Why is Search Important?

It is now a well established fact that most B2B buyers use "search" to find suppliers. Before we race ahead of ourselves though, "search" does not just mean Google! Google are incredibly important when it comes to online searches, but other platforms play a key role as well.

Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, or business networks such as LinkedIn, include search as a key component of their platform. They can all be used and abused in different ways.

If you think about the reasoning behind Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), the goal is to rank highly for relevant keyphrases so that potential customers can find you before they find your competitors. The same principle applies to the social networks. If a potential buyer searches LinkedIn for companies in your region that do what you do, can they find you? or do your competitors steal the show?

How to use Social Media as a Marketing Tool

Marketing your business effectively on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn etc... requires a tailored approach to each platform, yet the underlying principles remain the same:

- Be Helpful

- Be Seen

- Don't spam!

How to Use LinkedIn

So how do we apply these principles to LinkedIn marketing? Well, success on LinkedIn starts with having your personal profile set up effectively. There are plenty of articles and tips out there on how to do this, so I won't go into the details here (subject of a future blog post no doubt!). 

So once you have your profile setup, you need to start building your network. The obvious way to get this started is to connect with those you know. You can import your address book into LinkedIn and let them fire off invites to all those you wish to connect with.To grow your network beyond those you already know on Day 1 can obviously be acheived by connecting with individuals you meet in your business dealings or face to face networking. 

Expand your Network & Make New Connections

What about being able to expand your network and target new prospects without having to leave your laptop though? Anti-social? Perhaps! But let's not forget that many (most?) successful business relationships can be sparked from an initial online encounter (of the good kind!). If you strike up new business relationships online, this doesn't mean they have to stay online!

So how can we make these new connections? This is where LinkedIn Groups and LinkedIn Answers comes in useful. We'll focus on LinkedIn Groups for now. LinkedIn Groups are effectively self-contained social networks within the larger "global" network of LinkedIn users. Groups are normally quite specific to a certain topic, industry or profession and allow like-minded professionals to meet and share ideas. They also allow buyers (or employers) to connect with potential suppliers (or employees). 

Be Active, Helpful & Professional

If you show yourself to be active, helpful, and well informed on what you're talking about, prospects will be more inclined to contact you. As long as you keep on being helpful, you will have the freedom to occasionally advertise (althought I prefer the word "mention") what you do. This can sometimes act as the nudge for someone to get in touch. But remember not to overdo it. There is no excuse for SPAM. Plastering a group with adverts for your "amazing" company will not only turn customers away, it will damage your reputation, and likely result in you getting banned from that group.

It's all About the Right Kind of Visibility

Finishing on a positive note though, LinkedIn can offer a wealth of opportunities for making new connections and capturing new business. It's all about visibility (being seen) and adding value (being helpful).

Remember, If you'd like some assistance with getting to grips with LinkedIn, do let us know. We can be contacted via email on info@acuras.co.uk or you can call us on 01494 259 141. We'll be happy to help.

Next Time

We're already looking forward to publishing Part 2 of this "Social Media Marketing" series next week. We'll keep you posted!