LinkedIn is a powerful tool to grow your business, but it takes time and effort, and there are definite rules to being successful

Wish you had the connections to promote your business without paying a cent? You do. LinkedIn is a powerful tool to grow your business, but it takes time and effort, and there are definite rules to being successful.

Know clearly what your goals are on the platform. Is it to become famous? To bring in business? Whatever your goal is, stick to it. It’s a powerful platform, and the business and networking opportunities are amazing. If you’re consistent with your plan, posts, and commenting, with siyata d’Shmaya it should bring in business.

The goal with LinkedIn is to see, be seen, network, and of course grow your business.

Accomplish this by posting, commenting and sending direct messages. It’s important to always maintain activity, ideally by a combination of posting, commenting, and direct messages (DM). At the very least, do any of the three on a consistent basis to keep you in the feed.

DMs are important. It can be a short intro message with a snippet about who you are and what you do. If there are people who engage often in your posts, try to message them occasionally, thanking them for their engagement. If there are any people whose posts you particularly enjoy, send them messages thanking them for the content they put out.

Direct messaging without posting can work to an extent, but it’s basically cold outreach. If people are constantly seeing you in the feed, they’re much more likely to respond to direct messages.

When you’re consistently posting and commenting, people will get a feel for who you are and are much more likely to respond to a direct message or to a post with a call to action.

Sometimes LinkedIn can help by putting you in front of the exact right person at the perfect time. I’ve had cases where I sent a message introducing myself and how I help with employee benefits. I’ve gotten responses from people who were actively looking for that service and they became my clients.

Don’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone and try something creative. For example, during the health insurance sign-up period, I made a public campaign to sign up 100 people from LinkedIn for health insurance. I posted every few days, showing progress on a chart. Many people enjoyed following the campaign, and in the end, I got over 100 sign-ups.

Even if business is not coming directly from LinkedIn, it helps people recognize you and your brand. For example, on groups, people often ask for recommendations for health insurance. Often my name is mentioned, and people say, “Oh, he’s the health insurance guy from LinkedIn.”

Isaac Weiss, CEO, Avalon Benefits Group

Tell Stories. Stories are the golden nuggets that increase your following and subsequent sales. Your values shine through stories. It tells people what you care about and what makes you tick.

Become a Giver. The platform is all about giving, so see how you can help your connections. As you do it, bear in mind that you’re trying to build up your community.

Show Your Interests. Avoid content you’re not drawn to by liking and commenting on posts that interest you. Give the algorithms two weeks to learn who and what you want to see. You will be shown a more relevant feed.

Develop Popularity. True, LinkedIn is not a popularity contest. Nevertheless, the more likes and comments you get on a post, the further your message is pushed and the bigger audience you will have.

Interact with Others. You simply can’t show up to be a taker. Everyone can sniff out a poster who doesn’t interact. Nobody likes it and it makes you look selfish, so go ahead — like and comment away on other people’s posts!

Connect Properly. Connect with people who fit into your community or potential client market. Connect also with people in your industry, active everyday posters and those who like and comment on your posts and others who’ve viewed your profile.

Connect Properly. More LinkedIn connections = More Sales. The more connections you have, the more exposure you’ll get. The more exposure you get, the greater your influence. The greater influence you have, the more sales you make.

Chaya Fischman, founder, Brand Right

Buying a Business

Twenty percent of all new businesses fail within the first year, and that number rises to 90 percent within five years. Do you want to beat those failure odds? Buy a business that’s been around for ten-plus years. You can then add your personal tweaks to operations, but don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Its current success exists for a reason.

When buying a business, keep these points in mind:

»Research businesses to buy. Don’t just buy something because you think it’s a good idea.

»Hire professional help. Do not skimp on using the right lawyer, accountant, or broker. You will regret not doing so later on.

»Make sure to have a well-written contract. A one-page document won’t cut it.

»Do your due diligence. Don’t take anybody’s word for anything.

»If you’re financing the purchase, start the process early on. There is often a time crunch before closing.

»Get copies of all closing documents, especially those that identify you as the owner of the business.

Neil Greenbaum

Attorney-at-Law

GREENBAUM LAW FIRM, P.A.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 979)