10 steps to turn LinkedIn into a small business marketing dream
If someone gave you the opportunity to attend a meeting where thousands of your prospects were also present, you’d be silly not to take them up on the offer…right?
This opportunity might be staring you in the face.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest database of professionals; hundreds of millions of professionals waiting there, ready to be connected with and engaged.
It really is a small business marketing dream. If you get it right.
The problem is that most small business owners are not using LinkedIn properly. Either they are targeting the wrong people; interacting with connections in the wrong ways; or they are simply inactive and expecting leads to come to them.
If you want to turn LinkedIn into a lead generation machine — and never cold call again — follow these 10 basic guidelines and watch your results start to improve…
1. Talk to your target audience
Your profile should not read like a CV. It should speak directly to the wants and needs of your target audience — and demonstrate what you do to help solve their problems.
Really, nobody is interested in job titles, positions, or years of experience. You connect with people by explaining how you can improve their lives or solve their problems.
2. Get the visuals right on your profile
On social media, a picture really does paint a thousand words. LinkedIn is no exception.
It’s firstly important to get a high-quality photo uploaded: you should look professional but approachable — smile! A poor quality photo that looks like a cheap passport photo with you standing against a plain wall is unlikely to make a good first impression. Invest in some professional photography for you and your team.
Secondly, your background image. Don’t waste this valuable space with a picture of your pet dog! Use it to instantly communicate to your audience what you do. Consider getting a customised image made that includes your main keywords. Again, invest in professionals here. Hire a designer to create your background image.
3. Get found!
Did I just mention keywords? Consider that LinkedIn is a massive database and search engine. Including your main keywords in your headline, summary, and experience section will help you get found when your prospects search through LinkedIn.
In the headline section of your profile, keywords are weighted, so it’s especially important to use them here.
4. Connect with prospects not peers
One big mistake that business owners make is to connect with too many industry peers. It can take up far too much time discussing industry matters — for little benefit.
It’s far better to use LinkedIn to build up a community of prospects. They are out there; you need to locate them and connect with them. Then you can start building a large network of potential leads.
5. Send personalised connection requests
Very little meaningful communication on LinkedIn can be automated. Yes, you can design some basic templates for connection requests (with standard greetings and sign offs) but make sure the bulk of your interactions are personalised.
LinkedIn is about building relationships. You can only do that by getting personal. Templated messages are easy to spot and they break rapport from the get-go.
6. Be interested in your prospects
Rather than telling them all about you, how about you give your prospects an opportunity to tell you about themselves? This will be far more productive in terms of uncovering problems and opportunities.
Remember — people love to talk about themselves. Let them do this and you will soon form closer relationships.
Your presence on LinkedIn should be focused on building the relationships that make up your community.
7. Engage: Like, comment, share, suggest & endorse
There are many ways to engage with your community: liking their posts, commenting on posts, sharing content, suggesting solutions, endorsing them for skills…
All this shows interest in your community. And, with your face appearing in their LinkedIn feeds regularly, you start to become more familiar to your connections.
8. Get really active
The big difference between those who claim they never get much out of LinkedIn and those who are killing it is activity.
Don’t expect results by logging in once a week and responding to messages. You need to be proactive.
Set aside time (45 minutes at least) each day to connect with new people, engage with them, and identify any opportunities for taking things further.
9. Mix up your content
Text, images, video: your status updates offer several ways of communicating with your prospects.
Video is now more important than ever — but it’s not just the format of content that matters. It’s also the mix of topics.
Try to blend personal experiences, stories and philosophies with professional posts about results you have achieved and answering FAQs.
10. Take the relationship off LinkedIn to sell
It’s surprising how many business owners are confused by this final tip. LinkedIn is not a sales tool — it’s a marketing tool.
It’s a superb platform for finding, connecting with, and engaging with prospects. This generates leads and opportunities. But converting these opportunities into sales needs to be done in the traditional way: offline.
The above ten tips will help you improve your individual profile and focus your activities. This is more important than your business page. People do business with people and, as a small business owner, this should be the focus of your time on LinkedIn.
Use LinkedIn to connect with a network, build a community of prospects, and to engage meaningfully with them. This way, you will naturally demonstrate your expertise and produce a long-term flow of leads to your business.
Need help with your accounting?
June is zooming by! Here’s another handy checklist for business owners—let’s get you sorted for EOFY and tick off those to-dos.
EOFY is almost here — are your finances ready? Our guide covers top deductions, super contributions, SMSF essentials and a 30 June checklist to help you maximise your return. Read it here.
Not sure what you can claim as a landlord this EOFY? From loan interest to depreciation, we break down the most common (and overlooked) rental property tax deductions. Read the full guide.
