LinkedIn is well-known as a social media platform for professionals, job hunters, and business owners alike. If you haven’t set up a profile already, now is the time to do it as more businesses move over to LinkedIn. Unlike your website and other social media outlets, LinkedIn offers a unique networking platform for both businesses and clients. 1 out of 3 professionals worldwide uses LinkedIn, which makes it ridiculous for any business NOT to join on what is a marketing gold mine.
LinkedIn is an excellent marketing resource, but it’s not enough that you use it, it’s how you use it that counts. LinkedIn can help you generate leads, gain exposure, and connect with other experts, and since it has its own messenger and search filters, it’s easier to find like-minded and trustworthy business partners, clients, and vendors. If you haven’t already signed up, here’s what you need to know first.
1. People will judge from what they see on your profile.
Of course, not everyone you network with will be familiar with you or your business, and first impressions are everything. That’s why when using LinkedIn, it’s important to not only make sure your profile or company page is up-to-date, but looking good. There are a few tricks to help give a good first impression. You can customize your URL, include a nice background image, keep your information detailed and relevant, and, of course, feature recommendations from other people. SEO isn’t just for blogs either, try including SEO keywords throughout your profile.
2. LinkedIn has a profinder badge feature.
LinkedIn has several helpful marketing tools, especially if you are a freelancer. You can apply for a profinder badge, which is featured on your LinkedIn profile page and helps to advertise your skills and services. LinkedIn’s profinder can help connect you with high quality leads, and does so by sending requests through email. You can then submit a proposal which briefly entails the cost, contact information, and a message if you’re interested. You can even start a conversation via private messaging through this social media platform.
3. LinkedIn has an advanced people search option.
Networking is a top priority, which is why LinkedIn features an advanced search feature. Not only can you search for who you know, but the people they know. You can build better relationships with new clients through your own connections and help advertise your brand through word of mouth. If you’re also included in any LinkedIn groups, the advanced people search lets you connect with people in those groups.
4. 50% of B2B buyers use LinkedIn for making purchase decisions.
Most B2B buyers, about 75%, base their buying decisions off of social media. About 50% of those B2B buyers use LinkedIn specifically when making buying decisions. Ensuring your profile looks good and is up-to-date can not only help with networking, but attract B2B buyers to your business. A company page can especially help to attract potential buyers, as well as improve brand awareness, post job opportunities, and help educate new clients about your services.
5. A LinkedIn company page is free extra publicity.
Besides attracting buyers, a LinkedIn company page and/or profile page is also another free source of publicity. You can feature your LinkedIn profile on your website and social media profiles, and vice versa, which can help drive traffic to your website. Any updates you post on LinkedIn can also be shared on your Twitter account.
6. You can network with your employees and colleagues.
The larger your audience, the better. Just like Facebook or Twitter, you can build new connections off of your employees and colleagues’ connections. Encourage them to follow your company page as they can be your business’s biggest advocates. The more people who follow your company page, the more shares you can get on your updates. If you’re still coming up short on making new connections, LinkedIn can also import all your stored emails to reconnect with old contacts.
7. LinkedIn Groups can help expand your network even more.
One of the best features of LinkedIn are the numerous groups you can join. Whether you decide to make your own group or join one, LinkedIn groups are excellent for networking with other like-minded professionals, building up your reputation by sharing your own expertise, and attracting traffic to your company page. If you decide to create your own group, LinkedIn does allow you to email every member once a week. Working with LinkedIn groups can also provide helpful insight about your target audience. You can also join groups that your target audience might be into.
8. LinkedIn features endorsements and recommendations.
On your profile page other people can endorse your skills or post a recommendation. This can be a very powerful tool for networking, especially when you have experts and happy clients to backup your claims. A profile page full of recommendations will also help to make you stand out among other candidates.
9. You can build your brand with the LinkedIn Audience Network.
If you need help advertising your business, LinkedIn has you covered with its audience network. Not only can you create your own ads and post them in professional news feeds, you can spread your ads to a wider audience and monitor progress. LinkedIn’s audience network ensures your ads will be featured in high-quality apps and websites.
10. LinkedIn lets you export your connections.
One last helpful feature that you ought to know about is how LinkedIn lets you export all your connections. This can come in handy if you need to track or organize your contacts on another contact management system. LinkedIn makes it easy by providing you with a downloadable file with all your profile information and connections.
Don’t Let a Good Marketing Tool Go to Waste
Even a basic LinkedIn profile page can help your marketing efforts tremendously, as it offers network opportunities with professionals. However, you only get how much you put into something. The more work that goes into your LinkedIn profile and company page, the better the results. LinkedIn is a marketing gold mine, but you’ll need to use it wisely before you start making lasting connections.
