Building your Business on LinkedIn

Everyone knows LinkedIn is a great place to grow your professional network, but how do you leverage LinkedIn to help your business?   

With over 800 million active users, LinkedIn is an excellent way for businesses to connect with potential clients, employees and partners. You can show off your company's personality while showcasing your products, services and expertise. 

But even with 800 million users, if you lack a solid following, it can feel like your business is shouting into a void. So how do you grow your followers and leverage LinkedIn to help your business? Here are five ways to do just that!    

1. Optimize your profile

Focusing on building out your company’s profile may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s a vital first step to ensure your business stands out from the crowd!   

Start by selecting a high-resolution profile picture that reflects your brand, this could be your logo or an image with your company name. Then create a killer headline that explains who you are (but keep it brief, you only have 220 characters!). Next comes your summary; think of this as a headline expansion. Keep your summary straightforward so new followers can quickly learn more about your business and know why it’s a go-to in your industry. And don’t forget about SEO! Throughout your summary, optimize your keywords to reflect your brand's mission and values. Your profile should also include a link to your website.    

Lastly, make it easy for your audience to follow you. Add a “follow” button to your blog, website or newsletter. Cross-promote your LinkedIn pages by adding a link to your company’s other profiles. 
 

2. Get to posting

Posting content regularly is one of the best ways to grow your company’s following. Who wants to follow a static page? Nobody! Data shows pages that post just 1x per week have higher engagement than pages that post less frequently.  

Posting regularly can:  

• Increase your visibility. LinkedIn prioritizes content from pages that post frequently. By posting regularly, you increase your chances of appearing in your followers’ feeds, helping your business reach a wider audience.  
• Create more opportunities for engagement. The more content you have, the more chances your followers have to engage with your page, which can help you build relationships with new clients, gather feedback and grow your audience.  
• Create momentum. Regularly posting helps keep your business top-of-mind and your followers engaged. Going long periods without posting can make keeping your followers’ attention difficult. 

 

3. Use hashtags

Using relevant hashtags is a great way to expand your overall reach and help grow your company’s LinkedIn following. Hashtags enable users to search and discover content surrounding specific topics and industries, making them an excellent tool for maximizing your posts.  

Research and select hashtags that are relevant to your industry and your target audience but use them strategically. Unlike other social platforms, it's best to use hashtags sparingly; in fact, LinkedIn suggests using just three per post.  
 

4. Be responsive

Establish real connections with your audience! There are a few ways to do this:  

• Ask questions and respond to comments. Responding to comments shows that you value your audience’s feedback and listen to their opinions, allowing you to build trust and loyalty with your clients. By starting conversations, you can gain valuable insights into what your target audience is interested in, which can help you personalize your content to better resonate with them.  
• Engage in content relevant to your company and industry. Getting involved in popular content can help establish your company as an active and thoughtful participant in your industry’s community. See if there are conversations already happening you could join. 
• Share relevant content! See an article or a thought piece by an industry leader or a non-competing company? Share it with your audience! Sharing valuable content with your followers is another way to help establish your business as a reliable source of information and insights in your field.  
• Getting involved in the “social” part of social media can help build lasting relationships with potential clients, employees and partners and grow your following.  

 

5. Enlist your team

Don’t overlook your team! According to LinkedIn, 30% of overall engagement comes from employees. In a way, your team can become your brand ambassadors, helping to advocate for your business.  

But don’t take this for granted. Ask your team to get more involved by following your page, liking, commenting and sharing posts. All engagement helps your business reach your teams’ networks, boosting your company's visibility and follower count.   
 

And that’s it! LinkedIn isn’t just a place to build your professional network; it can also be a massive opportunity for your business! By optimizing your profile, posting regularly, using relevant hashtags, being responsive to your audience and enlisting your team, you can establish your business as an industry leader and build lasting relationships with potential clients, employees and partners.  

Still stuck and in need of some help with creating quality content on LinkedIn? Our social media team is here to help! Let’s chat.