5 Tips to Help you Fall in Love with Linkedin
LinkedIn is the largest professional network in the world with over 467 millions users. It aims to connect professional and businesses together. LinkedIn has many uses; for job search, recruitment, sales and to enhance a person or a company’s professional image.
However, LinkedIn is a bit like Marmite, you either hate it or you love it. As a social media channel, it is very different to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. LinkedIn haters feel that it is slow to engage with its population compared to any other social networks. However, it is the quality of the content that wins the hearts of LinkedIn lovers. As a fact, 46% of social media traffic coming to B2B company sites is from LinkedIn.
At Glass, we think that we can make you fall in love with LinkedIn. Using our 5 tips to help your company to perform well on LinkedIn, we’re confident we’ll have you hooked. So what should you do after setting up your professional profile and your company page?
1. 80/20 Rule
Did you know that 60% of professionals use LinkedIn to gain insights of their industry? By following the 80/20 rule you answer their needs.
The 80/20 rule is simple: 80% of the content that is shared on your page needs to be relevant to the industry your company operates in and 20% needs to promote the services and products of your company.
This balance of content means that you still have enough space to showcase the benefits of your products and services. Sharing industry relevant content positions your company as a thought leader, authenticating your brand.
2. Be organised
Publishing on social media takes time and the best way to be efficient is organisation. For instance, did you know that the most clicks and shares happen on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays? Obviously, the more you are connected the better it is, however, if you do not have the time -it happens!- to login every day on LinkedIn, make sure that you plan to publish on these days. Using a calendar to schedule your content will help you to stay organised, otherwise you can always use a social media management software (such as Sprout Social or Buffer).
Thinking ahead means that you can ensure a balance of content; making sure you’re sharing a mixture of industry news, tips, company insights as well as showcasing your products and services.
It’s a good idea to create short and concise posts; users generally scroll down on the different updates to have an overview of the different news. They want the information directly and the ability to like and share posts straight away. Did you know that the optimum amount of words for LinkedIn is 25?
3. Employees are the first voice of your company
One of the biggest benefits of using social media is the ability to meaningful conversations with people all over the world. Linkedin facilitates the development of close relationships with peers, potential clients and customers.
Your employees need to be part of your LinkedIn strategy. Encouraging them to engage with the company content, and to become advocates for your brand is ideal. Invite them to share content related to their own profession; they will be up-to-date with trends and bring new ideas to the table. Encourage your team to connect with clients, prospects, partners and professionals sharing the same interests and always keep in mind that LinkedIn is most efficient when you have the right network to interact with.
Help your team love LinkedIn too. Hosting up-skill sessions are a great start. Sharing your business objectives, and empowering your employees with the ability to contribute should be fundamental for your Linkedin strategy. You can even set goals, especially for your sales team, to help them utilise Linkedin to generate new business.
4. Set achievable targets
You want to have 10,000 followers by the end of next month but other companies in your industry have 1,000 followers after 2 years being on LinkedIn. Is it a feasible target?
Think: quality not quantity. In order to set achievable targets, benchmark yourselves against other organisations (of similar size) in your sector. It is important to be honest about your current positioning and consider the energy you can afford to plug in to the platform. The more time and energy, the quicker you will see results. So be reflective and set your targets accordingly.
It’s a good idea to have smaller targets, alongside larger more ambitious long term goals.
5. Analyse your results
Keeping an eye on your analytics is crucial. You can observe the levels of engagement, the CTRs and the demographics you attract the most (and if it is the right one). Ask yourself which posts have the highest number of clicks; was it the one sharing the life of your company or the one sharing news about the latest innovation in your industry? Has your website conversion increased? Is it of better quality?
Each month, spend 10 to 20 minutes reviewing how you could do better. There is always room for improvement: interacting with followers and the community, involving your employees, observing what other businesses do, the language you use, brainstorming for new ideas…
79% of B2B marketers view LinkedIn as an effective source for generating leads. It is the ideal opportunity to show off your expertise in many different ways. LinkedIn is ideal to target specific markets, to reach prospects and customers directly, and it is a major platform to showcase your employees professionalism.
You may still not like Marmite but we hope that we have changed your mind about LinkedIn.
At Glass, we would love to assist your business in defining the optimum strategy for your LinkedIn company page. Social media management takes time, that’s why we are here. We can train your team, set up the right strategy and manage your social media platforms. Just drop us a line to get started.
