LinkedIn is the world’s largest online professional network. With 225 million plus members worldwide, it provides a saturated market perfect for recruiters, marketers and businesses alike. This social network also provides the opportunity for businesses to connect and engage with consumers and business decision makers with similar professional interests.
LinkedIn is an essential tool for the B2B marketers who want to invest in social media. Read this expert guide called - LinkedIn best practices - to learn, how to grow your business on LinkedIn and how to find your targeted audience.
When should you post?
Given the nature of LinkedIn, posting a status or sharing content at noon is a good way to catch professionals on lunch break. Thursday and Friday evenings tend to perform particularly well. Early evenings also perform well, as professionals may check LinkedIn when they commute or return home from work. All in all, posting consistent and relevant content is a good way to keep your connections engaged.What should you post?
Posting articles, blog posts, recent speaking engagements, status updates and conferences attended/spoken at are all relevant content for your profile, and are sure to keep your connections engaged. For company pages, post services offered and career opportunities. Curate content: provide value to your connections by re-posting articles and news related to your industry. Check the Answers section to see currently open questions that people have asked, and respond to whatever you can. If your answer is rated as the “best answer” this will show up on your profile – strengthening your reputation and credibility.Tools to help
Swarm LinkedIn Labs app is a visualization of currently searched company’s on LinkedIn that you can click and explore. See if your company or competitors have enough hype to be in Swarm.LinkedIn Outlook Toolbar is a plugin that assists in growing your LinkedIn network. For example, it allows you to see when people you e-mail are not yet in your network.
Box.net is a free storage app on LinkedIn that allows the upload of files to a profile for others to download (for your company page, think whitepapers or case studies to show your expertise!)
Tips for success
- Having a completed profile provides you with a greater chance for networking success. Ensure you complete your company overview, careers, and products & services pages with plenty of content, images, and rich media.
- When you share an update, selecting the twitter box will link your Twitter account with your LinkedIn profile, so you can share your company’s tweets in your LinkedIn status.
- Add links on your profile to all of your company’s social platforms.
- Set a custom public profile vanity URL to make it easier for people to find you.
- Join industry groups and other companies’ pages to stay in-the-know, increase your connections and visibility, and see what your competitors are doing.
