Written By: Rachel Figley, Social Media Specialist at cj Advertising.
Interactive’s Social Media Engagement team always encourages our clients to have fun with their Facebook pages. Ugly Christmas sweaters and poodles in the office make for great content on the world’s largest social media platform. Facebook has a big personality and a voice that is hard to ignore, but it’s not the only member in the social networking family.
I’d like to introduce you to Facebook’s responsible, older brother: LinkedIn. The two get along well enough and even talk about some of the same things at times. But when it comes to style, big brother straightens his tie and gets down to business.
LinkedIn hit its 10-year mark this May, and they have plenty to celebrate. With more than 225 million members and 2.7 million business pages, the platform has redefined professional networking over the past decade.
For a basic overview of how you should be using LinkedIn, let’s take a look at who your audience is, what your content should look like, and a few best practices.
Your LinkedIn Audience
If your LinkedIn profile or business page is going to be effective, it must present you or your business in a way that establishes authority and experience in your field. The importance of your LinkedIn identity becomes abundantly clear when you consider how people use LinkedIn.
According to research presented by Punch Media, 77 percent of users said they research companies on LinkedIn! That’s 173.25 million people using LinkedIn to evaluate brands. Where do you think they might go when deciding whether or not your firm is right for them? They just might look to “big brother.”
LinkedIn is a significant professional networking tool. Connecting and building relationships with others in your field could provide the opportunity for referrals down the road.
Your LinkedIn Content
Many of your competitors have profiles that are just as dashing and impressive as yours. The key factor that can set you apart is your content.
Remember, you are trying to establish yourself as an authority in your field.
- Post content that is informative, relevant, and fairly easy to digest.
- Share blog articles that speak to current news.
- Share e-books or white papers you have recently read.
- Ask questions. The more you can speak directly to the needs of your audience, the more likely they are to engage.
A great way to keep yourself in check when choosing content is to make sure you are being helpful, not promotional. Tying a sales pitch into every post is a quick way to lose qualified viewers. Instead, provide resources and information communicating value and knowledge.
LinkedIn Best Practices
LinkedIn Marketing Solutions offers 15 simple things you can do to drive engagement on your profile. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Use Links: Updates that include links can drive twice the engagement.
- Use Rich Media: Images can result in a 98 percent higher comment rate.
- Engage: Join the conversation and listen to what is being said about your brand.
- Stay On: Engagement tends to be higher on the weekends. Consider an “always on” approach instead of limiting interaction to office hours.
- Optimize: Regularly evaluate your engagement. Figure out what’s working and what isn’t and tweak the content, format, and timing of your posts accordingly.
Grow With the Platform
The only consistent truth about any social media platform is that it is always changing. While this blog post provides a basic outline to get you started, a one-time quick fix will not be enough to make your LinkedIn profile successful.
At cj, we do regular evaluations for you across all social accounts to make sure your social presence is growing and evolving with the social media world. LinkedIn requires the same attention.
You have the perfect opportunity to connect, brand, and qualify on this powerful, professional network. So, suit up! Get in touch with your Social Media Specialist at cj Advertising to find out what Social Media Engagement can do to help improve your LinkedIn presence.
