Social networks are nothing new and here to stay but especially LinkedIn is getting more and more popular these days. Also the range of online courses and experts who offer this courses are growing and so in March 2021 I decided to take a LinkedIn Accelerator course from Leadersmedia GmbH to get a better understanding what you should and should not do on this platform.
Honestly, I was a little bit surprised that I really learned interesting facts and hints, not just about social selling rather about basic customer acquisition approaches.
First of all, Social Selling is about creating trust through contact points and thereby transforming a “cold” contact into a “hot” contact. Because a hot contact knows and “trusts” you or at least your content and is ready to seriously think about it when you ask them about a collaboration.
Lead flow approach
Considering the online course, there are 4 major steps to pursue to reach a stage where contacts become qualified leads.
Picture: LinkedIn Lead Flow Approach
1. Expert Profile
You have to see you profile as your business card and your personal website. So it has to be up-to-date and inviting. Your profile has to work for you when you ask others to connect with you.
You have to look after your:
- profile image
- title image
- slogan
- infobox
- curriculum vitae
- recommendations
2. Networking
Networking online is alike networking offline. You ought to know who is your target group und for whom you want to work or with. As soon you can describe your buying persona you should connect with them on a daily base. Do not use a message text when you connect, let your perfectly maintained profile work for you.
You should use:
- a persona
- LinkedIn Premium functions
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator (only for advanced requirements)
3. Visibility
Visibility means to be visible for your target group by offering interesting and relevant content. With relevant content, you will be seen as an opinion leader and generate trust among your target group. Creating good content shouldn’t be underestimated because it is a lot of work. However it is sufficient to publish three times a week.
You should create:
- a content plan
- perfect headlines
- a correct structured post for the LinkedIn algorithm
- a call to action
- authentic media (images, videos, surveys, etc.)
4. Interaction
Join the party! Means you have to really dive into the platform with likes and especially comments. The easiest way to become acquainted with your target group is to check the posts of your network and leave a comment. When you write comments add some value, to bring other people to reply on your comment.
You interact with:
- likes
- relevant comments
- direct messages (when the time is right)
- creative welcome messages
More contact points = more trust
Customers don’t buy from people they like, they buy from those they trust.
Trust is created through time and experience we share together. In a digital selling process shared experience is created by contact points like a welcome message, published content, likes, comments or direct messages. As soon as a contact trusts you, you should give them a call!
Picture: More contact points more trust
You can also see it from the opposite site. Buying resistance decreases over contact points and time.
Picture: More contact points less buying resistance
Purchase decisions
Even with hot contacts it is helpful to know that only 5% buy immediately, 35% in the first 3-6 months, and 60% never buy.
Picture: Purchase decisions
Knowing that, especially simply accepting the 60% and not only directing your offer to the 5%, helps not to lose motivation in the whole social selling thing.
Stay tuned and persistent!
If you like what you read feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and leave me a comment in the box below. Thx!
More tips and tricks
- Using a tool like Hootsuite, Falcon.io or buffer helps you to plan and automatically publish LinkedIn Content
- Don’t use external links directly in the post. No platform promotes content that leads away from the platform! Better use the comment section for external links.
- Create a daily routine: connect with 10-15 new people, like 3-5 posts, comment 3-5 posts, every second day write and publish your own content.
