LinkedIn has emerged as the only truly business-orientated social media marketing site.
With over 175 million registered users, and on average a new member joining every second, it is no wonder that people are beginning to tap in to the possibilities that LinkedIn offers.
'Know your customer'; we have all heard it before.
Many a budding marketer has coined this so much so it has become one of the most famous terms in the industry.
But for a reason, it is extremely important.
Knowing what will appeal to certain people, at certain times and in a certain way is an extremely effective tool to have in your marketing arsenal.
With LinkedIn comes the opportunity to know more about your customer before deciding to reach out.
This commercial advantage is a new tool to marketing practices and to increase your understanding of this new field, here are five top tips for understanding your audience.
The types of user may be; 1.
The Quiet Observer They don't participate, just observe.
This requires you to be pro-active in your marketing outreach attempts.
Make the first move and keep at it! 2.
The Info Gatherer They are in search of information and advice.
They are passive and are looking to be educated in things they don't quite understand.
They are loyal too; scratch their back and they will scratch yours.
3.
The Consistent User Consistent and easy to spot.
These users already have LinkedIn's attention and are looking to expand their network.
They are ready for you to approach them, and they thrive on one-to-one communications.
4.
The Enthusiast These users share almost anything.
For the large part their audience may be disillusioned by this.
However, give them a piece of information and chances are they will share with their network, increasing your reach.
5.
The Optimal User They do not share everything or nothing and tend to be regular users, sharers and networkers.
Like information gatherers, they want to be a part of something bigger, and tend to be loyal.
So you have identified your customers.
What now? What else can you expect to get out of these connections? The opportunity is there to secure sponsorship, drive sales, build your brand and increase your network.
The process goes full circle! Identification, scrutiny and enquiry are all important parts of targeting your LinkedIn customers.
This list is not exhaustible either.
You may find that certain users blur these classifications by reacting to different situations and events.
As already mentioned, the returns will not be immediate so it is important that a stable and on-going strategy is maintained throughout the process.
The focus should always remain on who it is you are trying to attract, and altering your campaign accordingly.
The golden rule would be to remain pro-active yourself.
Network, Network, Network.
Being a bit-part user yourself will not result in the returns you expect from this powerful tool.