By LinkedIn, the popular social media platform for professionals has in the last couple of years, become a platform for job opportunities. In addition to connecting with individuals that have the same career as you do, you can also make money on LinkedIn.
The challenge, however, is how to make a transition from building your online reputation to earning a living on the largest professional network on the Internet. It is quite easy, but you need to get a hang of things before any other thing.
Why Should I Take LinkedIn Seriously?
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LinkedIn is used for different reasons. While some users sign up on the platform to join professional communities, others do so to have a medium of sharing their professional views. Making money on LinkedIn is also another reason to sign up on the platform.
Below are some mind-blowing statistics that confirm the thriving business opportunities on the platform:
- In a blog publication, LinkedIn highlighted that the platform is helpful for professionals looking to generate leads.
- LinkedIn has a Customized Chatbot feature that can suggest responses and make it easier for you to synchronize calendars with your prospective customers/clients.
- About 60% of users on LinkedIn are millennials, giving you more exposure to individuals and company executives that are in tune with the latest social media marketing trends.
LinkedIn Money-Making 101: Do These First
As much as you are looking to make money on LinkedIn, it is also imperative to connect all the dots. Here are the things you need to do to increase your chances of attracting clients:
- Set-Up a Professional Account: Your LinkedIn account should be professional. This includes taking and uploading a professional headshot, writing a catchy description/bio, and filling out the important professional sections.
- Create Quality Content: Be at the top of your game by creating content that is in line with the services or skill-sets you want to offer on the platform. It is best to stick to brand storytelling because stories have a way of attracting the target audience to your page.
- Join Professional Networks: You aren’t an island. Join professional networks in your niche and keep up with the trends.
- Don’t Forget Your Hashtags: Adding hashtags to your LinkedIn posts can help increase the visibility of the content you publish on the platform.
Different Ways to Make Money on LinkedIn
These are the different revenue-generation methods you can leverage today to generate quality leads and turn them to steady clients on LinkedIn:
1. Make Money on LinkedIn by Offering Consultations
Are you an expert in say content writing, blogging, or digital marketing? Can you talk to someone about how to create viral posts, design jaw-dropping graphics, or website development?
Once you have a level of experience in a specific niche, it could be a viable business idea. The idea is to optimize your LinkedIn page to reflect your mastery of the niche or topic. You want to be a consultant for the same – offering valuable tips to individuals and companies that want to get more ideas about the niche.
Pro Tip: Consider offering a consultation service on LinkedIn only if you are an expert in a particular area. Also, do it because you want to help the target audience because that helps you to focus on satisfying their needs while making money on the side.
2. Use LinkedIn Advertising to Promote Your Services
Just like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – LinkedIn has an advertising feature. You can add money to your advertising account and promote the services you offer.
The idea is to get more “eyeballs” to see what you have to offer. With proper targeting, you will get clients who would patronize you. Here are some tips on how to use LinkedIn advertising:
- Target people who are either living near your location (if your service is physical) or farther if you can work remotely.
- Make sure you are targeting the right age group.
- Find out the best time to advertise on LinkedIn, i.e., when your target audience is most likely to be active on the platform.
3. Sign up for LinkedIn Premium
LinkedIn has a Premium account, which offers more features than the basic LinkedIn account. With your Premium LinkedIn account, you can:
- Have access to more search filters, such as salary expectations and company workforce.
- Stand a chance of having your profile and pitches moved to the top of the page/list.
4. Pitch to Companies
Companies are continually looking to hire new talents to be a part of their team. This is an excellent opportunity for you to send your pitches to these companies.
The question is, “how do I know when these companies are hiring?” You can find out by searching LinkedIn to see open positions for the skill-sets you have to offer.
5. Sell Products on LinkedIn to Make Money
In addition to offering your skills to get paid, you can also sell products on LinkedIn. Both digital and physical products can be sold on the platform.
For the physical products, you want to:
- Create product listings for each of the individual products.
- Use keywords related to those products to help in organic searches.
- Attach the prices for the products.
- Enter the delivery details, including the cost of delivery and Estimated Time of Delivery (EDD).
To market the digital products, you have to:
- Create a sign-up form on email autoresponders. This allows you to generate leads in the form of collecting email addresses and names of prospective buyers.
- Creating a squeeze page where you publish a short description of the digital product.
- Add the payment methods.
6. Promote Affiliate Products on LinkedIn
Become an affiliate to different products and services, then promote those to the target audience on LinkedIn. You get to earn a commission on every sale generated by using your affiliate link.
Some affiliate products you can promote on LinkedIn are:
- Email autoresponders
- Website templates
- Website domain name and hosting plans
7. Join LinkedIn Groups/Networks and Contribute Meaningfully
Last but not least – join professional groups and networks on LinkedIn. Your aims are to:
- Be a part of a thriving network of professionals who come together to share ideas.
- Get access to real-time updates in your industry, including the latest job opportunities.
However, you have to be interactive so you don’t come off as being self-centered. Therefore, contribute meaningfully by sharing your thoughts during discussions.
Get Hired on LinkedIn and Make Money
LinkedIn offers several packages, including an opportunity for you to join professional networks, increase your social value, and land gigs. As you can see, there are several ways to monetize your presence on the platform, while expanding your professional base. Do you have additional ideas on how to make money on LinkedIn? Please, feel free to share it with other LinkedIn users in the comment section!
