Quick Tips: LinkedIn for Business
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If you’re looking for a social media channel to grow and maintain your professional network, get your brand noticed or find a job then LinkedIn is for you! LinkedIn is designed to help individuals and companies manage their professional connections and share industry-specific content with like-minded individuals. LinkedIn currently has over 610 million members, 90 million senior-level influencers, and 92% of Fortune 500 companies use this platform making it a must for business professionals across the globe.
PROFILE BASICS
Getting noticed on LinkedIn means filling out as much of the account profile as possible. Use a current and professional photo, write a killer headline that includes at least a handful of your best professional attributes and accomplishments, be sure to include your recent work history and link to all relevant websites. Successfully complete the profile and you’ve essentially created an online business card that will help you grow an audience and make valuable professional connections.
7 WAYS TO GET NOTICED
POST DAILY: Two-thirds of LinkedIn users are working professionals ages 25-54. This group is getting news and information from the site and more importantly, they are networking. Daily posts speed up the connection process. Remember to not only post during typical work hours but also after business hours. Then, engage! Ask questions and comment frequently. Update as needed and post/share career opportunities. Job seekers average 30 minutes a day on this platform.
MAKE CONNECTIONS: LinkedIn offers a unique approach to making connections through its 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level connection system. 1st level connections are direct connections who will see your posts in their newsfeed. However, as soon as they begin to like, comment and share, your content, it will be seen beyond your immediate network to their connections (2nd level) and connections of connections (3rd level.) This system allows for networking beyond your immediate circle potentially putting you in contact with important new connections.
LINKEDIN GROUPS: Join groups, this is a social network after all! Search and join industry-related groups. Don’t forget to seek out regional groups as well. Get active. Share experiences and insights. Ask questions, offers answers, and message group members.
ASK FOR RECOMMENDATIONS: LinkedIn is geared around professionals, so recommendations are a great feature on this channel. Connections can also endorse you for skills. Both build up your personal profile and can lead to new connections and job opportunities.
TAG STRATEGICALLY: When done correctly, tagging can draw attention to your posts. Bonus, you don’t have to be “connected” to the person to tag them. If you mention or quote an influential person in your post/comment, he or she may repost your content or connect with you. Networking like this is a win-win.
PROFILE VIEWS: Another great way to grow your audience and make connections is by checking out who’s viewed your profile. Making contact through sending invitations, following or messaging profile viewers is a great way to network. LinkedIn’s free version allows users to see 5 recent profile viewers, the paid version allows users to see all profile viewers. Keep in mind that profile viewers can browse in private mode, keeping their identity hidden.
KEYWORDS: Using keywords on the LinkedIn platform can help connections find you when they need a product or service you offer. Make a list of keywords related to your business and use them in your profile.
LINKEDIN PUBLISHING
Publishing on LinkedIn is a must. Longer content allows more in-depth audience targeting on the social network. By publishing blogs and articles, you can make more connections through shares, get noticed by others in your industry, and grow your own personal credibility as an industry authority. Publishing also provides SEO benefits such as backlinks from LinkedIn and indexable content. Be sure to tag your content for increased traffic after publishing. Doing this means your published content will have lasting searchability. The best published articles include the following: great headlines, articles under 1,000 words, content about careers, and compelling visuals/images.
LINKEDIN FOR BUSINESS
A company profile on LinkedIn serves as a broadcasting tool to grow your brand and create awareness. This is a great place to share company updates and job opportunities. While it’s important to remember that people want to connect with other people, a company profile will show up in searches, solidify company branding, bring employees together, and allows a company to run ads.
ANALYTICS
Every social media channel offers analytics LinkedIn is no exception. Viewing insights offered on this platform informs users of their reach, helps make additional connections and gain valuable business insight. LinkedIn insights can help you directly connect with those reading your content and key industry leaders. Analytics measure page views and shows you how often a unique viewer is visiting your profile or reading your content. Users can also monitor impressions (the number of times the post was shown to LinkedIn members,) engagements (the number of interactions divided by impressions,) and clicks (the number of clicks on your content, company name, or logo.)
BEST PRACTICES
The biggest takeaway from LinkedIn is that this is a business-minded social network. Professionalism is key. LinkedIn largely serves as a personal marketing tool and as such users should go in with goals in mind. Showcasing your expertise, posting blogs and articles, sharing milestones, launching products, and highlighting industry-related news all happen here.
