Note from Jennifer: This is the second in a two-part series on using LinkedIn to find content marketing jobs. The first post explains how to use LinkedIn job listings to find hidden freelance opportunities.

Keep your fingers crossed for me. Earlier this week, I spent an hour sending out LinkedIn Inmails offering my freelancer services to companies advertising for full-time content marketing writers, specialists and managers. I actually got quite a bit of response ranging from companies saying that they will definitely contact me when a need arises in the future to a phone interview that I have tomorrow with an agency. So if you are debating whether it is worth your time to try that strategy, I found that it was well worth the hour of my time and am positive that it will result in content marketing writing work down the road, if not in the immediate future.

As I have mentioned many times, one of the most effective ways to market is to target companies who are already familiar with content marketing and actively involved creating content for the target customer. Today’s post focuses on using LinkedIn to identify companies in your niche that are already engaged in content marketing, but aren’t necessarily advertising for help at this point. While they might not need help today, life happens. Their staff writer will take another job, their dependable freelancer will flake or they suddenly get a new client requiring a lot more work. And if you have contacted them the month before, when they find themselves in a bind they just might go look up your information and give you a call.

Here are nine steps to find companies in your niche using content marketing:

1. Go to LinkedIn and click on Advanced Search link to the right of the search box at the top of your browser.
2. In the section on the left of your browser, click on People.
3. In the Title section, put in ‘Content Marketing.’ This will produce a list of people who have both content marketing strategist and content manager. You can also try just putting in ‘Content’ if you want a broader search as well.
4. In the location section, set your preferences. I recommend starting in your local area and then expanding your search. Even though technology allows us to work with anyone across the world, the fact remains that many companies are most comfortable hiring someone local. Once you have exhausted markets in your local area, continue reaching to other geographic regions, especially targeting those popular with your niche. If you an automotive writer, then look in Detroit. If you are in Finance, then check out New York City and Charlotte. Technology writers should search in Silicon Valley, Austin, and Boston as well.
5. In the Industry section, click on your target niches. For example, if you specialize in Technology, click on Information Technology. Click on the Search button to begin the search.
6. Look through all of the results and find people working at companies that look like a fit for your skills. Do a little research on the company using both LinkedIn and their website.
7. Use LinkedIn to find other people working at the company and decide who is going to be your best contact. I usually look for a Director of Marketing or another high-level employee as a starting point, but if I can’t find one on LinkedIn, then I will send an email to the Content Marketing Specialist or Manager as a last resort. But I have found it much more effective to go higher in the food chain.
8. Send an Inmail version of your Letter of Introduction and customize it to the company as much as possible.
9. If you don’t hear anything in 3-4 weeks, send a quick follow-up.

Has anyone tried this technique or a version of it? Any tips or tricks? Do you have any other strategies you use for finding companies using content marketing?