How To Segment Your Contacts On Linkedln
- David Wilson
- May 13, 2020
In today’s marketing world, it is more important than ever to reach out effectively to your customer. To do so, the keyword to focus here is on “relevancen.
It’s no longer just about having the best product or services. It’s also a lot about giving YOUR customer what he/she WANTS.
What he wants to know … hear … see .. .feel. .. taste … smell…, you want to give it to him.
Precisely because of this, we have to appreciate just how important customer segmentation is to your business. Precisely because of this, we have to appreciate just how important customer segmentation is to your business.
For example, a person in an executive role requires a different piece of content than someone in an intern role. What resonates with one audience doesn’t necessarily resonate with another.
Customer segmentation is critical as it helps you provide a better user experience and definitely a better conversion rate because you are reaching out to a targeted audience group.
When you speak your customers’ language and recognize their needs in a way that makes sense to them, you can look forward to a very fulfilling business relationship.
Many people aren’t aware that you can segment your connections into topic categories within linked In. Linked In allows you to segment (classify) your connections by subject areas. Linkedln refers to this progress as “tagging.” Linked In allows you to segment (classify) your connections by subject areas. Linkedln refers to this progress as “tagging.”
Tagging allows you to organize your connections by industry or subject. This is quite useful as it allows you to then tailor your messages to your network so they are most relevant to your members. I learned the importance of segmenting your connections the hard way.
This is quite useful as it allows you to then tailor your messages to your network so they are most relevant to your members. I learned the importance of segmenting your connections the hard way.
Within my first 6 months of using linked In I had connected with over 1000 people within 3 different industries: Media, Accounting & Events.
My aim was to use the media contacts to get some PR exposure, Accounting connections to create joint venture relationships and connections within the events industry to hopefully get some speaking gigs.
T here was just one problem: All my connections were mixed in with one another, not by choice but by default.
You see, little to my knowledge I wasn’t aware that all new connections are automatically tagged under a list called: All Contacts.
I knew that in order for me to reach any level of success 1 would have to personalize my communication and because …
I could not properly assess who was who quickly within the tags section I had to go through the entire (1000) connections in the untagged folder and re-tag them accordingly.
Whilst it was tedious and frustrating, at the best of times it was also very empowering. By the end of the process, I knew precisely how many connections I had in each industry, which therefore helped me effectively communicate my message.
By the end of the process, I knew precisely how many connections I had in each industry, which therefore helped me effectively communicate my message.
For example, I now have my contacts segmented into groups depending on the type of relationship I want with them: potential customers, referral sources, media opportunities, corporate connections, potential outsourcing partners etc.
If you haven’t already segmented your contacts, below I have provided you a step-by-step guide you can follow. Simply log in to your Linked In profile;
1) Hover over the Networks Tab
2) Select Contacts
3) Sort by: First Name
4) Filter by: All Contacts
linked In will then give you a list of all your contacts.
Simply go through each one and at the bottom of your connection’s name listing you will see an option called “tag,” Click on it, give the connection a tag and you are set. It’s fast, easy and highly effective.
Segmenting your connections is a practice that improves your business results. It may take you a little time but it is surely worth the effort.
Learn from my mistake, before adding even one more connection take one step back and segment your connections so you can take 2 steps forward.