Are you familiar with the LinkedIn Social Selling Index? This is a way for you to know where you stand in successful selling on LinkedIn. And, yes - it's FREE! Do be warned, however, that LinkedIn is upselling its Sales Navigator Product. The good news is that having Sales Navigator is NOT necessary to take advantage of the Index.
Why should you care about your LinkedIn Social Selling Index score? Because the higher your score, the more visibility you will get on LinkedIn. Some relevant stats comparing scores above 70 to below 30:
To get YOUR Social Selling Index, log into LinkedIn. Then, go to https://business.linkedin.com/sales-solutions/social-selling/the-social-selling-index-ssi. Click on Get Your Score. It will automatically review your LinkedIn presence, show your Index score, and identify areas where you may need to improve.
Your index ranking can change every week based on your overall activity. It is based on 4 four elements that result in a score between 0-100. To get better reach and be found in more searches, you need your ranking to be 70 or above. If it is below 30, your reach will be negatively impacted. Each element is assigned up to 25 points. Below are the 4 elements and ways to improve each one.
1. Establish your professional brand
Your brand starts with your Professional Profile. Having a complete and robust LinkedIn Profile will improve your score. This may seem obvious but most people don’t take the time to optimize their profile. An optimized profile is one that has added all of the sections available, has a professional headshot and a great banner picture. Keep in mind that your profile should be directed toward your target audience and add value. Your “Featured” Section is a great place add value through posts and media.
2. Find the right people
It’s not enough to just have lots of connections. LinkedIn considers the searches you conduct to identify better prospects. To build a list of targeted connections, start with a clear picture of your ideal client. Consider using # searches and Boolean searches to find your tribe. LinkedIn also considers your connection request acceptance rate so it is important to request connections with intention. To improve your acceptance rate, always add a note to your request that gives them a reason to say yes to your request. Pro tip – this is NEVER a sales pitch. Instead, it might be something you found interesting on their profile or in something they posted.
3. Engage with insights
Sharing thoughtful insights will boost this 3rd element. Whether commenting on a post or creating one of your own, this is a great way to add value. If you found a great article, share it with YOUR insights you gained from reading it. Resist the temptation to share an article and just say “Great read!” You will get more traction by giving folks a reason to take a look and engage with you on the matter. People are busy so it’s a good idea to summarize the article as well.
4. Build relationships
Building relationships is key to LinkedIn success. Strengthen your network by connecting and establishing trust with other LinkedIn users. There are many ways to build strong relationships on LinkedIn. When you have identified someone you want to build a relationship with, try these strategies:
The LinkedIn Social Selling Score is an important index that reflects your strengths and weaknesses on the platform. Keep track of your score week to week and take appropriate action if you are below 70. Need help raising your score? Send me a message or put your question in the comments and I will help you out.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LinkedIn
