5 Tips to Maximize Your LinkedIn Presence
January 10, 2019
The unsung hero of social media for business must be LinkedIn. So many people use it, but nobody spends time truly developing their profiles, focusing on content, or making it creative and unique. Unlike Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, LinkedIn was created with business users in mind. This makes it the perfect platform for business to business marketing, for seeking out peers for guest blogs and partnerships, and for marketing to upscale clients who require a more serious style of advertising.
The activity on LinkedIn is often what puts businesses off when considering it as a form of marketing. You’re far less likely to see a post go viral on LinkedIn than you might on Instagram or Facebook, but this doesn’t make it any less viable as a marketing tool. In many cases, businesses just aren’t using this platform to its full potential, which could decrease chances of success and website traffic.
If you’re thinking of taking the plunge and using LinkedIn as a method of B2B marketing or more business-oriented campaigns, here are 5 tips to get your profile where it needs to be.
1. Keep Images Professional: Unlike Facebook where individuals upload bathroom selfies with friends as profile pictures, LinkedIn has a more business casual feel to their visuals. The best way to think about LinkedIn photos is to picture this platform as a virtual business card. It has all the information consumers and companies need to get in touch and see what you’re all about, and it even includes a great headshot.
You know that great looking photo realters display on “For Sale” signs? That’s exactly the kind of image you want to project on your LinkedIn account. Wear clothing which reflect your company’s philosophies, use a professional service or high-grade camera at a straight on angle, and remember to smile. You want to appear approachable and professional.
2. Employ a Personal and Business Page & Keep it Up to Date: Many businesses feel that the only way to make use of LinkedIn is to create a company profile. This is far from the truth. Having a personal profile puts a face to your brand and makes your company more human. Plus, it adds a second space where you can cross-post updates and keep content flowing.
It’s not enough to setup some profiles, however; to be successful you must keep them updated. Just as your company website requires constant fresh content, your social media accounts need to be consistently added to and updated. Keeping this information up to date shows your followers that these pages are active and that your company is serious about them. It will also help your pages to show up in featured posts through the LinkedIn login page.
3. Fill in Your Summary: The biggest mistake a LinkedIn business user can make is to avoid completing the profile process. It’s tedious to be sure, but without this information your potential clients are left wondering who you are and what you stand for until your next update is published. Much like a dating site requires you to give a blurb about who you are and why you’re here, LinkedIn offers a profile summery. This should give a roundabout description of you or your business and should be clear and straightforward to the reader.
Avoid using internal language and jargon when filling out this section. Make it brief, interesting, and relevant to your brand. Most of all, don’t exaggerate or use headings or claims which might be construed as “click bait”. You still want to have some form of call to action, but don’t make it too obvious, and remember to include contact information and a link to any official webpage.
4. Change That Connect to a Follow: The world is full of less social beings these days, it’s partially due to the ability to interact discreetly over the internet and partially because everyone is too busy to get together. This makes the word “connect” seem far more daunting than it needs to be. While the point of LinkedIn is to connect with peers and businesses, a quick change from “connect” to “follow” can alleviate some of the stress a potential client sees when they find your page.
The option to follow is great because it takes the onus off the follower and leaves the ball in your court. Now you can reach out to a new follower and make the connection yourself, increasing chances of a successful LinkedIn campaign and increasing the social impact of your brand.
5. Advertise on LinkedIn: Just as Facebook doubles as an advertising platform, LinkedIn also offers the opportunity to send your ads out into the cyberverse. Ads help create web traffic, generate leads, and improve the consumer engagement you see both on your LinkedIn profile and your company webpage.
Use your profile to encourage users to find and watch your ad. Post contests, promotions, and engaging content to keep users interested.
Like any other social media platform, you’ll only get back from LinkedIn what you put in. This means keeping things up to date, relevant, and interesting. If you put in the work, you’ll find that whether it takes off as a social media star or not, it will help generate more leads and stronger B2B connections for your brand. The internet is full of unique and useful tools to help your company grow; try them all and find the ones that work best for you.