how and how much.

Presenting confidence is vital. You are their person at the helm. When you exude confidence, the board feels comfortable that the company is in strong hands. When possible, don't go into the boardroom "cold turkey." Plan your presentation in advance. Know what you want to say and how to say it best. Also, prepare yourself for tough questions. The board expects you to have all the answers at your fingertips. Therefore, the more you prepare, the better you will appear.

As you make your presentation, keep an eye on your audience. Learn to read body language. Whatever it takes, avoid a bored board. If attention starts waning, it is time to switch gears and get their attention back. Work with them and they will work with you.

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