linkedin

Make no mistakes, LinkedIn is one of the best resources out there for businesses and business professionals.

It is a hub for attracting new clients, expanding your network and establishing your brand as a professional and leading authority in your niche.

Currently, LinkedIn has over 433 million members and is growing at a rate of 2 new users per second.

This rapid growth is very quickly turning the social network into a powerhouse in the business world and it is going to become increasingly more important for brands to establish a name for themselves on the platform.

Having a large following and strong presence on LinkedIn matters, as it can directly correlate to an increase in business.

It can also help your brand to attract new employees, experts and clients that can help boost your company in the right direction.

When your brand has a large following on LinkedIn it also shows up first in search results and puts your brand name ahead of the competition.

This can have a huge impact on your business, as the platform is visited by millions of interested prospects every single month.

Even though other social networks like Facebook may have a larger user base, LinkedIn users are there for one very specific and targeted reason- to grow their professional brand and business.

Here are some interesting facts about LinkedIn users:

  • LinkedIn users are mainly aged between 30-49
  • Over 39 million students and recent graduates use the platform
  • Users come from over 200 countries – around 70% from outside the US
  • LinkedIn has approximately 7 million Australian users
  • Over 40k job application posted every single day
  • 44 percent of users make over $75k per year
  • 50 percent of users are college graduates

The fact that LinkedIn users are so targeted towards professional growth and development, makes the platform an ideal place for your brand to market their products and services. It is also the perfect place for your brand to really make a name for itself.

This is especially true for B2B brands who may struggle to use Facebook and Twitter to promote their products and services.

By doubling or even tripling your LinkedIn following, you can boost your engagement rates, connections and revenue.

So, let’s get started-

Tip #1: Getting Set Up

If you want to grow your LinkedIn following you first must have a solid profile that is up to date and includes a recent image. You can read more about how to create a professional LinkedIn profile here.

Remember, over 25 million LinkedIn profiles are viewed every day so think of creative ways you can get your profile to stand out from the crowd.

Tip #2: Post Updates Daily 

In order to grow your following, the first step is to get your profile active and updated. By being active on LinkedIn, it not only helps you to increase your reach but it also makes people more likely to follow you.

Research also shows that posting at least 20 updates each month will help to reach around 60 percent of your audience.

When posting LinkedIn updates, think about posting things that add value and offer something of interest to your readers and followers.

Around 60 percent of LinkedIn members are interested in industry insights and around 43 percent of LinkedIn users are interested in learning about products and services.

When your connections leave a comment, be sure to also reply and engage as much as possible. This will also help you to get your name out there and attract a wider audience.

Tip #3: Include Images 

Images are really key when it comes to growing your LinkedIn following. It may seem simple, but images can help to increase engagement rates. In fact, one study found that by adding an image to LinkedIn posts, engagement rates increased by 11 times.

It was also found that images shared on LinkedIn yielded 98 percent more comments than when an image was not shared.

It may help to look and see what other brands are doing to capitalise on their LinkedIn following. In fact, Mashable is one of the most engaged brands on the platform, so maybe take a look at what they are doing and how you may be able to replicate some of their techniques and strategies.

Tip #4: Engage with New Connections 

To grow your LinkedIn following you have to think about making some new connections. To do this without overstepping any boundaries, consider replying or commenting on any posts or articles from new connections.

Try as much as possible to reach out and engage with people who are relevant to your brand and niche and are somewhat connected to your circle.

When reaching out to strangers on LinkedIn, be mindful of the strategies you use and how forceful you come across. Aim to approach this tactfully and not in away that will discredit your name or brand.

You may also want to take a look at the recommended connections that LinkedIn provides to see if you can grow your network that way as well.

When you do reach out to one of your recommended connections, try adding a personalised message to help improve the chances of your connection accepting your request.

Some pointers that can help you to personalise your message to new connections include-

  • Including how you both know each other (mutual connections)
  • Stating a reason why you would like to connect
  • Offering a mutually beneficial reason for connecting

Here is an example to get you started as well-

“Hi, I noticed that we are part of the same group and would love to network. Let’s connect and work out a way we can both be a great resource for each other. All the best.”

When you add a personalised message, it can help increase your chances of your connection approving the invite and a better shot at growing your network.

Tip #5: Create a Group

One of the best ways to expand your network on LinkedIn is to create a group.

