Think LinkedIn Is Just for Job Seekers? You Are Missing Out
If you haven’t checked out LinkedIn lately, you may still think it’s a platform for job seekers. Not anymore. LinkedIn is a vibrant community of professional networking. Your business needs to have a presence on LinkedIn.
Here are strategies that you can use to achieve your business goals on LinkedIn.
Define your brand.
Building your professional brand is crucial, because people are more likely to buy from those they know, like and trust. You need to have both a LinkedIn personal profile and a company page. Both of these assets will showcase you and your business in a professional light.
Ensure your personal LinkedIn profile is professional and complete. Your profile visitors should be able to learn quickly about who you aim to serve, what you offer and why they should listen to you. Your credibility can be further enhanced by the recommendations and skill endorsements sections your profile.
Create a LinkedIn company page for your business. This is important, even if you’re a consultant or freelancer. Your company page needs to be complete, representing you and your business the way you want your ideal clients to see you.
Share your expertise.
Demonstrate your authority on your subject matter. Share content and resources that your ideal clients will find of value.
Provide your own opinion or perspective on any items that you share that are not your own.
Create and share your own original content. You can post it as status updates or long-form articles. The content you create should reflect your expertise and target the needs and interests of your target customer.
Make connections.
Connect to people, brands and groups on LinkedIn that are relevant to your brand. The larger your network, the more people will see your content. You can find people by searching the names of key clients and partners.
You can also do topical searches on LinkedIn to find people you don’t yet know. If you have a mutual connection, ask for an introduction. If not, you can send a direct connection request. Send a personalized connection request, answering the question they will have in their mind when they receive it – “who is this person, and why are they trying to connect with me?”
Stay involved.
You need to do more than set up shop on LinkedIn. You need to be part of the community. Look for content that you can like, share and comment on.
- Read your news feed – Visit the LinkedIn news feed on your homepage to see the latest posts by your network. You can sort the feed by ‘Top’ (most popular) and ‘Recent’ posts to find the ones most relevant to you.?
- Follow thought leaders and influencers – Follow thought leaders and influencers in your industry, as well as those who serve markets similar to yours to stay on top of leading trends and market opportunities.?
- Follow companies and organizations – Find and follow the leading companies and organizations in your industry.?
- Follow your competitors – Follow your competitors to gain insight into what they’re offering, whom they’re serving, what they’re sharing and what’s important to them.
- Follow hashtags – Search for and follow hashtags most commonly used by individuals, companies and organizations in your industry on LinkedIn. This way, your news stream includes content topics most relevant to your business.
