Because “relationships matter”, using a business-focused networking site can be an interesting option to promote your brand. If you are not sure how to use Linkedin to help your brand grow, here are some tips.
Linkedin has over 85 million members in more than 200 countries. It is free to join, and by inviting contacts to join LinkedIn and connect to you, you create a network consisting of connections, your connections’ connections and the people they know. You can promote your business on Linkedin with these 10 easy steps:
1. Update your own profile
Because Linkedin members will discover your company through your own profile (or your employees’ profiles), make sure it is up to date, explaining what you are doing, and what achievements you have obtained. In this perspective, the “keywords” section is critical. For example, if you specialize in paid search, cover all grounds by putting “Expertise: Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Paid Search, Pay-per-click Online Advertising” instead of just “Paid Search”.
If you fill out your profile, other members will appreciate your honesty and this is the first step towards earning trust and credibility, as an individual and as a brand.
2. Create your company profile
If you’re a small business, chances are your company is not listed on Linkedin. If you create a company profile page and fill in details about your activity, with a website to link to, you will build brand awareness.
3. Use recommendations wisely
To add to your business’ credibility, it is best to have a few recommendations. Ask happy customers for recommendations or some colleagues in your past (or current) job. You should not underestimate the power of writing recommendations either. Because your recommendations will appear on other members’ profile page, your name and your brand will gain some visibility.
4. Update your status
When you update your status, it will show up in the activity feed of your connections. If you post links in your status update using an URL shortener tool such as bit.ly or ow.ly, make sure you register to get click traffic statistics.
5. Integrate different social media channels
Widgets are very useful: for example, your latest tweets can be displayed along with the RSS feed linking to your blog. You can also share your best SlideShare presentations to illustrate your expertise. By integrating different channels into Linkedin, you give your customers and clients reasons to trust you.
6. Use Linkedin Poll section
Linkedin gives you the possibility to poll your network about any question you may have. Make sure the question is relevant to your industry and then start sharing your poll through different channels (Facebook, Twitter, etc). With polls, you can learn more about potential clients or generate buzz and traffic about your brand by demonstrating expertise.
7. Advertise your Linkedin profile
This may seem trivial, but this is a step that is often forgotten. If you send a lot of emails every day, especially to new clients, including a link to your Linkedin is a good way to build connections. You can put a link to your profile in email newsletters, on business cards, brochures and so on. The more connections you build, the more people will know about your business.
8. Participate in groups
As an individual, you may already belong to some groups. If not, join groups that are relevant to your industry and participate actively in discussions. Every time you will answer a question or comment on an news article, your name and profile picture will appear thus increasing the probability for other members to click on your profile and learn about your brand. At the end of your comments, you can even promote your Twitter account by signing with a “subtle” signature such “Your name / @name-of-your-business”.
9. Create your own group
Creating a group for your clients or your customers is an important step. With a discussion board, questions can be easily addressed, interesting links can be shared with other members, and so on. Invite your colleagues to the group and get the conversation started!
10. Use Linkedin Answers section
The Linkedin Answers is a great tool to build brand visibility and credibility. On the homepage, if you click on the “More” tab, the dropdown menu will feature “Answers”.
It is worth spending some time to answer questions that relate to your industry: if you provide interesting answers, you will be regarded as an expert and your brand will benefit from it.
How did you promote your business using Linkedin? Leave a comment below and let us know!