LinkedIn isn’t just for job seekers or recruiters. This social media platform can be an amazing marketing tool for your company – if you know how to use it right.
1. Remember: Your company’s brand starts with YOU.
People must like and trust you as a person before they buy from your company. That’s why you should pay special attention to your personal profile on LinkedIn, even more than your company page. Think of LinkedIn as one big networking mixer that happens to be online. You should maintain a positive and consistent personal presence.
2. Take an honest look at your personal profile.
Would you arrive at a networking mixer in a T-shirt and ripped jeans? Of course not. So don’t do it on LinkedIn; make sure your personal profile is dressed to the nines. Include a professional profile picture, complete all sections of your profile, and employ correct spelling and grammar.
3. Accept everyone’s LinkedIn connection requests.
If you can hand your business card to strangers at a mixer, you can accept connection requests from strangers on LinkedIn. After all, you don’t have overly personal information on your profile, and the point of networking is to meet people you don’t already know. If a new connection behaves poorly (it’s happened to me only twice out of 2,500 connections), you can always remove the connection.
4. Post updates that appeal to the human side.
Some businesspeople reserve their most boring posts for LinkedIn, as if business should be boring. Much of what you post on your Facebook company page – even some of that fun, quirky stuff – can be posted on LinkedIn. Remember: LinkedIn users are humans, too.
5. Engage with your network.
Did one of your connections post something cool? Be sure to like, comment, or share. Show them that you care. It’s always good business.
Brooke Miles is president of Delaware ShoutOut, a social media ghostwriting and training firm that transforms busy entrepreneurs into social media rock stars.
