How to use LinkedIn to Grow Your Business Network - #TuesdayThoughts

In the last 8 years, LinkedIn has established itself as a clear front runner for B2B marketing. It is all about professional connections, business development and other business-related activities. Unlike their competitors, such as Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn provides a direct route to your consumers, where you can showcase your businesses capabilities and successes. Before you can achieve the best results for your business, it is important to understand how to utilise this platform correctly.

Complete your profile

Your profile is what will cause potential customers to click on your page, and an impressive profile is what will keep them there. It is not just about having your name, your university and your business details, you need to sell yourself to those on your page. Speak about what activities you were involved in whilst at college or university and what exactly your job entails on a daily basis, so that those who are interested in your business can gain a clear idea if you have what they are looking for.

Make some connections

There is no use having an impressive profile if there is no one to look at it. It is important to make connections on LinkedIn, but also important that you do not make random ones. LinkedIn is not like Facebook or Twitter, in that it is not about the numbers; it is about quality not quantity. When making connections make sure that those you are connecting with could add value to your business or vice versa. It is also a good idea to add a message when you are making a connection with someone, to extend the olive branch and state to them why you are connecting with them.

Beef up your profile

Once you have the basic details of your profile filled it and some connections, it is important to keep it updated so that those looking on your profile can tell that you are active on the platform. This can include posting articles that are relevant to your industry, company updates or bragging about your company’s successes. Don’t be shy to showcase what your company is capable of, this is exactly the platform to do so on. Keeping yourself visible on your connections timelines will ensure that you do not fade from their memory. 

Join groups

You can either joined an already established group or make your own. It is a great way to connect to like-minded people and spread your message to those you wouldn’t normally encounter. It is also a proven way to drive traffic to your site. One of the best ways to do this is to share a blog post or article from your website onto the group page, and create a discussion about the subject of the article. By doing this you can increase traction to your website, but also showcase your knowledge.

Add Showcase pages

Showcase pages allow you to highlight specific areas of your business, like a particular project or brand. By doing so you can clearly separate the areas of your business, and in doing so can direct these at target audiences. You can create a tailored message for these audiences and increase the chances of a successful transaction. 

LinkedIn can be extremely helpful to get the word out about your business and what it can achieve for potential clients, as well as showcasing your own unique talents and services. For more information on social media marketing check out our services.

To get started on developing your company’s social media presence, contact me here.

By Amy Carpenter