LinkedIn for Business
No matter what industry your business is in, LinkedIn is an excellent resource for networking, business growth and generating leads.
But first: what exactly is LinkedIn and how does it differ from other social media networks?
LinkedIn is primarily a social media network similar to Facebook and Twitter, but for the most part, that’s where their similarities lie. Whilst you can post updates to LinkedIn and add other users, LinkedIn is primarily used to network with other professionals and is often considered as one of the best platforms to connect your business with like-minded individuals.
Here are 10 ways to use LinkedIn for business.
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Set up your LinkedIn Company Page
The first thing you need to know about LinkedIn marketing is that your profile and your business page are two separate things with varying differences.
Even if you already have a LinkedIn profile, you may need to go ahead and set up an actual LinkedIn page for your business – where you can gain a following and engage with others.
Make sure you make your page effective by clearly displaying your companies details and what it does and optimising keywords and content.
You should also encourage your employees to use their own individual profiles to share engaging content related to your industry – which can then be shared via your business page.
Use LinkedIn groups
Unfortunately, you cannot join LinkedIn groups as a page, but there are still ways to take advantage of this feature.
There are two ways to do this:
- Join a LinkedIn group as your personal profile and network
- Launch your own LinkedIn group via your business page
No matter what route you take, LinkedIn groups are extremely effective for engaging with other professionals, sharing industry news and potentially generating new leads.
Ensure you join the right groups that are relevant to your sector and engage consistently – groups aren’t a place to just promote your latest products so use them wisely.
Benefit from LinkedIn Advertising
LinkedIn has a clear guide on how to advertise on the platform to help you reach your goals. LinkedIn advertising can help you with:
- Brand awareness
- Website visits
- Engagement
- Video views
- Lead generation
- Website conversion
- Job applicants
Whether you’re looking to share dynamic ads automatically targeted to a specific audience or you just want to create an interactive carousel ad to help raise brand awareness, you’ll find all possibilities with LinkedIn advertising.
Use Content Creation For Business Growth
This one is a no brainer, but creating great content is key to growing your page and obtaining leads on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn has recently revealed that it’s no longer just a place to find people and in 2022 is moving towards a place where you can find personal and professional growth with a huge focus on community.
Therefore, content like LinkedIn polls and newsletters (more on this below) are key in 2022.
Additionally, if you haven’t already, you should consider signing up to LinkedIn Creators mode which is set to allow access to more engaging features than the standard page.
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Network for Success
Though LinkedIn is moving away from being known as “just a place to network”, it doesn’t mean that you should stop using this feature altogether.
Networking on this platform can lead to fantastic opportunities and leads – you never know who you’re going to connect with!
The next professional you add could be the perfect person to interview in episode one of that podcast you’ve been itching to launch or they may be launching some high-quality networking sessions that you can attend.
Delve into LinkedIn's Page Analytics
This year, ensure you’re paying close attention to LinkedIn’s analytics, which can help you drill down into your audiences’ preferences and behaviours.
Sure, any social media scheduling tool may have an overview of insights like post views and shares, but by manually checking each platform you’ll get a more comprehensive overview of what is and isn’t working.
Additionally, LinkedIn’s analytics go even deeper with LinkedIn Campaign Manager, which is a great tool to use if you invest in LinkedIn advertising.
Create your own LinkedIn Newsletters
The LinkedIn newsletters feature is now being rolled out to more and more profiles and though it isn’t yet available to company pages, it’s still worth delving into via your own profile. LinkedIn newsletters are a great way to share longer-form and in-depth content – and grow a following in the process. Users can even subscribe. Try using LinkedIn newsletters as a way to share company news or an alternative version of your company’s email marketing campaign and review the results.
The only downside is that, essentially, your subscriber list is owned by LinkedIn. Therefore if you build a high following and later want to take your newsletter elsewhere – you’re in trouble.
Use LinkedIn Creator Mode
Ideally, every business should have a website and online presence at the very least – in this day and age it’s one of the most effective ways to drive sales and bring in new customers. But many companies prefer more traditional marketing methods like print advertisements or attending expos – and that’s okay! Deciding whether you’re going to invest your marketing budget in online or offline marketing – or perhaps 50/50 each! – is one of the first things you should establish.
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Use LinkedIn Live
We’ve all seen the success of live content being streamed via TikTok, Instagram and Facebook – so it’s no surprise that this feature is now available on LinkedIn too.
LinkedIn live’s (or live-streaming in general) is a great way to connect with your audience and drive higher levels of engagement.
In fact, LinkedIn has even said that those who live stream see 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than those who don’t.
So whether you’re checking in to wish your customers a Merry Christmas or sharing a sneak peek at a new product launch, ensure you consider doing so via LinkedIn live in 2022.
Attend or Host LinkedIn Events
Whereas LinkedIn live is great for brand awareness and reach, LinkedIn events are ideal for community building, allowing you to stream to a target audience and engage throughout the event.
LinkedIn events are streamed to private attendees and is perfect for streaming webinars, product demos and other educational events, all hosted in a trusted environment.
This feature is also a good way to reward loyal customers – for example, allowing long-term customers exclusive first looks at company launches or changes.
Final Thoughts
From the ever-popular advertising and groups to the more recent creator mode and events, LinkedIn has plenty of ways you can use the platform as a business and market better in 2022.
Take a look through the different options and decide which features are best for your goals: for example, content creation and LinkedIn live’s are great focuses when you want to raise brand awareness, whereas LinkedIn advertising and LinkedIn newsletters are well suited for gathering leads.
Keep your digital marketing strategies in mind when using LinkedIn this year and your business is certain to see great success on the platform.
