LinkedIn is a social media platform that has largely catered to business professionals. Job seekers, entrepreneurs and CEOs use the platform to hire, share content and make connections with industry leaders and other companies in their field. While individual connections are important, a LinkedIn profile for a business can serve as an extension of your brand. Companies who share their ideas, industry challenges and what their needs are when recruiting talent, establish themselves firmly in the industry.
Let’s delve into some ways you can get the most return on your LinkedIn investment:
Start with a detailed company page
A complete detailed profileoffers a platform to share ideas, job postings and conduct polls to get to know your audience better. Don’t be intimidated! The page set up is just like a personal profile including a cover photo and “about us” section. Google’s profile is a great example because it features the company’s employees prominently as well as sharing the latest company news.
Add followers and advocates to your page
Employees should be your star advocates! Begin by encouraging employees to follow your page and share with their connections. As the audience grows, start to promote your new LinkedIn profile on other channels like newsletters, e-blasts and social media. Customers (including potential ones) will want to keep up with company news, job openings and share their experiences with you.
Publish engaging content
LinkedIn shares their thoughts on content like this, “The goal here is to publish content that your target audience finds interesting. Clicks, shares, and comments are all good indicators of engaging content. While it can be tempting to sell your audience on the benefits of your product or service, “salesy” content doesn’t generally perform well on LinkedIn.” Remember our discussion about social media etiquette? Same rules apply. Avoid constant self-promotion and promote your own unique staff and insights. You may write about current events in your field, weigh in on popular trends and interview leadership staff for engaging content followers will want to read, like and share. If you are looking for specific ideas about what to post, try this article by Outbound Engine.
Join groups
Participating in groups can attract followers and show others in your industry you are engaged in the issues and are having thoughtful conversations. If you use the search bar and can’t find a group, create a new one! Having trouble finding a group? Start with your membership to professional associations. For example, graphic designers often belong to AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts). Through AIGA, professionals will be able to find LinkedIn discussion groups based on their specific fields which can include: user experience, branding, digital media and interactive design. Engaging in a group can only increase your visibility and grow your knowledge!
Begin recruiting and hiring
Think of LinkedIn as a global job fair. Your company page is a platform for recruiting new talent. What values are important to your company? Do you promote a healthy work/life balance? Through the profile followers can hear from employees directly on these and other important issues! When you have an opening, make it easy for potential talent to apply without leaving the website through LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply”feature.
Remember that like any online account/presence, upkeep is key to success! It may become a responsibility of a team member to check notifications and stay active on the site. The hard work will be worth the effort in the long run!
Author, Laura V. Boston
The C3 Group