The Internet has put more decision making control in the hands of the consumer than ever before. People do research before they decide who to do business with. Social media was never considered to be of value for business until recently, but internet users now spend four times more time on Facebook than Google. In short, social media is more than just a trend. It’s the way we now do business.
There is so much said about using social media to make money. So let’s take a look at the difference between Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn from a money-making point of view? Social media can be very daunting and frustrating, so I’ll just touch on two of these three main platforms before moving on to LinkedIn.
Facebook is called the humanizer. It’s a social networking site and a place for sharing and making the world more open. Twitter is considered the buzz generator. This is an online social network and microblogging service that enables the user to send and read short text messages. We’ll talk more about these later. Today we’ll focus on LinkedIn which is referred to as the professional. This is where you share industry and business focused content. It’s the number one social network for professionals.
Can you make money using LinkedIn? How is this possible you may ask. It’s a question worth asking. I decided to investigate. What is Linkedin? How does it work and how can I use it to generate income?
First, create a company page, add a recent picture, and a create a professional portfolio. Add your Linked badge to your company website. And add any LinkedIn customer reviews you get.
Form relationships. The more connections you have and the more you interact with those connections the stronger your network becomes. Engage in group discussions. What kinds of topics are drawing engagement? Upload relevant information on a regular basis.
Share via eBooks, PDFs, and information products such as motivational and success stories and how-to tips. To provide more information, add a link to your site. You can offer consulting services. Or go to your group and provide your professional expertise and answer some of the questions that are posted and get in on the discussion. This is a great way to become known. You’ll get to be known as a resource.
If you know that you want to do business with specific people at specific companies, look them up on LinkedIn, join the group, and get involved in the discussions. Ask people to connect with you, then you can ask them if you can get introduced to their connections.
You can also take advantage of a free slide-share account to post video content that will benefit your contacts. Write and post blogs that have real world takeaway for those who are connected to you. Social media is an extension of belonging to your local chamber or a social club, but with the ability to reach many more people than you would at a chamber event.
Here are some statistics to consider: There are 277 million LinkedIn users (2 new members per second) with 84 million users in the United States. There are 187 million unique visitors monthly. Linkedin has a geographical reach of 200 countries and territories in 20 languages. 41% of visits are mobile. 40% users check LinkedIn daily. There are 3 million business pages with 1.2 million products/services showcased on LinkedIn company pages. And if you want to join a group, you have your pick of 2.1 million groups.
How many chamber mixers would you have to attend to reach the above numbers? Social media is a powerful money making tool. And, as you can see, LinkedIn has the potential to generate big rewards. 65% of B2B companies have acquired a customer through LinkedIn.
Do you think you can use LinkedIn to make money for your business?
