Who Knows You?

The first step in "social selling" or social media marketing is to become KNOWN. If you wait for people to search for your keywords, you will wait a l-o-o-ong time -- and you will show up alongside many others who are at least as qualified as you are. The old saying, "If you build a better mousetrap in the middle of a forest, people will beat a path to your door," is NOT TRUE. They have to know you are there, and they need to know all about your new mousetrap. Before we can be liked and trusted, we need to become known for 1) who You are, 2) what you do, and 3) what you care about.

Authenticity, Transparency, and Humility

Assuming that you want to attract the people who will like your true self, it helps to show up authentically with a personal story as part of your About summary. Then your posts and comments on others' posts reveal how you think and what you care about. LinkedIn "Activity" is even more effective for being discovered than listing your experience and education in your Profile with keywords for search.

Be Proactive to Stand Out From the Crowd

If you proactively send invitations to Connect, with relevant notes, you will stand out. Messages showing sincere interest in your prospective client's business will give you the opportunity to begin conversations by text, which may lead to later conversations by phone. Posting Articles, Comments on others' articles, participating in LinkedIn Groups, and giving Recommendations and Endorsements will help you become noticed.