By Heidi J. Ellsworth, HJE Consulting
When looking at social media, many are confused about which platform is best for business. Should they look at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn? What is the difference? Each platform offers something different for promoting your business and reaching out to new and current customers. Although Facebook is very popular, it is not always the best platform for commercial B2B opportunities. I am finding that LinkedIn is a very good vehicle for commercial roofing contractors.
As a business professional, it is important to have a LinkedIn profile; as a sales or marketing professional, it is critical. LinkedIn is the best way to share your professional story, connect with potential customers and share important content and marketing information to build a business or personal brand.
According to LinkedIn (https://press.linkedin.com/about-linkedin), LinkedIn has more than 467 million members in over 200 countries and territories. Professionals are signing up to join LinkedIn at a rate of more than two new members per second and there are more than 40 million students and recent college graduates on LinkedIn. They are LinkedIn’s fastest-growing demographic. This is how young professionals are going to find each other and look for career opportunities. Many of these young people will be going into purchasing, facility management and construction management. They will be looking to build their network and are hungry for information to help their career. LinkedIn will be one of the top spots they use to pursue these goals. Roofing contractors need to be sure that not only the company but their sales, marketing and business development professionals are positioned to be found.
Building a good personal profile is the first step. Don’t do it half way. Take the time to upload personal pictures, company imagery and job photos. When a profile does not have a photo, it does not inspire confidence. Be sure the photos are professional and high resolution. LinkedIn provides good guidelines on uploading and specifications for the resolution. Also, be sure the photo is current. Again, this is important in creating brand and trust while networking.
There is a strong trend towards using video. If you have good quality video, be sure to include it. It can be uploaded or linked to your YouTube channel. Either way, be sure it is professional and answers questions. You may want to include webinars you were in, podcasts or even media interviews. This type of material will make a difference in how potential professionals choose to connect with you.
As your profile takes shape, do not be afraid to ask for recommendations from employers, fellow employees, industry friends, or customers. Strong recommendations will help fill out your profile and lend it validity.
Once your profile is ready, it is time to connect. LinkedIn makes it easy to find the professionals you are interested in meeting, but it is best to start with who you know. Before prospecting, take the time to connect with people you already know. Pull your contact list, search them out and ask to connect. It is easier to build your network with people you know.
As your network grows, you can begin prospecting. For sales professionals, be sure to check out Sales Navigator. This tool helps you find the right people and track their activity. If they are someone you are trying to get to know, it is always better to understand what they like first.
Another way to connect is by joining groups. By searching for groups within your industry, you can chat with other professionals and meet new prospects. Most groups are by invitation and you must be approved. That is not a problem because most groups want more members who can bring relevant and interesting perspectives. You may also start your own group. It is not hard and if the topic is intriguing, you will draw new connections to your group.
Posting articles on LinkedIn is an excellent way to brand and inspire other professionals to connect. Keeping in mind the growth of college students and young professionals using LinkedIn, they will be doing research to find subject matter experts. If they are new to purchasing or facility management and need to know more about roofing, they will look to their LinkedIn network for mentors or experts.
By publishing compelling articles explaining the fundamentals of roofing or starting discussions on the different types of roofing systems, people are more likely to reach out to you with questions. Once a discussion begins, the relationship can begin to grow and the potential for a sales opportunity becomes a reality.
Be sure to stream your other media to LinkedIn. The company blog, personal blog, Twitter or Facebook posts can all be shared on LinkedIn. If the content is professional, it is a great way to get added exposure by simply clicking a button. The more content that you post on LinkedIn the better but it should be educational, informative and if possible, inspiring.
As a company, it is important to keep the company page up-to-date and engaging. Take the time to upload case studies, employee news, press releases and articles. The company page is a place for research and it should be as informative and engaging as your website.
Once you have the company page, develop a group. A group can be industry experts that you want to network with, other companies that the company partners with or professionals from your local community. In fact, it is important to work at creating local networks where you can build business partners. If you are a residential contractor this may be the opportunity to connect with builders,
HVAC professionals or window installers. By building a referral program between trades, you all gain business. Think about forming an invite-only group of the different trades people and help each other develop new business.
Human Resource offices have been using LinkedIn for years. It is one of the top means of recruiting new talent in business today. It is a great way to look for talent for your company or to find out what other companies are doing with their recruiting program.
LinkedIn is a networking, prospecting and recruiting tool that will only continue to gain in popularity. It is also an excellent means of staying in touch with other professionals as they move throughout the industry. For a business, this is a tool that needs to be part of the overall sales and marketing plan. For individuals, it is a must for your professional and personal brand.