Internet Marketing Tools

You have completed your profile—for now.  You feel good about the Linkedin brand you have created.  Now, it’s time to construct a strategy about connecting with others on Linkedin.  As with other parts of Linkedin, your purposes and goals should guide how you do the networking.  Your networking strategy and actions steps should support your goals and purposes.

Linkedin Networking Strategy—Quality Verses Quantity

There are a number of choices you will make before you actually start creating your network.  Your first choice involves quality verses quantity networking.

At first blush, you want as many connections as possible on your Linkedin site.  If a hundred connections is good; a thousand is better.  Going for as many connections as possible is one strategy.

Choosing a large quantity of network connections is fashionable today.  The money is in the list!  Statistics show that at any one point in time, only 3% of any group is ready to buy, with another 7% considering a purchase.

With the quantity strategy you build as many contacts as possible.  Many sales strategies are built on “the numbers game.”  Go for as many numbers as possible and there will always be a certain number of people that are ready to buy what you are selling.

Another strategy is the qualitative approach to networking building.  In this approach you seek a more limited number of connections.  Using your own criteria, you carefully select who to connect with on Linkedin.

If you have a hundred connections on your network and 30% of them are strong connections, then that number equals 3% of 1000 weaker connections.

Different people use different strategies.  Qualitative verses quantitative.  You choose the strategy you believe and feel comfortable using in your business.  You can start with a quantitative strategy and switch later to a qualitative strategy.

Linkedin Networking Strategy—Active Verses Passive

This is another strategic decision.  You can take a very active approach to getting connections.  I will share will you the tools that Linkedin provides for this purpose.

Or you can use a passive approach.  You passively invite others to connect with you by adding a Linkedin Icon to your email signature or your website or your blog.  Anywhere people can click and connect with you.

Some people will click and will invite you to connect with them.  They take the action; you respond.  That is why I call this passive network building.

Linkedin Networking Strategy Other Considerations

Many people make the mistake of waiting to build a network only when they need it.  It takes time to build a Linkedin network.  Start building now for the future rather than waiting until you need it.

Manage your network.  You will need to sort your network, remove dead wood, repair emails, find missing people, etc.  A strong network needs to be managed.  This takes time.

Allow enough time and energy to create your network.  It is work.  It can be fun.  Depending on your purposes and goals, you must allow the appropriate time each week to work on your network building.

To be continued, your comments are welcomed…

Al Hanzal

If you have completed your profile as I have described, you now have all the ingredients of your own brand.  Unless you have a totally unique product or service, you are always selling YOU.  Let’s break down this brand called YOU.

Recently, I needed a new furnace for our home.  After receiving several bids from local heating contractors, I went on line to do my own research.  What I found was a mess.

Every websites was full of pictures and promises about their products.  No just one product but dozens and dozens of products.  I just wanted one website that could clearly show me the advantages and disadvantages of the various brand names and furnaces I was seeing.  I never found it.  When I mentioned this fact to the contractor who finally sold me our furnace, he said, “You’re right.  Even I am confused when I go to the websites?”

Creating the Brand YOU

What do you do? Your first challenge in creating a brand is to provide the prospect with a clear picture about what you are offering.  What do you do or what does what you are selling do?  You must be able to answer this question simply and clearly.  Confused buyers never buy.

Write down the answer to this question in simple and clear words.  Then show it to three people.  Is it simple and clear to them?

What is your specialty? A second branding question is what is your specialty?  People don’t buy from Jack of all trades and masters of none.  They have too many buying options.  When you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.   Make it clear about your specialty.

How are you different from the competition? How are you different or better than your competition?”  You don’t just want to be different.  You may be the only sales person with green hair.  That would make you different.  Does this different matter to your customers?

Here is the heart and soul of branding.  Does your difference make an emotional connection with your customers?  What’s the one thing they can get from you that they cannot get from your competition?

When you think of Tiffany’s—what do you think of?  Fine jewelry and romance.  When you think of Tiger Woods, what you think about?  Golf!  Your difference is what makes the deep connection with your customers.

Dominate your market. The fourth quality, do you want to just be another peddler in the market place?  Be the best.  Be recognized as an expert in your business.  Understand your customer better than your competition.  Tell the world about your expertise.  Dominate.  Don’t just exist as a brand.

When you bring these qualities to the market place, you have a successful brand.  You become enviable.  People will look at you and admire you.  And that makes your entire business operations more enjoyable and prosperous.

To be continued, your comments are always welcomed…

Al Hanzal