My Secret Weapon: Using LinkedIn’s Advanced Search Function to Find New Clients

[Jeff Breuer]

Thanks for sharing Ned. We have a service that automates the search and emails those people, but I’m sure you can attest that there is still something to be said about a physical connection. I’m wondering though, do you just send the business card or have you tried a campaign with some clever and creative marketing piece?

[Mark Suszko]

For an extra five bucks, you also get the Glen Ross leads. 🙂

More seriously, how does using this compare to using Google Analytics?

[Nick Griffin]

[Mark Suszko] “For an extra five bucks, you also get the Glen Ross leads. :-)”

Subtle, Mark. Very Subtle.

Ned-
Sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[Todd Terry]

Ha!!! @ Glen Ross… back in my actor-man days I actually played Shelley Levene in a production of Glengarry Glen Ross (under tons of prosthetic makeup to hide my youthful visage)… and each performance was the most swearing (and smoking) I’ve ever done in any given two-hour period in my life. But that’s neither here nor there….

Not to highjack, but since we are talking about LinkedIn…

Curious as to how you guys handle LinkedIn invitations from people?

Personally, I don’t quite “get” LinkedIn. I’ve personally never received even ONE legitimate business tip or contact (that panned out to be anything) through LinkedIn… and honestly I don’t know even one single other person that has either (and I’ve asked a lot of people). I’m a little dumbfounded that it’s like the second or third largest social networking site… but hey, it’s working for someone, I guess.

I have to say my personal LinkedIn views have always been a little more like Jack Donaghy’s from 30 Rock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnCbRMBfBW0

I’m also a little dumbfounded by the rather large number of people who seem to use LinkedIn as a personal blog and blather on about things, related or not (often not). But as I said, it must be working for someone.

The thing I can’t quite grasp of are the completely random (and I do mean RANDOM) invitations I get from people. I’m a television commercial producer in Huntsville Alabama. Just looking at my pending invitations… there’s a US Army Acquisition manager in California, an IT manager at a Verizon store in Oregon, a technical director at a country music radio station in Arizona, a high school guidance counselor hundreds of miles away… and, lets see… 52 more right now.

I tend to just ignore these, and either accept people that I KNOW, or are close to my industry. But then again, if I already know these people, what’s the point of networking with them? I already know them and can pick up the phone.

But where do you draw the line?

Wisdom appreciated, as always….

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Jeff Breuer]

[Mark Suszko] “For an extra five bucks, you also get the Glen Ross leads. :-)”

Curious Mark, do these come with the brass balls? Or at least some coffee…

[Mark Suszko]

We’re having a little fun, but Ned does make an interesting point on how you can put L.I. to work if you’re willing to make the effort. I still am curious about comparing what he’s done there, versus using Google’s pro marketing services.

[Al Bergstein]

My take on Ned’s excellent marketing, is a few things. One is that he is in Chicago, a huge market. It’s much more likely that media buyers for rapidly growing businesses are not as tuned into who to call for video expertise. In smaller markets, It’s been my experience that personal relationships through Kiwanis, and other business to business organizations, seem to be the way to make connections.

I got one lead from LinkedIn, and it ended up being a job for hire, low pay but I did get an extra work day out of it, and the customer got satisfied. So I can say it *occassionally* works.

My attitude towards LinkedIn is that it is another, more professional marketing tool than FB. Lots of people see that I’m working, I post a photo and text every day that I shoot, with a snippet about the job. I have had business associates call to find out about pricing jobs for their companies, but usually too far distant from me to be worth doing, so I help them find shooters in the area and give them an idea what to expect.

I haven’t felt that it was worth $25 a month for search functions, but I’m not really that hard core on marketing. Might be worth trying in a larger city though.

Al

[Mark Suszko]

Some days I’m tempted to pay the extra money, just so I can send a linked-in email to Fred Winston to tell him he’s still awesome. Then my sanity returns, so I don’t.

[Nick Griffin]

I’m with Todd on this one, but probably for different reasons. When the LinkedIn invite comes from a client I accept them so as not to seem rude or disinterested. However fellow bovines, I rarely will accept an invitation from someone in the same businesses I’m in. With clients potentially viewing LinkedIn why would I ever think it’s a good idea to provide them with direct links to others who could do for them what we do?

[Jeff Markgraf]

re: Fred Winston. My favorite Chicago jock ever. Mornings on WFYR, back in the day. Then Dick Bartlett would come in after Fred’s shift and make it a point to spray and clean the studio before starting his shift. Fred is a regional, if not national, treasure.