Do you remember it? The absolute thrill of the moment you turned an idea into a reality — into a company.
There’s almost nothing like it — that rush of adrenaline — as you saw success in securing investors and then customers.
Now, as you strive to take your company to a new level, you face the test of raising another round of funding. It’s a make-or-break moment, right?
Though it’s not really a moment — it’s a process.
And, while the stakes are high, there are logical steps and practical tools to increase your chances of success.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a platform that allowed you to tell your story to potential investors — and help them decide to take a meeting? Or where you could share ongoing successes? Where you could highlight your terrific team and showcase the culture you worked so hard to create?
In fact, LinkedIn offers you the opportunity to do all of that and more — for free. From company pages that link to your website to leader profiles that showcase your team to ongoing posts of your success, you can tell exactly the story you want investors to know. Start with these optimizations:
Spotlight Market Opportunity
VCs look for companies that address a large and growing market opportunity because those factors provide a strong foundation for growth and profitability. Position your company as an expert in your industry.
LinkedIn Optimization:
- Post about your industry and its trends, including nuances the average person doesn’t appreciate.
- Share your perspective on news and events.
- Report research, results, and insights — post both shorter soundbites and longer articles to attract attention and allow those who are interested to dig deeper.
Showcase Product-Market Fit
Investors evaluate not only the quality and uniqueness of the product or service but also its potential to meet the needs of the target market.
LinkedIn Optimization:
- Tell success stories (case studies) — identify your customers’ specific needs and pain points and how you solved them.
- Share positive feedback from early adopters.
- Wow them with your USP — geek out a little, but also post clear understandable benefits.
Feature Your Fantastic Team
The old saying is right, “everything in business is personal.” And that includes how VCs assess a company’s value. They look carefully at the experience, skills, and leadership of the founders and key members of the management team. When they look at your team on LinkedIn, can they see potential for success?
LinkedIn Optimization:
- First, create a comprehensive company page on LinkedIn and link it to your website.
- Next, build dynamic and complete profiles for your key people. Share their professional stories and relevant accomplishments, awards, and milestones. Make sure to link the profiles to the company page.
- Make those profiles keyword rich and reflective of the depth of their skills and experience.
- Tag people in posts that relate to their work with your company — celebrating wins, work anniversaries, expert opinions, etc.
Emphasize Traction
VCs will typically look for evidence of traction, such as revenue growth, customer acquisition, or partnerships, as this can indicate the company’s potential for success.
LinkedIn Optimization:
- Share posts that show your milestones and how far you’ve come (“Remember when we were building these in your garage, [tag a founder]?”).
- Celebrate customer longevity and new customers, too. (“Our 500th customer!”)
- Post customer testimonials and success stories (because that’s the benefit of your product/service in real life and customers like it when you make them look good).
Demonstrate Credibility
Of course, money matters, too, and VCs will review the company’s financials, including revenue, profit margins, and cash flow. But you can demonstrate credibility and abundant resources before they scrutinize the spreadsheets.
LinkedIn Optimization:
- Build a large network on LinkedIn, so investors see you are well-connected and have the resources needed to deliver results.
- Search to find the connections of your potential investors and make connections with those same people. When investors see you know a lot of the same people, you have added credibility.
- Comment and engage consistently in quality conversations, so VCs can see who engages with you and how respected you are in the industry.
Share the Potential for Exit
The bottom line for a lot of investors comes down to the return on their investment. Use LinkedIn to let them know you are worth the risk and have the potential for a big payoff.
LinkedIn Optimization:
- If you and your co-founders have prior exits, make sure you highlight those.
- Showcase growth potential and a plan for scaling the business.
- Highlight your strategic partnerships.
- When appropriate, thank all your stakeholders — investors, employees, advisors.
Raising another round of funding can be highly challenging, especially when the economy is unpredictable. But using LinkedIn to showcase your company’s strengths increases your chances of success. If you’d like help implementing any of these strategies or have any questions, our team is here to help. Contact me at jschramm@proresource.com, or book a quick call. Let’s work together to make sure you are positioned to secure the funding you need to take your company to the next level.