How and why to use LinkedIn to generate business.

First: Why?

Email marketing is “evolving”• Mass emails don’t work as well anymore; Results are declining• Email is “interruption” marketing; it only works if people opt-in and

if our mass emails provide VALUE… not sales and promotions• Spam filters block our emails before they even get to agents

Mass media is dying. • Mass media such as TV, radio, newspapers, direct mail, email, etc are

declining rapidly.

Targeted media such as trade publications are not being read• 2008- Trade magazine ad revenue declined 24%• 2009- Trade magazine ad revenue declined 29%• 2009- Consumer magazine ad revenue declined 30%

For example: Architectural Digest is down 49.8%• 2010- ??

According to the Publishers Information Bureau

If email is not working, and mass media are not working,

and targeted publications are not working…..

What IS working???

The internet!

The internet!

Social media is growing.

LinkedIn is growing.

Growth reached 55 million users in February 2010.

And now, as of August 9…

Over 75 million users.

Linkedin is growing.

Growth reached 55 million users in February 2010.

And now, as of August 9, 2010…

Over 75 million users.

Why?Social media is a club.

•People only want to use media that is relevant to them•People are sick of interruption marketing•Social media is word-of-mouth… but by computer/internet•People who link with you WANT to hear from you•It’s a tight-knit club of people with similar interests•Response to Inmail (not email) is tremendous•You can build awareness among your core group easily•It’s easy to gain credibility•You can search for prospects easily•You can promote yourself and your company in a subtle way (not interruption marketing)•LinkedIN helps you make “warm calls” not “cold calls”

What to do next?

Step 1: Get linked with your prospects and clients!

Step 2: Update your profileStep 3: Be sure you have a good photoStep 4: Write unsolicited recommendationsStep 5: Join groups