6 Ways to Use LinkedIn as a Marketing Strategy
So, by now you have probably heard that LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site on the internet. It’s like Facebook for professionals. You can network, pitch, and get recommendations from your target audience all from the comfort of your own home…or your smartphone. But what can it do for your business? I am here to fill you in on six easy ways LinkedIn can be utilized as part of your marketing strategy.
Find Your Target
As in anything to do with marketing and PR, we first need to locate our target audience. On LinkedIn, an easy way to do this is by joining groups or even creating a group of your own. When you have your audience centralized in one location, such as a group, you can more easily communicate with them. By creating your own group, you control the content and the conversation, which we will look at in number four.
Grow Your Email List
It is no secret that, as with any social media site, algorithms control everything. This is one reason I like to say social media is rented space – we don’t have all the control, as we do on our website. Algorithms control what people see and how often they see it. By gathering email addresses, you can control what your audience sees and communicate directly to their inbox. Email marketing is proven to be one of them most successful marketing tools, so what better to do on LinkedIn than to build that list?
Post, Share and Go Viral
Post, often, on LinkedIn. Why? LinkedIn has a special spotlight feature, which allows content to be shared across multiple audiences if it gains enough traction. Of course, going viral isn’t something you choose to do but, rather, happens to you. By posting and sharing content statistically and consistently, you stand a much better chance of being spotlighted on LinkedIn.
Blog It
LinkedIn allows you to publish your blog post directly to the site. And, as the point above states, you can share that content through groups, email marketing and even LinkedIn newsletters. This is a great way to get your content directly in the hands (on the screens) of your target audience. You can also get third party blog comments from your audience and even other businesses. This allows you to grow your digital footprint.
Copy and paste your blog posts into an article on LinkedIn for more exposure.
Start a Conversation
At any point in marketing, you are doing one of three things… starting a conversation, entering a conversation or changing a conversation. This is your opportunity to create the news people hear about your business. Celebrate wins, spotlight new goods or services, take a stand on issues or just show what happens behind the scenes at your business. All of these are opportunities for you to create news and start a conversation about your business. A conversation is always being had on social media. If you are not in control of it, it means someone else is…
Connections Make Relations
At the heart of it, LinkedIn is a social networking site. Likes, comments, shares and connections all work together to build relationships and relationships are what your business needs. LinkedIn lets you harness social connections and turn they into brand loyalty. This allows you to bypass the one-time sale and build a relationship with consumers, which will keep bringing them back.
So, whether you are a small business or a Fortune 500 company, LinkedIn is a smart strategy to add to your business plan. Launch a group, grow your professional network, start important conversations. LinkedIn is the platform that lets businesses market to consumers and other businesses. Don’t sell yourself short by not having a LinkedIn page.
