Using LinkedIn for product/service promotion

[Olimac21]

I was wondering what is your experience using LinkedIn for finding new customers/ business development. I know this platform is more popular in some countries than another and I am curious to see success/failure cases around this one since is not as massive as Facebook or Instagram but pretty much 100% of the people are business oriented there.

 

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[TheSmokey1]

I don't have an answer for you, but have wondered the same thing.

 

[Vigilante]

LinkedIn is a networking tool. It can be used for networking to prospects, but it is not a good place to do product promotion in hopes of attracting any sort of an audience. If people perceive you as posting spam/ads, you will find yourself with zero connections there. It's not generally used for that, other than updates amongst connections about business milestones.

 

[Azure]

It can be very effective if your b2b service or product actually provides value to the person you message or reach out to.

 

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[Gary]

LinkedIn is a networking tool. It can be used for networking to prospects, but it is not a good place to do product promotion in hopes of attracting any sort of an audience. If people perceive you as posting spam/ads, you will find yourself with zero connections there. It's not generally used for that, other than updates amongst connections about business milestones.

@Vigilante

Great meeting you this weekend. And definitely appreciate the opportunity to join you at lunch on Saturday.

From what you've stated above, you're frowning on using LinkedIn's sponsored InMail to reach B2B targets?
Do you feel the same for Ads on LinkedIn?

I'm marketing my outdoor event space to decision makers in San Diego.

 

[Vigilante]

@Vigilante

Great meeting you this weekend. And definitely appreciate the opportunity to join you at lunch on Saturday.

From what you've stated above, you're frowning on using LinkedIn's sponsored InMail to reach B2B targets?
Do you feel the same for Ads on LinkedIn?

I'm marketing my outdoor event space to decision makers in San Diego.

It was great to meet you also!

I get a bazillion inmails and never usually respond to them. However, I very much might be in the minority and I haven't experimented myself with advertising on LinkedIn. However, I bet your unique value prop might be of specific interest. I was thinking more about how people self promote products within their linkedin feeds. Like, I would never post an AD for "buy some of my products" on my LinkedIn feed, because that is absolutely NOT why people are connected with me on LinkedIn. I see that as kind of a betrayal of my connections. I don't spam my connections with solicitations. I don't see that as the same though as using InMail or Advertising to reach prospects, and I hope my overly wordy and poorly described distinction is clear to you. Inmail? Yes, although I don't respond. Advertising? Yes. Posting spam shit in your linkedin feed or message groups? No.

 

[Gary]

It was great to meet you also!

I get a bazillion inmails and never usually respond to them. However, I very much might be in the minority and I haven't experimented myself with advertising on LinkedIn. However, I bet your unique value prop might be of specific interest. I was thinking more about how people self promote products within their linkedin feeds. Like, I would never post an AD for "buy some of my products" on my LinkedIn feed, because that is absolutely NOT why people are connected with me on LinkedIn. I see that as kind of a betrayal of my connections. I don't spam my connections with solicitations. I don't see that as the same though as using InMail or Advertising to reach prospects, and I hope my overly wordy and poorly described distinction is clear to you. Inmail? Yes, although I don't respond. Advertising? Yes. Posting spam sh*t in your linkedin feed or message groups? No.

I do understand; not too wordy at all. To date, within LinkedIn I've only posted an update on my feed that I completed the construction phase. I am very sensitive to intrusions as well. It amazes me that someone thinks I'm going to buy insurance based on a cold email. But my service is very much a one-off transaction that can benefit many, i.e, the guests of the event host. So that will be my tact: be a hero and book your next event here.

 

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[Andy Black]

I find LinkedIn such a spam fest that I login even less than I do on Facebook.

I’ve got decent work from it, purely from sending connection requests and people reading my profile.

I’m sure there’s smarter ways to use LinkedIn, but I prefer inbound to outbound and just don’t like LinkedIn for inbound.

 

[Dunkafelics]

In my brief experience, Linkedin is an effective tool IF it is used properly.

As @Vigilante has said, if you treat your profile page with professionalism and a high standard, it can be used as an effective marketing tool.

I have gotten multiple contracts and job offers through LinkedIn and my profile page is not completed yet.

A good strategy for utilizing LinkedIn is one where if you are looking up the structure of a specific business, you can directly see the CEO, marketing director, secretary, etc.

Again, don't abuse this strategy and be professional on LinkedIn.

While on that topic, just be professional on all platforms you use.

 

[Gary]

I’ve got decent work from it, purely from sending connection requests and people reading my profile.

That's a big nugget for me right there, Andy. Specifically, updating my profile to reflect what I want people to focus on, and then adding more connection requests.

Thank you...

 

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[BigRomeDawg]

To be honest I had no success on LinkedIn for my B2B services

I almost hired a bookkeeper after he cold messaged me on LinkedIn. His message was something like:

Hey, my name is <NAME> and I do bookkeeping specifically for tech support companies like yours. blah blah blah..

So I took the message and put all my info in it and messaged over 100 decision makers of ideal customers. 90 ignored me and 10 said not interested

Didn't look too far into it but I'd like to try again one day, seems like it could be effective

 

[Andy Black]

There’s a few LinkedIn threads in here.

A friend uses a tool to send a customized connection request. Something very short and simple that doesn’t look like a mail-merge.

It starts conversations with a few people that he continues by hand.

 

[TonyStark]

LinkedIn is Facebook on steroids.

 

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