Marketing on LinkedIn Means Business
Perhaps more than any other Social Media platform, LinkedIn carries the weight of professionalism behind it. Because it was designed specifically for professionals, it doesn’t usually get painted with the somewhat flighty brush of other social media platforms.
This can really work in your favor as a local business. In many ways, social media has replaced the Yellow Pages as the go-to vehicle for consumers to read up on a company. It is fast, it is current, and they can see the opinions of real people in real time. That means that if you have good accolades on professional sites like LinkedIn, you can prosper. In other words, LinkedIn has the professional credibility to get you business – especially in B2B settings – if you use it well.
What Is LinkedIn?
LinkedIn bills itself as the professional social networking site. It allows users to connect to others that they know and like professionally, simulating an old-fashioned business network but offering the digital efficiency that comes with easily updated profiles, in-platform email systems and professional endorsements.
Although people can and do connect with others they don’t know, the idea is that you build your network based on people you do know, then get important introductions through your contacts … thereby building a quality network over time, just as you would in the real world, but with a faster and wider reach.
How Does LinkedIn Work for Local Business?
Unlike an individual, who would set up a personal LinkedIn page detailing employment and school history, a business can set up a LinkedIn Company Page. With it, you can connect with and endorse local businesses and business leaders, and they will often endorse you back, building a reputable network right in your community. You should also include people from closely related industries in your network, as well as current or potential customers.
Keep in mind that just because your business uses a Company Page doesn’t mean you don’t have to complete your own LinkedIn profile. Many professional contacts will search for you, so make sure your profile reflects you well.
What Are the Benefits of Marketing on LinkedIn?
Your LinkedIn followers advocate for your services and your brand, and by connecting with them on LinkedIn you can keep them up to date on all of the business’s professional developments. By staying in touch with clients and customers, you not only let them know about new products and services, but you show them you care about their business.
Building relationships with locals in your business or closely related businesses is a great way to generate referrals. You can also build relationships to exchange content marketing on each other’s blogs and endorse each other’s services.
Moreover, sharing content on LinkedIn helps you gain social credibility and traction in your local sphere, and can bump up your site or blog’s search engine ranking by sending traffic to it. Unlike other social media networks, where the traffic you get may be from a wide variety of groups, the traffic you get from LinkedIn is likely to be highly personalized and of a high caliber, because you ensure when you build your network that these are the kinds of connections you have.
Why Should You Care about Marketing on LinkedIn?
The reasons above all matter, but LinkedIn boils down to one main boon: It helps you look good by establishing a professional brand presence, and allows to you easily harvest recommendations from both customers and peers. In the digital age, just as in the analogue age, recommendations and referrals are the lifeblood of any business, and maintaining an upstanding, professional platform on which to generate them and forge valuable contacts will help your business succeed in the long run.
If it’s time to start building a steady stream of leads by leveraging your professional contacts, marketing your local business on LinkedIn is a great way to start. MarketBlazer can help.
Just call 770-893-2443, or connect online and let’s get started.
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