How to Boost a Post on LinkedIn to Improve Your SSI (Social Selling Index)

Samuel Cruz -

Social selling is a strategy that relies on social media platforms to reach new prospects and close deals. The more people you have in your network, the easier it becomes to make connections with potential buyers. Social selling leaders are using LinkedIn more than any other social platform to get in front of the right buyers at the right time.

Linkedin's social selling index (SSI) is a score that measures how much an individual uses the site to connect with other people.

The SSI score isn't perfect, but it can give you some insight into your own social selling efforts on Linkedin. Here's what every sales professional should know about their LinkedIn SSI and what they can do to improve it.

What is the LinkedIn SSI Score?

The LinkedIn SSI score or social selling index is a number that represents your online influence and how well you use LinkedIn to reach out to potential clients.

The higher the SSI, the more influence power you have on LinkedIn and the easier it becomes for people in your network to see your content (website links, job postings) and connect to you.

Linkedin tracks your overall SSI score through a number of factors such as the amount and quality of people in your network, engagement with other professionals (comments/shares on posts), and how much content you share that gets viewed by others.

How important is it for your professional brand?

The SSI score is very important, especially if you are looking to become a social seller. A high number means that your posts and content will be seen by more people in LinkedIn's network, which could lead to new business opportunities!

Here is what Linkedin tell us about the social selling index

If you want an edge over other professionals on Linkedin then it is critical that you consistently use the site and build connections with others.

Focus on adding value through sharing links or articles related to industry news/trends and engage with followers (comments).

This demonstrates authority in your field and makes people interested in what you have to offer. Also, click "Follow" when connecting with someone so they know who has connected with them. If their name appears under the following section of their page, this shows they have a strong network and can help you grow your own.

How do I find my Linkedin SSI score?

  • Log in to your LinkedIn account or Linkedin sales navigator.
  • Navigate to https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi.
  • You should get a full dashboard view of all of the key metrics, as well as your SSI.

It's really as simple as that, and your social selling index is already calculated by LinkedIn. So, if you're wondering how to find out information about your Linkedin SSI, it's quite easy.

What's a good SSI score?

A good SSI score is anything above 70. Anything below this threshold will most likely mean a reduced chance of being recommended by other Linkedin users, which could lead to a reduction in job opportunities and lower sales for your company!

Recommending someone with a low SSI does not give you the same benefits as recommending those with a high score.

How to Improve your LinkedIn SSI Score

The fastest way to improve your LinkedIn SSI score is by knowing how LinkedIn calculates it. One effective method to increase visibility and engagement is to boost a post. According to LinkedIn, there are 4 elements of social selling. LinkedIn post boosting is another strategy to enhance your SSI score by converting organic posts into paid promotions, allowing you to reach a broader audience and improve professional connections.

1 - Establishing your professional brand on your LinkedIn business page

2 - Finding the right people through LinkedIn audience network

3 - Engaging with insights

4 - Building relationships

There are several ways to increase your SSI score on LinkedIn, and one effective method is to boost posts to reach a wider audience and build relationships. Here we will focus on five key factors that affect it:

Number of Connections

The more connections someone has, the better! Having many people in your network means there is a greater chance they will see any updates or content you share through their feed. Try making friends with as many professionals across different industries as possible so make sure to use all three sections (first/second/third) when connecting with others to maximize exposure! Additionally, consider using a boosted post to increase visibility among your connections.

Network Activity

How often do you connect and engage professionally online?

If the answer is not enough, then this could be affecting your SSI score. Boosting LinkedIn posts is an effective method to increase engagement and activity. Remember to always check your notifications and respond to messages, comments on your posts/content, and follow the people you connect with (this will also help them see who has connected with them).

Sharing Quality Content with boosted posts

The content that you post online is extremely important as it determines whether or not others engage with it! Boosting quality LinkedIn posts can significantly enhance their reach and visibility. Make sure all of the links shared are valuable content such as articles related to industry news trends. This shows potential buyers that you know what’s going on in their space and how they can benefit by working with you!

Job Postings through LinkedIn ad account

If a company sees job postings from someone they might want to hire then this could lead to new opportunities for business growth! Try searching "jobs" within Linkedin so there is less work involved when posting and always post open positions for roles that you're interested in.

Posting frequently

If no one sees your posts then it’s useless to even share them! Utilizing a LinkedIn boost can ensure your posts are seen by a larger audience. The trick is finding the right balance of how often you should be posting, which mainly depends on what kind of content you are sharing (industry news/links vs personal updates). There is also a section below every LinkedIn status update where people can leave comments so make sure to interact with other users by responding to both positive and negative feedback.

How to grow your SSI on LinkedIn summary

  • Fill out your LinkedIn profile completely. Update your professional photo and background to reflect professionalism.
  • Use LinkedIn as your blogging platform. Publish articles on LinkedIn pulse to establish yourself as an expert and make them visit your profile.
  • Identify better potential prospects by using LinkedIn tools such as Advanced People Searches, filters, or saved search feature.
  • Interact with insights and follow hashtags that are relevant to your network.
  • Always find new opportunities of meeting and connecting with people on LinkedIn.
  • Have a LinkedIn ad account to boost posts, promote existing content to a broader audience, manage budgets, and target specific demographics effectively.
  • Use Campaign Manager to manage and track the performance of boosted posts, ensuring you have the appropriate advertising permissions associated with your LinkedIn ad account.

Final thoughts

The SSI score is a great tool that can help you to stand out from the crowd and boost your career. It's important to know what elements increase this score by using all of the LinkedIn tools available. Make sure to follow these steps so you too will see an improvement in how others perceive your social selling skills and personal brand.

Before you go

You can attract lots of new connections if you post regularly on your LinkedIn Page. Having a LinkedIn business page is necessary before initiating post boosting to enhance visibility and engagement. We advise you to share your knowledge and value with your connections. Sometimes, it can be a little hard to attract connections and other users to engage with your content!