The Power of Social Networking
The digital platforms available in 2019 have enabled digital marketing to become more innovative than ever before. From Instagram Stories to sponsored Facebook advertisements and even company-sponsored Snapchat filters, social media is now a foundational tool for businesses everywhere.
Not all social networks are treated equally, though. Different platforms are geared toward different demographics. Think about what a typical Snapchat user looks like versus the average Facebook user – Snapchat users tend to be much younger and, while Facebook users range in age, the platform is more popular among older adults.
By understanding each platform’s demographic,
We can gear our marketing campaigns accordingly – choosing bright colors and popular influencer endorsements for Snapchat, maintaining a professional image for Facebook, using interactive graphics on Instagram. However, one social platform remains largely ignored due to the assumed lack of “social” activity on the platform – the professional community on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is used by career-oriented individuals to network, search for new opportunities, and to provide a digital, interactive resume to potential employers. LinkedIn is for professionals, and not a “traditional” social network – so how can LinkedIn be used for digital marketing?
LinkedIn offers a variety of useful tools for digital marketers and companies looking to boost their brand. When used effectively, you can turn this massive professional database into a hotbed for leads, new connections, and increased traffic on your company’s social profiles and website.
Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.
Understand the LinkedIn Demographic
Since people use LinkedIn as a professional network, it’s important to note that it’s difficult to use the same marketing techniques on this platform as you would for Instagram or Twitter. Your sponsored posts should be geared toward career-oriented individuals and industry professionals.
Think about the types of professionals who would be interested in your product or service. Are you in the wedding cake industry? Your optimal LinkedIn audience will likely be wedding planners, wedding venues, and catering companies. Does your company create websites? Everyone needs a website designer – so publish content promoting your services.
On LinkedIn,
you aren’t marketing to the public. While you can gear your content toward potential customers, the most effective use of this platform is to market to potential partners and clients. You have plenty of other sites to post traditional advertisements – LinkedIn requires something different.
Tool #1: LinkedIn Business Profile
The first step to effective LinkedIn marketing is to set up a LinkedIn business profile for your company if you haven’t already. While you can engage in networking and other marketing techniques on your personal account, having a company profile helps you establish a professional image.
If you have a personal LinkedIn account, you can create a business profile. This process is similar to how Facebook pages are set up.
- First, go to the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions
- Select “Create Your Page.”
- Enter your company name and industry, upload your logo, and upload a cover photo as the site prompts you to.
- Fill in your company details and description.
- Click “Publish” and your page is live!
- Add trusted page administrators from company leadership.
With your LinkedIn for Business account, you can:
- Encourage your employees to connect and engage with your company page
- Use LinkedIn Groups to connect with other industry leaders
- Purchase LinkedIn advertisements
- Publish engaging content on your LinkedIn feed
- Gain insight into the operations of competitors
Tool #2: Keywords, Keywords, Keywords
You know how you use keywords to increase your search engine optimization so that your rankings on major search engines are higher? Good news: you can do the same thing on your LinkedIn profile and company page.
When you fill in information on your LinkedIn profile,
Include high-ranking keywords related to your industry and digital marketing. These keywords will help other industry professionals discover you. In addition, include keywords when writing your company description. That way, when professionals and other potential collaborators search for these keywords, your profiles will be near the top of the search results.
Tool #3: Your LinkedIn Feed
Similar to Facebook, you can publish posts on your LinkedIn profile and company page. Many companies share links to new products and services through these posts. Others post blogs and other company updates.
Whatever you choose to post on LinkedIn,
The content must be engaging and informative. Remember: you’re trying to draw in potential clients and network with professionals. Sharing blog posts from your company site on LinkedIn is a simple, easy, and effective way to increase clicks and web traffic. By publishing blog content, you’ll know that the content shared in your LinkedIn feed will be relevant to industry professionals and potential clientele.
You can also create organic posts and updates specifically for LinkedIn. However, a LinkedIn post should not be treated the same way as a Facebook post. Creating engaging content that would be of interest to career-oriented individuals is key.
For example,
Say that your company refurbishes stores and storefronts. Sharing pictures of your latest project is one way to showcase your work to your LinkedIn following because it builds on your portfolio. You could also share text posts about design trends for storefronts, store technology, or the types of fixtures stores can opt for.
However,
Sharing a post unrelated to your company’s operations or company culture, such as a post about a personal situation, should be avoided. This would give an air of unprofessionalism to your career-oriented network.
On the other hand,
Sharing a personal post about your company, such as pictures of a company event or an appreciation post for your team, is highly encouraged. This signals to your network that not only does your company perform good work, you foster a friendly and welcoming company culture. Play it safe and stick to company-related posts on your LinkedIn feed.
Tool #4: Sponsored Posts
One exciting feature is the ability to purchase a sponsored post. These native advertisements allow users to engage with the broader LinkedIn community in an organic manner. With LinkedIn sponsored posts, you can run native ads in news feeds, generate leads across the platform, and connect with other industry leaders.
To purchase a sponsored LinkedIn post,
You will need a LinkedIn for Business company page. From your company page, you can create a Feeds Ad Campaign to manage your sponsored content and launch new posts. LinkedIn’s Campaign Manager tool helps you keep track of your advertisements and examine analytics.
To publish your first sponsored post:
- Sign into Campaign Manager.
- Choose your advertisement format: sponsored content, sponsored LinkedIn mail, or text ads.
- Set up your advertisement text, images, and other specs.
- Select traits that you want to target, such as industry, job title, and company name.
- Set up your budget and bid.
- Enter your company payment details.
After your advertisement has been published,
You can view analytics such as impressions and clicks in your Campaign Manager dashboard. You can publish all types of content to be sponsored, but follow the same guidelines as your unsponsored posts.
LinkedIn: More than a Digital Resume
LinkedIn taps into a completely unique demographic and has the potential to foster innovative marketing strategies. Through the use of LinkedIn for Business pages, engaging content, keywords, and sponsored posts, a savvy company should clearly consider investing in this platform for increased social presence and networking opportunities.
