With the endless number of social media websites that have recently come up, trying to choose the most valuable for a business could be an overwhelming task. LinkedIn is the social network that stands out for small business owners. Compared to other social media, LinkedIn marketing aims to create new business connections, not to make friends and share pictures and stories.
A lot of small business owners do not understand the significance of LinkedIn for their marketing efforts. They do not realize that in the past five years, LinkedIn has created wonders for marketing small businesses. They cannot ignore LinkedIn because of these reasons:
- It is free or relatively inexpensive.
- It can reach a big, international market.
- They can network through personal connections or business-to-business (B2B).
Marketing with LinkedIn starts with creating an attractive profile. Entrepreneurs must focus on building the “trust factor” first, not on selling their products and services. Before people buy, they need to trust the business. After that, the business must build their network by adding connections and contacts.
LinkedIn basic account is free. Businesses can create their page and have all their employees register to follow the business page and start a fan base.
Links to Other Social Networking Sites
Creating a business page does not cost anything, but LinkedIn marketing can be somewhat limiting compared to other social media like Facebook, wherein users can share links, photos, etc. However, in LinkedIn they can post personal status updates and link these updates to other social media sites.
Personal Connections
Personal connections are a significant aspect of small businesses in this technology-driven world and LinkedIn adds some personal touch to business.
Groups
Joining groups is one of the best means to expose the business. Groups that are related to the company, the industry, and oneself on a personal level can help the marketing strategy of the business. They can participate in the discussions or start their own, share, and post a link. There are even groups on LinkedIn that would show them how to market their business.
Applications
The marketing strategy of a business involves posting about company news, upcoming events, a PowerPoint presentation of the company, and creating polls related to the industry. These are all available by using free applications. This way, businesses can digitally enhance their marketing materials for free.
Selling Talent
This is what probably separates LinkedIn from other social networking outlets. The people make up a company and they can use LinkedIn to promote company talent. When employees link to their company, they have to make sure that their profiles feature industry talent.
These are the simple foundations to be successful in marketing the business using LinkedIn. It starts with goal-setting, thinking who the best people that can help reach those goals, and then using LinkedIn marketing techniques to find them. Businesses do not pay enough attention to who their target audience is and do not take any action. LinkedIn can help them showcase their marketing material and share their knowledge about the industry.
