I remember hearing the question, "you on LinkedIn?" a lot after graduating college. The shift from asking new friends "what's your instagram?" to this new question was almost instantaneous after graduation as all of us were entering the workforce.
Networking for professionals. That's what I thought of when I heard the term "LinkedIn." Or Facebook for business people. Either way, I often thought of LinkedIn as just another social media platform, but way less interesting. Boy, was I wrong!
This platform is terrific for employees, employers, the self-employed, and everyone in between. Maybe you are like me and put it into a box where it does not belong. I am here to let you know that you may be missing out on the perfect marketing device by either ignoring LinkedIn or wasting it.
First of all, did you know that there are almost 700 million users on LinkedIn? That is a huge number of people with a work-focused social media account. A lot of them are using it to search for work, but many are using it to advertise their business.
Some of the features of LinkedIn make it a great tool for marketing yourself or your company.
-Perfect for targeting specific audiences
-Connecting person-to-person
-Following groups/organizations in your niche
-Researching competition
-Publishing content for your connections/followers
Creating a LinkedIn page for your business also allows you to create more backlinks to your website, improving your site's SEO and your overall online presence.
The platform is designed for connections to be made easily, and from there you can develop strategic relationships that you can pitch to down the road or use to grow your network.
The important thing to do as a marketer on LinkedIn is to build trust. Do not try to sell with every post that you share. Rather, focus on the networking relationships that you can build. If you focus on selling too much on what is, at the end of the day, a social platform, it will come across as spamming.
It is also crucial that you take the time to set up your business page. Be detailed when it comes to the about section so that everyone understands clearly what you are offering. Create a cover photo with a small description of your business or a satisfied client's testimony. Every little touch that you can add goes a long way in improving the image of your brand.
Essentially, the same principles that apply to any other social media accounts and your website also apply to LinkedIn; Keep it updated, publish regular content to stay top-of-mind and prove that you are an expert in your field, and be knowledgeable about current trends.
As a member of LinkedIn myself, I trust the businesses that I see posting a lot of content far more than those that are silent on the platform. They are demonstrating their expertise and showing that they LOVE their field.
Do not treat it as a secondary social media platform, but make it a priority. A lot of the professionals on LinkedIn know what they are looking for already, so do not waste this opportunity to put your brand in front of more eyes.
Look for those connections, advertise your business in a non-salesy way, and add LinkedIn to your marketing strategy.
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