LinkedIn is at its core a social media network especially for Business. LinkedIn was creating before Facebook coming out in 2003, Facebook followed about a year later. With over 225 million members and growing it’s a force to be reckoned with. There really is no other social media network like it that is so focused on business. Facebook is for everyone, Twitter is for everyone, but LinkedIn is for professionals.
There are many ways to use LinkedIn for Business but we’ll go over just five here.
Post Job Opportunities
Whether it’s a job or a contracting opportunity, posting them will get your company attention and hits by both potential candidates and potential clients. A growing business looks stable to clients, and what business doesn’t need a steady stream of good talent at their fingertips? Be very specific in your postings so that you can attract the right type of talent.
Locate Talent
Research job applicants or contractors via the tools available to an upgraded account. You can view anyone’s profile, work history and background giving you more information than a standard resume and cover letter about your possible future colleague. By engaging with others in groups you’ll meet the type of talent you want to expand your business.
Showcase Work Samples
LinkedIn has become more visual over time and it’s a great opportunity to include any type of visual element to your profile. Use images that showcase your accomplishments. Incorporate creative video and infographics into your profile where appropriate. This will show visitors who come to your profile or company page what you do and how well you do it.
Make Public Your Success
Being public with a job well done is a great thing to do on LinkedIn.com. If you have employees or contractors who work with you, give them a shout out and tell them how great they are in public. In addition, ask for recommendations from your clients and allow those to be public affirmations of the great work your business does.
Send out Strategic Status Updates
Use the tagging and #hashtags features in all of your status updates on LinkedIn. LinkedIn currently allows users to tag either people or businesses. this is a great way to expand your network. People who engage with the people or businesses that you tag will see the update too. Don’t just send out random updates. Be purposeful.
On LinkedIn you’ll make valuable connections with other professionals like you, as well as form connections with your target audience increasing the reach of your business. Every day set out to try at least one of these ways to use LinkedIn for business and discover more ways to promote your business products and services.