I want to talk about why I love LinkedIn and how it's become an essential tool for modern businesses.
As many of you know, I’ve been using LinkedIn for years. But the truth is, the platform has evolved rapidly, especially in the past few years. It’s no longer just a place for job seekers and recruiters; it’s now one of the most powerful business tools for networking, building relationships, and driving sales.
In today’s competitive market, it’s not just about audience reach anymore. It's about getting the right message to the right audience through the right channel—this is the holy grail for any business.
If you can do this effectively, you’re already ahead of the game.
As Dan Kennedy famously says, Market + Message + Media. That’s exactly why I’ve become a huge advocate of LinkedIn. But I’m not just talking about organic posts anymore. We’re talking LinkedIn Sales Navigator, targeted social selling, and the incredible power of ICOPS (Ideal Client Profile, Opportunity, Problem, and Solution) to drive business growth. Let’s dive into how you can take advantage of this platform in 2024.
Why I Love LinkedIn
LinkedIn has dramatically transformed in recent years. What started as a professional networking platform is now a social selling powerhouse. If you aren’t using LinkedIn strategically to reach your ideal audience, you’re missing out.
I’ve been running a podcast, The Open Mike, for a while now, and if you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend it. I dive deep into growth strategies, bridging the gap between great ideas and successful execution—just like we do on LinkedIn. |
You can listen to the podcast and get actionable insights on how to build your business in today’s digital world.
But let’s focus on LinkedIn for a moment.
LinkedIn isn’t just about connecting anymore. It's about signals and ICOPS—finding the right people, delivering the right message, and using automation tools to make it all scalable. Social selling is no longer a buzzword; it's a strategy you need to implement to grow your business in 2024.
Let’s talk about LinkedIn Sales Navigator—it’s a game changer for B2B businesses. We use Sales Navigator extensively for our campaigns, and it's worth the investment. At around £60–80 a month, it's an investment that can transform your outreach.
Here’s the difference: Sales Navigator allows you to search deeply within LinkedIn’s vast database. You can filter by industry, role, company size, location, and even keywords related to their current challenges or needs. It allows for much more targeted outreach than simply searching for job titles or companies.
Imagine running a SaaS CEO campaign targeting decision-makers at the top 200 dealerships in the UK.
With Sales Navigator, you can build a list of highly targeted leads - each one a potential prospect, and automate the outreach process to create a continuous lead generation system. What used to be cold calling and endless research can now be done in a matter of clicks.
With the right strategy and messaging, you’ll be connecting with prospects who are already primed for what you offer.
Targeting with ICOPS (Ideal Client Profile, Opportunity, Problem, and Solution)
When you think about ICOPS, you’re setting the stage for effective social selling. Here’s how it works:
Ideal Client Profile (ICP): First, you define who your ideal customer is. What industry are they in? What is their role? Where are they located? What is their typical company size? This is the foundation of your outreach strategy.
Opportunity: What does your ideal client need? What are the business challenges they’re facing? This is where you create a relevant offering for your audience, using LinkedIn's targeting tools to match them with your service.
Problem: What problem can your business solve for them? Be clear on this—your messaging needs to be crystal clear about how you’re adding value.
Solution: Finally, deliver the solution in a way that resonates with your audience. You can use LinkedIn’s organic posts, InMail, or automated outreach to present the right solution, at the right time, to the right person.
By focusing on ICOPS, you ensure that you’re reaching the right people and delivering meaningful content that speaks directly to their pain points.
Once you've defined your ICP, the next step is automation—making the process scalable. With the growth of LinkedIn and the rise of social selling, tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and CRM integrations (like HubSpot) are crucial for automating your outreach.
Here’s the game plan:
As someone who's been running The Open Mike and Force and Friction podcast shows, I’ve also noticed how podcasting and social selling complement each other. Podcasts are a great way to build authority in your industry, and LinkedIn is an excellent platform to share your podcast episodes.
This dual approach allows you to build relationships while showcasing your expertise.
In 2024, LinkedIn is no longer just a platform for passive networking. It's an active tool for social selling, lead generation, and business growth. With tools like Sales Navigator, a solid ICOPS strategy, and automation in place, you can streamline your outreach, build relationships at scale, and accelerate your business growth.
If you’re still using LinkedIn as just an online resume, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. It’s time to embrace the power of social selling and take your business to the next level.
Always here to help you start, grow, and thrive. Let me know how I can support your next big move.