Back to: Social Media Insights That Get Results

Linkedin

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet with over 175 million members in over 200 countries. As opposed to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, LinkedIn is most widely used for connecting people professionally, based on similar business interests and networks.

Creating a Username / Profile

  • To add a Company Page for your business, you will first need to have an individual LinkedIn account. Visit www.linkedin.com to sign up.
  • Once you are signed in, click the “Companies” tab near the top of your home page. Then, click the “Add a Company” link in the upper right area of the page.
  • Enter your company’s official name and your work email address and click continue. You will then be sent a confirmation email to begin managing your company’s LinkedIn Profile.

LinkedIn Basics

  • Followers – As opposed to personal connections, a Company Page on LinkedIn has followers. Your followers receive your status updates in their homepage newsfeed each day.
  • Status Updates – Company status updates allows your business to engage directly with viewers and followers of your Company Page. You can post and share items like company news, promotions, or relevant industry articles or videos.
  • Groups – LinkedIn Groups are similar to Facebook Pages in that they provide business leaders and professionals with an avenue for leading discussions on a topic of interest. While a Company Page cannot start or join a group, an individual can. Do some research to see what groups already exist, and then either join those groups that interest you or start your group to engage your connections and interact professionally.
  • Growing Your Network – LinkedIn can recommend people that you might know based on your details and existing contacts. You can also import the address book from your work email address to discover contacts that are on LinkedIn. By inviting new contacts into your network, you will build trust and credibility within the LinkedIn network.

Top Tips

  • Even though LinkedIn is a virtual networking tool, you should ensure that your communication (via status updates or interactions with connections or followers) is professional. Imagine that you’re really in a room with all of these people. You wouldn’t over share or try to sell something to someone without introducing yourself first, would you?
  • Keep your company page branded, updated and active. Ask existing clients for recommendations, and ensure that you include good descriptions of what services and products your company offers.
  • When you reach out to make a connection, change the standard connection request message to something more personal. That way, people will be more likely to recognize their connection to you, and accept your request.
  • Freely give and receive recommendations. Nothing boosts morale, loyalty or friendship like an unsolicited recommendation on LinkedIn – try it for a former co-worker, friend or vendor. Don’t be shy about asking for recommendations either!

Phew! That was a lot of bullet points. Hopefully, you feel more prepared to sign up for one or all of the Social Media channels we covered.

Last, but certainly not least, we must cover the “no-no’s” for Social Media.