Your brand has a Facebook page and a Twitter profile, and you use them regularly. You may even be on Pinterest and Instagram, too. They’ve really helped you build up a following and promote your content. So you’re covered on the social media front, right? That depends. Are you on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is designed specifically for professional and business connections. As such, it can help you do things that other social networks can’t. Used properly, it can be an integral part of your social media strategy. Here are five ways to make the most of a LinkedIn account.
- Connect with people. Other social media sites are about amassing followers who are interested in your brand or products. But LinkedIn provides you with opportunities to connect with other people in your field or similar fields, and form working relationships. You may be able to trade tips and advice with others who are dealing with the same situations you are, and even organize cross-promotions. LinkedIn is a great way to expand your professional network.
- Have a good profile. A lot of people fill their LinkedIn profiles with a bunch of boring facts and statistics about their company, which people browsing will likely just skip over. Others never complete their profile at all, which limits the number of people who can find them in a search. Use basic SEO principles when filling out your profile and include a few keywords that will help people find you. Then take those keywords and build an interesting, compelling profile around them. Include something that will attract attention, such as an interesting story or a video recommendation.
- Join groups. There are all sorts of groups on LinkedIn, geared toward all different fields and interests. Find the ones that relate to your company and what it does, and join them. This provides you with myriad opportunities. It helps you connect with other people in your field. It allows you to establish yourself and your brand as an expert in your industry by helping people with issues they may be having and offering advice. It lets you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on in your field by participating in relevant discussions, monitoring important links and news stories, and more. And this in turn makes LinkedIn groups a virtually inexhaustible resource for topics for future content.
- Link to your content. Not only is LinkedIn a great resource for content, it’s also a great place to post the content you create. Granted, that’s what you’re doing on all your other social media sites as well, but LinkedIn lets you share it specifically with others in your industry. If they like it, they can help spread the word to your target audience. And if it needs work, they can provide constructive advice for future content.
- Use apps. Much like Facebook, LinkedIn has all sorts of applications that you can add to your profile to enhance your experience. Unlike Facebook, it’s a lot more than just games and quizzes. LinkedIn apps can help you with everything from SEO to sharing and accessing important documents in your industry to promoting events and much more.
