Tag: linkedin

LinkedIn’s Social Selling Index

Posted on by Sue L Canfield

LinkedIn is my favorite social media platform for engaging with people and growing my influence with my community. I find I can connect and engage more deeply with people on LinkedIn.

I try to reach out to at least four or five people each week to make new connections and then follow up with at least one phone conversation each week. This has helped me build a community, not just of people who might do business with me, but also of other people in the industry I work in who may be good referral partners (my friendly competitors). I keep track of the people I talk with in a spreadsheet so I can refer back to it when referring to others. It also helps me monitor the effectiveness of my efforts.

One number on LinkedIn that I monitor is the LinkedIn Social Selling Index (SSI). The social selling index has been around for some time. It used to be available only to those who paid for the Premium account but now anyone can access their SSI. This is an algorithm that LinkedIn came up with after analyzing a group of top performing sales leaders and the results they achieved. The result is a score between 0 and 100. It was created by LinkedIn as a way for people using LinkedIn for sales to see how they rated. Of course most of my clients aren’t using LinkedIn for sales; but the rating can still indicate how well they are utilizing LinkedIn to establish their brand and build relationships. It’s something I track monthly for my clients. LinkedIn Social Selling Index screenshot

A couple of months ago I decided to take a more proactive approach to see if I could improve my SSI score. After just a few weeks I was able to increase that score from 64 to 71. That score alone doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s important to note also where you are in your industry and network.

The formula for the LinkedIn SSI score is based on the 4 components of social selling, as defined by LinkedIn:

  1. Establish your professional brand
  2. Find the right people
  3. Engage with insights
  4. Build relationships

Let’s discuss each of those in a bit more detail and what you can do to increase your SSI score.

Establish your professional brand.

Be sure your profile is 100% complete with a profile photo (headshot), headline, and complete information that includes your keywords. When filling in your information, be sure to keep your customer in mind so they will want to contact you based on what you’ve provided. Include examples of your work in the Featured section – videos, SlideShare presentations, PDFs. You can boost your SSI score even more by publishing articles on LinkedIn and endorsing others. Also give and ask for Recommendations. All of this will help you become a thought-leader in your industry.

Find the right people.

I search for people in groups and through mutual connections. You can ask a first-degree connection for an introduction to a second or third-degree connection. Of course using LinkedIn’s paid Sales Navigator will increase the chances of this score being higher. If you use Sales Navigator you can unlock more of those who have viewed your profile and then potentially connect with them and their network. If you don’t pay for Sales Navigator, you are limited in what you see when you click on Who viewed your profile. For most of my clients who are not directly in sales, I don’t believe there’s a need to pay for Sales Navigator.

Engage with insights.

Do this by sharing conversation-worthy updates. Post content relevant to prospects and become a trusted source of insight. Participate in groups with thoughtful comments, questions, and content. Comment on other people’s articles and posts.

Build relationships.

Strengthen your network by finding and establishing trust with decision makers. When you do invite people to connect, be sure to send a personalized note explaining briefly why you’d like to connect. Even a simple note such as, “We’re both in the ‘XYZ’ group here on LinkedIn and I’d like to connect to add you to my professional network.” Once you’ve connected, develop the relationship. Provide information they can use. Invite them to chat by phone or Zoom, assuring them it’s not a sales call. Here’s how I do that.

I have an interesting story to tell about using LinkedIn. Someone named Joe connected with me on LinkedIn and booked a complimentary phone consultation so I could answer some questions he had about using social media. Later he messaged me on LinkedIn because he needed someone in my area to do some handyman work on a property he owns in the area (he lives out of state). I was glad to send him the name and number of someone I know to help him out. For me this was the perfect example of using LinkedIn to engage and build community. Now Joe hasn’t paid me any money. He hasn’t become a client. But he was in need of a connection that I was able to provide. If he ever does need my services, or know someone who does, who do you think he’ll call? He did provide a wonderful review on my Facebook page as a result of the initial complimentary phone consultation we had.

Some people say consistently spend 15 minutes a day on LinkedIn and you’ll see the SSI score improve. Those same people say, “remember, it’s just a number.” I do check mine usually once a month and watch for the number to remain stable and rise. If it goes down, I don’t worry about it. But I do see why that may be the case so I can see were to focus my efforts to bring the score back up.

And, as one of my clients said, “if you think it’s just a tool to stimulate people to buy Sales Navigator, then fuggedaboudit!” (That’s how they tawk in the Bronx.) Can you tell she’s from New York?

Using LinkedIn as a Nonfiction Author

Posted on by Sue L Canfield

using linkedin as an authorUsing LinkedIn as a nonfiction author is an effective way to increase exposure for your book and business. It is still considered a more professional platform than a social media platform such as Facebook. Authors need to be cautious not to use LinkedIn primarily as a tool for book sales.

LinkedIn’s platform provides nonfiction authors a place to showcase their leadership in their industry. As an example, are you a CPA who has written a book to support your business? Show your expertise by posting articles and sharing in discussions in groups around your book’s topic. At the end of your articles include a short bio, mention your book, and include link to where it can be purchased.

Your About section should include detailed information about your business and your book. Add your book to the Publications section as well. The Featured section can include links to videos and SlideShare presentations, and you can upload supporting documents such as a Tip Sheet, Speaker Sheet, or Author One Sheet.

Don’t forget to connect with people and expand your network of influence. Start with people you already know such as colleagues, clients, association members, classmates, family, friends. Then reach out to fellow group members. Since you are in the same group as these members, there is a common ground to build on.

