The LinkedIn Social Selling Index was created as a formula to quantify how well people have embraced social selling on a scale from 1 to 100.
According to LinkedIn, social sellers create 45% more opportunities than peers with a lower SSI, 51% more likely to achieve quota, and outsell peers who don’t use social media.
How is your social selling index score calculated?
LinkedIn’s SSI score is calculated using the following four categories:
- Establish your professional brand – How complete is your LinkedIn profile?
- Find the right people – Are you using Advanced Search function or Lead Builder to identify prospects?
- Engage with insights – Are you sharing content and engaging other people’s status updates or company updates?
- Build relationships – Are you building relationships with senior leaders and decisions makers?
How to improve your social selling index score
Here are five tips to help you improve your LinkedIn social selling index (SSI) score. By spending as little as 15 minutes a day on LinkedIn and following these tips, your SSI score should improve.
1. Calculate your LinkedIn social selling index score
Once you find out your LinkedIn SSI score, you can see what categories you need to improve. Once you get a baseline of where you stand, you’ll know what to concentrate on. You can track your SSI score weekly to see if you are making improvements. Also, you’ll see how you are doing compared to your industry and your network.
Tip: Figure out your SSI score on LinkedIn and bookmark the link to your web browser.
2. Boost your personal brand with a completed LinkedIn profile
Personal branding is what others say when you are not in the room. Your clients and prospects view your LinkedIn profile as much as you view their profile. The top part of your LinkedIn profile is what most people look at when they view your LinkedIn profile.
If you haven’t already completed your LinkedIn profile, then it’s an excellent place to start raising your SSI score. It is important to add a professional headshot since people are 7x more likely to engage with you (if you have a good headshot). Also, it is critical to create a really good summary. You can use LinkedIn summary templates for sales pros as a place to start.
LinkedIn’s algorithms look at profiles that are complete when determining your score. For the people (you haven’t met in person), trust is key in determining whether it’s worth their time to connect and build a relationship.
3. Proactively search for the right people to connect with on LinkedIn
LinkedIn was created to build your network of connections. Your SSI score rewards you for proactively searching for the right people.
- Are seeking second-degree or third-degree connections?
- Are you looking for influencers and decision makers to connect with?
- Have you connected with everyone you know on LinkedIn?
Tip: Use the people you may know feature on LinkedIn to grow your network.
4. Engage with relevant insights and share valuable content on LinkedIn
Many people find that posting updates and sharing content on LinkedIn is one of the most enjoyable parts of social selling. If you are liking, sharing, and/or posting content that’s interesting to you, it’s probably interesting to your network.
Remember, make sure that the content you like and share is relevant, positioning you as an expert who knows the latest in your industry. According to Forrester, 82 percent of buyers viewed at least 5 pieces of content from the winning vendor. Learn why value and insights win in social selling.
Tip: Share and/or like content posted to your company’s LinkedIn page and share content from other sources.
5. Join groups to connect with the right people on LinkedIn
It’s all about who you know not what you know. Your SSI score considers both your connections on LinkedIn and the acceptance rate of your connection requests. If you join groups on LinkedIn, you can find the right people to connect with on LinkedIn.
Tip: Join LinkedIn groups and do an advanced search on LinkedIn.
Your LinkedIn SSI score is just a number
Everything you do on LinkedIn should add value so your network will think of you in the future and recommend you to others. With face-to-face conversations with your clients and prospects, you understand how to build trusted relationships. Those same principles apply online with LinkedIn.
The LinkedIn SSI score just measures it for you.
Remember, your SSI score is just a number that indicates your engagement on LinkedIn. What really counts is your business results. When you are more active on LinkedIn, your SSI score will rise. The key is to be consistent and devote at least 15 minutes a day. What tips would you add to this list? How did you grow your LinkedIn SSI score?