Getting started with LinkedIn for Corporate Fundraising
LinkedIn can be a very useful platform for fundraisers wanting to engage corporate partners. It’s a great opportunity to connect with potential corporate partners and showcase your organisation’s mission.
If you’re new to using LinkedIn for fundraising, here are four practical steps to kickstart your journey.
We are looking at four simple steps to get you ready to make the most out of the platform.
1. Assess your team’s readiness and level of comfort
As part of the training on how to use LinkedIn for Corporate Fundraising, I always start with this section. It’s important to understand where the team stands and what you want to improve.
Readiness is one thing but being comfortable with using the platform is also important.
Before diving into LinkedIn for fundraising, it’s essential to gauge your team’s familiarity with the platform:
Understanding Readiness: Evaluate your team’s current skills and experience using LinkedIn.
Conducting an Assessment: Utilise surveys or questionnaires to gather insights on their LinkedIn proficiency:
How familiar are you with LinkedIn’s features?
Have you used LinkedIn for professional networking or fundraising before?
What challenges have you faced in using LinkedIn?
Analysing the Results: Identify common gaps and strengths. Develop a plan to address training needs to ensure everyone is equipped for success.
2. Review and optimise profiles
Optimised LinkedIn profiles are key to making a strong impression:
Profile review: Your profile reflects who you are and what you do. It’s important to have all sections up-to-date and share the details that are important for your work.
Practical steps for optimisation:
Focus on key sections like headline, About, and experience:
Craft a compelling headline
Add details about your current work and the organisation
Include a professional profile picture and updated contact details
3. Identify and connect with one key prospect
This is your first experiment. You want to get familiar with using LinkedIn for prospecting and engagement.
Define your audience: Who do you want to reach? What’s the relation to the organisation? For example, how about targeting a specific company or a job title?
Use LinkedIn’s search tool: LinkedIn has a powerful search function but many people don’t know how to make the most out of it. Start by testing it with one specific persona in mind you want to reach out to. Use LinkedIn’s search filters to make your results more specific.
Connect with a prospect: Find common ground and send a connection request. Once the connection request is accepted, send a personalised message. This is not about selling, it’s about connecting.
4. Share one piece of relevant content
LinkedIn works best for those who decide to be more active on it. I know it might feel awkward to create content but it can be very beneficial to your strategy.
It’s an opportunity to showcase your organisation’s impact and engage your network.
It’s also a great way for a new connection (aka potential partner) to find out more about your work before they are interested in a potential collaboration.
Practical Step: Post a relevant article, update, or video related to your cause this week:
Engage with comments and interactions to foster connections and visibility.
What’s next?
This is only the beginning.
For now, you want to feel more comfortable with using LinkedIn to be consistent with it.
Start small, focus on the four steps we mentioned above and make sure the team is aligned with your plan.
Need additional help? Feel free to reach out to arrange a training session on how to get started.
Do you prefer to keep things visual for your next steps?
Here is a checklist.