LinkedIn isn’t just for personal use. The social networking site may be billed as “for professionals,” but don’t let the ostensibly more serious nature of this platform scare you away. According to Pew Research Center a quarter of online adults are on LinkedIn. You read that right. That’s 25% of everyone on the Internet, who uses LinkedIn and among these users could be key decision makers and advocates for your brand.
So how do you reach them? You’ve created your page, filled out your company profile, added relevant (and appropriately sized) images, and “ta da!” You’re finally finished with the process and ready to watch the leads roll in, right? Wrong!
Don’t Let Content Be an Afterthought
Simply setting up a page isn’t enough. Once you’ve created your page you need to maintain it, like any other social media platform your brand uses to engage online. You’ll need to consistently post relevant company updates and other content that resonates with your audience (we recommend a bare minimum of three times a week) to maintain an active and professional presence.
Would you engage with a page that hasn’t posted any content? Or one that doesn’t seem like it has a “real person” on the other end ready to answer your questions? Probably not, and your followers won’t either.
So what you should you post? Keep in mind that this page will work a little differently than your personal profile. That means sharing more about your company culture and the things you and your employees are doing out in the world to give people a taste of who you are as a brand.
It’s a Brand’s Platform After All
Using LinkedIn for business, can be a great way to connect and engage with this professional audience. This audience isn’t scrolling through cat photos, engagement announcements, and those thirty-second recipe videos that fill up their Facebook News Feed. They’re already in a professional mindset and open to the types of content you may be sharing.
Intrigued? Once you’ve set up your Company Page, you can also create Showcase Pages. These function as subpages tied to the company page and can be a great way to highlight any sub-brands, divisions or even specific products. Just make sure you have enough content to support them and remember to keep them active.
Sponsored Updates are Powerful
One big benefit for brands on LinkedIn? The platform’s paid offerings! Sponsored updates, similar to Facebook’s boosted post offering, allow you to share your company update with a wider audience than just the people who choose to follow your page.
If you’re a B2B marketer with a niche target audience, these might be worth looking into as a way to help reach key groups. Because of the professional nature of the platform, when users fill out their personal profiles they essentially create a living breathing digital resume, putting the ability to accurately target people based on education, job function (and more!) is right at your fingertips.
Empower Employees to Participate
Employees are the voice of your company and one of the main drivers of your culture. When employees fill out their personal LinkedIn profiles, people viewing your company page will see them listed as an employee. They may reach out to them to build an initial connection, or simply associate them with your brand. In any case, informing employees about their impact on your LinkedIn strategy is a must.
Encourage employees to follow your page, so they’re subscribed to you’re the updates you share. The more they like, comment on and share these updates more people you’ll reach. Empowering employee participation in your presence will help elevate your content to their professional network and beyond!
Questions about using LinkedIn to support your business? Ask us in the comments! You can find us on LinkedIn here.
Kaitlyn is the Manager, Social Media at RDW and an all-weather beach enthusiast. When she’s not creating integrated social media strategies or launching campaigns, you can find her traveling and looking for the best local eats, hopefully at the same time.