One of the most powerful decisions you can make with your superannuation is whether to run your own self-managed super fund (SMSF) and whether to invest in property through it. Most people know it's possible to use super to buy property. Far fewer know how to do it well. The following seven tips are designed to help you make the right decisions. 1. You Can Borrow Money to Purchase Property in Superannuation. Don't have enough in your SMSF to buy an investment property outright? Since 2008, superannuation held in a self-managed super fund can be used to borrow money for property purchase. This is done through a 'limited recourse loan' using a Bare Trust as the Custodian entity. You can't borrow the total value of the property—typically it's up to 80% for residential properties and 60% for commercial properties, with the required deposit held in the SMSF as security. The SMSF then makes the loan repayments, with rental income received by the fund and property expenses paid by the fund. Importantly, if there is a default on the loan, your other assets in the SMSF are generally protected from standard debt recovery and bankruptcy proceedings. The lender only has recourse to the property itself. Upon completion of the loan repayment, ownership of the property transfers legally to the SMSF. 2. Follow These 8 Steps to Set Up Your SMSF Setting up an SMSF properly can be a complex process. It’s best to set up an SMSF with the assistance of a qualified superannuation advisor, like us! We can assist with both the initial setup and the ongoing management of your fund. There are eight core steps to SMSF set up: Select the appropriate structure and name Sign the trust deed that covers how your SMSF is set up and run (it can have up to four members) Establish a trust for the SMSF by investing assets into the fund Register your SMSF with the ATO Set up a separate bank account for your fund Submit your tax file number (and those of any other trustees) Obtain an electronic service address to receive employer contributions into your fund (if applicable) Roll over funds from your existing superannuation account into your SMSF 3. Keep a Liquidity Buffer If you're buying property through superannuation, make sure you plan to keep a liquidity buffer of cash and/or shares in your fund. Lenders will check for this before lending to you—it should be at least 10% of the value you intend to borrow. But beyond satisfying the bank, it's simply good risk management. Property is an illiquid asset. Having accessible funds in the SMSF means you're not caught short if repairs are needed, the property sits vacant, or an unexpected expense arises. Because superannuation is central to most Australians' retirement security, the government has carefully regulated what can and can't be done with it. They don't want people gambling their retirement away on poor investments or incorrectly using their superannuation fund. 4. Use the Rental Income to Repay Your Loan You cannot live in the property you purchase through your SMSF until after retirement. Most people purchase an investment property and use the rental income generated to repay the loan—which makes excellent financial sense. The key is selecting a property that rents easily and delivers a strong rental return. Your purchasing criteria may look a little different to buying a home you'd live in yourself. For example, proximity to public transport, local amenities, and average rental rates in the area matter more than personal preference. 5. Get It Right and Enjoy Significant Tax Efficiencies One of the most compelling reasons to invest in property through superannuation is the tax efficiency on offer. These benefits can significantly improve the long-term return of a property investment compared to holding it in your own name. Key tax benefits include: No capital gains tax or tax no yearly investment earnings if under super caps. Salary sacrifice advantages if you're sacrificing salary payments into super, loan repayments are effectively tax deductible. Capped tax on investment income—the maximum rate of tax on income after expenses is 15%. Any capital gains on investments held for 12 months or more, is taxed at 10%. Standard investors outside super can pay up to 47%. 6. Follow the Same Due Diligence Rules as Any Property Purchase Buying through superannuation doesn't mean relaxing your standards. If anything, the rules governing SMSFs mean you need to be more rigorous, not less. Property is likely one of the most significant financial decisions of your life. Research, not emotion, should drive your choices. The same rules apply whether you're buying in or out of super: Visit and compare multiple properties Know the values of similar properties in the same area Get all property checks performed by the right professionals Shop around for the right loan structure and lender Don't abandon good investor habits just because the structure is different. 7. Always Get Quality Professional Advice Nothing comes without risk—but the right advice significantly mitigates it. The key is understanding what you're getting yourself into: making informed decisions based on accurate data; keeping a diversified superannuation portfolio that doesn't place all your eggs in one basket; and not underestimating how complex buying property in superannuation can be. Sound Simple? It’s all in the details. If the above tips have made it sound straightforward, know that the detail is where the complexity lives. Getting professional advice from the start helps ensure you make the best possible decisions for your future. When selected according to rigorous property-purchasing criteria, property can be an excellent way to grow your superannuation and increase your chances of building a retirement fund that supports the lifestyle you want. Ready to Explore Property in Your SMSF? Whether you'd like to discuss whether an SMSF is right for you or need help setting one up, reach out to Ascent Accountants . If you want assistance managing the property within your fund, contact the Ascent Property Co team .
June 30 is closer than you think. Learn what tax strategies are still on the table, how to keep more of what you earned this year, and how to get your payroll ready for Payday Super from 1 July 2026.
Is your business structure still working for you? This EOFY, learn how to read the signs of growth, rethink your strategy, and build a real plan from the numbers that actually matter.
