Just found this great article by Lewis Howes founder of SportsNetworker.com.
Published February 22, 2010
LinkedIn is the most powerful social networking site to help you grow your business. It makes Twitter, Facebook and YouTube seem like social networking sites for kids.
If you want to hang with the big players—a place where connections are made, leads are generated, and deals go down—then you need to spend more of your time on LinkedIn.
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#1: Use LinkedIn Groups & Receive Tons of New Leads Daily
Creating a LinkedIn group gives you the ability to generate an amazing number of leads from high-end decision makers.
#2: Ask Questions & Build Your Credibility
I’ve asked a number of questions using LinkedIn Answers because it’s a great way to get the answers you need from some of the top experts in the world. [When answering questions] research the person who asked the question, and find a way to tie in a personal response with something from their LinkedIn profile.
#3: Create Powerful Events
Hosting an event is a great way to build your business (see events under the ‘More…’ news in the LinkedIn navigation bar). LinkedIn has an events platform that allows you to target thousands of professionals for free.
#4: Run an Advanced Search in Your Target Market
It’s so easy to generate leads from LinkedIn. The advanced search function helps you get in touch with the exact people you’re going after.
#5: Send Personal Messages
The best way to drop any walls—and give yourself the best chance of making a sale—is to connect with someone on as many personal levels as possible. Look at their profile, find out which companies they’ve worked for in the past, which school they attended, what groups they’re in, listed hobbies and who your mutual connections are.
See the Lewis' full blog post a lot of other great tips:
