LinkedIn is a powerful networking and relationship building platform.  As with any social media platform, it is about being social.  On LinkedIn it is being social in a business way without being too salesy.  LinkedIn of course is a business networking platform and as such is essentially business to business. So how do you post without being overzealous in your sales posts.  Following are six ideas for you to attract—and retain—the perfect clients on LinkedIn:

Post helpful content regularly

By posting helpful and relevant content, there are benefits to you, as well as to potential clients. Remember that LinkedIn is an authority site so having fresh content there will boost you in search results not just on LinkedIn but in Google too.

Posting regular content helps keep that all-important conversation going—and keeps you in your potential client’s eye.  For a cold lead to become a client, they need to see you at least 7 times before they start paying attention to the information that you are posting.  So remember to post consistently and regularly.

Join groups

While posting consistently on your profile is important, don’t forget to join some groups.  While it is great to join like minded groups of people that do the same work as you, it is more important to join groups where your clients hang out.  A simple way to be in front of face of your potential customers is to ask and answer questions in these groups, share your articles, share others articles and generally be helpful.  Try not to post the same content to too many groups at a time. Doing so will hog the newsfeed.

Social proof

Your connections provide massive social proof, which is why you should actively grow them and connect with new people. Social proof on LinkedIn comes in many forms. Ask people who know you well, including current and past clients, to endorse particular skills. (Spell it out!)

And remember that if you belong to groups, your connections will see your photo along with influencer members, when they check out relevant groups.

Ask questions!

If you want to start a conversation, ask relevant or interesting questions. Ask them:

• In your Groups
• In “Thank you” and “Welcome” letters to new connections (providing they’re organic, natural questions that are easily answered)
• At the end of your articles or posts

Publishing articles

When you publish an article on LinkedIn it will help to build your professional identity.  By publishing articles in your field of expertise you are automatically positioning yourself as a thought leader in your industry. These articles are also searchable on LinkedIn as well as through google as long as they are set for public visibility in your settings.

LinkedIn articles are known for their professional approach and high quality.  Readers can also follow you via your article even if they aren’t connected to you.  They can also comment on your article as well which brings it higher in the search results to ensure that it is seen more.

Use a ‘Call to Action’

At the end of your articles, add a call to action.  What do you want them to do, whether it is to contact you, answer a question, download an offer etc.

These are just five ways to attract and retain new clients.  What other ways do you use to connect with potential clients?  Tell us below!

Join me on my webinar ‘Finding Clients on Linkedin’ on Wednesday 14th February at 12pm (QLD time) – register here.