528. Brian Ortiz, Building a LinkedIn Audience - a podcast by Will Bachman

Show Notes:

Brian Ortiz talks to Will Bachman about their use of various tools and CRM systems to manage their LinkedIn presence which has 70,000 followers.  Brian talks about his history in marketing, his move into real estate investing, his purpose on LinkedIn, and the CRM tools he uses.

Brian explains how he manages the actual inflow of messages, especially when dealing with heavy volume. He talks about an interesting system where he can reply quickly by using specific keywords or dates in their replies, and how he uses LinkedIn’s data system which allows them to sort and segment by different criteria. 

Brian explains that he initially lost 50-60% of messages in the shuffle, but now he has a system where they can filter and sort messages into as granular groups as possible. He also has assistants who go through the CRM and spreadsheets to maximize the volume and ensure no important messages are lost.

Using AI and CRM Tools to Manage Message Flow

Brian talks about using AI and what he looks for when investing in projects. He also offers advice on how to manage viral posts and the volume of inbound messages has increased quickly. Brian shares the tools he uses based on the type of post or  his schedule for the week. He mentions LeadDelta, and the features this system offers. He also mentions FOLK, a system that is similar to Google Sheets, to manage contact information. Another go-to CRM system is Raindrop, which allows him to save messages in the system and it has an extension in Chrome. Brian explains how you can use LinkedIn to download and manage messages. He shares some inside information on LinkedIn’s messaging algorithm. He shares important tips on consistent patterns when messaging in large volume and the benefits of manual messaging. He also offers working insight into LeadDelta to avoid violating LinkedIn’s rules of engagement and how it competes with LinkedIn’s services. 

Brian shares how he manages his large volume of connections and why he keeps 400 open slots. He talks about the LinkedIn loophole he found and the value of messaging and not just following. 

Frequency of Posting Content 

Brian initially was hesitant to post content,  but with 73,000 connections, people send him lists of investors to him. He uses tools like Tap Leo, which shows other people's highest engaged content to see what is popular and engages a high volume of views. If a gated post generates two or three million views, Brian sends a quick message to the creator, asking if they want Brian to share it. He also still posts investing or startup contrarian posts on LinkedIn, and follows around 100 people. He has trained his virtual assistant to recognize high-velocity posts and repurpose them for different content. He combines high-velocity posts to create unique insights into high-demand topics, and the engagement process improves monthly.

Brian's philosophy is that the time of day when posting is irrelevant. High-quality A+ content will go viral, and the algorithm will start determining how people are interacting with the post. The first hour after posting, the algorithm determines if the post is good, and the time of day is irrelevant. Overall, engagement will be similar regardless of the time. Brian suggests posting three or four times a week, allowing high-volume, high-engagement posts to fully extend. People expect a certain volume, but excessive posting can decrease perceived value. Brian  also talks about flubbed posts and what to do to increase the reach and engagement of your content, and also the two worst-performing types of posts, and the cost of a self-congratulatory post. 

Timestamps:

06:49 Managing viral Linkedin posts

10:53 Managing the volume of messages

15:31 How do you use Linkedin other inboxes

20:09 How to deal with connection requests

24:41 The content strategy Brian uses

28:18 Time of day to post and frequency

33:05 The problem with patience and patience

37:44 Sticking to a general topic area

 

CONTACT INFO:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianvortiz/

 

Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

 

Further episodes of Unleashed - How to Thrive as an Independent Professional

Further podcasts by Will Bachman

Website of Will Bachman