LinkedIn currently has nearly 400 million members in 200 countries across the world, and continues to evolve into an increasingly valuable tool for marketers looking to grow and engage their audiences. While once thought of as a digital resume site, LinkedIn has created tools and functionality that make it the go-to social media platform for business professionals.
In addition to the main functions of LinkedIn – setting up a profile or company page, recruiting new hires, networking opportunities through groups, etc. – LinkedIn now allows members to publish original content as frequently as they want. According to LinkedIn’s most recent stats, more than 1 million members publish more than 130,000 posts a week. And that content gets seen. About 45% of people who read those posts are high-level employees in their industries (CEOs, managers, etc.). The average post spans 21 industries and reaches 9 countries.
With engagement like that, businesses should be capitalizing on the opportunities provided by LinkedIn. Here are our tips on how to use LinkedIn to drive sales:
1. Appeal to your target audience. Both your personal profile and your business page should be written in a way that will attract the kinds of clients you want. By appealing to your prospects’ pain points, you can engage them enough to get them to click through to your website.
2. Optimize for search. LinkedIn search allows users to search millions of posts using any keyword imaginable, so make sure your personal profile and business page are incorporating as many keywords as possible. Use the same phrases someone would use to search for the exact services you offer.
3. Pay attention to profile and page views. By tracking people who look at your profile, you can determine whether your profile effectively targets the people you are trying to reach.
4. Join the conversation. LinkedIn groups are a great forum to share original content. By providing useful information and engaging with your prospects in a discussion format, you can position yourself and your business as a thought leader. You can also create conversations by posting original content that will be displayed on your connections’ home pages.
5. Keep your company page fresh. Once your personal LinkedIn presence has won over a prospect, you want your business page to once again assure them that yours is the right company to help them. Create showcase pages for promotions or specific categories or service. Post original content to the page frequently, with some shared content from other sources in the mix. Rotate your images to reflect current offers or initiatives. Incorporate a strong call-to-action to drive users to your site.
