With more than a billion users, LinkedIn is full of potential customers for your business. There are millions of profiles, but the challenge for many businesses and entrepreneurs is how to find the right people on LinkedIn. Knowing that any given moment only 3% of your ideal customers/candidates are actively searching. The vast majority are browsing and not yet ready to buy/respond, they need to be nurtured long term. The question then becomes: how do you not only identify the right customers/candidates, but how do you effectively attract them?

It's a strategy between finding those who are ready for your solutions/offerings and guiding them to the point of conversion. They may not yet be ready to say outright, "I do!", but with the right approach, you can discover a wealth of potential customers/candidates who are more than just curious. They are ready now and about to take action. I'll give you five ways to find your leads through the LinkedIn feed. These aren't just any cold leads. They are your followers who are already immersed in the conversation about your topic or solution.

LinkedIn content strategy - LinkedIn polls and newsletter

Polls are an underrated tool on LinkedIn to drive engagement and gather insights directly from your audience. They provide an easy way to interact with your network and encourage participation through quick, opinion-based questions. This interaction not only increases your visibility, but also provides valuable insights about your potential customers' challenges, preferences and interests. Using polls strategically can lead to more personalized and effective conversations.

Create polls relevant to your target audience's interests and challenges. Analyze the responses to gain insight into preferences that you can then follow up on in the DM (direct message - your inbox)

Having your own newsletter is also a good marketing strategy that few business owners consistently and actively use. I post my Empowered Letters. Where I share new insights and value weekly on strategic leadership, innovations and growth on a personal and business level.

LinkedIn groups

LinkedIn groups allow you to centrally exchange ideas, solve problems and share insights on a broader range of topics. These groups are there to network, but also to create a community around shared interests and challenges. By participating here, you can showcase your expertise and insights and provide value. See who else is a member of the group and who might be potential clients of yours. Engage with them as they post, but most importantly connect with them. In this way, you work on connection and customer relationship and build credibility and trust. Allowing potential customers to come to you in a more organic and value-driven way.

Find LinkedIn groups relevant to your field and join them. Participate actively by sharing knowledge and value, asking questions and responding to other members' posts. Let your expertise speak and connect. Never spam posts or comments. And also never make your offer directly. And certainly never under a post a fellow competitor.

Increase your visibility through comments

Influencers, I prefer to say colleagues with a rich network in your industry have already worked hard to gather their ideal clients in one place. They have now built a valuable and rich network. And I don't necessarily mean quantity, rather a qualitative and warm network with the right leads and connections. By also actively responding to their contributions on LinkedIn, you can also share and present your value to this curated audience.

Through valuable responses to a fellow competitor's post, you can highlight your expertise and start conversations. It's a strategic way to increase your increase visibility and present your expertise and authority in a room full of potential clients.

If people do this on my posts, I really don't mind. Provided it adds value and they don't blindly make their offer or respond to hit someone. People who respond with a valuable comment increase the visibility of the post. So you get more visibility and network, which benefits you and me.

View and select fellow competitors, influencers with audiences similar to your own. Add value through the comments on their posts. Try to be informative and inspiring, but never spam comments.

LinkedIn online events

LinkedIn online events are very valuable marketing strategies to connect with potential customers. They offer a unique opportunity to connect with people who are not only interested in your expertise, but who are also actively looking to expand their knowledge and connections. By participating in these online events, you can approach a group of people who are already showing a level of commitment and interest that a new step. It's about positioning yourself in a place where your expertise is noticed and you authentically attract the right people who are looking for your expertise, your value.

You can of course organize your own events. I have even organized online events and summits on several occasions. And I host my online event LinkedIn Live Women & Leadership weekly on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. But if this is not your thing, or because you are not ready for it right now, use other online events to find and connect with interested potential clients.

Use the search bar to find online events that match your expertise and interests. Register for these events and connect with other attendees who match your ideal customer profile. With this proactive approach, you can in turn enrich your network with new valuable connections.