9 ways to leverage the power of LinkedIn
Guest post by Cara Aley
The right digital marketing strategy is important for every new business. Many new business owners focus their efforts mostly on Facebook and Twitter and overlook how useful LinkedIn can be in the launch and building of awareness for their businesses.
Below you’ll find multiple ways in which you can use this powerful networking website to help successfully promote your new business.
Create a profile for better SEO
1LinkedIn is one of the more search engine optimized websites. Simply creating a profile on LinkedIn for your business will ensure that it is pretty quickly one of the first links people will see when they search for your business (this is good for both SEO and reputation management, pushing other links down further in search results).
In creating your profile on LinkedIn, you can provide a company description, a separate product description page, and other links (including one to your website). Use keywords in your company and product descriptions to ensure SEO opportunities.
Let recommendations speak for you
2Ask people to recommend your product or service. On the Products page (or Services if that is what you provide), ask people to recommend you. If you are launching a social enterprise, people will more than likely be happy to share their positive feedback about the good you are doing. Not only will the networks of those recommending you see this (the viral effect at work), but so will those visiting your company profile on LinkedIn.
Your employees are your ambassadors
3Have your employees indicate their work for your company on their profiles. Both you and your employees should be sure to indicate that you work for the company in your LinkedIn profiles. This will increase the exposure of the company – as your connections see you and employees “joining” the company, many will naturally be curious to review the company profile.
Share company news
4Post to the feed as your company to promote your business. LinkedIn has a feed just like Twitter and Facebook. Take this opportunity to post to the feed and share news about your business, relevant industry news, and product or service updates. Anyone connected to your business may see this and share it via Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. Ask your employees to do just that!
Promote your business personally
5You can do this as can your employees – share information about your business launching, point to your company’s profile on LinkedIn, and ask people to share the great news about your launch!
Connect with other professionals
6Make sure your company network is strong. Connect with relevant professionals who support what you are doing and whose networks could be of value to you. When these individuals connect with you, it will be apparent to their own networks, who might show interest.
Join relevant groups
7Joining groups that are related to social enterprise and your specific area of focus winds up being a great way to create an awareness of your company, and to connect with relevant individuals and businesses.
Post jobs
8Have job openings? LinkedIn is a great place to find candidates and create awareness of your business by posting job opportunities. Showing that you are hiring is a very positive sign for the growth of your business – people will be impressed to see this. You will likely make many new, relevant connections simply in the posting of a job opportunity.
Post a video
9This is another great way to create awareness for what your business is doing, enhance your profile, and provide something that others can share that could go viral. Utilize testimonials from customers and people you are helping with your business. Take the time to share why you are doing what you are doing, and the social good that will come of it.
In short, LinkedIn should not be underestimated for the incredible power it holds in helping to launch your new business. People will expect that you have a profile on LinkedIn at a minimum – but there is an incredible amount of power in leveraging LinkedIn from a promotional standpoint.
How has LinkedIn helped you with your business development and marketing efforts? We want to hear!