However, I know that many people who get on LinkedIn, set up a profile, send a few invites to connect, then sit there with a handful of connections, wondering what to do next. If that sounds like you, please join me on September 7th for my online workshop: How to Build a Profitable LinkedIn Network. I will teach you the secrets of creating a great profile, how and when to send invitations to people you don’t know and what you need to watch out for so you don’t get kicked off the site.

Just go to http://thebabyboomerentrepreneur.com/linkedintraining/ to register

Don't Assume!

need to show up to give people a chance to know, like and trust you. And you need to keep showing up so they remember you.

I had this point driven home to me last week. On Tuesday I posted an update on LinkedIn, including a link to free ebook on internet marketing I created with some JV partners. About an hour later I received an email from a colleague asking if I do training on internet marketing and social media.

My first thought was “What?!? How can he not know this?” But I realized it’s true. You need to keep showing up because your prospects and customers won’t remember what you do unless they need what you do right now.

So keep going to those networking meetings. Keep posting to LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Keep sending your email newsletter. Keep showing up. Because you never know when your message or your face will show up at just the right moment – when someone needs your products or services and is ready to buy.

Andrea J. Stenberg

P.S. In case you are wondering the result: I met with this man and it looks like I will have two long-term clients as a result of this one update on LinkedIn. And of course, the ongoing networking I’d done previously with this guy.

So how about you? Leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences with people not knowing what you do when you thought they already did.

Enjoy,

Andrea J. Stenberg

After you listen, please leave a comment and tell me what you think.

Andrea J. Stenberg

What you may not know is your LinkedIn profile is public and searched by search engines link Google. There are several things you can do to optimize your profile for SEO (search engine optimization).

This short video shows you a couple of simple things you can do to optimize your profile. If you haven’t done so you need to create your customized LinkedIn URL, and customize the anchor text on the links to your website.

In addition to changing your links, you should also include the important keywords in your profile summary. This will ensure you come up in searches within LinkedIn as well as making you more search engine friendly.

So, head on over to LinkedIn and make these changes. It should only take a few minutes but it will make a difference.

Andrea J. Stenberg

However, if you don’t want to give up, watch this video about starting conversations in LinkedIn Groups. Groups are a great way to connect with colleagues or potential customers, to gather information and to meet new people.

After watching the video, head on over to LinkedIn and give it a try.

Andrea J. Stenberg

Table of contents for Social Media Marketing Means Talking To More People

1. How to Have Off-Line Conversations with Your Online Connections

Yesterday I wrote about why you need to take your online connections off-line. Today I’ll tell you how.

When you met somebody online and you’ve had some sort of an ongoing conversation, someone you think you might have a connection with, approach them about having an off-line conversation.

You can send them a private message on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, or send them an e-mail asking for a phone conversation.

Don’t make this a sales call! Really – I’m serious! Stress that this will be a “getting to know you” conversation. And mean it. Suggest a couple of dates and times and give them a time limit for the call – I suggest 30 minutes.

When the appointed time comes, ask a series of open ended questions that will allow you to get to know this person and their business. Of course you’ll want to give them the same information about yourself.

Types of questions to ask:

• Tell me about your business.
• What makes you different from the competition?
• Who is your ideal client? How would I recognize them?
• What are your goals for the next year?
• What resources do you need to accomplish them?

Be sure to take notes as are having this conversation. Then go through your connections and see if there’s someone you can introduce them to. It could be an ideal client, it could be a resource they need, it could be someone you think they would like to know.

Then over the coming weeks and months, keep this conversation in the back of your mind and try to send this person a resource, an interesting link, or a referral.

Not everyone you speak with will become a valued customer or colleague. The vast majority of people really don’t know how to network, and don’t know how to help others. But if you go out into the world with a genuine desire to be a helpful resource, eventually you’ll find people who help you achieve your goals to.

Andrea J Stenberg

But making posts without any real connection to real people isn’t really marketing. The truth is everyone is doing that. There are 500 million people on Facebook, and while a significantly smaller number are businesses, everyone is doing the same thing. They’re all busy posting away and hoping that it will get them business.

But the real secret of social media marketing is that these online networking tools only allow you to get on people’s radar. It’s very rare that somebody who follows you on Twitter comes along and buys something. There has to be a step in the middle.

And that step is a real conversation.

You have to either get face-to-face with prospects or at the very least get them on the phone. The big difference with social media marketing is these are not cold calls. These are people you had conversations with, they’ve gotten to know you, and now the two of you are ready to take your business relationship to the next level.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I don’t think you should start calling all your Facebook and LinkedIn connections and set up sales meetings. In fact please don’t do that. What I am saying is when you meet somebody online and they are interesting, and the two of you have an ongoing conversation online, why not take the conversation off-line?

Over the years, I’ve done this several times and the results have been phenomenal. I haven’t always known what the results were going to be, but I took the chance and talk to these people.

I have one business colleague I met six years ago in an online discussion group. We’ve never met in person, and only talk on the phone once or twice a year. But I consider this man to be a good colleague and friend. Over the years he’s played some phenomenal resources my way, resources that have changed my business and my life. As a result, whenever he says something I pay attention. I know he’s always got something of value to say.

And that’s the power of the off-line conversations.

Once you have spoken with somebody in the real world, your online conversations take on a more personal note. They’re more likely to pay attention to what you have to say, and are more likely to send referrals your way. If things work out really well they may even become a customer.

So look for your list of connections on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. Make a note of the ones you’ve had the most interesting conversations with. These are the ones you should get in touch with. Join me back here tomorrow when I’ll tell you how to approach these conversations.

Andrea J Stenberg