Feb 12, 2013

How To Make Your LinkedIn Page Work For You

In the social media world, you will find endless guides explaining how to maneuver within Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and more, for your company's maximum benefit. It’s interesting, however, that the one social media platform specifically designed to foster professional networking is the one that illicits some confusion for business owners, and as such, often goes under-utilized. The truth is, LinkedIn, when properly used, can be a tremendous tool for businesses. Here are a few tips for making the most out of your business page’s presence on LinkedIn. Don’t neglect SEO Like any other page on the internet, attention to using important keywords and phrases won’t go unrewarded. LinkedIn has an impressive internal searching mechanism; make sure to include keywords in your profile that will help you show up in the correct search results. Profiles: fill them out completely LinkedIn features especially involved profiles. There are a lot of categories, covering many different aspects of your company’s profile. Fill them all out, as completely as possible. LinkedIn ranks completely filled out profiles ahead of only partially completed ones. Not to mention, other than your main website, this is likely the primary place where potential clients, customers, and employees will come to find out the details of your company. Keep your network growing LinkedIn likes to play favorites in their search results (I’m sure you’re getting that idea by now), so make that work in your favor. Another way to climb the ranks of preferred companies? Have a broad network. Naturally, you’ll want to connect to friends, business associates, past classmates, co-workers, etc. But once the initial wave of contacts are roped in, remember to keep adding to your network by adding new people you meet, even if they’re just encountered in passing, especially if they share similar professional interests. Remember: LinkedIn isn’t Facebook. It’s perfectly acceptable to add someone to your network who you aren’t “friends” with. It’s like saying, “I see we have mutual business interests, and I would like to add you to my digital Rolodex in case we might be useful to each other down the road.” Chances are, the reaching out is appreciated. Speaking of new contact… Joining LinkedIn groups that pertain to your industry is a fantastic way to boost the effectiveness of your presence on the site. You will not only make connections with other pros in your field, but also have a chance to engage within the community of your industry by promoting events of your own, learning about other events that might provide excellent networking opportunities, and lending your voice to relevant conversations. It’s a great place to help continue establishing your company as thought leaders and active participants in your area of business.