What is LinkedIn Optimization and Why You Need It

So what does optimization mean when we talk about LinkedIn? Whatever aspect you want to optimize – your profile, your content strategy, or your conversion rate – the key is analytics.

Last year, when the pandemic struck and we all found ourselves locked in our homes, without means of communication and work tools we took for granted, I realized that I would have to reinvent my business, if not rebuild it from the ground up, in order to survive.

My first step was to streamline all my business processes. And I have to admit, this was a challenge. While you may know the term and even have an idea of what optimization is, you do not fully understand how it works until you actually start doing it. That's how it was for me as well. I was learning along the way, trying and testing various tactics. And here's what I've learned.

First, you need to set a definite goal: Do you want to optimize your entire business or just specific areas? If the latter, which processes do you want to optimize in the first place? Clearly, you should prioritize some key processes around which your business is built.

As for me, my goal was to comprehensively optimize my business and move completely to the remote model. So I started by changing my social media strategy, focusing primarily on LinkedIn as a lead generation tool and social selling engine.

Where to start

So what does optimization mean when we talk about LinkedIn? Whatever aspect you want to optimize – your profile, your content strategy, or your conversion rate – the key is analytics. First, you cannot optimize something you don't know well enough. Second, you need to have the initial metrics to compare to the results you are getting. Take optimizing your LinkedIn profile for lead conversion, for example. It's not just about looking fancy online. It's really about numbers: how many people visit your profile, how many users accept your contact requests.

Here are some of the metrics I use when analyzing my LinkedIn profile and working with my clients.

• Demographics of followers: Where are my followers coming from?

• Number of followers: Is my business influential enough?

• Impressions & reach: How many people have seen my page?

• Viewer Information: Who has viewed my profile and updates?

• Contact and network growth: Where can I find new contacts?

• Profile views by job title: How is my profile evolving over time?

Of course, it's not enough to just optimize your LinkedIn profile. You need to take a systemic approach to get the results you want. And one of the most important parts of that approach is content creation. As an expert in your industry, you have knowledge, skills, and insights to share with your audience. You can assume what kind of information your audience needs, but to get a better idea of what resonates with your followers, what tone of voice is best for your purposes, you need to do a series of tests and trials.

Every time you post a piece of content, pay attention to the engagement it receives, not just the number of comments and shares, but also their quality. The following questions will help you understand what works best for you.

• Engagement rate: What type of content gets the most likes?

• Company update stats: How are my updates being received?

• Post views & engagements: How is my engagement evolving?

If you do not have enough interaction, your content is bad – recognize that, find the reason, and adjust accordingly. Know that you may need outside help with this. For example, when I realized that some of my content was not resonating enough, I started working with a professional storyteller. I wanted to learn more about how to tell personal stories and how to phrase descriptions of services and offerings differently to make them more engaging. I found that my public image was too polished, that of a strong woman building her business. And that's true – that's who I am. But we are all human, we all have our weaknesses, and we are all vulnerable to some degree. Showing your vulnerability is actually your strength because no one is perfect, we all make mistakes, and when you are open about it, people see something they can relate to.

Strategic Storytelling is just one technique you can use to optimize your profile and content. In my one-on-one consultations, I give my clients a whole range of practical tools that are applicable not only on LinkedIn but on other social media platforms as well. They are all designed to help you build a social sales engine specifically for your business within an optimal time frame.

If you are someone who prefers in-person education, I have great news for you. I invite you to our event “The Intensive // Trends and Secrets in Lead Generation 2022”, a two-day training bootcamp to be held in Amsterdam on February 3 and 4, 2022. You'll have the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge from four experts in revenue growth strategies, social selling, strategic storytelling, and online marketing, and walk away with the expertise you need to take your business to a whole new level.

Bring me to the Event

Any questions or comments? Drop me a line at linkedinleadmachine@gmail.com.

Love it? Hate it? Let me know!

Ramona