LinkedIn isn’t what it used to be!
No longer just the place to try and find a new job, LinkedIn can help digital agency owners gain serious traction in their niche, attract the attention they deserve, and yes, even win new clients on it.
… and you don’t even have to pay a penny for it – organic reach still delivers great results on LinkedIn.
The people browsing through LinkedIn are in a business frame of mind already – 4 out 5 LinkedIn members are the decision makers in their business (it’s not the place you go for funny cat memes, let’s be honest), and they’re looking to make great connections.
Sure, many people are out there looking for jobs, but you can use your profile to establish yourself as an expert in your industry.
I’ve been helping digital agency owners establish their personal branding to attract high value clients and streamline their marketing for years – and today I’m going to show you 3 ways to get noticed by your ideal clients on LinkedIn.
1. Optimize your profile for your target audience
It’s important to let your personality shine through your LinkedIn profile; it is your best sales page, after all!
When you get your LinkedIn profile right, you can grab the attention of clients that will be the right fit. Think of it like a pre-filter for people to work with you – you’re showing who you are and who you help, and if someone doesn’t align with that, they know you won’t be a good fit to work together.
But before all of that happens, potential clients have to find you first!
Using relevant keywords in your profile is an absolute must. Add relevant keywords and phrases so people can easily find you when searching on LinkedIn for a digital agency to work with.
Here’s a few tips for optimizing your LinkedIn profile to maximize your exposure:
- Add something personal about yourself like a hobby or quirky fact to your bio – this makes you look more human and approachable.
- Use the power of storytelling to really set yourself apart.
- Appeal to search algorithms – what will clients be looking for? Add this to your profile headline and your about section
- Hashtags work great on LinkedIn, use them!
Optimizing your profile isn’t just about text, though; you should also make sure that you:
- Update your profile picture with a high-quality, professional image.
- Use a relevant header image that encourages your visitors to get in contact with you.
- Take advantage of the featured section, where you can highlight your latest blog post or simply show off your portfolio with a client testimonial – drive traffic to your site (or even better a lead funnel).
- Use the audio intro section to add a voice recording to grab people’s attention.
Remember to be as approachable and human as possible on your profile. Use the language your audience uses – don’t be too techy unless you’re targeting techy people.
Think about what your dream client would absolutely love to know about you – and include it on your profile! Do some research into the search terms they’re using and make sure to pop them into your tagline and About section.
2. Build your network (with the right people)
Building up your network on LinkedIn should be a two-pronged attack: potential clients and people who can connect you with your target audience. That’s it – be purposeful and strategic with the time you spend adding people.
Start by importing your contacts to your LinkedIn – connect with current clients, old leads that can be revisited, and current potential prospects.
Ensure you connect with relevant people on LinkedIn from your contact list and follow all the people you know within your niche.
Getting your skills endorsed by people is an excellent proof point to have on your LinkedIn profile. If you know somebody well and can vouch for their skills, endorse their skills, and ask them to endorse you back!
When sending out connection requests, for the love of your agency, don’t just copy and paste the same general, bland, impersonal message. Personalize it so the people you connect with feel like you’ve taken some time to actually find them and reach out.
Side note, I regularly receive LinkedIn requests from people with the wrong names written on them. I mean COME ON. Put some effort in!
Get more connections from your day-to-day contact by promoting your LinkedIn on:
- Your other social media accounts
- Your email signature
- While chatting with people
- During events
- Your website – use the public profile badge so people can easily connect with you!
You can also add a QR code to your website or on your business cards that people can scan. This QR code will bring them straight to your LinkedIn account.
Another great way to build up your network is to find and join LinkedIn groups. Make sure to contribute to them and engage with the group members – don’t sell to them right away, no-one likes a spammer.
Groups can be a bit hit and miss at times, but if you have a defined niche like accountancy firms, groups might be the perfect way to gain more connections and establish your expertise on LinkedIn.
3. Post relevant, engaging & informative content
When creating your LinkedIn updates, write content that’s full of helpful information, unique insight, or a funny story about agency life. Content that starts a conversation will get more people engaging with you online.
Try to post things that are easy to reply to. After all, we’re on social media to learn and be entertained, so why should that be different on LinkedIn? You can look good and still have fun on the world’s most extensive B2B network!
If they see you posting content that’s full of helpful and insightful information, then they’ll have more trust in your abilities to do the job right – you’ll soon be seen as an authority.
Don’t forget to engage with your audience
Posting content to your LinkedIn account isn’t good enough on its own; you have to engage with your audience too. Any time they comment, like, or share your content, be sure to let them know that they’re appreciated. I know you’re time-short, so schedule three 20-minute slots a week for thoughtful commenting.
If you don’t, then it’s going to be like starting a conversation at a party and then disappearing before anybody even gets the chance to answer.
Don’t be afraid to write content that’s inspired by what your audience wants as well. Get them involved by talking about their pain points and discussing what problems keep them up at night.
You’re never too busy for engaging content
Being too busy with your client work shouldn’t be an excuse for not posting content either. You can easily repurpose content from your blogs, emails, and even podcasts.
You can talk about your business journey and tell people about your story. This will make you look more human and appealing to your audience.
Everybody loves a good origin story!
Are you still struggling trying to come up with ideas for your content?
Here are three great types content that you can post on LinkedIn to get started:
- Behind the scenes content
Posting behind-the-scenes videos and photos of your agency will help you show your audience the authentic you. It’ll give them a glimpse at what it would be like to work with you.
A great behind-the-scenes content idea is posting before and after pictures. So if you’ve recently redone your office or created new branding or even a new website, your audience would love to see it.
Behind the scenes content really brings out the more human element of digital agencies – and people buy from other people.
- New products or service announcements
If you’re launching a new product or starting a new service, posting about them on LinkedIn is a great way to get your audience excited.
You can talk about what made you want to introduce them, share the process behind them and let your audience know how excited you are to help them with the new offering.
- Client stories/industry-related posts
One big mistake a lot of people on LinkedIn make is they only talk about themselves. Constantly.
This can come off as quite dull or vain at times, so don’t forget to talk about how your clients are doing and how they’ve succeeded. Not only are you highlighting another company, but you’re also kind of subtly showing off how good your company is at what they do.
You can share things your clients have posted or even content from industry leaders and like-minded entrepreneurs.
By following these three steps, you should see a big improvement with the quality and consistency of your LinkedIn leads.
Have a question? Think I’ve missed something seriously obvious and important? Let me know, I’d love to talk about LinkedIn tips with you!