5 LinkedIn Tips That Can Help Boost Your Business
Like it or not, businesses’ approach to marketing has been altered forever by the prevalence of social media platforms, and this includes LinkedIn.
While it is widely regarded as the ‘social media for professionals’, millions primarily use it to explore career opportunities, professional relationships, and opportunities to upskill. Beyond that, LinkedIn is a great business growth advantage which helps expose you and your business to foster professional relationships which can help boost your brand.
With nearly 6 million users in Malaysia, 65% of which are aged between 25 and 34 years old, 2020 has seen a 60% increase in content creation and a 55% increase in conversations among LinkedIn connections. This serves as an indication of the growth and potential of an already massive platform.
While businesses know the potential it brings forth to their marketing strategies, the best digital agencies in Malaysia utilise it to the fullest, despite how daunting the prospect may be. If LinkedIn marketing is an aspect you’re looking to master, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are 5 tips to help you make better use of the social media platform.
#1 How your page looks matters. A lot.
Contrary to what some people may say about appearances, for businesses’ LinkedIn profiles, they should not be overlooked. Besides being up-to-date with current trends, the page should also be firm, consistent and clear in it’s messaging through chosen profile pictures, banners and descriptions.
Regular updates to your profile are vital to project a sense of activity and relevancy. According to LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, companies with completed and active pages are more successful at achieving growth objectives, including 5x lift in Page views, 7x lift in average impressions per follower and 11x lift in clicks per follower. This also encompasses choosing an iconic image that properly showcases your brand – avoid it having any elements that may take away from the intended target message (unless it is intentional).
Besides putting your website, industry, and additional information, you’ll need to write your ‘About Us’ section in a way that concisely encapsulates what your brand is all about. Do not forget about character limits, because the lower the number of characters you are able to slot in, the better.
Intel Corporation is a great example of this, having seamlessly included enticing, powerful keywords into their company About section to drive search traffic as well as convey basic company information and their brand specialties in less than 100 words (all while topping it all off with a call-to-action)!. Being concise in projecting your brand identity not only showcases confidence, but also leaves a lasting impression.
#2 Make your social media strategy as engaging as possible.
Posting content on LinkedIn can be the most powerful tool to reach an intended target market. When creating a LinkedIn profile, what matters the most is that the page demonstrates your brand’s ability to provide solutions to a problem or how to apply best practices, while also establishing you as a thought leader in that space. It is a golden opportunity for businesses to build their own ideal identity within the digital landscape.
Why stop at creating quality content? Go viral!
If a post begins to gain some momentum, LinkedIn will put a spotlight behind it in one of their categories, which can generate tens of thousands of readers (or more). This is a great way to improve your visibility while reaching readers in a way that would not have been possible on your own website or blog or even posting an article link on LinkedIn.
#3 Leverage groups (or even better, create your own!)
When attempting to gain demographic insights, the best way to do so is by joining the relevant groups. Not only is this a great way to ‘listen in’ on what your audience is talking about, but there may be times for small business owners to interact or offer their advice. More importantly, you can message the members of groups you are in, even if you aren’t connected. It is a great tactic to build your brand and generate leads to boost your small business.
How to find these groups, you ask? You can try and use different keywords pertaining to your industry. For example, if your brand is in supply chain management, you might want to search for “procurement,” “purchasing,” and “sourcing.” Narrow your choices by joining groups with larger memberships or more localised.
Pro tip from us Groovers – just create your own LinkedIn group! Having your own group means no competitors can get in as you share beneficial content. Within your own group, you’re able to demonstrate your value and showcase your expertise within the group without any overt sales pitches or hard sells. If you’re already a part of many groups, you can send personalised invitations to entice new members to join.
#4 Give your employees something to shout about.
Your employees are the very people that can help make the brand come alive for your customers. Get as many of your employees as possible to create and complete their profiles on LinkedIn. This should include appropriate photos, relevant job history and descriptions, and professional connections. In order to execute this flawlessly, employers need to ensure their employees are on message and aligned with the company’s own brand messaging.
When it comes to digital marketing in social media platforms like LinkedIn, the right employee engagement can do wonders, especially when wanting to attract potential prospects. If your employees are engaged and empowered within their roles, their passion for working goes far beyond the daily responsibilities, extending into their own social circles. They eventually project their excitement in what their employer brings to the world in the form of their words and actions in the digital landscape, transforming into the ideal advocates for your business.
#5 Scrutinise LinkedIn Analytics to see what ticks.
Do you wish to see audience insights such as what content brings the most engagement, what ignited the most feedback, and to single out what no longer works? LinkedIn has a feature called LinkedIn Analytics which can help businesses to regularly improve their LinkedIn marketing approach. You are given the ability to monitor the behaviour of people and find out what led to them finding your page, and what sections they engage with.
If you’re curious to discover how your page is performing relative to your competitors, head over to the ‘Companies to Track’ table. This section lets you compare where your page ranks when it comes to total and new followers. You can also see how many updates each page posts over a selected time period as well as your overall engagement rate.
Final Words
All in all, businesses need to understand the importance of authenticity in fostering a sustainable business-consumer relationship. To use LinkedIn for marketing, put your brand out there on the platform and build connections. Be an active participant on LinkedIn, which means joining groups, posting quality content and engaging with your connections. Make connections, then proceed to build meaningful relationships.
However, building your brand presence in the digital landscape can prove to be difficult at times. If you’re interested in acquiring a partner to help navigate the constantly evolving digital landscape, just drop us an email at ask@socialgrooves.com.