Feel like you might be talking to yourself on LinkedIn: these 12 questions will help you change that

Feel like you might be talking to yourself a little too often on LinkedIn?

And that you might be missing out on more real opportunities on LinkedIn?

Consider these questions before you post your next piece of content and then you will find more of the right people start paying more attention ...

Designing Charismatic Content:

1 -> Is this piece of content focused on a specific target audience?

That it's not too broad like "Small business Owners (of which there are millions)

or multiple audiences like: "RTO / NDIS / NFP Executives"

2 -> Is the specific target audience obvious to the reader?

Is the specific target audience clear in the first line? If I read the first line(s) will I know immediately and obviously that you are talking to me (assuming I am in your target audience?) or not

3 -> Is this piece of content focused on a specific challenge / need / question of that specific audience?

Your audience will quickly loose interest if there is no obvious focus to the content: to what you are saying or writing. Who would want to invest two minutes of their time on some general ideas of how to improve business performance versus two minute on a very specific idea that you can go and apply after your two minutes is spent? The latter sounds like two minutes worth spending to me: and I think I might go back and spend another two minutes next week to read another specific tip: wouldn't you?

4 -> Is that obvious (in the first line)

If I read the first line(s) will I know immediately and obviously that you are talking to me (assuming I am in your target audience?) about that topic?

If your audience and topic are specific and obvious in your content then there is a greater chance that your value will shine through

5 -> Is the content high value for the audience?

Can a member of the right audience who has the specific need that the content addresses read this specific piece of content and walk away and immediately apply something they have learnt through reading the content that will improve an aspect of that need in their life / business?

LinkedIn would prefer you spend more time with them: be more "active". That is LinkedIn's game. Your audience would prefer you were more focused: on them! That is your game. (LinkedIn Maxim #50)

Building Your Own Mutually Beneficial Network:

6 -> Are you connected to people on LinkedIn that are on the target audience of this piece of content?

Are you consistently adding more connections as you meet new people in that specific target audience?

7 -> Are you FOLLOWing other people on LinkedIn who are in the specific target audience this piece of content is aimed at?

Are you consistently looking out for & searching for more people in this specific target audience and when you find them are you viewing their profiles and FOLLOWing them?

Note well: the two distinct steps here are (1) View their profile and (2) FOLLOW

8 -> Do you engage (“listen”) on their content?

How inclined would they be to “listen” to you if you don’t listen to them? Start by reading their content, liking their content and commenting on their content.

LinkedIn is more interested in what you COMMENT on, rather than what you merely LIKE (LinkedIn Maxim #3)

Sharing Your Content Effectively:

9 -> When you share do you invite engagement from your closest network?

When you share content invite your closest Network to comment by (1) asking them first - send them a message (2) or tagging them in the comments and asking them a question.

That way your more distant network (still inside your 1st degree of connection but people who you know and interact with less often) are more likely to think this piece of content might be interesting.

Your closest network in this context is more than just your 1st degree connections: they are the people on LinkedIn that respond quickly (within hours / same day) when you reach out to them.

10 -> Are you abiding by LinkedIn basic guidelines?

While there are few limitations on what you can post on LinkedIn, there are general guidelines that will encourage LinkedIn to share your content more widely, for example:

• don’t share external links (that take people off LinkedIn) within the body of your post - rather share them in the comments
• the optimum number of hashtags is three

11 -> Make it easy for your audience to quickly and easily finding more content on the same topic

The easiest way to do this is use your own Showcase page by referencing it in the post (so your reader can find it with one click) and publish all of your content on this topic on that Showcase Page.

12 -> Respond quickly when you have engagement: no one enjoys being ignored for very long

Respond to the comments from readers on your content promptly (review your notifications as often as you can to see these and respond with more than just "Thank you ..."

A good response is along the lines of "Thank you John for your feedback. Which specific aspect did you find most useful?

Don't do the content if you can't do the conversations (LinkedIn Maxim #28)

Find More of The Opportunities You Really Want On LinkedIn:

What improvement in your LinkedIn experience can you expect from considering these questions each time you share content:

1. Reach more of your network, more often
2. Reach beyond your network, to your network’s network (which is the ultimate prize of networking: reaching beyond your network)
3. Start to have conversations with people from a specific target audience who have a current need (interest?) in the specific topic of your content and who want to know more
4. Make your time on LinkedIn more fruitful for you
5. And most importantly: make your content on LinkedIn more valuable for this specific target audience

Intermediate Tip: How easily can you pay attention to "everyone" in your possible target audience? Probably not that easily given reasonable time constraints and the sheer size of the potential audience list on LinkedIn? So maybe, consider just paying attention to the people on your #JaneList (the 100 people you most want to be doing business with on LinkedIn.)

Advanced Tip: what beats an audience every time? Even a specific target audience? A tribe ?? ("People like us do things like this" - Seth Godin definition of a Tribe)

This focus will help you align the 7 elements of the LinkedIn Equation which will improve the efficiency of your marketing efforts: 1) You 2) Your Audience 3) Your Brand 4) Your Content 5) Your Network 6) Your Conversations 7) Your Prospects.

For more insights on the #TheAlternateLinkedInModel click here

LH#058 #Sales #Entrepreneurship