When LinkedIn was launched, it was little more than an online job board, a convenient place to share resumes and hunt for new talents. Over the years, the platform has grown into an essential platform for content marketing. Learn about LinkedIn strategies for small business. If your company offers B2B products and services, LinkedIn marketing is invaluable.
What makes LinkedIn strategies for small businesses so essential? Simply put, LinkedIn is the platform where you’re most likely to gain the attention of on-the-clock professionals, folks who may be actively seeking new vendors or partners to work with. As such, LinkedIn has arisen as one of the top online lead generators. In many ways it rivals the centrality of Facebook, Twitter, and other social hubs.
But what does it actually look like to successfully market your small business on LinkedIn? Here are a few tips to get you started.
LinkedIn Marketing Tips for Your Small Business
1) Get the timing right.
Timing is important on any social platform, and it’s especially crucial for LinkedIn. That’s because LinkedIn is a professional network, and engagement tends to plummet on Saturdays and Sundays. After all, these are days when most working folks are enjoying a reprieve from their vocational duties. Weekdays, and especially weekday mornings, tend to be more impactful times to post. (For whatever reason, Tuesdays tend to be the best bets, statistically speaking.)
2) Create brand guidelines.
On LinkedIn, more than any other social platform, it’s important to represent your small business as professionally as possible. That means having a clear sense of the problems you solve for your clients, the values that guide your company, and the things that set you apart from the competition. Creating brand guidelines can help you stay on message. It is important to consistently articulate the reasons why customers or clients might choose you.
3) Join groups.
LinkedIn groups allow you to join smaller communities, made of like-minded professionals. These groups can be great places to share your subject-matter expertise. This is precisely because the members of the group have opted in. There is a real interest in whatever the group’s principles or subject matter may be. In other words, participating in groups can be a great way to earn the trust of potential partners and collaborators, and possibly to connect with laser-targeted leads.
4) Ensure a professional profile.
This may seem like a small thing, but it’s amazing how many business owners overlook it. Spend some time developing your company profile, providing detailed content about your services while also adding logos and other professional touches. Remember, LinkedIn gives you lots of authority about how other people see your business and brand. Use that authority to your full advantage!
5) Focus on your expertise.
LinkedIn can sometimes be an appropriate venue for hard selling, but more often, it’s best to use the platform to earn trust and credibility. To do this, share a mixture of personal/branded blog posts and carefully curated content, along with brief commentary, about topics or ideas related to your niche. Basically, show that you really know what you’re talking about, and that you have the expertise needed to be a real asset to your customers, collaborators, and clients.
6) Consider LinkedIn ads.
You may not want to do this right away, but at some point, try playing around with sponsored content. LinkedIn provides a number of advertising options that can help you build your audience, focusing on targeted professionals. This can be especially useful if you have a really good, compelling company blog post that you want lots of eyes on.
Make the Most of LinkedIn
Have you forgotten about LinkedIn? It’s easy to overlook the platform when Facebook and Twitter dominate so many people’s time and attention, but your small business deserves the LinkedIn treatment. Find out more about developing and implementing a LinkedIn marketing strategy: Contact Grammar Chic, Inc. at 803-831-7444 or www.grammarchic.net.
Amanda E. Clark founded Grammar Chic in 2008. She is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and holds degrees in Journalism, Political Science, and English. She launched Grammar Chic after freelancing for several years while simultaneously leading marketing and advertising initiatives for several Fortune 500 companies.