5 LinkedIn Marketing Tips
DIY Sprocket Solutions
This article was updated on 11/19/2024 with the article entitled “Beef Up your LinkedIn Profile and Practices for Better Networking.”
LinkedIn is not a social network to ignore –it can truly be a great resource to you and to your business. LinkedIn is a social network set apart from the others. While it’s still a way to interact and connect while sharing articles, photos, and ideas –it’s also a professional network. When you log into LinkedIn, you’re logging in with a completely different mindset than Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. So, what should your marketing strategy look like on this network? What are some marketing tips?
1. Start with a strong profile
This is just like starting with a successful website. In marketing, these landing pages are your first impressions. This is where you are presenting yourself and your business to the public’s eye. Make sure that you’re making a good first impression. Fill out your profile completely and take some time with it. This is an opportunity for you to tell connections more about yourself and your business. This is a giant advertisement for you. It’s also a free advertisement for you. Use it well.
2. NETWORK
You’re not standing in front of anyone. You don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing, how you sound, or how to keep a conversation going in the moment. This is professional networking without the ton of added instant pressure you get from being at an actual networking event. Make connections. You should connect with everyone you know and let it grow from there. Some people believe that you should only connect with those that you personally know. I say –grow your circle and grow your opportunity. Isn’t that what networking is about?
3. Be active
Sure, you can just create your profile and add your connects and drop off the face of the earth. Or you can spend time in the platform actually connecting with people. LinkedIn has a great publishing platform if you have content to share. LinkedIn has great advertising opportunities for you to utilize. LinkedIn offers a place to keep the professional conversation going which can translate into new connections, new clients, new sales, etc. So you can create a profile, or you can actually participate on LinkedIn. You will get out of it what you put in.
4. Join groups
Once you have a strong profile, have fleshed out your connections, and are active on LinkedIn –you should be in groups centered around your interests. These could be groups that are local to you, groups that involve your expertise, networking groups, etc. These are just further options to advertise yourself and make connections.
5. Constantly rework your profile
It’s important to stay relevant. You may have started out with a great profile, but be sure you are going back in at regular intervals to update it. Also, LinkedIn is constantly rolling out new features that can help you better market your business. When you go in and update your profile, you can see what the new tools are and take advantage of them if they are tools that work for you. This can include: adding advanced applications, adding company profiles, setting up links to other social networks, and more.
The best chance you have at being recognized and noticed on LinkedIn is to be ON LinkedIn in an active way. The bare minimum is not going to create new connections for you or market your business.
What are some ways you’ve used LinkedIn as an advantage to your business? What have some drawbacks been? What are your thoughts? Comment below!
Breanne Bannon
Breanne is a Content Writer, Social Media Marketeer, and Sales Associate for Sprocket Websites.
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