With so much information at our fingertips, the sheer volume of advice, articles, top tips, dos and don’ts can be overwhelming. So much so, that perhaps that’s why many of us are not developing profiles of both our companies and ourselves on LinkedIn as much as we should, after all, what could be easier than networking online?
The second most popular selling social site behind Facebook, if you are looking for a B2B audience, LinkedIn has more than proved its worth since it was launched 10 years ago. According to LinkedIn:-
* 50% of company followers say they’re more likely to purchase products and services from the companies they follow on LinkedIn
* LinkedIn members are twice as likely to recommend a company they follow
Just like your website and other social media sites, sticking up a profile, whether it’s a personal or a business page, leaving it there and hoping for the best will not net you any results.
Setting up a good company page and personal profile is relatively straightforward – most of us have one, but in the same way, you post tweets or update your company Facebook page, content, is once again, king. Just remember you are dealing with high minded business people and tailor your content accordingly.
To get you started, there’s no better place to start than LinkedIn itself which is currently highlighting the gains small businesses can make from upping their presence on the site be it sharing a status, blog or news item or joining in discussions.
Start with yourself and ensuring your profile is the best it can be to maximise results:-
Then make sure your colleagues have done the same.
Moving onto your company and LinkedIn has a wealth of information from creating a profile to increasing your engagement and advertising.
Next start engaging. Join groups, comment on discussions and create your own content. Linked In has just held its first small business convention, albeit in the US, and some great snippits of information have been posted. One of the best pieces of advice comes from Alex Shamy, head of growth marketing at Heyo, who suggests a ratio of 1:4 – four times or 80% of your posts should be value driven for every one which relates to your company but isn’t a hard sell.
So just roll up your sleeves and get stuck in.
It’s a bit like gardening or, at least how the less green fingered among us imagine gardening to be: a little TLC here and there and you’ll soon see your company or personal profile or both, grow and bloom.
Quippe 