How long does it take to see results on LinkedIn?
It depends on these three factors

You saw the headline of this article and I know what you were hoping the answer would be. A week, maybe a month? I wish I could oblige, but LinkedIn is the long game.

Sure, you’ll see some results right away: more engagement, profile views, and name recognition – but the really good conversations?

Those take 3-12 months to happen. There may be surprises – a Fluex client in the business funding industry received a message from a hot lead on day 2, and another client in the 3PL (3rd party logistics) industry signed two contracts in the first 6 weeks – and you should celebrate those, but definitely don’t expect them.
How long will it take for you to see results?

It depends on these three factors:

INDUSTRY

Do you have a lot of competitors?
Do you have little name recognition?
Do you need to build a high level of trust?
Are you selling a high-ticket service (like custom software development)?
Are you selling something businesses only need every few years (like branding)?
Are prospects reluctant to switch, even if they are unhappy with their current provider (like accounting)?

If your answers to any (or a few) of these questions is YES, you’re looking at the longer end of the spectrum.

PERSONALITY

You don’t have to be funny, charismatic, or loud to succeed on LinkedIn, but you do need to be willing and able to push yourself out of your comfort zone and be vulnerable and real in your content. This is essential to build an audience, spread your content, and build rapport with prospects. More details and examples here.

The more prepared you are to put yourself out there and be relatable and human, the faster you’ll see results.

LINKEDIN STATUS

Have you consistently posted and engaged?
Has this activity been recent?
How many active* followers do you have?

*We’ve had clients join us with over 25,000 followers, and we assumed it would give them a head start. Turns out, if the majority of those followers are not the right people or haven’t logged onto LinkedIn for the past year, they won’t be of much use (and might actually hinder the account’s performance).

The more engaged and well-connected you are already, the faster you’ll see results.

Wherever you fall on the spectrum, start today.

You don’t want to look back six months from now and wish you’d already be having lucrative conversations. Check out these posts for some help: