If your client is corporate, it may involve LinkedIn. While LinkedIn hasn’t zoomed to the top like Facebook in recent months, its still a platform used my millions of business people all over the world. Its set up exclusively to connect with other business owners, and provides you with everything you need to find connections, prospects and clients.

If you haven’t looked at LinkedIn in a while, head back over and give it a try using these five steps.

Step One: Build A Dynamic Profile

If you’ve ever created a resume, it’s easy to assume your LinkedIn profile should resemble your resume. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Take a moment and think about how people would search for you. Would they search for President of ABC Company? Or would they search for your type of business or niche: product photographer or retail marketing expert for instance? Keywords are important in the online world because people search by keyword, not by business name. You can also be found in a variety of ways, including on LinkedIn and on sites like Google.

Make sure you fill out a complete profile, and make it as detailed as possible. Put in a professional portrait of yourself – not your business logo or a photo of your dog. People want to connect with you as a person, and build a relationship before they take the next step. A professional photo gives you more credibility, and helps people visualize doing business with you.

Step Two: Add Contacts

Start by searching the database for people you know. If you have more than one person in your company, start with your employees or teammates. Then branch out and look for people you work with in your community. Vendors, clients, networking connections, power partners, friends through work or school – anyone you’ve connected with in the past that may help you connect and grow in the future.

Remember, this isn’t like Facebook. You don’t have to have thousands of friends to build a successful strategy. Instead, focus on finding people that can help you grow along the way.

Step Three: Add Recommendations

Once you connect with people, pick out clients and vendors you’ve worked with in the past, and ask for recommendations. People will generally give you a testimonial on your profile if you ask. And if you know them well enough, ask them a couple times if they “forget”. Because we all get buried in email and “chores”, it’s easy to forget to carry through on an email request. If you don’t hear from someone in a couple of months, try it again. Try to get 5 to 10 to start, and keep it proportional to the amount of friends you have. 50 testimonials with 50 friends may seem a little too good to be true.

Step Four: Join Groups

The only way to make connections is to get active. LinkedIn has created a variety of groups and associations that you can join with a click of the mouse. Search for groups based around your line or work and your interests. Don’t forget to look for places your target market hangs out, and connect to people in a variety of ways. Then get involved in discussions.

Just like with any social media site, never jump on and promote. Social networking is not about promoting. Instead its about connecting and proving your expertise – the selling will come after you’ve built strong relationships.

Step Five: Answer Questions

The Answer section is my favorite area. Every day people head over and ask a variety of questions in a variety of areas. Search for areas where you can showcase your expertise, and start answering. Don’t give quick bullet points; instead give knowledge and answers like you are communicating with a prospect on the phone. Not only are you showcasing your knowledge for all to see, but you’re also connecting with potential customers. And if your answers are selected as the best, you’ll have added depth on your profile showcasing your knowledge. A win win for everyone.

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I’ve owned three separate businesses here in Denver over the past 20 years, and over that time period I’ve networked just about everywhere. Today I can’t walk into a restaurant or event without knowing someone – or at least saying, “I know him/her from somewhere.” It comes with the territory.

And if you’ve ever been out on vacation and run into someone you know, again you realize what a small world it is. We were at Disney World in Florida a couple of years ago, and walked down the main stretch of Downtown Disney, only to walk right into a family we knew here from Denver but hadn’t seen in a few years.

It’s not coincidence. It’s simply the fact that the world is getting smaller. Which means that everything you do can either help or hurt you in the future. So its more important than ever to monitor your habits online and off, and always pay attention to the impact you have on your relationships.

What Is Friendship Marketing?

Friendship marketing isn’t about selling. It isn’t about marketing. It’s about creating a friendship base around you so that ultimately you can create a lifestyle you love.

People need certain things in their lives, and they would much rather give their money to a friend than to a business or to someone that simply doesn’t care.

People go to the same salon for a haircut because they enjoy the friendship they’ve created. They don’t just cut your hair, they know you and understand you. They ask about your family and with you a happy birthday. You have to have your haircut anyway, so why not go to a friend?

The same applies to any type of service you choose, whether its heading out to dinner, buying a new outfit for Saturday night, or hiring a marketing firm to help you market your business. You can trust a friend, so it’s important to find the right one.

It’s Possible With Social

You can build strong relationships with people online, even if you are in a different country, and have never met before.

It’s simply a matter of taking what you do in a face-to-face situation and converting that to the online world.

With Twitter, you can monitor what people are saying and respond. You can remember what people are up to and ask questions. You can bring 140 character Twitter conversations to Facebook or to Skype and expand on the relationship. You can even agree to meet at an upcoming event, whether its in your home town, or you meet in another city.

Just like in your face-to-face relationships, it takes little effort because you are dealing with friends. And if you treat your online social friendships the same way, it won’t be work; you’ll be dealing with friends.

“Every person is a new door to a different world.”
- from movie “Six Degrees of Separation”

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So is there a magic formula to success? Is there some secret that a successful business has that they could simply pass along to everyone else?

Actually, the answer is yes.

1. Do a little research. In today’s world, you can’t hide your road to success. So spend a little time looking around, and discover how a successful company is marketing their business. Are they online? How do they advertise (i.e. magazines, newspapers, radio, direct mail)? What message are they sharing?

2. Talk with the company owner. Every industry has its own internal structure. Look for organizations, tradeshows and associations within your industry. Attend the major events and make sure you get the latest publications. Study up on the industry leaders and find out what they are doing.

3. Find mentors and vendors that can help you emulate the success. If you know an industry leader is getting 50 percent of his business through the Internet, find someone to help you create a dynamic web presence. Discover how to use social networking more effectively. And begin studying up on online marketing techniques.

Then don’t stop. The reason why the majority of small business marketing methods fail is because the business owner doesn’t give them enough time to work. Commit to a handful of ideas, and see them through to success.

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qXiCBMBsjs

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