This document discusses leveraging social media and networking on LinkedIn for business development. It provides tips on optimizing your LinkedIn profile, building your professional network, and sharing relevant content. The key points are to create an appealing profile, define your target audience, connect with your network and engage in groups, and regularly share quality content to stay top of mind.

1. Leveraging Your Network
Social Media Networking & Business Development
Robert Burns, Tourmalet Social Business

2. Discussion Points
1. Social Media Landscape. How does Social Media
enhance your current networking activities?
2. How can LinkedIn optimize the Business Development
Process?
3. LinkedIn’s Best Practices
FreeDigitalPhotos.net , image source

3. “Social Media Revolution”
“We don’t have a choice on
whether we DO Social Media,
the question is how well we do
it”
“The ROI of Social Media: Your
business will still exist in 5
Years”
Erik Qualman, Author of
Socialnomics

4. Social Media and Social Networking are tools -
Enablers
What is the first thing you think of with Social
Media? Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn,
many others
Think of Social Media & Social Networking as
enablement tools, …….better yet think of them as
“opportunities”
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5. Many definitions for Social Media, this one seems to
resonate
Social Media is the super-set and is how we refer
to the various media that people use to
communicate online in a social way
Social Networking occurs when people create a
personal profile and interact to become part of a
community of friends and like-minded people and to
share information” David Meerman Scott, Author
The New Rules of Marketing & PR

6. “It’s the wild west”

8. Social Channels
LinkedIn – Professional grade, B2B, liken it to a “Chamber of
Commerce” meeting
Twitter – “Business Social Grade”, liken it to the cocktail
party after a business meeting or business event
Google+, Still new. Strength is their Search. Early
adopters. Shows promise
Facebook – Strength is the large Community – B2C,
Community BBQ – “Everyone’s there”

9. Selected LinkedIn Lead Generation Best Practices
(1) Follow-up with Conference Key Note Presenters and Conference attendees with an InMail
or Group Message
(2) Following up with Key Executives and Decision makers (news or promotions)
(3) Who’s Viewed My Profile? “Thanks for visiting my profile” with warm Invitation to Connect
(4) Profile Optimization, Recruitment Entrepreneur, Profile Optimization enhances credibility
(5) Re-Connect with current and former Colleagues and Clients. Business Cards, Outlook
Contacts, Emails for contacts & ask them to join your LinkedIn Network with a personal
invite
(6) Identify Leads & Prospects via Advanced Search

10. Selected LinkedIn Lead Generation Best Practices
(7) Join LinkedIn Groups (where are your clients/their clients?). Reach out via Group
Messages (no charge) or LinkedIn InMail
(8) Join 50 Groups, engage and participate 1+ Groups, establish credibility and trust with
answers. Share & promote your content
(9) Create a “Monthly” LinkedIn Activity Planner: Regular Updates, Invite New Connections,
Make Recommendations (& Receive), Send 25 – 50+ Group Invitations, Follow-up with
connections
(10) Incumbent Clients & Client Retention – Be “Top of Mind” with your network through
relevant LinkedIn Updates, Sharing Compelling Content, Common Connections

11. Communication builds trust
Every social “action” and “interaction”
builds a level of trust
Permission based marketing vs.
Interruption based
It’s about “one to many” conversations
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12. Take your current activities to a new level
The telephone is an excellent tool however most times it is
“interruption based”, personal touch is still important
What if you could have “top of mind” exposure to your clients and
prospects on regular basis. “Permission based” access several times
per day (updates)?
What if, when you had these interactions the client or prospect would
immediately have background of who you are, your profile, content
activity, your network and shared connections.?
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What if they came to you, based upon these interactions?

