Are you on LinkedIn? Are you using it to market your business and services?

If you are not, you should be. LinkedIn is a fantastic place to reach out to prospective clients, stay in contact with current clients and make connections with peers in your industry. Here are our top 5 tips for marketing on LinkedIn (without being spammy – no one likes that!).

1.    Do a search for clients you would like to work with.

After you are logged in to LinkedIn. Go to the search bar and select “People”. This will direct you to a new page. On the top bar, select “All Filters”. Here you can narrow down your search. Start with your dream client. What company do they work for? Where are they located? What is their title? What school did they attend?

When you feel you have been as specific as possible, select “Apply”. Here you can see which people share the characteristics you are searching for. Check out their profile. If you aren’t finding what you are looking for, you can always go back to the filters and modify your search.

2.    Send a note along with your connect request.

Whenever you send a note requesting to connect with a prospective client (or anyone), it is polite to include a note. It does not have to be long, in fact the character limit is 300. This is an opportunity to make a first impression and introduce yourself. Failure to send a note increases the likelihood that your request will be ignored. Keep it simple, with something like:

“Hello John Doe,

My name is Jane Smith. I came across your profile and would love to connect. I see you are passionate about marketing and branding – I am a consultant for ad agencies in the Southeastern region.

Thank you,
Jane”

3.    After connecting, follow up with an e-mail.

After your connection is accepted, go back to their LinkedIn profile and grab their e-mail address.  You can find this at the top of their page as “See contact info”. Save this e-mail address to the CRM or spreadsheet you use to track your marketing efforts. (Side note: If you are not tracking your marketing efforts, you should be!).

Do a little more research on your prospect, look at the company website and get a feel for their work. Write a short and thoughtful note thanking them for connecting them and telling them about your services. This is about building a relationship, not making a hard sell with one e-mail. Give a brief run-down of what you do and drop a link to your website so they can get more information.

4.    Share content.

Follow companies you want to work with, influencers in your industry and your growing connections list. Scroll through your homepage daily and share the successes of your prospects! Comment on articles and get involved in conversations. Not only will this keep you up-to-date on changes in your industry, it will keep you relevant and an active voice in the larger community. One small comment or share on a prospective client’s content will keep you top of mind with them.

5.    Stay in touch.

It takes an average of 5-7 points of contact to make a sale. So, stay in touch every month. Try to bring a new piece of information every time you e-mail your prospective client. Did you complete a big project? Update your website?  You don’t need to write long, wordy e-mails detailing everything that has happened to you since you last e-mailed them. You also don’t need to try to sell in every e-mail. After the first e-mail, they know what you do. Following up is for staying top-of-mind. Feel free to comment on their work as well. If you saw something cool on their website or newest blog post, let them know. Keep the following up to every 3 weeks to a month to give them room to breathe.

LinkedIn is a valuable resource for connect with your target audience. When used correctly, it can help you grow your business and become an influential voice in your industry. Remember you are creating and building relationships, not going for a hard sell with every post!