LinkedIn is at the epicentre of being a professional; you may not understand why it is so important however I would like to open your eyes to the opportunity right there in front of you.
1) It is your personal brand repository, housed in one convenient Google searchable place. If you are not there and have not filled out everything on your profile then you are missing opportunities to be found and recognised.
In many ways LinkedIn is even more important than professional’s websites because it is a page dedicated to the most important brand you have…YOU!
2) Personal SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Many Professionals think that Social Media is a fad or something to do ‘on top’ of the real work, however people are more and more validating their trust decisions with online research, and if you cannot be found (and found out about) then you are already missing out on referrals without even understanding why.
3) Find and connect to an endless supply of ideal clients. You can find, research, and figure out ways to connect to an almost endless supply of geographically matched ideal clients. Using LinkedIn’s advanced search functionalities; almost any Advice professional can build very quickly a portfolio of prospective clients to build relationships with. And with ‘search alerts’ you can create systems to be notified when more opportunities to connect with the right people arise.
4) Make it easy for your clients to refer. When used in the right way LinkedIn makes it so easy for your clients who are using the platform to refer others to you, that most of the time they don’t even have to think about it. Not only that, but a lot of the time you can also see who your clients know and are connected to, making it easier to focus your efforts.
5) Build relationships and trust through regular contact with your connections. When you know how, it is easy to create an entire personal brand around your LinkedIn profile and be recognised by your network as someone worth knowing and doing business with. As you expand your connections and build relationships you will have ideal clients asking to do business with you on a daily basis.
These are just five of the essential things that I use LinkedIn to accomplish on a daily basis, averaging around twenty minutes a day. I have personally used LinkedIn to generate millions of dollars in professional income and have helped many Advisers replicate the same.
I would strongly encourage you to master LinkedIn and to use this amazing opportunity that exists for you to give more value to more people.