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Practice Management > Building Your Business

How to build a LinkedIn profile that sells

By Alan Blume

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If your target insurance market includes businesses, then you should be leveraging LinkedIn as an integral aspect of your insurance marketing plan.

With LinkedIn you can connect and network with business professionals in your target markets, and better determine the decision makers for these companies. LinkedIn differs from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, because it’s a business centric social media platform requiring a different approach to be successful.

Here are some tips to help you along the way.

1. Professional picture: 

You need a professional picture for your LinkedIn profile. Smile and look friendly but don’t use a selfie, a low resolution (blurry) image or a picture which is too casual.

2. Explain how you help your customers: 

Don’t just copy and paste information from your resume on LinkedIn. Use the “Summary” and “Experience” sections to show what you can do for your customers and how you can help your ideal prospects.

3. Skills and endorsements: 

Include all relevant skills on your profile and ask current customers who are on LinkedIn to endorse you so that connections will see you are an expert.

4. Make it easy to communicate with you: 

In your profile, include your contact information (address, phone number and a link to your website) to make it easy for prospects to reach out to you.

5. Post articles – long form publishing: 

Posting articles, which is called long form publishing, is another great way to share your knowledge and reach out to potential prospects.

6. Don’t just join groups in your profession: 

LinkedIn Groups is a great way to network with other agents, brokers and wholesalers, but it is also a great way to communicate with prospects. Join groups which are applicable to your target prospects.

7. Don’t sell in groups: 

When you do join groups that contain your prospects, don’t post messages that sell your services. Most groups forbid selling by members in the group, and the other members will believe you are only there to find customers. Instead, post relative content and communicate with group members in order to network with them.

8. Message occasionally: 

You are allowed to message first degree connections, but you don’t want to bombard people with marketing messages. Instead, message them occasionally with helpful information or just to let them know you are there to help them if they are interested.

9. Actively build your network: 

Add all your business associates, colleagues, friends, and partners to your network. You will look much more viable if you have 500 contacts than you will at 50.

As a professional network, LinkedIn is a great way to communicate with business prospects. As a part of a digital insurance marketing strategy, LinkedIn is an effective tool to locate potential prospects and engage with them in a professional manner.

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