When you create a focused group it can help you to attract professionals who are interested in the same topics and subjects that your brand is. It can also help you to attract interested clients, prospects and leads that may be looking for the services that your brand provides.

This strategy will also not only help you to grow your network, but will also help you to establish your brand as an authority and thought leader in its field.

To grow your LinkedIn group here are a few ideas to get you started-

  • Optimise your group description: include reasons why people should join your group and what value your group can offer to members. Highlight any benefits and the overall purpose of your group.
  • Invite LinkedIn Connections: invite your existing connections to be members of the group. You can also add individuals manually to the group as well. Be sure you only add or invite interested parties to your group as this will help maintain the quality and relevancy of your group.
  • Ask Your Connections to Promote Your Group: ask your employees or connections to help you promote your group. You can also reach out to your email list or use other social media platforms to promote your group.
  • Run a Sponsored Ad Post: LinkedIn offers the option of running a sponsored ad post to promote your group. This allows you to target people by their job title, industry, company size and level of seniority. Sponsored ads are fairly easy to set up, however you may want to consider establishing and engaging group before allocating a big ad budget.
  • Post Engaging Content: this is the number one way you are going to get people interested in your group. Avoid posting spam and instead choose quality content that offers a lot of value for your members. Also be sure to create a friendly and supportive group that is open to discussions, questions and comments.

Tip #6: Engage with Your Employees

Engaging with your employees on LinkedIn is a great way to show how your brand works as a team and your company culture.

Engaging with your employees on LinkedIn has also shown to make them feel more valued, which can further support your image on the online platform.

When you have happy employees they are also more likely to engage with your brand on social media, and this can organically help to grow your following.

Having engaged employees can also help increase the reach of your posts and allow your content to be seen by a much wider audience.

Tip #7: Connect with Your Customers

Don’t be afraid to reach out to your existing customers on LinkedIn, as they are going to be some of the most valuable references for your brand. This is especially true if they are satisfied customers.

Existing customers are also more likely to endorse your brand or leave a testimonial, which can help boost your page in search results.

You may also want to consider asking some of your happy customers to endorse your brand or write a review or testimonial on LinkedIn as well.

Tip #8: Add your LinkedIn URL to your Email Signature 

Your LinkedIn profile is not just for networking, it can also act as a resume and proof of the results that your brand can deliver.

By including your LinkedIn URL on your email signature, it not only allows you to increase your following, but it also allows your prospects and leads to learn about your company. This in turn, can help to boost conversion rates and reassure new customers who are interested in doing business with you.

You may also want to consider adding your LinkedIn URL to your business cards and having it easily accessible on your main website or homepage.

Tip #9: Share Videos

Just like images, videos help to increase engagement online, especially on a platform like LinkedIn. In fact, one study found that videos were able to increase engagement rates by nearly 80 percent.

This is a huge advantage for your brand and one that will help your content to be seen by an even bigger audience. In fact, sharing videos on LinkedIn has been shown to increase share rates by 75 percent.

Adding a video to your LinkedIn posts also makes your profile more enticing for wandering visitors and helps to attract more views.

Tip #10: Participate in Group Discussions

While creating your own group is a fantastic strategy, participating in other group discussions is also extremely beneficial and can help you to grow your network rapidly.

Find a few groups that are in the same niche as your brand and start engaging on the group. Reply to comments, ask questions and also offer information and expertise on the group as well.

You can also use groups to post your own content or blog posts. This not only helps to increase traffic to your page, but it can also allow you to see how group members are responding or reacting to what you are sharing.

Overtime, you will also be able to establish a rapport with other group members and eventually add them as a connection. Who knows? You may also find a life long client.

Tip #11: Add Keywords to Your Profile

Adding keywords to your profile can make it easier for people to find you and can improve the chances of your brand coming up first in search results.

The three main areas that you want to focus on adding keywords include:

  1. The headline section
  2. The summary section
  3. The experience section

These sections are all searchable, making them the perfect place to add relevant keywords. To pick the perfect keywords, think about what your customers or clients may be searching for and how your brand can help.

When filling out these sections, be mindful too of simply keyword stuffing. Try to create a story that appeals to your audience and be creative in how you choose to present and share information. This will not only make it easier to add keywords, but it will also help your profile to be more engaging to readers and future customers.

Tip #12: Track LinkedIn Analytics 

By understanding your metrics you will have a better understanding of how to maximise your activity on LinkedIn.

