LinkedIn OptimisationHow to engage vertically

Eat that Frog! If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first. ~ Mark Twain

Agenda

• SoftwareOne status• 5 LinkedIn group do’s & don’ts• 3 engagement tips• In-mail re-cap• 6 tasks to complete after• Summary• Q&A

Group Etiquette

Tip 1 – Don’t spam connections

Personalisation is key

Good personalisation examples…

1. “It was nice meeting you at the ____ event. In enjoyed talking to you about ____. Let’s be sure to stay in touch.”

2. I am a fellow member of the ____ LinkedIn group and I saw your comments about ____. Id love to stay in touch so we can talk more about it.”

3. I’d be interesting in discussing more about challenge X. Perhaps we could exchange email addresses and I could send you more information that you might find of interest.

Stay Positive

Tip 2 – Don’t be negative

Use B.O.PP

•Be Nice•Offline•Policed•Post

Be responsive to comments

As an example…

Tip 3 – Don’t post self-serving content

Answer the 3 W’s

•Why?•Who?•What?

Content Types

Content types for groups

• Educational – trends• Engaging – quiz/visuals/infographics• Thought-leadership - opinion

Typical social media metrics

• Brand awareness• Prospect/customer engagement• Brand reach• Brand endorsement

Decide on the right platforms &

content

Tip 4 – Use LinkedIn appropriately

5 things to do onLinkedIn vertical groups

1. Identify members by organisation2. Connect with members via In-Mail3. Contribute to groups with engaging

questions4. Contribute to groups with genuine

answers5. Contribute to groups with

independent content

Less is more…

Tip 5 – Don’t post too frequently

Before you post…

• Know the content calendar• Have a clear theme• Share relevant content• Ask engaging questions• Have engaging answers• Have a clear set of KPI’s –

engagement? Brand awareness? Delegate registration?

Remember…

1. Be genuine2. Be agnostic3. Be helpful4. Be relevant5. Be informative

3 Engagement Tips

Be Visual

Be thought-ful/provoking

In-mail communication

Why In-Mail often fails

• Subconsciously communicate “me-me-me” to the recipient.

• Don’t compel the reader to talk with you after clicking “accept.”

• Accidentally help prospects decide to ignore the message

3 best practice recommendations

1. Avoid starting your message with the word “I”

2. Let’s decide – subject line3. De-emphasis you and focus on the

prospect

For example..

Hi _________ (first name), As a member of the _________ (LinkedIn group) group, I wanted to introduce myself. I’m _______________(title or background) with _______________ (company) and wanted to connect with area professionals. If you are not open to connecting, please ignore this invite. Thanks!

Better yet..

Hi _________ (first name), We both participate in the ____________ group and should know each other because ____________ (insert specific, mutual benefit). How can my network of colleagues help advance your ambitions or bring you closer to goals? Thanks for considering the connection. I look forward to helping and hearing from you

Why it works?

• Emphasizing the other person by removing most of the “I”s.

• Giving the recipient a reason to act. You’re clearly stating “the WHY.” 

• “Bringing to life” an appealing idea: making your LinkedIn network available to advance their agenda.

• Creating interest. By asking a question we compel the recipient to consider answering. By asking the question we encourage the thought, “gee, how can this person’s network serve me right now?”

• Being polite without inviting deletion and increasing response

Define what success looks like

Action…

After today

1. Share weekly relevant content agreed with marketing in advance

2. Connect with relevant vertical members

3. Write two in-mails to group members4. Contribute to two forum discussions5. Post one new question for debate6. Invite prospects to the ITAM group

Summary

Summary

1. Personalise communication2. Be positive in forums and responsive3. Don’t post too much and plan content4. Be thoughtful, engaging and bold in

content5. Write engaging in-mails to achieve

meetings6. Define what social media success is

and measure

Q & A

slides@Sofarbeyond

Thanks