As the world’s largest professional network on the internet, LinkedIn’s 467 million members make the platform a powerful marketing tool for professionals.
With two members joining every second, having a presence on LinkedIn can prove valuable for raising your business profile and connecting with key influencers and potential clients.
Download your LinkedIn Essentials Guide here.
What is LinkedIn?
At its most basic, LinkedIn is a channel for connecting and maintaining relationships, with work colleagues and classmates. It allows you to search for job opportunities, business deals and new ventures.
It is essentially an online version of your classic networking event but without the sweaty palms and small talk. Yet the platform is so much more than that.
With the right strategy in place, LinkedIn can propel your business to new heights, and establish you as a thought leader in your industry.
Optimise your profile
If you’re like most socially savvy people, you’ve no doubt Googled your name to see what results came up. Did you know that LinkedIn ranks higher than any other social network appearing at the top of your results?
Moreover, LinkedIn’s algorithms reward completed profiles by placing them higher on their own search results. Completed profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities via LinkedIn.
To give your profile the best chance for success, focus on the following:
- A professional photo that is clear, friendly and free of background distractions;
- A custom public profile URL makes it easier for prospects to find you;
- Complete your profile according to LinkedIn’s recommendations;
- Poor spelling and grammar can create an unprofessional image of you and your business;
- Make the most of the summary section by explaining why you’re on LinkedIn, what you hope to achieve and how you can best be contacted
Publish your own content
LinkedIn’s publishing platform was opened to the public in February 2014 and smart businesses are taking advantage of the massive audience that the platform is able to offer them.
With content being published at an ever increasing rate, getting your words noticed becomes an uphill battle.
With the average article reaching 21 industries and nine countries, it’s a useful tool to add to your blogging strategy and increase your exposure. It also allows you to position yourself as an influencer within your industry.
To ensure your post has the best chance for success, keep your titles short, use an eye-catching image, publish frequently and take every opportunity to add to your LinkedIn connections.
Create valuable leads with LinkedIn groups
Participating in LinkedIn groups not only keeps you engaged in your industry, but builds vital relationships with potential prospects. You can begin by either joining existing groups within your industry or creating your own.
Ensure that the groups you choose to join are highly relevant and that you are connecting with like-minded peers. That way, any content you post will be more likely to be accepted and shared.
Look for any questions being asked within the groups that you feel confident answering. This has an immediate effect of getting you noticed and showcasing your expertise.
You may also start a conversation or pose a thought-provoking question, although be sure it hasn’t been asked previously. Building authority requires a continued presence, so be consistent in your groups. Share content that is both valuable and from resources other than your own.
Connecting with prospects within a group is incredibly useful, but ensure that you’ve first taken the time to interact with them via conversation threads.
Use InMail to generate awareness
Unlike advertising on other social media platforms or using Google Adwords, LinkedIn’s InMail presents a more informal way of getting your brand or product in front of potential customers.
Sponsored InMails can be delivered to the inbox of other LinkedIn users even if you haven’t yet connected with them.
Because of its personal nature, InMail is the ideal way to promote content that requires prospects to provide an email address, such as webinars and lead magnets.
Considering that email marketing generate 40 times more customers than social media, LinkedIn’s advertising method is not to be ignored. Additionally, advanced targeting features ensure you can send your messages to your ideal customers.
Note that LinkedIn caps the number of InMails a user can send per month, depending on the subscription they hold.
Strategy is key
Creating a well planned, focussed social media strategy for making the most of LinkedIn will help boost your sales, leverage meaningful connections and show an increased ROI (return on investment).
Signing up to a social media platform without a clear plan of how you intend to make the most of it, is the single biggest mistake businesses make.
The key to a well thought out strategy is knowing exactly whom you intend to build a relationship with and then create or share content that is valuable to your network.
LinkedIn may be the quiet workhorse of the social media family, but with the right strategy in place, the platform can generate significant returns on your time and effort.
Download your LinkedIn Essentials Guide here.
