LinkedIn is a potential goldmine for financial advisers and planners, with 44.6 million users in the UK alone.
I accept that some readers of this article would rather stick needles in their eyes than venture over to LinkedIn. That’s fine; you can save a few minutes by stopping reading now.
But if you want to target business owners, high-earning professionals, or people working in specific professions or at certain companies, keep reading.
The challenge of 24/7 networking
You could think of LinkedIn as a networking event that’s always open and you can dip into 24/7. That’s great, but there’s a downside: because there are no set times, unlike a real-life networking event, it’s hard to stay consistent.
In fact, the main thing that stops people from achieving their goals on LinkedIn is a lack of consistency. They show up for a few days, then stop. They post once a month and expect to see great results.
That’s not going to happen. The people who get the best results from LinkedIn do three things consistently:
- Posting
- Engaging with others
- Building their network of connections.
So, if consistency is key, how do you turn good intentions into consistent action?
As someone who genuinely gets leads from LinkedIn and spends a lot (some would say too much!) of time there, here are the five things that help me stay consistent.
1. Diary blocking
From clients to holidays, one-to-ones to conferences, you routinely block time in your diary for many things. So, do the same with LinkedIn.
I recommend 15-20 minutes daily to engage with your connections’ posts, then as long as you need once a week to write your posts.
You routinely block time in your diary for many things. So, do the same with LinkedIn
For me, that’s a Saturday morning, sitting in my local Nero. That might not work for you, but find what does and stick to it – more about that in a moment.
If you want to learn more about diary blocking, I recommend reading Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal.
2. Single tasking
At 51, I’ve finally accepted I can’t multitask. And I don’t know anyone who can, so why even try?
Use that knowledge to make your life easier by sticking to one task in each block of time. Spend a 15–20-minute block each day engaging on LinkedIn and write posts in a longer block when you have fewer distractions.
3. Keep promises to yourself
There’s no way you wouldn’t show up for a client meeting, your child’s school play, or date night with your partner. So, why would you break promises to yourself?
When you block time out of your diary to work on LinkedIn, stick to it. And if you’re feeling unmotivated or “too busy”, take Simon Sinek’s advice and remember your ‘why’ for being on LinkedIn in the first place.
4. Use the comedian’s notepad trick
Whether in the shower, on a walk, or during the morning commute, inspiration strikes at the strangest of times.
If you find your equivalent of the comedians’ notepad, writer’s block will become a thing of the past
Comedians know this and are famous for carrying notepads so they can immediately write down ideas for side-splitting gags.
If you find your equivalent of the comedians’ notepad, writer’s block will become a thing of the past. You’ll have a bank of ideas you can draw upon when you sit down, in your diary-blocked time, to write your LinkedIn posts.
5. Remember your secret audience
String a few posts together that fail to get the engagement you hoped for, and it’s easy to see why consistency flies out the window like a canary escaping its cage.
But you’re forgetting about the silent audience. These people read your posts and get value from them but don’t engage by sharing, commenting, or reacting.
I promise you they are there. You just can’t see them.
A potential goldmine, but you have to dig
I’m ashamed to say I once wrote an article titled “Why I hate LinkedIn”. At the time, I couldn’t see past the recruiters and cold sales approaches. But a couple of years later, I started doing the five things I’ve recommended here.
I’ve learned from others, made great connections and it’s generated new business for Yardstick
Since then, LinkedIn has been an incredibly useful place to hang out online. I’ve learned from others, made great connections and it’s generated new business for Yardstick.
Much like you wouldn’t turn up to a networking event, hand out a few business cards and expect a flood of new clients, the same is true of LinkedIn.
But, if you can find a way to be consistent and intentional with your time on there, you’ll turn it from a wasted opportunity into something that drives real results.
Phil Bray is founder and director of The Yardstick Agency
