Should you be using LinkedIn for your business?
LinkedIn is an important social media platform, but it is not suitable for every business. It is one of our most extensive professional networks and the ultimate space for sharing professional content. Not only that, but LinkedIn is perfect for establishing and building relationships. LinkedIn is the ideal place to drive traffic to your company’s website by sharing essential business updates and informative blogs.
However, before you pour your heart and soul into your LinkedIn social strategy, ensuring it is a road worth travelling is vital. Below we’ll discuss the benefits of LinkedIn for business so you can identify precisely that.
Can LinkedIn benefit your business?
LinkedIn can be an unbelievably powerful marketing tool as any social media channel. However, as we have mentioned previously, it is not suited to everyone. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it at all. Instead, it may be best to prioritise the other social platforms you’re on.
Generally, LinkedIn is best suited for entrepreneurs and professionals. Those on the channel are looking to network with other like-minded business professionals. They are looking for valuable content that is relevant to their business. Not to mention, they also show off what their business offers.
For example, if you own an interior design firm, you may use LinkedIn to showcase recent projects you have completed. This will help you get your service in front of business owners and managers who may be looking to have their office space re-designed. Therefore, showing your past work as a designer could lead to potential clients.
Despite what kind of business you own, you should have a presence on LinkedIn. However, it is a good idea to know how beneficial the platform is for you so you can adjust your output accordingly. While LinkedIn could prove a vital tool for an interior design firm, it may not yield the same results for a restaurant, for example.
When marketing your restaurant, you want to ensure you are showing off your delicious, mouth-watering grub. You want people scrolling to stop, get hungry, and book their table. While you may be lucky enough to get some bookings from entrepreneurs, you’ll find your time is better spent marketing your tasty dishes on Instagram or Facebook. This is because the content on these platforms is not so specific, and you will not be limited to a niche audience.
To identify whether LinkedIn deserves a large chunk of your time when marketing your business, think about your audience. In the case of a restaurant, your audience is anyone. Therefore, promoting your food on a career-based platform may not be where you want to place all your focus.
Tips for marketing your product or service on LinkedIn
Now you know more about LinkedIn and how to identify whether it is a suitable marketing tool for your business. If you’ve realised it is, scroll down for some tips on how to market your product or service on LinkedIn.
Put out valuable content
Marketing on LinkedIn is a tad different to Instagram and Facebook. Sales-y messages do not work in the same way on LinkedIn. Those scrolling through LinkedIn daily are on the hunt for valuable content. Therefore, it is important to determine your audience and understand their needs. Then, create content around these needs. For example, our services at SDA include content creation and social media management.
Because of this, we put out content related to what we do. A perfect example is this blog you are reading which has been shared on LinkedIn. In this article, we are educating the reader about LinkedIn and providing valuable tips on effectively marketing their products and services.
This article serves the purpose of educating, guiding, and informing our audience. Marketing is something many people search for advice on, so we are ultimately answering their burning questions. Because this is valuable content that people are actively searching for, they are also more likely to engage, which further increases our reach since the content then shows in their connection’s feeds.
Show your human side
On LinkedIn, people like to engage with other human beings. The platform is all about establishing and creating relationships and connections. Therefore, to do this, you need to be authentic and show your human side instead of hiding behind the business!
One great way to show the human side of your company is to get all of your team involved when creating social content. Your team are the best advocates of your business, and they will love screaming about your brand from the rooftops. Ask your team to add the company to their personal profiles, which will help improve your reach.
Then encourage them to share the company’s LinkedIn posts and get them as involved in the social content creation process as possible. You could do various challenges or have them contribute a blog based on their expertise. In addition, you could do some team intro posts and celebrate their small and big wins.
Keep consistent
One of the most important things with any social media platform is to keep consistent and post regularly. It is vital not to let your LinkedIn page go stale. To combat this, it is crucial to post regularly and engage with your followers.
We know life can get busy, so be realistic with your output. Post once or twice per week and schedule some time per day to reply to comments and engage with other pages and groups.
Whatever schedule you choose, ensure it is something you can achieve and maintain. Continually update your LinkedIn page with the most recent business details and branding. To perform well on LinkedIn, you need to be present and engaged.
In summary
LinkedIn is a really powerful marketing tool, but that doesn’t mean it is suitable for every kind of business. We believe all social media platforms are inclusive, and you should be present on LinkedIn if you wish.
However, we also are firm believers in prioritising more important platforms over others. In other words, you should determine how important LinkedIn is for your strategy and adjust your output accordingly. If LinkedIn is an excellent avenue for your business, make it a top priority.
By contrast, if Facebook and Instagram take the lead, LinkedIn should take a bit more of a backseat. Once you determine whether LinkedIn is a great asset for your business, it’s time to take your marketing to the next level on the platform.
If you’re looking for more tips on how to improve your LinkedIn social strategy or have any questions, contact us at Social Directions Agency.