Social media is a powerful tool for any business. Whether you’re a brick and mortar establishment or a 100% online store, social media has become an invaluable tool in the modern digital age.
The ability to connect professionals to businesses and other professionals provides an excellent avenue for more targeted marketing and allows businesses and potential employees alike to explore a variety of options. You can see exactly what individuals’ and businesses’ professional interests are and what they are following.
So, how can you grow your business with LinkedIN?
Using LinkedIN: More Than Another Photo Sharing Site
LinkedIN is more than just a platform to connect businesses and professionals though. Like any other social media site, it can be used as a tool to promote your content, follow up on leads, track trending content and more. Whether you’ve had a LinkedIN profile for a while or are completely new to the platform, there are some basic tips and tricks to the service that are good to review and keep in mind while growing your business.
Keep Your Info Up to Date and Professional
If you use LinkedIN, you already know that users and businesses interact and follow each other, while tracking news and trends. Each feed gives exposure to people that are hunting for products or services that you offer. It’s important to make sure your information, especially your contact info, is as up to date as possible. If other businesses or professionals can’t find you, it’ll be impossible to grow.
Target A Specific Audience
Send messages and invites to others in your group or network. Make sure to keep it professional and not to spam anyone with hundreds of messages; you’ll be blocked before you know it. But the right message could make the difference in gaining new business or recruiting.
LinkedIN’s advertising capabilities also allow you to target specific industries, company sizes, job titles and more to reach out to the people you most want to connect with.
Promote Your Content and Track Your Stats
Make sure to track how many people you’re connected with, how many people are following you and the number of people that have viewed your profile. Once you’ve got a solid grasp on your stats, start to promote your content (be that articles, e-books or something else). Make sure to promote your content to the audience(s) you targeted in step 2.
Perhaps most importantly and overlooked, respond to all comments you receive on any posts or content you promote. Unlike other social media platforms, original long-form content can give you a big boost on LinkedIn. Users find great value in relevant, quality articles and posts. You can gain even more impressions by incorporating rich media, like videos or photos.
Keep Up with the Latest Trends
The list of trends available in the top right corner will keep you in the know about what the hot topics are and if any of your connections are involved. If they are, make sure to take advantage of a trending topic and promote your content that’s relevant to the topic at hand.
Join Groups
Being a part of groups that are related to your business can establish a conversation and can connect you to other businesses. It also serves as an opportunity to engage with the community surrounding your business. And perhaps most importantly, groups can give you users to turn into new leads. Don’t poach! But remember that networking is just as important online as it is in the office.
Utilize the Status Report
The status report is just like an update on any other social media site. It’s used to give exposure to people that are hunting for products or services. Users can also recommend your company to each one of their connections, serving as testimonials for your business. Make sure you’re active enough to appear engaged and present (outside of promoting your content). No one will try to network with someone who never appears to be online!
The Final Note
LinkedIn is a versatile social media platform that can be used to recruit, promote, research and advertise your business. Hopefully these tips help you grow your business on LinkedIN. While you’re there, don’t forget to connect with Petra!