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How to use LinkedIn to attract big business

Posted on February 2, 2014

So what do you do? It’s a common question in the world of business and I used to struggle to give an answer that summarised my job. “I do social media”, I used to reply, but it never seemed a very satisfactory answer. So now my answer isn’t what I do for a job, it’s what I can do for the person asking.
I was asked this question at an event in Derby recently. My answer: “I help businesses make money from social media.” The person who asked the question was one of the top people in sport in the East Midlands and he looked surprised. “Can you really make money from social media?” he asked.
Social Media Tip 1You can, but social media often works best is where it’s mixed with events outside social media. Sometimes I identify a business I really want to work with and social media becomes part of my strategy to get that opportunity. LinkedIn is one of the strongest networks for doing this.
There was one particular organisation that we identified early on as being significant for the growth of Status Social. They are well known in Derby, have influence amongst other businesses, and they have an ethos of enthusing about others – so I targeted them.
I had met the top man of the organisation a year or so earlier at an event so I sent him a LinkedIn connection request, pointing out I’d looked at his social media and I could see room for development. I had no idea whether he even remembered me.
starbucks-frappuccinoHe replied within a few days. He was interested in what I had to say and invited me for a coffee in Starbucks. But in the meantime, he said, can we continue this conversation away from LinkedIn because he was more comfortable using email? Fair enough.
I met him for coffee, I sent him a proposal and he hired us to train him and his staff how to use social media to achieve his business objectives. Two years later that training session has led to us working with a variety of organisations, including a city university and tourist board.
So how did that contract come about? Event. LinkedIn. Email. Starbucks. Proposal. Booking. A real mix of strategic social media use and real life. When it comes to achieving your business goals, ask yourself, where does social media fit into the chain?
One of our clients is the Derby Conference Centre. Its sales manager Mark Averill has really embraced social media. He recognised how using LinkedIn alongside information available away from social media could lead to a great opportunity with clothes retailer TK Maxx…

Want to know more about how we can help you attract big business through LinkedIn? Then check out our LinkedIn training.

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