The LinkedIn Lead Journey Nobody Talks About
The LinkedIn Lead Journey Nobody Talks About
In the beginning when I started using LinkedIn back in 2004, I thought of LinkedIn as just another social media platform.
But over the next couple of years, I battled to find any winning social selling formula for LinkedIn, to justify my time and effort investment.
My biggest challenge was to, at the very least, be seen and not feel ignored.
Whenever I reached out and messaged a connection I was accused of spamming others.
Even worse, the hours spent on creating one post masterpiece, that received zero engagement, was to say the least disheartening.
I was up against a Goliath that just wouldn’t fall.
Or so I thought…
My breakthrough came from a very unexpected source…
I attended a Customer Service Conference a couple of years ago and was mesmerized with Annette Franz’s explanation of mapping the Customer Journey.
And that is when I saw the LinkedIn potential, the missing piece, that I overlooked for over a decade.
I got it!
I went back to the drawing board and started to map, what I fondly refer to today, the Lead Generation Journey
It was obvious that I first needed to understand and be clear of what I wanted to achieve. I looked at what was done offline, outside of LinkedIn… the first step to achieve a clearly defined objective.
To be known.
I needed to create a structure to ensure that a 2nd connection will gladly connect and embark on a journey to know, like and trust me and my business, in the shortest timeframe possible.
In other words, implementing a measurable KLT Principle (Know Like and Trust Principle).
Today, within this article, I am sharing The LinkedIn Lead Journey.
Here are the rules and steps I implemented, with phenomenal results, for me and my clients.
Apply these fundamental Rules always:
1. Create your ideal client profile and only reach out to those. It will save you a heap of time and effort.
2. Always personalize every message and never use a script to save time, less is more. Model what others do, but never copy. People buy from people and most importantly YOU! You need to come across as authentic, real, and genuine.
3. Never focus on your objectives, but always answer their burning question “What is in this for me”
4. Use the LinkedIn platform for introductions rather than your website, landing pages or other online structures, it’s free and will eliminate the impression that you are trying to sell or farm email addresses, as follow:
a. The Profile for personal branding
b. The Page for business branding
c. The Group to build a very engaged online community
5. Use content that only focus on adding value, offering quick wins and solutions to your connections’ biggest pain, with the sole purpose to drive ‘traffic’ to your profile, page and group.
Next you will need to implement a messaging strategy to implement the LinkedIn Lead Journey. Focus on introducing your Personal and Business Branding including the Online Community through a series of messaging steps.
The LinkedIn Lead Journey messaging steps:
1. Send an invitation to connect to the 2nd connection. Focus on detailing why a connection will be in their interest while detailing the benefits – what is in it for them!
2. Welcome your new connectionto your online community when they accept the invitation. Don’t wait a couple of days to send a welcome message, do it immediately. Stay top of mind and deal with expectations. Explain your process and what they can expect. In other words, if your purpose is to build relationships through networking and introduction, mention that they can expect more messages over the next couple of days for this purpose.
3. Introduce you and your personal brand through a Content message. Introduce yourself explaining who you are, what you do and offer them content you published in LinkedIn (not on your website or blog) that others found valuable to learn more about you. Always ask them to do and share the same. Get the conversation started.
4. The Page Follow invitation message is important as you need to introduce your business, products, and services as a business brand leader. A message to introduce your business as a brand leader must include your LinkedIn Page objective, the type of content that you focus on and how it currently benefits your page followers.
5. Now send the final message to invite them to join your LinkedIn Group but be selective. You are building your LinkedIn online community, so only invite those that will benefit most, will add value, and ultimately could become your ideal client.
Now you created a LinkedIn 1st connection base that knows you!
I have found that often this LinkedIn Lead Journey system generates leads.
What is most important, I have created a tribe that follow and engage with me on LinkedIn. They support me which results in receiving referral leads and introductions often.
My LinkedIn marketing is now working like a well-oiled machine. My business benefits from the consistent daily influx of leads, creating a sales pipeline that grows my business predictably according to pre-defined goals and objectives.