How can we get more out of LinkedIn?

Yes, I actively use LinkedIn for digital networking. But not only. I also use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, Quora, my blog, and various forums. However, when it comes to contacts, LinkedIn is unmatched. Because, unlike any other platform, educational content and explanatory content are well received on LinkedIn. Posts about industry trends, forward-thinking thoughts, or company vision/mission posts are particularly well-received. The principle of mutual help is always at the center. Here, we can establish ourselves as experts in our field with guides, use cases, or white papers and directly connect with potential customers. But how can we all benefit from this? By better understanding the platform, building an engaging personal brand, sharing a lot of content regularly, and ensuring that we give more than we take. This may sound simple and easy, but it is a craft and, above all, a lot of hard work. The basic idea Once established as a respected participant in discussions on LinkedIn, one can leverage this reputation to engage in conversations with other interesting individuals or even directly reach out and convert a prospect into a lead. Why? Because the traditional way of making sales and acquiring new customers, especially in the B2B environment, no longer works. While traditional push measures, such as advertising with a high level of waste, are converting less and less to sales, social media measures are becoming increasingly popular. However, people on social media do not want to be cold-acquired, and trying to sell directly on Facebook will not work. This is where social selling comes into play. Social selling is about strengthening customer relationships during the sales process using social media. Through social media, we can attract the attention of prospects and maintain the relationship with your customer until the sale is completed. Social selling involves approaching prospects and leads through social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. Examples of social selling techniques include exchanging relevant content, direct interaction with potential buyers and customers, personal branding, and social listening. The Start: Our Profile as the Foundation A clean profile setup helps, as well as content that is seen and liked. I have written an article on this: How do we optimize our profile? The following 10 points can help: In general, profiles on social networks are like business cards. They should be current, appealing, but above all, memorable. Therefore, always pay attention to a clean header, profile pictures, accurate information, and added value throughout. The 10 steps for an improved profile are as follows: 1. Upload a current profile picture (look friendly and directly into the camera). 2. Header with a call to action (no scene images). The header is like a mini-poster. It can convey emotion and information. 3. Below the name, there is a sentence next to the photo, which is the first thing people see when you post something (create a post). This will also be shown to people searching for keywords but are not yet connected with you. Fill it with the most important keywords that describe you and your activities. For example: a. "I help with..." b. "Ask me about/for..." c. "Open to..." 4. Summary: talk about what you like and are good at, your achievements, milestones, or what you would like to be approached about. 5. Current employer (or last 3) linked and described in more detail with content and keywords. 6. The latest education is current and hopefully not older than 3 years. 7. Do we have references? These are not recommendation letters but people who give us a recommendation with their name and reputation. 8. Is our URL shortened, or do we still have a small string of numbers after the last name? 9. How well connected are we? Do we have any pending connection requests? 10. When actively connecting: always include a brief message. This is somewhat hidden on the smartphone and is done through the profile and the "More - Personalize Invitation" button - or through the website LinkedIn.com. By the way, have you noticed that, for example, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts perform better when not only the content is present but also the networking, complete profiles, connections within the company or a thematic group, and the more frequently you post, the higher the likelihood of a conversation? Never forget: algorithms are programmed by people who want to imitate social life, and that is why networks function similarly (not the same, but similar) when it comes to implementing basics, technology, content, and interactions. Because what all networks want is our attention. And where do people like to be? Where they are among like-minded people.