{"id":8867,"date":"2015-05-20T08:39:37","date_gmt":"2015-05-20T12:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artbusinessnews.com\/?p=8867"},"modified":"2019-11-07T20:07:42","modified_gmt":"2019-11-08T01:07:42","slug":"the-power-of-online-leads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artbusinessnews.com\/2015\/05\/the-power-of-online-leads\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Online Leads"},"content":{"rendered":"

Put LinkedIn to work for you.<\/h3>\n

By Lance Evans<\/em><\/p>\n

\"iStock_000030686930_Double\"Even if you\u2019re in the business of art for the love of the craft, your ultimate\u00a0success still comes down to making sales. Sales come from leads, which, depending on your business model, could come from patrons walking in off the street, advertisements in an arts publication or exchanges of business cards at some chic Sotheby\u2019s cocktail party.<\/p>\n

Increasingly, though, as art sales have moved online, so has lead generation. To increase your online leads, you could use the Internet to look up prospects or, alternatively, engage in online social interactions, such as blogs, forums, or Twitter feeds, that focus on art and collecting. Both of these techniques can potentially be successful, but they could also turn into a huge waste of time and net you few prospects.<\/p>\n

However, LinkedIn offers yet another option for generating online leads. An online social network for professional adults, LinkedIn is hugely successful, boasting more than 315 million members. The business-to-business network can help you build meaningful alliances and connections that can lead to sales, trades and deals.<\/p>\n

What makes LinkedIn so valuable to the art professional? According to online sales guru Brynne Tillman, it offers you the \u201cwarm-call\u201d effect. \u201cI did cold calls for years,\u201d she says. \u201cI know how hard it can be. LinkedIn is like doing a warm call, . . . where you have had some prior contact with the recipient, perhaps through a previous call or an introduction.<\/p>\n

\u201cLinkedIn works in two ways,\u201d she continues. \u201cOne is that you can use it to actually get an introduction through linking members. But, even if that\u2019s not the case, merely being in the same network breeds some level of camaraderie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tillman, a veteran sales pro herself, says that she now generates her leads almost exclusively on LinkedIn. ABN spoke with her about how an art dealer, a consultant or even an independent artist could use LinkedIn\u2019s powerful resources to discover and connect with leads they might otherwise never have had access to. Her top suggestions follow:<\/p>\n

CREATE A CLIENT-ENGAGING PROFILE<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are many vital parts to a good solid profile, and they all matter.<\/p>\n