LinkedIn is becoming key to how potential clients evaluate business professionals they’re thinking of working with. Here’s how it works.

In this issue of “Your Expertise Edge,” we’re drilling down into the topic of Facebook for business. Normally, I tend to think of Facebook as a platform for personal use, and that for business, LinkedIn is more appropriate (I went into that topic in Post #21, How to make LinkedIn posts work for you).My business coach, Heather Prestanski of Homefront Marketing, has been trying to pull me around to the idea that Facebook is a good platform for business as well, due largely to its huge user base and the effectiveness of its advertising program. So, I spoke with Heather about how to use Facebook for business.

LinkedIn has emerged as a great way for you to get your ideas in front of potential clients, to show your expertise. One of the best ways to do this is through the “Posts” function.

A lot of conventional ideas around content marketing are just plain wrong when it comes to selling high-level professional services.That wisdom as promoted by content marketing luminaries such as Joe Pulizzi and Marcus Sheridan can be summarized as four steps:

Consider three scenarios: • So you’re at a networking meeting, and you meet a potential client named Farooz. He’s got so much potential for you (professionally, of course) that you’re just dying to work with him. You’re the solution to a lot of problems Farooz is facing. And Farooz is equally smitten by you (professionally, of course). So next morning, he plugs your name into LinkedIn to find out if you really have the credibility you presented last night. Now ask yourself: Would Farooz be impressed with what he finds on your profile?  • Or, let’s say that Farooz was talking with one of his colleagues, and mentions some of his business issues. His colleague says that you were able to help her out on some of her issues, and that he really should give you a call. Farooz plugs your name into LinkedIn to find out about you…• Or, this time Farooz reads an article you’ve written, hears you give a speech, or hears you interviewed on his favorite business podcast. He wants to know more, and wants to be informed about you before he picks up the phone. So once again…