LinkedIn Marketing Question – Are You Targeting the Right Audiences on LinkedIn?

I just completed a “Live” LinkedIn Profile Review for a healthier lifestyle expert with multiple cookbooks.  One of the biggest mistakes that I noticed in her profile was that her copy was designed specifically to attract a non-business, consumer audience as she was looking to sell more books.

The major problem with this is that LinkedIn is a business to business social network platform filled with professionals looking for business information.  So you cannot expect to sell cookbooks to a general consumer audience through LinkedIn. Unlike Facebook,  LinkedIn is not the platform for selling consumer-related products to consumers. However, LinkedIn is the PERFECT platform to build professional relationships and promote your ideas and your business to media professionals, meeting planners, association executives and possible referral sources that can help her reach an even wider audience.

Instead of Focusing on the Consumers Themselves, We Suggested to This Lifestyle Expert That She Creates Targeted Copy Focusing On These Specific Audiences:

  • Healthcare/Medical Association Executives – This healthier lifestyle expert should create copy to entice healthcare and medical association executives to connect with her. This way she would be able to get articles in their publications (giving her and her books wide exposure) or speak at a conference or live event. This way she can get her messages heard or seen by hundreds, thousands and even millions at a time.
  • Media Professionals – Now, this healthcare executive discusses her national TV interviews – which shows the media that you are a desirable expert and that you have experience behind the camera. However, nowhere on her profile did she mention her interview topics, why the media should connect with her and how to contact with her if you are a media professional. There should be focused copy for bloggers, online radio hosts, magazine editors and other media professionals.
  • Nutritionists, Doctors and other Medical Practitioners – What better way is there to get your books into the hands of your prospects than have professionals referring your book or have them buying your books and including it in a program to solve a specific problem. In this lifestyle expert’s case, there needs to be focused copy to show medical professionals how either she or her books can become a supporting resource.
  • Personal Fitness Trainers and Life Coaches – Again, this could be a great referral source for this healthier lifestyle expert as they can let their clients know about her cookbooks (like the one for those who have diabetes). This expert can even create a Healthier Lifestyle Coaching Certification Program for personal fitness trainers and life coaches. And, this training program can include her book. For example, one client has a Mind-Body Facilitation Program that offers:
      1. Her Mind-Body Program including seven audio CDs to guide you through the Complete Mind-Body Program.
      2. 235 page Success Guide filled with up-to-the-minute information and action plans that guide you straight to your ideal weight
      3. Comprehensive nutrition plan for personal trainers to use with their clients
      4. Step-by-Step written instructions and complete scripts for delivering the Mind-Body Program
      5. Guidelines, tips and instructions for conducting group and 1-on-1 coaching sessions
      6. Marketing and enrollment tools
  • Gym owners and executives – These owners and executives could buy this lifestyle expert’s cookbooks up front and then sell it to their membership – or they can hire her to come and do a workshop or seminar for their members, which she could then sell the books and make back-of-room sales.
  • Hospital executives – This healthier lifestyle expert has cookbooks for diabetics and for cancer patients. Specialized hospitals could buy her books and give it to their patients. This way she is putting her books directly in front of those she can help.

Your Next Steps…

Think about the professional audiences you can attract on LinkedIn – and make sure you have copy that is written specifically for these targeted audiences.