Data is sometimes the only way to truly know how your posts are performing and how your audience is responding, so it is important to understand what your numbers are.

LinkedIn has a service that allows you to view your profile’s analytics. While it may not be comprehensive, it will give you an idea of engagement rates, comments, shares, clicks and likes.

This is enough data to get you started and should help you to wade through what is performing and what is not. From there, you can work out what posts are going to get you more attention, and which posts you should avoid.

Tip #13: Pick the Perfect Time for Your Posts 

Just like all social networks, there is a better time and day to post than others. LinkedIn also has a different audience compared to Twitter and Facebook, so what works on those platforms may not perform on LinkedIn.

Research shows us that the best times to post on LinkedIn are weekdays from 7 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 6 pm.

During these times, activity and engagement on LinkedIn is often high and visitors are more interested in making connections and reading posts and updates.

Even though LinkedIn activity is high all days of the working week, you may want to avoid posting on Monday and Friday. These days are typically not the best for reaching out to business connections, so start with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and see if that is a better fit.

Tip #14: Post Articles to LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform 

LinkedIn has a publishing platform that allows you to post articles and images. The benefit of these articles is that they can be seen by the entire LinkedIn community, not just your connections.

This is a great way to increase exposure and get your brand’s name out there. It is also a great way to funnel traffic to your main website.

To capitalise on LinkedIn’s publishing platform, write high quality content at least two to three time per month. You can also repurpose your blog content and publish it on the the platform as well.

Stuck on what to write? According to LinkedIn, list style posts tend to perform the best and receive 40 percent more engagement compared to other styles of written content.

Tip #15: Add a LinkedIn Share Button to Your Blog

Got a blog with high engagement? Consider adding a LinkedIn share button to your blog to allow readers to instantly post your content to the platform.

This will help increase the reach of your posts and further establish your brand as a leader in its field.

Tip #16: Use the Platform to Find New Customers

One of the best ways to use LinkedIn is to find new customers. While this can take some trial and error, here are three of the best ways to go about it-

  1. Use the advanced search option to find your targeted customer. Consider search parameters such as location, industry, company size and so on.
  2. Browse the search results and make a short list of relevant prospects. Reach out to these prospects using the LinkedIn platform or by emailing them directly.
  3. Save your search results and set an option to have a list of new potential customers sent to you either weekly, daily or monthly.

It may also help to keep in mind that customers are 50 percent more likely to purchase products from brands who reach out to them through LinkedIn.

Tip #17: Create LinkedIn Showcase Pages

Showcase pages can be used to highlight different departments, productive categories or new developments in your company. Showcase pages work alongside regular LinkedIn pages and give your brand the opportunity for increased exposure.

When designing your showcase pages, think of them as an online portfolio where you can “showcase” your work and advertise to others what your business can do.

The best showcase pages have engaging content and plenty of images, so be original and take a creative approach when designing your pages.

Tip #18: Post on Pulse

LinkedIn is mainly accessed from desktop computers, however the networking platform is hoping to change all of this. That is why they purchased Pulse, a mobile app that gathers news stories from around the internet. Pulse also gives you the option to publish your own content as well.

By posting content on Pulse, it gives you access to LinkedIn’s entire audience and helps your content to be more searchable on LinkedIn itself.

Tip #19: Use LinkedIn Job Search

Posting jobs on LinkedIn is a great way to get more followers. While you don’t want to post fake job postings just to get followers, you can use this strategy to legitimately find new employees or interns.

Often when you advertise for open positions on LinkedIn, it can get employees interested in your brand and more likely to follow you.

Tip #20: Cross Promote

Chances are your brand is also active on other social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Use these platforms to cross promote your LinkedIn content to increase followers and exposure to your profile.

By cross promoting your content, it allows you to reach a wider audience and boost engagement rates. It can also help you learn which social networks your content performs best on.

Conclusion 

It may not have pretty images like Instagram or witty one-liners like Twitter, but LinkedIn is an invaluable tool for any business.

Research has consistently shown that LinkedIn is one of the best social networks for businesses and for those looking to increase their professional network. It is also a great place to find new customers and clients, especially for B2B brands.

By following these 20 tips, your LinkedIn profile will have double the number of followers in no time. This will not only help to increase your credibility on LinkedIn, but it will also help boost engagement rates, leads and eventually, revenue.

Why not try some of these simple and ease tips today to see how LinkedIn can work for your brand?