6.04 – Expanding Your Professional Network Through LinkedIn
Expanding Your Network through LinkedIn
LinkedIn is not just for advancing careers and building professional networks; it also serves as a valuable platform for businesses. Unlike other social media channels, LinkedIn is designed for promoting industry expertise, knowledge, insights, business updates, and job openings rather than products and leads. B2B brands often use LinkedIn to identify decision-makers at target companies and initiate meaningful conversations. B2C companies use it to showcase workplace culture and attract new employees, leveraging its popular job center that connects job seekers with employers.
With more than 750 million members, LinkedIn is an essential channel for businesses, especially B2B. A great example is IBM’s page, which has over 12 million followers and consistently offers targeted, valuable content.
Key Elements of a LinkedIn Business Page
Here’s an overview of the fundamental elements of a LinkedIn business page:
- About Us: Similar to personal profiles, this section provides a summary of your business. It’s an opportunity to state key information about your company and update it as needed.
- Connections: LinkedIn shows visitors any common connections, adding credibility to your page. A large network signals success and the value of your insights.
- Affiliated Pages: Add pages affiliated with your main page to provide details about specific product lines. For instance, IBM has pages for IBM Watson Health, IBM Blockchain and Supply Chain, and IBM Research.
- Updates: These are your posts, articles, links, insights, and other information that helps define your brand. For businesses, updates might include inspirational quotes from leadership, financial results, live event announcements, product development insights, and corporate social responsibility activities.
The following sections explore some of LinkedIn’s best features for businesses and marketers.
Groups
Creating a LinkedIn group can be an excellent strategy. Find a topic in which you’re a thought leader and start a group to share insights and exchange ideas. As the group owner, your role includes setting rules, monitoring posts, managing conversations, and keeping the group active. New posts generate email notifications for all members, keeping your topic and expertise top of mind.
Tips for starting and managing a group:
- Define the Purpose: Clearly state the group’s focus, such as exchanging ideas about innovations, solutions, trends, and case studies on a given topic.
- Set Rules: Post the group’s purpose and rules prominently. Enforce rules consistently by deleting inappropriate posts and removing violators.
- Invite Members: Regularly invite members of your network to join and promote your group on your individual LinkedIn page and other social channels. A larger group expands your network and reach.
- Monitor Activity: For open groups, be vigilant about removing spam and fake accounts to maintain the group’s value.
- Post Frequently: Share articles, insights, links to white papers, videos, research findings, event coverage, and personnel news. Keep content business-oriented and save promotional or casual posts for platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Engagement
To get noticed on LinkedIn, aim to post meaningful articles or updates several times a week. Topics that drive engagement include original articles, news coverage, events, trade shows, personnel updates, how-to guides, checklists, and links to your blog or website.
Tips for driving engagement:
- Include Links: Posts with links to landing pages can double engagement.
- Ask Questions: Post thoughtful questions to encourage others to share their insights.
- Use Images: Adding images can result in a 98% higher comment rate.
- Link Videos: Share YouTube videos, which play directly in the LinkedIn feed and can increase the share rate by 75%.
- Respond to Comments: Engage with comments to encourage more interaction and broaden the conversation.
LinkedIn provides analytics for each post, including impressions, clicks, interactions, and engagement percentage, helping you identify the most effective topics. Additionally, you can sponsor updates for increased exposure.
By leveraging these strategies, LinkedIn can become a powerful tool for expanding your professional network, showcasing your expertise, and enhancing your brand’s presence.
