Who's using LinkedIn, and how?

[PixelRocket]

Hello all!

I recently started using LinkedIn to help market some of our blog posts and am seeing some very minor success with it. Does anyone else have experience with LinkedIn for marketing? What's a reasonable campaign budget?

Thanks for any help!

[Brian Altenhofel]

I only use it for networking. I have gotten many business leads through it and have a pretty high conversion rate. I don't do any actual advertising there or pay for any premium features.

[Harold Mansfield]

I'm on Linked In, but rarely use it for anything. I don't participate in any groups anymore because they are just spam fests, and I only follow a few captains of industry's blogs through it.
I usually deny most network requests, invitations and communications..because again...big spam fest.

I also really hate that I spent all of that time creating a company page, and now they've done away with them.

Basically, I'm on Linked In out of obligation. It doesn't really do anything for me.

[PixelRocket]

Brian how are you using it for networking exactly? That's awesome if it's doing well for conversions for you.

Harold what do you mean they got rid of companies? Ours is still on there. Are they planning on getting rid of them soon?

Thanks for the replies folks!

[Brian Altenhofel]

LinkedIn still has company pages...

I participate in a few groups, but only if the groups attracts the types I would like to work with. Most of them are closed groups, so there's not really a big issue with spam.

If I do business with someone, get a business card from someone, or just have common professional interests, I tend to go ahead and connect with them on LinkedIn. Most of what I get through LinkedIn in terms of business is via secondary connections. I do get a large amount of headhunter spam certain times of the year, but I either just ignore them or politely tell them that their client likely can't afford me. (Typically, the headhunters are looking for human keyboards who will work as contractors for $35-$40/hr, or roughly the equivalent of a $29K/yr employee. I don't like being a human keyboard, and I don't work for peanuts.) I also connect there with people that I socialize with on a regular basis - had a lead once where the message started with "I saw so-and-so from our accounting department added you, and we just happen to be considering Drupal for a future project."

I treat it largely like another lead stream. All lead streams require management. Culling tire kickers and folks just wanting another human keyboard from that stream is a lot harder on LinkedIn than via your own website, but it's still manageable.

[PixelRocket]

Geez, excellent insight Brian thanks very much!

[SaraWilliamsMurray]

I am on LinkedIn. I have set up a social sharing plugin on my site which is running on WordPress so that my posts automatically go to LinkedIn. I don't use any premium services. I see some traffic from it and I have used it for networking successfully with people I meet at networking groups and events.

I guess I use it hand in hand with networking events mostly. I meet people at the event, and they generally go check me out on LinkedIn. I have gotten referral business from it that way.

[huggytree]

im on linked in....i sometimes post photo's of my current project......when i post a lot i dramatically raise the # of people looking at my info........

i only invite people who are possible customers....my attitude towards it is its just getting my name out there and familiar to people

[CoolHandCol]

I get very little from Linkedin other than the ability to check people out. They say their ads provide very targetted traffic

[chrismarklee]

I use Linkedin for advice in business. I do not use it for marketing. I target my local income tax customers using my Facebook Business page. I see a major move in marketing to social media from Google.On Facebook, I focus on building relationships.