Don’t Ignore LinkedIn: It’s A Great Business Builder

Travel agents are not using LinkedIn as much as they should given its power as a business development platform.

That was the message Vanessa McGovern, vice president of business development for the Gifted Travel Network, delivered to agents during the recent Ensemble International Conference in Colorado Springs.

McGovern presented a primer on LinkedIn, a social media networking site that she said is “underutilized” by agents.

“Many people who are on LinkedIn have absolutely no idea what to do with it,” McGovern said.

LinkedIn vs. Facebook
Part of the problem may be agents’ failure to understand what LinkedIn is – and is not – and how it differs from Facebook and other social media sites, McGovern added.

While Facebook “creates a lot of noise” and encompasses a focus on the personal, LinkedIn is purely a B2B professional networking site, McGovern said.

“LinkedIn is not a way to attract clients; it’s a way to connect with strategic partners and key decision makers. It’s also a way to establish your professional credibility.”

Your connections
Agents might use Facebook to target clients with special promotions and deals, but that’s something you wouldn’t do on LinkedIn.

Rather, LinkedIn is a way for agents to connect with other professionals to form strategic partnerships that lead to business opportunities.

An agent specializing in romance, for instance, may want to connect with professionals in related businesses – like bridal or jewelry companies – and bridal magazine editors.

Other possibilities include using LinkedIn to connect with suppliers or with peers to tap into mutual learning opportunities.

“It’s a no brainer to add LinkedIn to your marketing mix,” McGovern said.

Build, grow, engage
The essential steps to leveraging LinkedIn successfully are: 1) building a profile, 2) growing a network and 3) engaging with your connections, according to McGovern.

A “magnetic” profile – one that attracts connections – “is your virtual business card,” she said.

Among key profile ingredients are a professional photo, a “searchable” headline that includes key words “on how you want to be found,” and a compelling summary.

“You must have a professional headshot,” McGovern advised. “Do not put up a picture of yourself from a Sunday barbecue because you thought you looked good in that dress.”

At the same time, “you should be personal in your approach to your summary,” she said. “This is your opportunity to connect with visitors, even those beyond your business.

“You should share your story and why you do, what you do.”

Recommendations
“To me it raises a red flag if you have no recommendations [on your profile,]” McGovern said. “Having a lot of recommendations means you are who you say you are.”

Agents can also use their LinkedIn recommendations elsewhere – with the author’s approval – as evidence of their skill and competence.

LinkedIn endorsements, in which your connections simply click to endorse you for selected skills, are good but not nearly as valuable as recommendations, she said.

How can agents collect recommendations? “The best way to get one [a recommendation], is to give one.” McGovern advised writing a recommendation for a connection whom you feel deserves one, then requesting that they recommend you in return.

Growing your network
“If your network is small, you’ll want to grow it,” McGovern said.

She urged agents to send out several invitations a day for a month to potential connections. Also expand your network by connecting with your connections’ connections.

A strategy for connecting with people you don’t know and might not otherwise reach is to join LinkedIn groups.

“Once you’re accepted into a group you can contact any of its members and send them an invitation,” said McGovern.

McGovern also believes in substituting a personal message for the canned message that goes with LinkedIn invitations.

Engage
“If you’re going to be on LinkedIn, you should engage; show that you care,” McGovern said.

Find the right groups to join and once accepted as a member, “provide value and good content,” she said.

That might include posting a blog or a status update. Also, LinkedIn now allows members to attach files to posts, McGovern said.

“Like anything, this all takes time,” she said. “But opportunities will find you if you engage.”