Using LinkedIn Answers for Business Development

Posted by Laura Bergells

June 26, 2008

What is an effective way to use the LinkedIn “Answers” feature? Resume and connections are an important part of LinkedIn. However, “LinkedIn Answers” is a powerful, yet often under-utilized feature of the popular professional networking site.

Jay Hidalgo

In this brief interview, Grand Rapids-based marketing expert Jay Hidalgo focuses on how he uses “LinkedIn Answers” for business development. Essentially, Jay uses “Answers” to build his company’s reputation and earn trust.

A partner and founder at The Annuitas Group, a Grand Rapids-based Lead Management and Marketing firm, Jay agreed to share his winning “LinkedIn Answers” approach with me.

Laura: Jay, how did you initially hear about/get involved with LinkedIn?

Jay: About 4 or 5 years ago, my brother sent me an email about this “really cool site” called LinkedIn. Said it’s a great way for people to learn about your business. So, I created an account, and I waited. Nothing happened, so I ignored if for a while.

Laura: How has it since helped your business?.

Jay: About a year and a half ago, I started using LinkedIn more. At first, I used it to connect with people or to find people. Now, I use it mostly via the Answers area. It’s helped to give us visibility, and drives a significant amount of traffic to our website.

Laura: Tell me a little about how you use the “Answers” RSS feature at LinkedIn.

Jay: I researched the categories in the Answers area that I frequent most: Marketing and Sales, CRM, Direct Marketing, and Lead Generation. Then, using iGoogle, I set up a tab and labeled it “linked in”. Using the “add stuff” section of iGoogle, and the RSS feeder from LinkedIn, I have questions from each of those categories on my homepage, refreshing as they come in. I spend 5-10 minutes a day reading and answering questions. It helps me get my firm’s name out there pretty regularly.

Laura: What advice can you give other entrepreneurs for effectively using LI?

Jay: Don’t try to sell yourself. Networking, whether online or off, is about building relationships. Relationships are short-lived when you try to start them with a “What can I GET?” mindset. Go into LinkedIn with a “What can I GIVE?” mindset, and you won’t alienate people.

About Jay Hidalgo. Want to find out more about Jay Hidalgo? Why not visit Jay’s LinkedIn profile — you’ll not only see his resume, but you can read his answers and discover exactly why his LinkedIn approach works for him!

About The Annuitas Group. The Annuitas Group helps its clients improve their ROI on sales & marketing by developing process based marketing solutions to increase efficiency in demand (lead) generation and closed loop lead management. They then implement those solutions by providing marketing process consulting, services and marketing automation technology. The Annuitas Group is a VIP partner and certified reseller of Vtrenz iMarketing Automation, the leading marketing automation solution for the SMB market.