Guest Blog Post by Sheryl Connelly, CEO, Marketing Media Management
I DETEST networking events, because it is impossible know in advance whether it is worth my while to attend. Fuel, business cards, and time all cost money. If I spend sixty minutes engaging with other professionals at an event, after having invested $100.00 or more on that trip, then I want to see a return on that. Unfortunately, at many events I’ve attended, I have not seen any return on investment at all.
For those of you who can relate to this, there is light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to professional networking. It goes by the name of LinkedIn. LinkedIn is among the best social media management tools for business professionals. Let me explain why LinkedIn is so valuable:
- LinkedIn Gives People a Social Media Presence for one Reason Alone…BUSINESS: If you have a social media presence on LinkedIn, everyone knows that this is for business purposes. This increases the chance of developing profitable relationships, without needing to waste valuable time negotiating your way through an ocean of people in a crowded room.
- A Social Media Presence With Credibility: LinkedIn offers you the chance to market yourself as an authoritative figure in your field. You should fully complete your profile and add some links to the website of your company, your blog and other social media profiles. This way, potential partners can assess the merit of your business PRIOR to initiating or accepting a request to connect. Undoubtedly, this is a major time and money saver.
- An Evergreen Network: In contrast to Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn is a network solely for business people. This is well suited to those who are in the B2B industry. A LinkedIn profile makes it easy to see if the individual you have found will be a GOOD FIT for a business discussion.
Do you use LinkedIn to find employees, or expand your business strategy referral network? If so, we would love to hear from you! Comment below and explain YOUR social media management success story.