As an entrepreneur, one of the most critical tasks you face is raising capital to fuel your business’s growth. While traditional methods of fundraising, such as seeking investments from venture capitalists or angel investors, can be effective, they are also highly competitive and challenging to secure. However, with the advent of social media platforms, entrepreneurs have a new avenue for connecting with potential investors: LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a professional networking site, best platform to leverage your LinkedIn network for your business currently gathering over 930 million members worldwide. It does an excellent job of helping entrepreneurs do the following:
- Build Relationships
- Establish Credibility
- Reach Investors
In this article, we will explore how entrepreneurs can leverage their LinkedIn network to reach investors and share stories of content entrepreneurs who have successfully done so.
Tips For making leverage your LinkedIn network
1. It All Starts With a Good Profile
The first step to leverage your LinkedIn network to reach investors is to create a strong LinkedIn profile.
Your profile should highlight your experience, skills, and accomplishments and include a professional headshot and background image. You should also optimize your profile for search by including relevant keywords in your headline and summary.
One content entrepreneur who has used LinkedIn to build a strong profile is Jeri Walker, the host of the Your Best Designed Career podcast.
Walker has used the platform to promote her channel and connect with potential investors.
In a YouTube educational video, Walker shared how she optimized her LinkedIn profile for search by including keywords related to her podcast and entrepreneurship.
Walker’s story highlights the importance of creating a strong LinkedIn profile that showcases your experience and skills.
By optimizing your profile for search and highlighting your accomplishments, you can position yourself as a credible and trustworthy entrepreneur.
2. Reach Investors Through Your Network
The next step to leverage your LinkedIn network to reach investors is to build your network. This means connecting with other professionals in your industry and engaging with their content.
And once your network becomes abundant and branched, it is always a good idea to employ an outside software that makes your LinkedIn inbox a lot easier task, than originally envisioned by LinkedIn itself.
You can participate in forums and debates by joining LinkedIn groups relevant to your industry.
One content entrepreneur who has built a robust network on LinkedIn is Sujan Patel, the co-founder of Mailshake and Webprofits.
Patel has used the platform mainly to build relationships with potential investors and partners.
In an interview with Outgrow, Patel shared how he grew his network by sharing valuable content and engaging with other professionals in his industry.
Patel’s story highlights the importance of building a strong network on LinkedIn. By connecting with other professionals in your industry and engaging with their content, you can build relationships and position yourself as a thought leader in your field.
3. Identifying and Reaching the Investors
Another important aspect of leverage your LinkedIn network to reach investors is to target your outreach efforts. This means identifying potential investors who are interested in your industry and reaching out to them directly.
One way to do this is by using LinkedIn’s advanced search feature. This feature allows you to search for people by location, industry, job title, and more.
You can also filter your search results by connection level, which can help you prioritize your outreach efforts.
When reaching out to potential investors on LinkedIn, it’s important to personalize your messages. This means taking the time to research the person you are reaching out to and tailoring your message to their interests and needs.
You should also be clear about what you are asking for, whether it’s feedback on your business plan or a meeting to discuss potential investment opportunities.
One content entrepreneur who successfully targeted her outreach efforts on LinkedIn is Liana Zavo, the founder and CEO of Executive Impact.
Executive Impact is a public speaking and media training firm that helps executives and entrepreneurs improve their communication skills.
In a Forbes article, Zavo highlighted the importance of establishing brand authority for small businesses in pursuit of investors, and offered four strategies:
- focus on delivering consistent messaging across all platforms to build trust and credibility,
- establish thought leadership by sharing industry insights and expertise through content creation and public speaking,
- leverage customer testimonials and positive reviews to showcase your brand’s credibility,
- form strategic partnerships with other reputable brands to enhance your authority.
Zavo’s story highlights the importance of targeting your outreach efforts on LinkedIn. By identifying potential investors who are interested in your industry and reaching out to them directly with personalized messages, you can increase your chances of securing investment and building meaningful relationships.
4. Always Create Content
In addition to building a strong profile and network, and targeting your outreach efforts, it’s important to create and share valuable content on LinkedIn. It is a best option to leverage your LinkedIn network
By sharing insights and perspectives on industry trends and topics, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in your field and attract the attention of potential investors.
One content entrepreneur who has used LinkedIn to share valuable content is Neil Patel, the co-founder of Neil Patel Digital.
Using his own platform, Patel shared how he uses LinkedIn to build his personal brand and connect with potential investors.
Patel’s story highlights the importance of creating and sharing valuable content on LinkedIn. By sharing your expertise and insights, you can establish yourself as a thought leader and attract the attention of potential investors.
5. Solid Relationships Take Time
Finally, it’s important to be patient and persistent when leverage your LinkedIn network to reach investors.
Building relationships and securing investment takes time, and it’s important to stay committed to your goals and stay engaged with your network. Good advice on building your audience and network is succinctly laid out in this article by author and founder of the Tilt Joe Pulizzi, who writes about creating a particular hit list as a method of building strong relationships.
One content entrepreneur who has demonstrated patience and persistence in leveraging her LinkedIn network is Shama Hyder, the founder and CEO of Zen Media.
Over time Hyder has built a huge followers base on LinkedIn and has used the platform to build relationships with potential investors and clients.
Hyder’s story highlights the importance of being patient and persistent when leveraging your LinkedIn network. By staying engaged with your network and committed to your goals, you can build meaningful relationships and secure investment over time.
In Conclusion
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs looking to reach investors.
By creating a strong profile, building a robust network, targeting your outreach efforts, creating and sharing valuable content, and being patient and persistent, you can position yourself as a credible and trustworthy entrepreneur and attract the attention of potential investors.
The stories of content entrepreneurs such as Jeri Walker, Sujan Patel, Liana Zavo, Neil Patel, and Shama Hyder demonstrate how leveraging your LinkedIn network can lead to success in securing investment and building meaningful relationships.
Brenda is a passionate business blogger, tech nerd and gamer. She is interested in topics that cover business communication, sales, online branding, digital marketing and social media, business tools and extensions, as well as organization and management of LinkedIn connections.
