Social Networking: Using LinkedIn For Maximum Results

When most people think of social networks, they think of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Tik Tok. The powerful platform many people tend to leave off of that list LinkedIn. With over 660 million users from 200 countries and regions around the world, LinkedIn is often referred to by younger users as “professional Facebook”. With the potential to help you build your professional network, improve brand awareness, keep up with industry trends, boost leads, and more, using social media has never been more beneficial.

Getting Started:

Chances are, you already have a personal LinkedIn account. If not, creating one should be your first step. If you do have a profile, make sure that it is up-to-date with your skills, industry, position, etc. Customize your URL while you are at it as well. If you are connected to your company’s page (which all employees should be) make sure that your page is open so that people outside of your immediate network can see your profile and contact you. Make your page easily identifiable, so new connections know exactly who they are interacting with. This is especially important for anyone who works in the marketing and sales department, and those higher ranking in the company.

Edit Your Company Page:

Make sure your LinkedIn page follows your brand image. Match your cover photo to the ones on your other social media accounts, create and share posts you think your followers would like and interact with your audience. You can even have employees join LinkedIn groups. There are LinkedIn groups for every industry and interest. Joining these groups not only gives you new contacts but can be a great learning experience as well.

Look At Trending Content:

As with any platform, there is trending content on LinkedIn. Since LinkedIn is intended to be a professional platform, looking at trending content in your industry is a great way to keep up with news. If you find an article that is interesting and relevant, share it to your page. Do not be afraid to jump into discussions as well, as long as you remember to remain respectful. LinkedIn is a great place to share ideas and opinions, so keep an open mind when interacting with other users.

Create A Showcase Page:

LinkedIn Showcase pages spotlight campaigns or initiatives you are working on. Your Showcase page will link to your company’s page, allowing curious users to find it easily. Showcase pages are essentially an extension of your profile used to cater to different marketing personas by allowing a more targeted page. Using the Showcase pages can be great for extending your network, as users can follow a Showcase they are interested in without following your main page. And if you hold their interest, they just might start following your main page!

Consider Sponsored Content:

LinkedIn offers sponsored ads, and it can be a great way to reach out to a wider network. Professionals on LinkedIn tend to be there to learn and grow their network, and are open to learning about new businesses. If you choose to run a sponsored ad, make sure that you closely monitor it so that not only are you getting the most results for your effort, but you are interacting with anyone who responds to it.

LinkedIn is a great example of how social media can be used in a truly professional way. Make sure to reach out and interact with new contacts, learn new things about your industry, and make the most of your time online networking. And if you’d like to connect with BMT Micro, find our LinkedIn here!