What to do with LinkedIn? Sometimes it just seems like a big spam platform, but in reality, it’s the largest business search engine in the world, with over 178 million users in the US alone. The challenge we face as entrepreneurs is how to use LinkedIn to get value for the time we spend on the platform.

Here are three things you can do now and for the next three months to create sales:

1. Make your profile a prospect -focused post.

• Use the keyword tool to find what people are searching for
• Photo
• Headline
• About
• Experiences
• Also put your recommendations in your keywords.

Below is a typical Industrial Exec profile. No keywords. It is used by this person, but not optimized. It requires keywords, a banner and a professional image.

Here is a profile with a good amount of optimization. This company provides technology for document management and they target that as a keyword throughout Mr. Said.

2. Be a content-creating machine: videos, photos, updates.

What will be posted? When you get a writer’s block or the “I don’t know what others care,” follow the simple sequence of these posts. The best practice is to put them on your calendar to complete the afternoon before posting. In all posts, add hashtags with your keywords, such as #digitalmarketing and mention someone you think will comment and interact with your post using an @emanuelrose example.

• Monday: Video about successful client engagement (1 minute, on your phone, doesn’t have to be ‘perfect’ just to provide value and showcase your expertise: talk directly to your audience).
• Tuesday: Update on status text with picture from your phone.
• Wednesday: Photo with short narrative, ending with a question to encourage engagement.
• Thursday: Blog post with a link to your website.
• Friday: Topical industry articles and your commentary to showcase your expertise. It is better to take the opposite perspective.

3. Use the Sales Navigator or Search to find and connect with your target prospects. Read their posts. See how to add value based on their posts.

Become an important member of your network! Read the posts your prospects make and get in touch with them.

Like it, then comment on the post with the idea to continue the conversation and share posts that relate to your ethics and that would appreciate or benefit from your network.

• Example #1: I once had a prospect post on LinkedIn that they were hiring. I emailed them my hiring strategy that I used to get new candidates. It includes a detailed explanation of what the job description should be and how to get candidates in the short term.
• Example #2: A prospect I know is planning a trip to Belize and wants to know about fly fishing there .. I spent 45 min with him telling him where I went to fish and connected him with Guides and lodging.

Emanuel RoseIf you spend 15 minutes a day using LinkedIn on these techniques, you will get better results from it and will be a valuable resource to your community and your company.

Emanuel Rose is the founder of StrategiceMarketing.com and has over 20 years of business experience in sales and marketing, including how to use LinkedIn and Lead Generation. He has extensive experience designing, managing and optimizing marketing campaigns to generate sales growth and is driven to achieve results by focusing on the customer first. Along with being obsessed with your marketing results, Rose is an avid fly fisherman.