I love case studies, and this is why: where else would you learn how someone grew a business from nothing to $5 million in annual revenue using a social media site? (This blog post is based on one that originally ran in Social Media Examiner.)
Here’s a little background: James Filbird moved to China in 2006 to work on a venture that fell through after only 9 months. He wantd to stay, so he became a business consultant who helps inventors source products in China. He used LinkedIn to generate leads and grew JMF International Trade Group into a successful company.
Here are 7 things that Filbird did – all of which are easy to do:
1. He completed his profile.
Yes, that sounds like a no-brainer, but is your profile complete? The more information you can add, the better, as there are so many ways for people to find you – by location, areas of expertise, groups, alumni networks.
2. He kept his profile up-to-date.
Again, sounds basic, but it’s easy to forget to add a project win or accomplishment. Also, the more recommendations and endorsements the better, as that outside validation adds to your credibility.
3. He uses it every day.
This is something we should all do! Filbird spends up to 2 hours on LinkedIn every day, participating in group discussions and looking for people to connect with. Instead of 2 hours every day, carve out time daily or weekly to use LinkedIn, whether it’s for 15 minutes or an hour.
4. He joined 50 groups (the max).
Filbird said that groups are “where the gold is – people looking for help.” Find relevant groups to join by searching with keywords on the Groups page. Join the active groups that have more comments than discussions (look at the Activity tab in Group Statistics).
5. He takes part in discussions.
He looks through the group digests he receives by email for a handful of groups, and adds valuable insights to any discussions he finds interesting. The more you chime in, the better your chances of being viewed as an influencer in that group.
6. He connects with relevant people.
This is a tactic I use as well – Filbird only connected with people who are relevant to his business, rather than anyone and everyone. When you ask to connect with someone, it is always a good idea to personalize the message and remind the person how you know them or explain why you’d like to connect.
7. He moves conversations offline.
If a LinkedIn conversation is going well, Filbird asks them to connect via Skype. For every 10 people he engages on LinkedIn, 1 develops into a relationship; when that conversation moves to Skype, 1 in 3 results in business. That is a pretty good conversion rate!
Now are you convinced that spending time on LinkedIn is worthwhile?
Image courtesy of library.thinkquest.org
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