So, it’s now been 54 days since I started to actively market using LinkedIn. I now have a network of 404 diverse professional contacts. Yesterday I sent out a message to everyone that I just uploaded some significant changes to http://www.aSiteAboutSomething.com —in particular a new “shortcut’ option with a direct link to my books and music. These changes include: a new book, Living On The Outskirts Of Heaven, a lighthearted collection of poems about achieving peace of mind, a “Testimonials” section, and a “Richard Who?” section with some short videos of me speaking about the site and its content. All these changes were the result of feedback I received from my various contacts including those on LinkedIn. Yesterday we also had 192 visits to the site—about double the number the we normally get. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I’m asking all my contacts for feedback (positive and otherwise), and I’m starting a list of the changes we’ll make next—all toward eventually having a global platform that earns the loyalty and support of its audience.
Posts Tagged ‘professional networks’
LinkedIn Marketing, Part 3—Richard Geller
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010LinkedIn Marketing, Part 2—Richard Geller
Sunday, February 28th, 2010It’s been just about eighteen days since I started to actively market on LinkedIn. Here’s what I did; I joined about a dozen professional groups, introduced myself to four or five of these groups as a whole, and, then, have followed up by sending a short personal letter of introduction to lots and lots of individuals with an invitation to visit http://www.aSiteAboutSomething.com. In all instances, I’ve asked people to share the site address with anyone they thought might be interested in my work or the site.
So, what kind of results am I getting? Actually, fantastic. In eighteen days, I’ve built a network of 260 people: a diverse group of musicians, producers, writers, publishers, agents, SEO and IT professionals, online marketers, etc., who’ve been exceedingly generous with their time to visit the site and offer feedback—some of it very useful. I’ve had two tentative offers to use my music in video/film projects and a connection with an internet radio station. I’ve been approached by a record label, and I’ve made phone or Skype contact with quite a few of people who I believe will become good friends and colleagues. The site itself received its largest numbers of visits yet this month: 3579 according to Awstats or just under 4900 according to Webalizer. (I’ve always used Awstats, because it’s the lower number.) But the bottom line is we had just under a thousand more visits this month than last.
Pebble-in-pond marketing is a term I heard online. In essence, it’s the effect of tossing a pebble into a pond and creating ripples that fan out. A lot of the people I’m connecting with on LinkedIn know people who know people who might be interested in what I’m doing. So if they send my site to those people, that’s far more likely to result in visits from people already predisposed to what I do.
You’ll have to draw your own conclusions about whether LinkedIn marketing is a good way to go for you. But for someone like me who’s trying to build an audience using a website as the primary vehicle, it’s terrific. On top of that, you meet some really nice people.