Though there seems to be an overwhelming abundance of articles out there on why business owners need to be on social network X, or why social network Y provides the most engagement and social network Z is really just a waste of time, it seems that so few social media experts talk about the power behind LinkedIn. On one hand, employees seem encouraged to get themselves up on this network, but the real concern for you as a business owner is how effective is LinkedIn for business? To answer this, you must really understand the strengths of LinkedIn.
How Should You Use LinkedIn?
If you are a professional in any sense of the word, you should have a LinkedIn profile set up. If you are a business owner, you should have your profile attached to a company page. From your company website and other social media pages, you link to your LinkedIn company page, which links to your personal LinkedIn profile. Unlike everywhere else, where you are encouraged to offer solutions and value rather than brag, this profile page is where you can really show people what you are capable of. In other words, your LinkedIn profile is a socially acceptable place to brag.
Now, compare this to something like your website:
Should a prospective client go to your biography on your website and all it does is outline your skills and accomplishments, you can be assured they are going to be turned off. They don’t want to hear how great you are, they want to hear how you can help them. On LinkedIn, it’s the opposite.
How Does the Business Benefit from This?
One thing social media experts fail to account for is the ownership factor of a business. This means that people like to know who they are doing business with. Even with the best branding and a stellar marketing team, you are going to have an easier time attracting customers if your information is readily available. LinkedIn is a professional and powerful way for you to provide this information to your clients and it allows you to get recognition and validation for your skills.
Furthermore, the companies that really benefit from LinkedIn for business are the ones that work in business to business. Since LinkedIn is filled with business professionals, it has a much more targeted market than most other social networks. This means advertising money you spend on LinkedIn ads is going to typically be more effective for your purposes. Of course, you still need to make sure the ad is properly made, but the audience will automatically be more receptive.
Leave a Reply