Discover how to engage peaceful divorce prospects with LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a social network platform specifically designed for professional connections. It’s been around for 10 years, with almost 70 million U.S. members (as of September 2012) and growing daily. Basic membership is free.
LinkedIn is more than simply a site to post your résumé; it is an excellent way to connect with two main groups –
- other professionals in your industry (enabling you to converse, get and give advice, and make business alliances)
- peaceful divorce prospects (providing a way for them to find you and learn more about your business)
What are some benefits of LinkedIn for your peaceful divorce services business?
- Reach more potential clients, get more business
- Increase online visibility (Google ranks LinkedIn very highly)
- Get introductions to people you want to connect with via people you know on LinkedIn
- Display testimonials from clients and colleagues
- Establish credentials by participating in Groups and answering questions
Getting set up in LinkedIn
Go to Linkedin.com and register with your personal email address (you can later set up a Company Page using your business email address).
For an overview of LinkedIn check out their New User Guide.
The first step is to set up your Personal Profile. You should make this as complete and compelling as possible. Make sure it looks professional; as it is likely the first impression people will have of you when you come up in an online search. You profile can include:
- basic information about you
- links to your website and/or blog
- a summary of your skills and services
- your professional experience
- educational background
- organizations you are associated with
- LinkedIn groups you belong to
- recommendations and endorsements
Be sure to include a nice headshot photo that shows you smiling. Your goal is to look professional and approachable.
Next, set up your Company Page. This is your chance to establish your company’s presence. Click on the “Companies” tab in the top navigation bar; on the new page that displays, click on the “Add a Company” button. You can include information about what your business is all about, what services you offer, your credentials, social media and website links, why you got into this line of work, and how people can contact you.
Now that your information pages are set up, start adding connections. Search for people you know and want to connect with (the search box is in the upper right corner). For each connection you add, your network will increase because you now also have access to the people on their connection list.
Next steps
1. Gather recommendations from colleagues and clients. These testimonials can help build credibility and trust in you and your business. Invite people you have worked with to write a paragraph or two about why others should consider working with you.
2. Update your status at least once a week. You can post updates on both your personal profile and company page. These could consist of company news, links to relevant articles, recommendations, volunteer work you are doing, etc. Whenever you post one of these updates, your connections will automatically be notified. This keeps them informed about you and your business and keeps you in mind when they might have a referral for you.
3. Join and be active in one or more LinkedIn Groups. Click on the “Groups” tab in the top navigation bar and search for groups that your colleagues or peaceful divorce prospects participate in the conversation. Once you join, you can then participate in discussions and/or answer questions about your field. Your picture will be posted along with what you write, and people will start to get to know you – and you will be building your reputation as an expert in your industry. Just make sure you are providing value with helpful content, not trying to push your business. You are building social relationships, not advertising your services. If people like what you say, they will look up your profile and company page to find out more about what you offer.
4. Answer questions. Establish your expert status by answering questions related to your field. Click on the “More” tab in the top navigation bar, and then select “Answers”. On the page that displays, click on the “Answer Now” button and review the open questions. You can also browse by category, or search for questions by keyword, such as “divorce”.
Like any social media platform, it takes some time and effort to get started on LinkedIn, but there is not the high pressure to update multiple times daily, as with Twitter. It’s a great platform to feature your business and connect with peaceful divorce prospects.
When you are a member of the Divorce With Dignity Network of Provider owners, you can add a link to your personal and company LinkedIn profiles on your own page of the Divorce With Dignity website and vice versa for greater business exposure. As a Network member, you can also take advantage of the many benefits we offer our Provider owners. We invite you to learn more at PeacefulDivorceBusiness.Com.
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