This little beauty has been around since 2003 and has changed beyond recognition.

At first the platform was mainly a recruiters play ground..people up loaded their details and recuiters could find the people they wanted. Not much use as a Social Media platform and no use as marketing tool for customer and competitive research.

Ping forward to 2011 and LinkedIn a social media environment that is a must have.

Static Database

For many business people having a LinkedIn profile was what you did..wrote it and forgot about it, many people still don’t get just how powerful it is.

Profiles don’t just sit there any more,badly written, waiting for someone to stumble upon them,it is now a highly interactive energetic environment.

Vital Tool

There is so much you can do on LinkedIn that makes it a must have and must be used tool.

1.Competitor Research – to understand and improve your own marketing  look at what the competition is up to…

View their company profiles,check out their current services get the background on their employees..see where you can imporove on what you offer by doing a Same Better Wow matrix..it’s not rocket science but it will add that thrust to your marketing..

By looking at company profiles you can see who the people are that you need to target..if you need the person at company X who does Digital Media don’t go to their web site look at the company profile…serach fro them on Linkedin, Google them, Twitter search them..get digging

Check out their Twitter profile, how long have they been on there?If they are billed as a Social Media manager and have only been on twitter for a few months then they probably aren’t that good…an opportunity to offer your services perhaps?

2. Influence – get involved with Groups and be seen as that expert, that influencer and “go to “person..Make sure that you are found for what you do by optimising your profile…no good being in a crowded room if you can’t be seen..

Start your own Group..be the key influencer and get the credit and followers – widen your influence and enhance your reputation.

Get that company profile up to speed and make sure that you have enabled the company update facility…this new facilty is great for por posting stories about how good you are…flaunt it..

3.Crowd Sourcing - use the whole platform to mine for treasure..use the Polls facility to ask questions, use Answers to get feedback and see what others are doing.Make sure that you get involved with the Groups that you belong to.

Groups are a fantastic way of testing new ideas and getting fast responses..canvas opinion like never before.

4.Listening and Contributing – by involvement in groups you get to understand the market and the competition..you also get a following…all those that you are LinkedIn with get to see what you post and can jump in and add comments.

You will be found on LinkedIn and people can follow you on other Social Media platforms  if you have a full profile that has all your details.

You can identify exactly who you want to be talking to, connect with them and contribute to the pot of industry comment.

Customer research has never been easier, Answers and Groups give you permission to ask for feedback..get testimonials which tell the world what you are good at..

It’s a New World…

We live in a world where attraction counts for so much more than it did…”Selling by Yelling” doesn’t work anymore.

Sending out wedges of information is not doing what it used to..it is now a level playing field where the little companies can and do compete with the giants..people come to you and you can go direct to the need..

Customers buy when they are ready to and will buy from people that they have a relationship with…LinkedIn allows that relationship to flourish helping them to go to your web site,engage on Twitter and Facebook

How are you using LinkedIn?

This is a brilliant InfoGraphic on how others use the platform

Content sticks as well...

I’ve just come to the end of this brilliant book and am amazed at what it’s telling me.

Amazed I might add because it has changed the way that I think about marketing, the old rules truly are dead and finished if this book is anything to go by.

Grant Leboff has again come up with a major book that challenges the marketing approach.

The traditional marketing approach has been one of shouting at the consumer with the hope that some will listen and use your products.This route has proved to be an effective path for many a company…until now…

The internet has changed our relationships with others, we interact more we have choice like never before and we have the ability to be what the book calls “attractive”. It’s about reputation and about the experience that these companies give the consumer.

Never before has it been more important to enter into a process of engagement.As the book says its about the “Return on Engagement” not the “Return on Investment”.

Customers demand that engagement so that they feel valued and included.No longer can they be ignored or passed over without consideration being given for what they feel and want.

Companies need to deliver a consistent experience and tailor their services to that experience…if you are an accountant do you provide accountancy or reassurance and support? Not all accountants are the same….

Whilst striving for that consistent experience it’s crucial to monitor it so that it remains so.Customers are increasingly aware of when attention slips and they vote with their wallets.

Listening to your customers before someone else does really should be a major priority.

Read the book,digest the learning and begin to engage…