The importance of using LinkedIn as part of your Marketing strategy
Find out how you can use LinkedIn to generate leads, drive website traffic, and build brand awareness.
Why use LinkedIn?
- By engaging (liking, commenting and sharing) on your connections posts you are increasing your visibility on LinkedIn and as a result keeping in your connections ‘eye’. Your post just might feature on their LinkedIn feed when they are looking for an expert in your field
- Leaving comments on your connections posts allows their connections to find out more about you – broadening your visibility and opening up opportunities outside of your network.
- When posting your own updates, whether it’s company news or top tip articles for example, you are allowing others to see your expertise, skills, and knowledge.
- By continually building your connections, this helps you to keep up to date with their movements i.e. have they moved to another company and should you be reaching out to them in their new company?
- If your clients, customers or prospects go quiet, LinkedIn helps you to stay connected and engaged. A post at the right time could wake up a quiet relationship.
- Last but not least, having a presence on LinkedIn boosts your SEO and a well optimised LinkedIn profile gives you more of a chance of featuring in search results.
Create a LinkedIn profile that works!
Read our checklist…
- Does your overall profile sell you and your services in the best way?
- Do you have an appropriate header image?
- Does you profile photo come across professional, friendly and approachable?
- Have you included all your contact details and link to your website?
- Is your profile summary written in a way that sells your skills and expertise?
- Have you included your keywords when describing your skills and services i.e. Social Media Trainer, SEO Specialist, Website Designer?
- Have you uploaded visual examples of your work?
- Have you recently won awards or trained in something new and is this featured on your profile?
- Do you have recommendations? If not, get some!
- Do you have a LinkedIn company page and does this link through from your profile?
These are all important elements to think about.
Boost your LinkedIn Visibility
Now your LinkedIn profile is looking its best, here are some great tips to boost your LinkedIn visibility…
Posting on LinkedIn – It’s important to regularly post onto your LinkedIn account to continually get your brand and your name out there and to showcase your expertise. There is no limit on how many times you should post, the more posts the merrier. Make sure your messages add value, are not duplicated and not directly selling your services!
Sharing & Engaging – Make sure your connections feel ‘connected’ and engage in their posts. By sharing and engaging with your connections posts you are reminding them of your services and more importantly prompting them to get in touch.
Building LinkedIn Connections – Connect with your clients, prospects, suppliers and networking contacts. These can be taken from business cards, your CRM, email software and any other tools or spreadsheets you might hold.
Posting onto LinkedIn’s Article Platform – If you have written any articles you can post these onto LinkedIn’s Article Platform (remember to tweak your content for SEO purposes – Google frowns upon duplicated content). They might be news pieces or top tips for example. These are great for showing off your expertise and skills and support your SEO. Make sure to link to your website on the article, to a page that is relevant to your article subject and to include keywords.
Create a Group – We always recommend researching groups on LinkedIn that specialise in your area to see if you can identify a gap that you can fill. You will then need to promote, post and monitor the group to manage any engagement.
Engaging in other Groups – There may be other groups relevant to your industry where you can comment, like and share. This helps to promote your brand and expertise to other LinkedIn users you are not yet connected with or have a relationship with. Also, think about other industries and interests where your target audience might sit and see if you can join these groups and contribute.
Promoting your LinkedIn Profile – Add a link to your LinkedIn profile in your email signature and on your other Marketing materials like your business cards and letterheads, to encourage those you are communicating with to connect with you.
How to Interact with your Connections
Struggling to find things to talk about? Here are just a few ideas on how you can engage with your connections.
- Photos and videos of new projects – videos showing work being completed and images throughout the whole project gives your social media audience a peak into what you are working on
- Client success stories – case studies and testimonials linked back to your website
- New partnership and collaboration announcements
- Share articles that you have written and published on your website
- Upload pictures, videos, live video’s at events, exhibitions, seminars, workshops, networking groups etc… and mention people who attended in your posts
- Visits to clients offices – ‘great meeting today with ….. talking about …..
- Pictures and videos from staff at networking events/lunches/training for new skills / company developments
- Share relevant/interesting posts from your connections that stand out
- Webinars and podcasts – providing tips and information related to your business that will help others
If you would like to discuss your LinkedIn or overall Social Media Strategy please get in touch.
We can provide advice and guidance as well as deliver your social media campaigns for you. Some areas we help with include; building connections, updating your profile and writing and posting articles, we can take care of the daily management for you.
Call: 07950 513 931
