How to Use Twitter Combined with LinkedIn for Prospecting
Filed Under Social Marketing
So you’ve got a small business, you’ve made up your marketing strategy and you’ve got your niche market. Everything is planned out and ready to go except, how to approach that niche market. Some thoughts might be going through your mind like, “I don’t want to be rejected by my niche group” or “I don’t want to be represented as a cold-caller.” Luckily, there are ways to avoid both of those and it’s quite simple.
It’s called building relationships through social media. Here are some tips for using both, Twitter and LinkedIn to get the conversation started.
1. Spring Cleaning Tactics: The first step in maximizing your potential to reach your niche market is to start with cleaning up your profiles to represent your business fully. Here are some suggestions for each type of social media account.
- LinkedIn:
• Maximize the efficiency of your headline. Is it professional? Did you use all 120 characters appropriately and creatively? Is it speaking about your business in the best way possible?
• LinkedIn has a feature for hot links, have you used all three in the best way possible?
• Is your summary conveying everything you offer? Does it include why you’re unique and why a client should pick you over the rest?
• LinkedIn also has a feature for recommendations, have you inquired about receiving any recommendations?
An important suggestion to keep in mind when critiquing your LinkedIn account is that the summary is by far the most beneficial part, so make sure it is good and precise. You should also write in first person and not third, as people want to hear specifically from you.
- Twitter: The above tips in regards to LinkedIn apply on Twitter too. Although, Twitter is more of a social site rather than a professional business site, it’s good to have a combination of professional aspects as well as personal, or as much as you can fit in that tiny box.
2. LinkedIn Groups: Perhaps, there is a person who you’d really like to connect with but you’re unsure how to do so. Well, here’s a start. First, figure out (by way of their own profile) what groups that person has joined, then join them yourself. You can create an open conversation by starting a topic that the person would also be interested in. This will reveal your knowledge about certain areas and raise awareness that you and your profile exists. You can even take advantage of LinkedIn’s Q&A forum and really connect with others by answer their questions. Using these tools will maximize your appearance on LinkedIn and especially, make that person aware that you are there.
3. Search out your Prospect on Twitter: You can first look to LinkedIn to see if the person you are trying to reach has added their Twitter account to their profile, or try searching their name on Twitter. If they’re on Twitter, follow them.
- FYI: LinkedIn will automatically link your Twitter account to your LinkedIn profile page. To get those connected, go to the “Application Directory” under the “More” menu at the top and add “Tweets.” This will allow you to see who on your LinkedIn account you’re already following and those who you aren’t following yet.
- To be super organized: You can create a “LinkedIn list” on Twitter and group those professionals from LinkedIn on your Twitter account. This will help keep your contacts organized and you can easily access your Twitter-LinkedIn list and see what conversations you can contribute to.
4. Go Offline: The absolute best way to network is face-to-face, but an Internet presence helps to open up those opportunities. When the time is right, and after you’ve built up a good presence and relationships on LinkedIn and Twitter, take it to the next level. Suggest having coffee together to talk about business. Furthermore, if you were ever in the same place at the same time of one of your prospects, and if you have already connected with them through social media, the awkward conversation starter has already been done, so the rest will be a piece of cake!
These suggestions aren’t the end-all to using your social media accounts in conjunction to each other, but it’s a great way to begin.
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Dawn Pigoni, IVAA Member