When you add social media icons to your website so people can find you on Facebook and Twitter, remember to add an icon and link to your LinkedIn profile too.

If you’re a nonfiction author who has used LinkedIn effectively, please share your tips!

Tips for Using LinkedIn

Posted on by Sue L Canfield

LinkedIn logoEvery year schedule time to review and update your LinkedIn profile. When someone does a Google search for your name or industry, your LinkedIn profile may come up. Be sure it shows you at your best.

Take some time to build deeper relationships with your LinkedIn network. I make it a goal to reach out to connect on the phone with someone in my network each week so we can learn more about what another, what we do, and how we can support one another.

Use your existing network to find new connections and ask for an introduction. Explain to your connection why you want an introduction.

Take note of what your network is talking about on LinkedIn so you can participate in discussions and share your expertise. Write article and share to groups as appropriate. Before you share your articles to groups, make sure you’ve participated in the group in a meaningful way and commented on other member’s posts.

How have you used LinkedIn?

Using Polls on Twitter and LinkedIn

Posted on by Sue L Canfield

Using polls on Twitter and LinkedIn is one way to gather feedback from your audience. They are easy to create and similar on both social media platforms. I’ve gathered the information from Twitter and LinkedIn about polls in this post for easy reference.

About Twitter Polls

Twitter Polls allow you to weigh in on questions posed by other people on Twitter. You can also easily create your own poll and see the results instantly.

Vote in a Twitter Poll

To vote in a poll: When you see a poll in a Tweet, simply click or tap your preferred option. The results are instantly displayed after you vote. Your vote is indicated with a checkmark next to the choice.

You can vote in a poll one time. The current total vote count and the amount of time remaining in the poll are displayed under the poll choices.

To view final results: A Twitter Poll ends between 5 minutes and 7 days after it has been posted, depending on the duration set by the person who Tweeted it. The winning choice is shown in bold. If you vote in a poll, you may receive a push notification alerting you to the final results.

Vote Privately

When you vote in a poll, your participation is not shown to others: neither the poll creator nor other participants can see who has voted or how they voted.

How to Create a Twitter Poll

  1. Click into the Tweet compose box at the top of your Home timeline, or click the Tweet button in the left navigation bar.
  2. Click the Add poll icon
  3. Type your poll question into the main compose box. You can use up to the maximum character count (280 characters) in your poll question. There must be text included in the Tweet to post a poll.
  4. Insert your first poll option into the Choice 1 box, and your second poll option into the Choice 2 box. You can use up to 25 characters for each option.
  5. Click + Add a choice to add additional options to your poll. Your poll can have up to four options.
  6. Your poll’s duration defaults to 1 day. You can change the duration of your poll by clicking 1 day and adjusting the days, hours, and minutes. The minimum amount of time for a poll is 5 minutes, and the maximum is 7 days.
  7. Click Tweet to post the poll.

Note: Photos cannot be included in a Twitter poll.

About LinkedIn Polls

LinkedIn polls are limited to 140 characters. Like Twitter, you can have four options. Each option allows for up to 25 characters. Your choices for poll duration are 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks. LinkedIn does not allow requests for political opinions, medical information, or other sensitive data.

How to Create a LinkedIn Poll

You can create a poll from LinkedIn’s homepage. If you’re an admin of a LinkedIn Page, or a LinkedIn Group you can create a poll directly from the page or group’s homepage.

To create a poll from your homepage:

  1. Click
  2. Start a post.
  3. Click Create a poll.
  4. In the Create a poll window, type your question and fill in the options.

There is a minimum of two options and a maximum of four options on a poll.

Click +Add option to add another option.
Select the Poll duration from the dropdown.

The default duration is one week.

  1. Click Next.
  2. Click the Edit icon to edit the post.
  3. Select who you want to share the poll with.
  4. You can add more to the post in the What do you want to talk about? field (optional).
  5. Click Post.

Though similar, there are differences between Twitter and LinkedIn polls. If you would like to post the SAME exact poll on both platforms, I suggest:

  • Questions should be 140 characters or less
  • Options should be 25 characters or less (up to 4 options)
  • Duration should be 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks
  • No requests for political opinions, medical information, or other sensitive data
  • No photo

Have you used polls on either platform? I’d love to hear how that worked for you.

Using Social Media for Your Book in 2020

Posted on by Sue L Canfield

Using social media for your book or business helps you boost website traffic, reach a wider audience, and provides an opportunity for potential readers to learn about you and your book.

Some statistics from Hubspot’s 2020 marketing report.

Facebook: As of Q1 2020, there are 2.6 billion monthly active Facebook users. (Statista, 2020)

LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the second-most popular social media platform used by B2B marketers, ranking only behind Facebook. (Statista, 2019)

Instagram: Instagram is the social channel with the second-highest ROI among marketers. (HubSpot, 2020)

Twitter: The largest U.S. Twitter audience by age group, as of September 2018, is tied between 25-34 and 55-64 year-olds. (Statista, 2019)

Pinterest: During a survey, 25% of responding social media marketers at B2B companies stated they used Pinterest to market their businesses. (Statista, 2019)

Actively using social media helps you build relationships with your readers. So, instead of viewing it primarily as a way to pitch your book, think of it as a way to connect with people. Answer questions, inform your audience with relevant content, engage authentically. You will even start building connections with influencers who may even become your promoters.

Take the time to develop your brand so all your social media platforms have a consistent look and feel. Start with just one platform and focus on developing a strategy for that platform where you not only build a following, you really connect and engage with your followers.