Though there are several social media management tools present on the Internet, LinkedIn is the most popular among businesses and professionals. It is a widespread misconception that LinkedIn is suitable only for big businesses. Small businesses can greatly benefit from the host of LinkedIn new features. The professional networking platform offers useful features for networking as well as finding potential leads. Small businesses are increasingly leveraging LinkedIn marketing strategy for business lead generation.
Sharing
LinkedIn can be harnessed for sharing articles and information with business contacts. The attribution button of LinkedIn lets you give credit to the original link source. Small business owners need to demonstrate that they are up to date with latest technologies and trends. Sharing relevant links is an excellent method to do so.
Delve deep into networks
LinkedIn’s new features empower users to search for connections by keyword. You get the ability to not only search and select people that are known to you, trust or desire to know better, but this new feature facilitates searching more deeply into their networks. As a result, there are better opportunities for small businesses to engage more strategically.
Join as many LinkedIn groups as possible
Join groups having common goals and interests as the small business on LinkedIn. Here you can share content, ideas and solicit advice. This is an excellent strategy for networking and find partners as well as clients.
Solicit recommendations
Satisfied customers will be happy to give recommendations that boost the small business’s image. Exchanging recommendations is a good strategy too. If you give a good recommendation to a contact, there is a good chance you will get one in return. Another valuable source of recommendations is former employees. Clients and customers are more likely to do business with entities whose services have been used as well as appreciated by other people.
Leveraging Crowdsourcing
Linked groups are perfect for obtaining crowdsourcing feedback. The new sharing capabilities let small businesses cross-post informal surveys or questions across several networks.
Make sure you have a 100% profile on LinkedIn
This is because once the small business’s LinkedIn profile is 100%, the profile becomes searchable. This will increase the small business’s online social media presence. Ensure there is a professional headshot and at least three recommendations for profile completion.
Market research tool
Before contacting or meeting with prospective clients, leverage LinkedIn and do a little research about them. Rapport can be built with prospects via shared contacts or interests. Many small businesses are using LinkedIn marketing tools as it has a powerful and user-friendly search engine.
SEO tool
A LinkedIn profile is excellent for search engine optimization. Put key words or phrases in the profile that customers are likely to use to search. This will result in propelling the small business upwards in search engine rankings.
Create a company page on LinkedIn
This is a great opportunity to showcase the small business to people. It is recommended to have this link in the small business’s emails, website as well as invoices.
Similar to other free social media platforms, small businesses need to devote both their time and effort. Ensure the LinkedIn company page is maintained, LinkedIn profiles are updated, engage and interact with relevant industry groups. If the small business can afford it, then it is a good idea to pay for enhanced features. With practice and perseverance, small businesses will become increasingly adept at harnessing LinkedIn to generate business and enhance reputation.
