A
pretty common question these days is: “Which social network is the best?” And
to that I usually say, “The one that helps you meet your marketing objectives.”
And in that regard, many are great, but for different reasons.
LinkedIn: It has always tended toward the serviceoriented professional, in
my opinion, but it has plenty to like in the brand asset optimization world
that all businesses live in as well. My advice for most business owners is to
find a social network or platform that seems most suited to your business
objectives and dive in pretty deep, focusing more casual attention on the
others, at least initially. Going hard and deep into one network, like
LinkedIn, is the only way to gain the momentum delivered by consistent work and
engagement.
So,
when it comes to LinkedIn, here are five tips to get more:
Your profile
This
is a great brand asset so don’t waste it. Make it informative and optimized for
search.
- Add a photo: Nothing says nobody’s home faster than the default icon.
- Get the branded URL: Something like this is what you want http://www.linkedin.com/in/ducttapemarketing—it’s something you pick during editing.
- Use links with Anchor text: Link to your blog, products, workshops, etc., through the “other” tab and you can add anchor text for the link.
- Be descriptive: Use the “Summary” to tell your story in a compelling way and add lots of keywords in the “specialty” section.
- Keep it active: LinkedIn has a status update feature, much like Facebook and Twitter, that you should update routinely.
- Link to it: Put links to your profile in your email signature and other online pages. Optimization is a two-way street.
Give to get
When
people view profiles one of the top features is something called
recommendations. While these may feel a little fluffy when you read them, lack
of them can be a competitive issue. You should acquire some recommendations and
I find the best way to get them is to give them. Choose people in your network
that you’ve worked with and write an honest statement of recommendation. Don’t
be surprised if you receive some in return.
Show what you’ve got
An
overlooked feature on LinkedIn, in my opinion, is the Question and Answer
function. By jumping in and answering questions thoughtfully you can
demonstrate a given expertise while potentially engaging contacts that are
drawn to your knowledge. The key phrase is thoughtfully answering. LinkedIn
even has a rating system to reward people who give the best answers with some
added exposure.
The
flip side of this tip is to ask thoughtful questions. This can be a great way
to get useful information, but it’s equally powerful as a tool to create
conversations, discussion, and engagement with like-minded connections.
Lead a group
Anyone
can launch a group on LinkedIn and lead discussions and networking on a
specific topic of interest. If you take this tip to heart and put some effort
into a niche group you can gain added influence with your network, but groups
are also open to the LinkedIn universe as a whole and some folks find that this
is one of the strongest ways to build their network. Building a group around an
established brand is also a great way to bring users or customers together.
Repurpose content
Since
members of your network, and those of the larger LinkedIn community, may only experience
your brand on the LinkedIn platform, it’s a great idea to enhance your profile with
educational information. This is best done using some of the third-party
applications that LinkedIn has collected for this purpose.
- Blog Link: displays your latest blog posts on your profile
- Box.net: allows you to create links to files such as resumes and marketing kits
- SlideShare: embeds slideshow presentations and demos
- Company Buzz: scrapes Twitter for mentions of your brand or other topics you assign
Source:
Let’s talk, Social Media for cmall busniess, version two (John Jantsch) e-book
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