We are getting a lot of questions like "What is this LinkedIn?" or - from a different angle - see many people having a profile on LinkedIn that has no/little/outdated information. LinkedIn is of paramount importance to your business and your Social Media Marketing and here is why.
First, let's take a look at LinkedIn numbers:More than 20 million business users registered; more than 150,000 managers and executives log in each and every day; estimated to have more than half a million SMB's; More than 200 industries represented all over the globe.
With those numbers, a free listing (at least at the basic level), regardless of the value, is worthwhile to have you and your business appear on.
To touch upon the question of "what is it", LinkedIn is a business social network and community that enables you to present your professional profile (note: your personal one and your company's one as well!) in a manner that you can connect with your existing network and use this network as well as the power and capabilities of other professionals and companies that you wish to connect with.
Watch the video, presenting "LinkedIn in Plain English" to understand that basics of this social network.
There is no doubt that LinkedIn has great value to your business, but be careful - just signing in and having your name appear there is not enough. Just like any other marketing effort and social media marketing specifically, it dictates a bit more effort to bring it at least to the first level. From there, you can decide depending on you available time, resources and preferences how much you wish to update it (note on that: LinkedIn enables automated connection with your other Social Media networks, so with a short time investment on setting things correctly, you can have your LinkedIn profile updated when you are updating other social communities such as your Blog or your Twitter account).
Let's look at some of the values LinkedIn can bring to your business:
- Contribute to your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy: Search Engines LOVE LinkedIn and because of that, proper optimized profile on LinkedIn will be presented high on the search results page of Google when there is a match. Many times, people that consider doing business with you will "google" you first and they will expect to find your profile on linkedIn. In addition, your profile can contain up to 3 URL's that you can use to promote your website and blog. Those are valuable links that contribute to your backlinks. Taking another small step and connecting your blog RSS fees to your profile will automatically present your new posts on linkedIn.
- Thought Leadership and Brand Credibility: On top of the fact that you can promote your blog posts for thought leadership (see our previous posts on that), there are 2 additional aspects on LinkedIn that should contribute to this fact: your profile and the Q&A module. Written properly, your personal as well as your company's profile should help you be perceived as a thought leader. However, the more important feature is LinkedIn Q&A where you can answer questions that relate to your industry posted by others and gain the required credibility. A side effect you will gain is another help with SEO since you are entitled to put URL's in your answers (see how Internet Marketing is all about integration and everything is connected?). Furthermore, you can initiate a discussion on an article you have written (with a link to the page on your website of course) and get some more exposure.
- Lead Generation. Bottom Line: Search for potential prospects or better yet - use your network to find some. Statistics show that when connecting via LinkedIn, you have 30 times more chances of getting a response compared to old school methods like direct mail or phone. Don't forget, you can read this potential prosepct's profile, which will make you much more ready for whatever it is you wish to offer her.
And here are some additional ways you can use LinkedIn for your business:
- Do market research and gain knowledge with Polls
- Share survey and poll results with your contacts
- Ask questions in Questions and Answers to get a feel for what customers and prospects want or think about your industry, market and business
- Publish your LinkedIn URL on all your marketing collateral, including business cards, email signature, email newsletters, web sites and brochures, so prospects learn more about you
- Join groups and associations related to your business and industry and gain knowledge of the burning matters as well as do some valuable networking
- Research your prospects before meeting or contacting them
- Request LinkedIn recommendation from happy customers willing to provide testimonials
- Buy a LinkedIn direct ad that only your target market will see
- Post job listings to find qualified talents
- Post your presentations on your profile using a presentation application
In conclusion, LinkedIn is a valuable resource to you and your business. When done correctly, you are up to gain a lot of values. Should you be in a need for help to establish your presence, personal profile and company profile on linkedIn, contact WSI E-Services and we will be glad to assist.