How Can a Small Business Use Linked In to Generate Leads?

Linked In is a great resource for small businesses, arguably more effective than MySpace, Twitter, and even Facebook.  This is because the site is exclusively designed for professionals opposed to everyday consumers looking to socialize with friends and family.  When setting up a profile on this highly advanced Web 2.0 platform, you don’t have to worry about mixing business with pleasure as the site is all about networking and generating quality leads.  If you want to leverage Linked In as a lead generation tool, there are a few important steps you must take in order to be successful. 

Right after you sign up for the site, you need to be working on building your profile and adding contacts to your Linked In database.  This doesn’t have to be a difficult task, because you can easily import email contacts from Gmail, Outlook, and a variety of other mail clients, giving your existing connections an invite to connect with you on the network.  You can also build connections by searching the site for professionals in your field, as well as building connections offline.  The same professionals you connect with out in the real world should be the same people you invite to join your Linked In network.  

Once you build up your database, it is time to get active and start engaging your connections.  You need to be careful here, though, because if you come off as too aggressive, people may form a negative opinion and ignore you.  To avoid this, never talk about your products or services during your first conversation with a new contact.  It is important not to abuse these relationships by trying to advertise your business every chance you get.  People do not want to be sold to, especially in an environment where everyone is trying to accomplish the same general goal.  Focus on building strong relationships and providing value rather than making quick sales, and quality leads will come much easier. 

The best way to generate leads on Linked In is to use the site for what it was intended for - networking.  Linked In is considered by many professionals as the ultimate networking tool, allowing you to build relationships by joining groups, posting comments, and making recommendations.  Groups is one of the network’s most powerful features as it provides you with access to a pool of like-minded professionals.  Whether it is making comments in groups, posting status updates, or asking questions, all this activity keeps your business in front of your connections, and possibly their connections as well.  The more positive interaction you have on the network, the better. 

In this article, we covered the basics of generating leads on Linked In.  Of course there is a little more to it, but if you apply these simple points, you will be well on your way to building connections that boost the performance of your business.  Best of all, these tactics are not necessarily limited to the Linked In network.  They can be just as effective when applied to any social network you may use.