Many companies sign up for
a LinkedIn presence but then do nothing to optimize or utilize it. Yet, LinkedIn
can go a long way toward bringing in new leads and sales, and ultimately toward
boosting the company’s sphere of influence, depending on the business and how
willing it is to invest in LinkedIn as a viable resource for strategic growth.
Simply
setting up a LinkedIn page gets you nowhere. You have to strategize, and you
have to be diligent to tap in to the immense potential for business
development.
Here are 10 tips that can help you invest your time and efforts for growth.
1. START OFF COMPLETE
Before you begin to promote your LinkedIn page, you need to make sure you have something that’s actually worth promoting. That means taking the time to complete the profile, ensuring that you provide thorough and detailed information about your company. Ensure that there is a professional-quality photograph or image, as well, because good visual branding increases consumer trust.
2. DOUBLE UP PROFILES
Create both a personal page and a company
one. Whether you’re the CEO of the company or simply a consultant, you need to
have your own page through which you can project individual authority—but of
course, a company page is also vital. Make sure that your company page includes
all pertinent data about the business, including the number of employees you
have.
3. PROMOTE THE COMPANY PAGE
If you’re going to be really investing in
using this page as a tool for online branding and business development—which
you should—then it helps to take the time to let people know it’s there. Include
a link to it on your company website and on your Facebook page, and also in
e-mail signatures and on business cards.
4. BUILD YOUR NETWORK
LinkedIn will automatically recommend
people for you to add to your network, simply based on the content you already
have in your profile. The more connections you build, the more your customers
and potential customers will see that you’re reputable and authoritative.
Regularly search for contacts, import contacts from your e-mail address book,
and use the recommendations that LinkedIn offers.
The contacts should not all be from the
same industry. Let’s say that you own an advertising firm, you want to have
connections from within the world of advertising, but you also want to have
connections with realtors, and lawyers, and small business owners who might need advertising services. You’re not
doing your company any favors by remaining within a small bubble.
5. JOIN GROUPS
Join groups with high numbers of
participants, and ensure that you’re in groups that are both directly and
tangentially related to what your own profession is, for maximum impact.
6. GET RECOMMENDATIONS
A recommendation is one of the best things
you can get for engendering trust and goodwill from potential customers and
clients. As such, it is very much worthwhile for companies and professionals to
actively solicit recommendations from customers who are satisfied with the work
done or the product provided.
7. SEEK OUT AND CONNECT
Use the platform’s search feature to seek
out people to connect with. Looking for a new employee? Don’t wait for him or
her to find you. Search for someone who fits your job description and send a
personalized request to connect. LinkedIn’s search tool is extremely effective,
so use it!
8. INCREASE PRODCUTIVITY WITH THE MOBILE APP
Business professionals can increase their
productivity by using the mobile app. Access LinkedIn while you’re riding the
subway, waiting for an appointment, or taking your lunch break. Approve new
connections and take care of other housecleaning items during your down time.
9. MAKE REGULAR UPDATES
Regular status updates can make any
LinkedIn page more effective, and a good way to increase those status updates,
fairly easily, is to tie in the company Twitter account. Integrating these two
social platforms is a great way to really get more bang for your buck, in terms
of those updates you’re writing.
10. INCORPORATE THE COMPANY BLOG
As of fairly recently, LinkedIn has produced
a way to automatically feature blog updates (you can manually enter them, as
well). Make sure your company blog is linked from your profile page, perhaps
with an attention-getting and descriptive title to keep your latest messaging and updates in front of your key business contacts.
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