Tap into the Power of LinkedIn to Land Clients

If you aren’t on LinkedIn yet, go sign yourself up! Tons of companies turn to LinkedIn when they need a copywriter. I’ve had quite a few prospective clients reach out to me on that platform. So, if you’re not there, you’re missing out on some potentially great opportunities.

But just throwing some information on a profile isn’t enough. Here are 5 steps to make the most out of this powerful platform for finding new clients:

1. Fill out your profile as completely as possible.

LinkedIn functions like an online business card or resume. So, you need to make sure your profile is as complete and professional as you can make it. While you’re filling it out, keep a few things in mind…

• • Pay special attention to the headline, because that’s the first thing people will see. Make it very clear in the headline what you do. For example, mine says: “Direct response copywriter in the financial and health industries.”
  • Craft a concise and engaging summary that showcases your copywriting skills and experience – and shows prospective clients how you can help them bring in more leads and sales.
  • Use a high-quality picture for your profile. I’m talking about a professional photo of you – and not of your cat. If you cannot afford to hire a photographer to take your headshot, find a talented friend to take some for you.
  • If you have copywriting samples, load them on your LinkedIn profile. This will give prospective clients almost everything they need to make a decision on you – without even leaving your page.

 

2. Regularly share valuable content on LinkedIn.

This can include articles, blogs, videos and more. Just make sure it’s related to your niche or area of expertise. The idea is to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise – so you can attract potential clients that need someone like you to help their business grow.

 

3. Join and participate in relevant groups.

LinkedIn groups are a great place to connect with others and show off your expertise. When joining, you should select groups that are related to your niche or target market. And then dive right in. Participate in discussions and offer helpful insight to others. This will help others to view you as an expert in your niche – including prospective clients.

 

4. Connect with potential clients.

LinkedIn’s advanced search gives you the ability to find possible clients by location, job title, company size, and more. When I’ve used it to scare up some clients, I searched for the “marketing manager” or “marketing director” in different alternative health companies. Those are the positions that most often hire freelance copywriters.

Once you identify your prospective clients, send them a connection request. However, I urge you to personalize it...

• • Look over the company website. Is there anything that stands out to you that you can connect to your experience or what you have to offer? Talk about that in your connection request.
  • Do you have any connections in common with them? Mention them.
  • Do NOT hit them with a sales pitch when you request a connection. I cannot tell you how many people have sent me a connection request that’s a full-blown advertisement. Sometimes, they’re copywriters offering “my company” their services – which shows me that they didn’t even look at my profile before connecting. (Obviously, if I’m a copywriter myself, I can write my own copy.) It’s a complete turn-off. When you ask to connect with someone, just send them a friendly, non-salesy message expressing your interest in connecting. That’s it.

 

5. Build relationships with potential clients.

Again, put pitching your services on the back burner for the moment. Instead, engage with prospective clients’ posts. Make comments where appropriate and share your insights. Once you’ve established some rapport, then it would be totally fine to send them a thoughtful message on specific ways your services could help them.

If you can stay professional and authentic… restrain from overly aggressive sales tactics… and keep your focus on building relationships and providing value, LinkedIn can be a powerful tool to find clients and grow your business.