LinkedIn Marketing for Small Businesses

LinkedIn Marketing for Small Businesses is becoming increasingly popular because it is a fast growing platform and the largest professional network in the world with hundreds of millions of users. Posting regular, valuable content on LinkedIn helps build trust between you and your connections and helps you be seen as an expert in your field. Why does this matter? Well, those who are perceived as experts in their field can get higher rates and generate more business, and not all of us would like that!

7 reasons to post content on LinkedIn

1. It helps you stay top of mind within your LinkedIn network.
2. Your content provides more value to your network. For example, publications that offer free advice, tips, or information on industry trends are often helpful or valuable to your network.
3. It allows you to share your experience, insights, technical or industry knowledge with a wider audience.
4. It helps amplify your blog content to a wider audience and can help drive traffic back to your website, but be sure to use URL links within your posts to help people navigate back to your website. .
5. It helps you position yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
6. It can help build your business profile. How? Well, if you’ve won an award lately, worked with a high-profile client, and gotten some great press, share a post about it. All of these things help create ‘social proof’ or ‘evidence’ that can help you secure future sales.
7. Your LinkedIn post can be shared by your network and this opens up your content to a wider audience.

When thinking about LinkedIn marketing, and more specifically the types of posts you should write, remember to ask yourself;

• What do I want to be known for?
• What kinds of challenges and desires do my ideal clients have?
• Then write your posts using key messages that show you understand these challenges or wishes and can help provide a good solution.

Following this strategy will help you better connect with your target customers and build rapport.

LinkedIn Marketing: Build Your Network

LinkedIn has a powerful built-in search feature that you can use to help you identify new contacts. The main question you need to answer is: who are the potential professionals and clients you would like to connect with? Once you’ve defined your ideal connections, use LinkedIn’s search and filters to locate connections based on things like job title, industry, and location.

When you ‘connect’ with someone on LinkedIn, be sure to add a note to personalize your request. It is very important to personalize your connection requests, try to use a message that shows the context and relevance of the connection. For example, discuss why it might be a good idea to connect, maybe you’re in complementary industries. Maybe you found a recent post they wrote interesting, or you could mention something you have in common. Referencing shared contacts within your networks is also a good place to start, as we are more likely to connect with people we have common connections with.

Get started today, start posting valuable content and grow your network.