LinkedIn can be a powerful tool in your business’ marketing strategy, when used well. According to Sprout Social, businesses on LinkedIn generate almost 300% more leads than those using Facebook as their primary marketing platform.
Like all social media platforms, LinkedIn has its own set of best-practice ‘rules’, and some things that are frowned upon – that may do more harm than good for your business.
So, with this in mind, let’s look at some ways you can improve your business’ LinkedIn presence.
Remember that not all social platforms are created equal
Repeat after us: LinkedIn isn’t a sales platform. Tempting as it may be, LinkedIn isn’t the place to push your products or services onto your audience. Instead, it should be used to build relationships and connections with like-minded individuals and businesspeople.
LinkedIn is a platform where you can showcase your expertise and industry knowledge and create valuable dialogue between those in your industry. When crafting content for LinkedIn, remind yourself that it’s about educating and inspiring, not hard selling.
Ask thoughtful questions that encourage engagement
One of the best ways to improve your business’ presence on LinkedIn is to make sure you engage with your audience. Encourage other LinkedIn users to engage with your content by asking thoughtful questions in your posts.
Ask for your audience’s opinions — because everybody’s got one, and most will relish the chance to voice their expertise on LinkedIn. It’s the perfect place to offer others a chance to share their knowledge while boosting your own content and visibility.
Use stock images sparingly
Stock images are everywhere, and they’re not always the best quality. They can be tacky and a bit impersonal, so they can be a huge turn off for your audience. That’s not to say you can never use them. Maybe just not all the time!
If you can, invest in getting your own photos taken. Even pictures taken on a smartphone can be more attention-grabbing than a run-of-the-mill stock photo. You can also take advantage of free tools like Canva to create your own visuals.
If you find yourself in a pinch and need to resort to stock pics, check out our recommendations for the best free image sites.
Share content from other people or companies
Remember, LinkedIn should be about showing how you add value to your audience, not just your own business. If you’re putting out post after post of your own content, it can feel like one big ad campaign, which can cause fatigue.
Add some variety by sharing a mix of your own content and content from other people and organisations. This can actually help boost your credibility and trustworthiness, especially if you add your brand’s distinct voice and commentary.
Don’t just share content, share ideas
Thought leadership — it’s LinkedIn’s favourite buzzword. To keep people interested in what you share, and to avoid becoming just another ‘website’ page for your products or services, you’ve got to add some ‘thought-leadership’ style content.
If people agree with your ideas, values, and sentiments, they’re more likely to check out the rest of what you do. If you have a unique take on something, share it. Always try to add value, because your audience could find a similar article, product, solution, or service elsewhere. Why should they pay more attention to your message? Give them a good reason to!
Post strategically — more isn’t always better
Posting frequency is an important part of any LinkedIn marketing strategy. But more posting doesn’t always mean more engagement. In fact, posting once or more daily might actually have a negative impact on your engagement. Depending on your industry and following, posting one to three times a week could be the sweet spot.
And remember, don’t just share content for content’s sake. Think about how it contributes to your wider message, and the goals you’re trying to achieve as a brand.
Don’t forget to tag
Whether it’s individuals or brands, don’t forget to tag others you mention in your posts. As well as being polite, this can bolster engagement and might even put your name on someone’s radar.
This could simply be tagging the author of a piece of content you’re sharing, tagging a brand, or asking someone in your network to weigh in with an expert opinion. Just remember, only do it if it’s directly relevant to your post and those included.
Check your analytics data
Check in on your analytics regularly. This will help you gain insight into:
- Who your posts are reaching
- Who your audience is
- What type of content resonates with them, and what doesn’t.
Using this data to frame your approach to future posts gives your followers more of what they like and helps you get the most out of LinkedIn for your business.
You should also consider the time of day you post. For example, you may get the best engagement when you post in the morning or evening.
Have a solid body of content to fall back on
It’s hard to appear authoritative in your field without any content of your own. Want to find out more creating shareable content for your business?
Our team of professional copywriters can help you create content you’ll be proud to post on your LinkedIn. Get in touch with us today to find out more.