LinkedIn's 'Growing' from Strength to Strength!

I predicted in January that 2014 would be the year of LinkedIn - and so it's proving to be, big time!  Its growth curve is astonishing, with over 330 million Members worldwide (16 million in the UK) and two new Profiles being created every second...

Check out this article on Forbes confirming that the Money Men like the figures too!

"LinkedIn’s strategies led to increased user engagement during the third quarter – cumulative members rose by 28% to 332 million. Unique visiting members and member page views grew by 16% and 28% annually respectively in Q3 as compared to 13% and 22% in the previous quarter."

What does that mean for your business?

Well, even if you don't have a compelling presence on LinkedIn, you can be pretty darned sure that some of your competitors do - and that means they will get the call when it comes to new business from people searching for the products and services you provide.

'But I've got a great website!' I hear you cry.  Fantastic - but are enough people finding it? 

When I search in Google (as over 90% of web users in the UK do) for whatever it is that you offer, is your website on Page One of the results? Can you compete with businesses in your sector with a much bigger advertising budget for Google AdWords or SEO? The big guys are always going to win this battle for eyeballs.  So how can your small business compete?

Think about it - is it you or your website that people actually want to deal with?

People buy people - trite, but true. Savvy businesses (especially those with tight budgets) are looking for small suppliers that can punch above their weight. They can search within LinkedIn for local suppliers and find real PEOPLE, not just slickly designed websites. Would you expect to get better service from an expert individual running a small business, or a junior 'executive' in a larger organisation? 

The dialogue before the sale...

If you can engage in a conversation with a prospect (or supplier) and find out more about their needs (or character) before the 'do-or-die' moment when the deal is done or the sale closed, would you feel more comfortable about the whole process, and trust them more than if you'd only just met them?

LinkedIn is 'networking on steroids'!

Using LinkedIn you can find the right people and go through the initial stages of building trust by engaging and sharing thoughts, knowledge and ideas with them before you decide to do business with them. It's called 'Social Selling', and it's one reason why LinkedIn will continue to grow in size and importance for your business.

Get on board today - or miss the boat!