Today is Monday and usually you can expect a new blog post…and specifically this Monday part 4 of my 10 part LinkedIn series. Unfortunately I have to ask for a Mulligan and will pick the series up next Monday.
Last Thursday and Friday I spoke at Norvax University in Los Angeles. Norvax U is an educational event put on by Norvax, which provides quote engines for over 10,000 health insurance brokers across the country. The event went great and I had the opportunity to meet many of the attendees. I’ll talk more about the event in a second.
Like I said the event went great. Getting back to Atlanta…not so well. It started with a call saying my flight had been postponed from 2:30PM until 5:30 PM. I got this at 11:45 as I was 5 minutes into my drive to the Airport. So I went back to the Hotel and had lunch with the attendees.
My second try at going to the airport did not work out so well. I left the hotel at 1:15 and then received a message saying that the flight had been bumped up to a 4:11 departure. Thanks to an accident I didn’t make it to drop off the rental car until 3:30. I made it to the terminal by 3:40…31 minutes to go. Then I got hit by the Delta line to check your bags.
Needless to say at 4:11 I was still in the baggage line and didn’t get checked in until 4:50. Just as I was cursing LA traffic and Delta airlines long line, the counter clerk went out of her way to book me on the next flight. So at 11:00PM LA time I took off for Atlanta, finally arriving at 6:15 in the morning. So if you fly out of LAX…give yourself 4 hours from the time you leave your hotel.
Back to the event. The insurance industry has always been a little behind as far as technology goes. About 50% of the group did not have a LinkedIn account and I hope that after my two sessions that number drops to about 25%. There’s a lot of opportunity for those in the insurance industry to get a jump start on their competition using social media.
95% of the attendees had less than 200 connections. Once again another statement to the opportunity available for the agent that takes the time to incorporate social media into their marketing.
What about your industry? There are currently 45 million people on LinkedIn and I would bet that a significant percentage are in technology, recruiting, and sales. You may find that your industry is behind the ball and that there is an opportunity to build your network while others are sleeping.
Even if you’re not at the head of the list, only 24% of LinkedIn users are deemed “Active Users”. So once again the opportunity is out there. You simply need to focus on these three areas starting out:
- Create a “Killer” profile that engages anyone visiting your profile. Make sure when they leave your profile they know who you are, how you can help them, and how they can help you.
- Grow your networks. Focus on building your direct connections to at least 500 people that are potential prospects or referral sources. Don’t forget about your group networks. The people in the groups you belong to extend your reach on LinkedIn. You can communicate to them through discussion posts and news articles.
- Leverage the tools LinkedIn provides to build your credibility, interact with others, and to identify prospects. These tools include Answers, Groups, Discussions, News Articles, Polls, Advertising, Status Updates, Events, etc. The tools are available, you simply need to determine which ones best help you drive business.
My hope for those who attended the Norvax event is that they left with an understanding of why LinkedIn can be an important component of marketing their selves, their products, and their services. If they follow the three areas of focus listed above they are on the path to success.
Why don’t you join them!
If you would like more information on how to use LinkedIn check out my two books; “LinkedIn MBA” and “LinkedIn Marketing Secret Formula“. I also have the “LinkedIn MBA Workbook” which will help you create a killer profile.You can learn a lot from this blog for free. You can find a lot more information online. But if you’re looking to save time and get started today, the books are a great resource and are very reasonably priced. Social Media Sonar provides the following four resources for FREE… 1. The Blog, 2. The Online Marketing/Social Media Blueprint, 3. Conversion Rate Optimization Guide, 4. Resource Center. If these help you implement your own online marketing program, great. We love helping people. If you decide you need some help, great. We love new clients. Contact Us if we can help you.