13. According to industry experts
Over 90% of B2B companies are utilizing the
“Big 3” social tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook
and Twitter
LinkedIn being the most used channel with
72%, followed by Facebook at 71% and Twitter
with 67%
LinkedIn is cited as the favourite B2B channel,
with “lead generation” as the key business
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driver

14. LinkedIn Facts
 Launched in May 2003
 Largest Professional Networking Site
 135+ million users in 200 Countries
 Grows by 2+ new members per second
 50% of users are in the U.S
 Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members
 Average Years of Experience: 15 years
 Average Age: 41 years
 % who are decision makers: 47%
 LinkedIn Share button is on 180,000 domains
Other facts
 Maximum # of Invites: 3000
 Get 5 “I Don’t Knows” (IDK) and your account will be penalized by
having to enter recipients email address for future connect requests
 1 million+ Groups on LinkedIn

15. LinkedIn Next Steps
1. Profile Creation & Development - Optimize
2. Network Development & Enablement - Community
3. Relevant Content Sharing - Leveraging
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16. Build a Robust & Appealing Profile - Optimize
 Create in Word for spell checking, grammar and formatting
 Look at other LinkedIn profiles
 Many profile changes: temporarily turn off Activity broadcasts
under Privacy in Settings…turn back on when finished
 Target 100% LinkedIn Profile completion
 Define what you do for clients?
 Be clear with your profile. Have others you trust read and
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comment on your profile
 Continually fine-tune your profile. Summary, Skills, Experience,
include a value proposition, Header (what you do for clients, the
problems you solve)

17. Build a Robust & Appealing Profile - Optimize
 What are your Keywords to be found? Embed them into your profile
 What are you an expert in? How would an ideal prospect find you?
 What would your clients enter into “Google” to find you? Improve
your Google rankings
 Include relevant skills. Outline and provide details of your
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Experience
 Distinguish & differentiate yourself
 Be an Active and Engaged Member

18. Define Your Audience – Build Your Network & Community
 Once you have created an appealing and trusting profile the next objective
is to have your network and future network want to connect with you
 Join Groups: Associations, School and Company Alumni etc. Where are
your clients? Where are their clients? Or…. Start your own Group
 Connect with who you know and re-connect with past colleagues
 Add new connections by engaging in conversations with permission based
FreeDigitalPhotos.net , image source invites with InMails or Group Messages
 Reach out at events, Icebreaker: “Are you on LinkedIn?”
 Transition from a static business card or Outlook Contact to a robust
social connection

19. Define Your Audience – Build Your Network & Community
 Your LinkedIn network comprises of your 1st, 2nd & 3rd level connections.
Convert 2nd and 3rd levels to 1st, outside of your network as well
 Reach out to other Group members with Group Messages, develop on
line rapport and invite to connect
 Quantity Approach: (LION) vs. Quality Approach - Strategic Network
Development Approach, or somewhere between
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20. Share Relevant & Compelling Content
Content Formula:
Great Content + Other People (Network)
Subtract - Marketing messages (salesy tactics)
= Growth
Michael A. Stelzner, from the book Launch

21. Share Relevant Content
 Update on a consistent & regular basis
 Share content: news articles and Blogs. Sources of information: Industry/trade, Media,
CNN – e.g. Anderson Cooper- Fareed Zakaria, etc.
 Set up Google Alerts: clients, competition, client challenges. What are your clients
problems?
 Set aside 20 to 30 minutes a day, find shareable content, add a “value proposition” in
your update & why your network should read it, Ask a question, “Valuable Insight”, “3
Ways to Improve Your Bottom Line…”

22. Share Relevant Content
 Think like your clients, your network and your audience
 Keep Top of Mind with quality, compelling and relevant Status Updates
 It’s about them – your audience. Be an influencer
 Be unique
 When you help people with smaller problems they may look to you for their
bigger issues

23. LinkedIn Subscription Comparison
 Monthly costs range from free, $25,$50 or $100
 If new to LinkedIn or Sales, Recruiters, Business Development, Entrepreneurs may want to
consider paid subscriptions
 Useful Premium features:
• InMails, $10 each or up to 25 InMails/month
• Advanced Search; Enhanced Premium and Talent Features
• See more profiles up to 700 /search
• Profile Organizer, Up to 50 folders. Great for prospects not connected
• Who’s Viewed My Profile, Partial to Full Name
• Names of 3rd Level Connections
• Saved Searches
 Identify which of these functions you need for the price

24. Thank You
Robert Burns
Email: robert.burns@tourmaletsocialbusiness.com
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin/in/roblburns
Twitter: @robertlburns
Facebook: facebook.com/roblburns
Google+: http://goo.gl/uX7Bs