From a sales perspective, it's all about visibility. But let's look at it from a psychology perspective, too. '
In-group bias' is the tendency for humans to prioritize members of their own group when it comes to making decisions. Family members before friends, friends before acquaintances and so on. There are, of course, negatives to this phenomenon and many rules exist to level out the playing field. But often these biases remain.
If we accept that in-group biases can influence the process of awarding ATM contracts, the next logical question is: how can you benefit from this? The only way is to be visible. This requires interacting and connecting with members of your target group. In-person contact is irreplaceable but LinkedIn is a brilliant alternative or secondary option for making professional contacts.
Building a powerful network takes time and effort. There are no shortcuts and you need to make the most out of it. When you post something, don't walk away immediately. If somebody reacts or comments, make sure they are part of your network, and if not, connect with them. Reply to your comments. Nothing is worse than commenting and being left aside.
If you are not convinced yet that being visible constantly is important, ask yourself this: why does a brand like Coca-Cola, which everybody knows, still invest so much in advertising, in bars, in stadiums and everywhere else?