Are you using LinkedIn as a marketing tool? If not, perhaps it’s time!
When social media was first introduced it was created to help connect us to one another and to be able to share bits of our everyday lives. Today, there is absolutely no doubt that it is an essential sales and marketing tactic to promote businesses, events, and personal brands.
Among the assortment of social media platforms is LinkedIn, which according to its website, was designed “to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.” But just like the more popular social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram and TikTok – it has become much more than that. It is a standout marketing tool for businesses and individuals. While connecting global professionals to one another will always be at its core, it has expanded its abilities to reach professional networks, generate leads, and enhance professional and corporate brands.
Unique to LinkedIn is its audience of global professionals from all industries. It is the “meeting place” where they bond, engage, and discover others who share like-minded backgrounds and similar occupations. It offers a two-dimensional approach. One which focuses on personal branding and the other which concentrates on company representation.
If you haven’t explored LinkedIn, here are a few ways you can use it to diversify your current portfolio of marketing strategies.
You have heard of target marketing, but what about target networking?
As a marketing consultant, I encourage my clients to get out, meet others, shake some hands and exchange business cards. It’s important that as a business owner you can represent your company in all situations and circumstances. But when physical networking opportunities aren’t available, LinkedIn offers professional networking capabilities that give you access to a more relevant audience of business owners, decision-makers, and industry professionals. You will have more connections because instead of relying on vague algorithms, LinkedIn allows you to target specific professionals, industries, and companies. Connecting with the right people can open doors to collaborations, partnerships, and opportunities.
Need to generate leads and sales?
LinkedIn connects B2B using a variety of advertising methods and search filters, both of which can target customers based on industry, job title, company size, and more. Using LinkedIn to advertise can help you cast a wide, but highly targeted audience. If your business sends out blogs or other types of content to your clients/customers, you can use that content on LinkedIn. When you do, you begin to position yourself as an industry leader that may inspire engagement with other businesses.
Need to recruit the best talent?
On top of its marketing features, LinkedIn is also a recruitment platform. LinkedIn lets you connect with potential candidates and attracts top talent. Find the right candidates by targeting individuals based on their experience, skills, and current job title.
If you have a LinkedIn profile for yourself and/or your business, make sure it’s updated. If you don’t have a presence yet, consider adding your resume, bio or CV with a photo and then begin to build your business’ profile. From there, explore the platform and discover for yourself its capabilities. Once you get the hang of it, consider adding it to your arsenal of marketing strategies by accessing its professional audience and its power to connect you with the right people. LinkedIn can be the missing piece to your marketing plan because it can help grow your business in ways that other platforms cannot.
