There are a variety of ways social media can benefit businesses, but why LinkedIn? This is because it is considered business social media, which allows businesses to interact professionally online.
LinkedIn is based on business connections. All of the connections you have are considered 1st level connections. Anyone connected to them is 2nd level and then connected to them are 3rd level connections. This shows how wide-ranging this social media platform is, and the opportunities are endless.
LinkedIn is the number one business social media platform, with over 660 million users in more than 200 countries and territories across the globe (LinkedIn, 2019). It is considered a professional tool used by many companies in a variety of sectors. It essentially exists to allow professionals to seek out new opportunities.
As a member on LinkedIn, you can make connections with your connections (i.e., 1st, 2nd, 3rd level connections), and search for people who work in a sector you may be interested in. Mainly used for professional networking, LinkedIn allows professionals from any sector to find potential employees or potential business clients.
It’s used by everyone and anyone in business who wants to be seen online and make strong business connections. LinkedIn boasts over 660 million users in more than 200 countries and territories across the globe . Therefore, plenty of business owners, managing directors, CEOs, etc., can be found networking on this business social media platform, so your LinkedIn Branding is important.
LinkedIn Branding
Your online branding starts with visibility. How you look, or how you appear to others online. Using LinkedIn for your online branding is essential to be seen by professionals, or by people whom you want to see you. If you are lucky enough to be professionally branded chances are your strategic designer has already branded your LinkedIn Profile and your LinkedIn Showcase Page as an extension of your website. If you do not have a Brand Strategy and a professional Brand Identity — I highly suggest you make that a priority.
When using social media for online branding, you should be doing this for the promotion of your company’s brand and yourself as a brand. It’s all about identity – Who are you? What do you do? and Why should I like you, trust you and and do business with you? Basically again this is an extension of your Brand Strategy— if you don't have one .. what are you waiting for?
In doing this, it’s all about optimizing your LinkedIn profile with professionally written, SEO-rich content, that reflects the individual as well as referencing the company at the same time. Having that personal touch instigates the emotional side of the brand, as it moves away from a faceless, corporate entity.
Social media marketing has made it essential now for businesses to have a personal touch to their visibility. Because the individual LinkedIn profile relates to an individual employee, it puts a friendly face on the company and makes it much more personal, too.
The Benefits
LinkedIn can help with your online branding primarily through visibility and recognition in a place where your reputation is at home with other like-minded business people.
Optimize your profile and showcase page
Make connections
Post consistent, quality content
Become a thought leader— so people trust you.
LinkedIn is seen as the social media platform where businesses and professionals can network freely without having to travel anywhere.
There are plenty of benefits to having LinkedIn help with your online branding. It’s a powerful sales, marketing, and branding asset that can result in exponential business growth and profit. LinkedIn can help with your marketing because it’s an effective tool for brand awareness and brand promotion.
The more visibility you and your company have on LinkedIn, the more people will know who you are and the positive impact you can have on their working lives. More connections mean more money. This is because the more businesspeople you network with online, the more likely you are to generate leads.
Lead generation can be turned around into potential clients and business, and it’s from this where businesses progress, move forward and achieve the success they set out to achieve. Businesses can gain quality leads simply through networking with other businesses online.
Businesses can network on LinkedIn’s Homepage, or ‘news feed’, or they can network to specific companies/sectors through LinkedIn groups.
You can use LinkedIn to generate leads in three simple steps:
Get a professional-looking, well-written profile with a quality photo and branded visuals network with your connections and on groups;
Share useful content
Build Relationships: Interact with people to show, not just what you sell, but who you are as a brand.
Whether you’re including LinkedIn as part of your sales process or simply using it as a free marketing channel for your e-commerce business, it’s a channel that’s not to be missed out on.
So if you’re not already on it, you might want to consider jumping on the bandwagon and use these LinkedIn statistics to your advantage before your competitors who are already on there get too far ahead. Need help with your Brand Strategy + Brand Identity for your Business and/ or your LinkedIn Branding, I'm here to help! #LinkedInBranding #LinkedInMarketing #SocialMediaMarketing