Why should I be on LinkedIn? The real question is why aren’t you already on LinkedIn? Currently, LinkedIn is the leading social network for the business world and a main contributor to social media marketing Melbourne FL. They generate billions of dollars and they host more than 500 million business professionals from around the world. Out of those, almost half are authority figures or executives in their companies, on average making over 100k a year. According to the most recent statistics, each day 172,800 LinkedIn accounts are created, that’s two accounts per second!
Not only is it an amazing tool for sharing your personal business story to the world, but it is also an incredible resource for finding articles relevant to your industry, connecting with past and current colleagues, recruiting qualified candidates, and sharing your expertise and content into groups. LinkedIn, unlike other social platforms, still maintains high levels of organic reach for social media marketing Melbourne FL. This means that more people are likely to come across your page or content without having to put any money behind it! Page creation is free too, so this should be a no-brainer decision. You’ve got nothing to lose.
How to start?
Your business should have a distinct and individualized branding image as well as a core message behind what the business does. The Company Description and Overview is there to inspire others with an authentic story about the creation and capabilities of your business. This is a chance to share the mission statement, vision, and goals of the company with others. This isn’t about selling, this is about communicating the things that make the company unique. Give people a reason to follow you and root for you. This is also a time to consider SEO strategies by including keyword phrases, a unique tagline, and hashtags because they are all huge contributors to social media marketing Melbourne FL.
Like Facebook, the visual aesthetics of your branding will be represented by the banner image and logo (or profile icon). What are the signature colors? Will people see your website, LinkedIn, and your Facebook and know without a doubt it is the same business? There should be a streamlined and distinct voice behind all the images you have representing your online presence and page creations. We call this, optimization, and we are the best at it!
Okay, I created it, now what?
Don’t set it and forget it, you will be missing out on so many great marketing opportunities this way.
Groups! Create, join, share, and favorite them! This is one of the keys to LinkedIn success and also free. Spending the time to engage with people and other companies in relevant industries, organically, will boost your page presence and your reputation as an expert in your field. It might seem counter-productive to share groups with competitors, but that camaraderie builds your following. Within the group, you can send the individual members announcements and messages to keep the conversation going to gain leads and loyalty.
Daily posts are preferred and don’t worry that doesn’t mean you have to become a professional writer overnight. Although LinkedIn loves long-form text and articles, sharing relevant industry news or interesting facts from other sources will also provide the presence and posts you want for exposure. Don’t forget to tag the people you referenced or that are connected to the content.
New to LinkedIn is a native video feature, no typing necessary! Just pull out your phone and record highlights from a business event, share tips and tricks, interview an employee, record customer testimonials, review your favorite book, if it’s professional and appropriate, it will work for LinkedIn’s video feature. It’s basically Instagram story’s cool uncle, more mature and put together but just as fun.
Analytics is your friend! We know numbers aren’t the sexiest way to influence, but there’s nothing like seeing those numbers skyrocket after a successful campaign. The metrics LinkedIn provides will help identify what worked and what flopped, who is visiting your page, and where they are from. With this information, creating a clear strategy for success will be much easier.
Now, this part might be the most important, encourage all employees, clients, friends, and family to follow your page. These are the people that are directly invested into the success of the business and already advocate for it. If they don’t, maybe you need to re-evaluate a few things (that’s a different blog altogether). Many employees will enjoy this, as a way for them to share their career progress with their network. Whether it’s the innovative projects they are working on, the helpful products they’ve had a hand in creating, or services they are selling, no matter what the industry, establishing your home base of followers will truly make a difference. On every social platform, people want to see the humanity behind the strategy and that is where true progress is made.
How has LinkedIn evolved?
LinkedIn was a concept invented by Reid Hoffman in 2002. It initially took time to catch on, only receiving as little as 20 signups on some days. The potential and small growth they were able to achieve attracted a large investment by Sequoia Capital. By 2004 the platform expanded with new features like groups and address book uploads. When American Express decided to partner with them, they decided to promote the platform to small business owners. By the following year they had over 2 million members, they established their fourth office in three years, and they launched their first business lines of Subscriptions and Jobs. Another year passed, and they achieved profitability and introduced their signature features, People You May Know, and Recommendations, and they changed CEOs. In 2007 Reid stepped down and handed over the reins to Dan Nye. He had a short-lived reign, but he prompted their global expansion and different language capabilities. Another CEO change occurs in 2009, introducing Jeff Weiner, who still stands as CEO today. He came in with a clear vision and mission for the company which fast-tracked them into massive success and expansion. LinkedIn went through a full platform makeover in 2012 which reflected their three concepts of simplify, grow, every day. Now owned by Microsoft with Reid on the board, they continue to flourish and influence the business world as well as social media marketing Melbourne FL.
Let’s move forward!
The AD Leaf ® wants to help get your company on track for successful social media marketing Melbourne FL with LinkedIn and all social platforms! We focus on the big picture and understand the strategies to get the most out of your social channels. We will collaborate with you to cultivate your unique brand, improve your internet presence, exposure, and client base. For more information about the benefits of social media marketing Melbourne FL, contact us today at info@theadleaf.com or give us a call at 321-255-0900.
