This is a guest post by Jonny Lis of Smart Traffic.
There are lots of networking sites these days, and each has its own purpose. Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube are geared more towards visual marketing purposes. Facebook and Google+ are more inclined towards a mixture of text, images, and videos. Twitter, while designed for shorter updates, also supports the sharing of pictures and videos.
If you own a business, you would most likely want a presence on any of those platforms. With over a million members each, they are great avenues that help spread the word about your products and services.
Now, let us say that you have established a Facebook, Google+, and Twitter account for your company. Would you still want to add one more social network to the list? How would you feel if someone told you that setting up a profile on LinkedIn is beneficial for your business?
Instead of dismissing this as “just another networking site”, know that it helps to look at what it is and what it can do for your business. Through this, you can decide if this portal should be part of your social media strategy.
THE BASICS
As described in their homepage, LinkedIn is a large network of professionals. Through the site, users can gain access to informative insights from people within their industry.
What makes this site different from the others?
As mentioned above, the domain targets professionals. Apart from this, it serves as a resource where business-minded individuals can gather and discuss relevant topics in their industry.
WHAT IT CAN DO
It allows the creation of company pages
If you want to put up a profile of your venture on the network, it is best if you set it up using the company pages feature. This way, your enterprise is identified as an “entity” instead of a person.
It is also crucial to employ search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques in the pages of your profile. This means that you should include keywords related to your industry within the pages in your account. In case you need help with this matter, you can always seek the services of a company offering SEO in Australia, in the UK, or in other countries, where you can find reputable and established service providers.
In addition, it is possible to integrate videos, photos, and other media types to your profile. This allows the page to be more interactive and engaging for a viewer.
It helps find potential clients
Through its Advance Search feature, you can look for people who might be interested in what you have to offer. Once you have found a prospect, you can then use the Get Introduced tool to explain why you got in touch with them.
Alternatively, the search functions provided by this network helps you find people you want to acquire services from.
Let’s say you want to create a website for your small business. All you need to do is to quick search for “website designers” within your area. You can then sift through the results to determine which individual or company you intend to hire for the task.
It establishes connections with influential individuals
If you are on the network, you get to connect with thought-leaders in your industry. Let’s take the SEO realm for example. On the site, you can get access to knowledgeable individuals such as Danny Sullivan, Rand Fishkin, and Matt Cutts.
On the other hand, you can get insights from CEOs from Fortune 500 companies. As of November last year, there were 129 members from the list with profiles on the site.
It provides an avenue for learning
There is wide array of Groups on LinkedIn covering a variety of topics. You, as a business owner, can join any of these to expand your knowledge on a certain topic.
Apart from that, you can use it to share what you know about a particular subject. Doing this helps establish you as an authority and helps drive prospective customers to your website to check out your business.
Furthermore, you can also take advantage of the LinkedIn Today feature.
It helps drive traffic to your website
Since you are allowed to put up links on your profile, it pays to list down your business website. This is really useful when a prospective client wants to know more about what you can provide.
By doing so, you are getting relevant traffic from those who are interested in what you have to offer. Who knows? This simple visit could turn into revenue if several customers like what they see.
It aids in recruitment
If you are looking for qualified people to fill up positions in your company, you can utilise the search features of this site. If you have vacancies, you can post this on the site as well.
Parting thoughts
Although its 200 million members may pale in comparison to Facebook’s 1 billion, businesses can still leverage the features of this network to their advantage. Not only is it a great tool for connecting with people within a particular industry, it is also a major contributor in driving traffic and sales.
Over to you, what do you think? Should LinkedIn be a part of your social media strategy? Please share your thoughts in the comment sections.
Jonny Lis is a Digital Marketing Specialist who oversees more than 300 campaigns for Smart Traffic, a company offering SEO services in Australia, in the UK, and other parts of the world, to help drive website traffic, increase brand awareness, and generate leads for their business clients.
About solomoIT
SolomoIT is a digital marketing agency, based in Sydney, Australia, offering fully integrated social, local and mobile marketing solutions.