LinkedIn can be very powerful if used correctly. LinkedIn is known as the professional’s social media. This distinctive difference means you will not only connect with friends and co-workers, but also with the decision makers in the business world. LinkedIn is less about being social and more about networking. This type of culture opens up many unique opportunities that other social media sites can’t offer. Here are just a few advantages that you get from using LinkedIn.
Networking
Just like any other social media website, the main objective is to communicate with others. Unlike other social media networks like Facebook or Twitter, LinkedIn is specifically geared for the business professional and everything business related. People use LinkedIn to meet new people just like you would at a chamber meeting, or networking event.
Gathering Referrals and Testimonials
Many people choose to work with a business based on referrals, testimonials and other types of word-of-mouth. LinkedIn, unlike any other social network, allows you to collect testimonials and referrals that will help you build your word-of-mouth marketing. This is especially important if you are in the process of finding a new job. If you can get co-workers or old bosses to write a reference for you on your LinkedIn page, it will make you look more desirable and help build your reputation.
Learn About Future Clients
Are you going to a big meeting to pitch your service or product? Do your research on the company and its employees before the big day. On LinkedIn you can see anyone’s profile, even people you don’t know yet. This is a huge advantage for you. You can learn the general hierarchy of a company, and the past experience of the people at the company. This will help you tailor your presentation and help you learn what direction the company wants to head in. Going into a presentation with this knowledge will not only make you feel more confident, but impress the people you are presenting to.
Discover Relationships
As you build connections on LinkedIn, you may be surprised who you find yourself connected to. People you are directly connected to are called 1st connections. People that your first connections are connected to are called your 2nd connections—and so on and so forth. By examining these 2nd and 3rd connections, you may find that someone you want to know can be introduced to you by one of your 1st connections. Being able to build your network and create new relationships with people can help your business.
Maintain Relationships
There is only so much time in each day. To help stay on top of your business it is important to maintain relationships with all sorts of people that help your business thrive. LinkedIn makes this easy to do this without taking too much of your precious time.
Visibility & Branding
Making sure you are out there representing your company is very important. By having a LinkedIn account you can create an online presence. It makes you look more reputable and is a great opportunity to get your branding messages out on a large scale.
Industry Groups
Along with creating a profile you can also join industry groups. These groups consist of other industry professionals that you can start discussions with, invite them to events and create new relationships within your industry. These groups help you grow within your industry and help you create a name for yourself.
Notifications
It can be hard to keep up with all of your business relations and what they are up to. With LinkedIn, you can get email notifications informing you of recent job and title changes, additional experience, and much more. This will help you stay on top of your game and help you take advance of ongoing professional relationships.
Search Engine Optimization
Creating a LinkedIn company page gives you one more chance to get listed within search engine results. Having a company page gives you an additional opportunity to advertise your business, create more link connections and establish your company’s keywords.
Convinced to start your own LinkedIn account? Contact IWD today to get your account set-up by experts quickly and easily.
