LinkedIn has over 347 million users, yet there are far too many LinkedIn users who don’t really use this social networking platform in the real sense of the word. There is a great deal of unused potential on many business pages, which is why we’ve gathered some of the most useful tips on how to really use LinkedIn and be successful.

Fill Out Your LinkedIn Profile

The first thing every LinkedIn user does is they fill out their profile. The goal is to provide as much relevant information about your business as possible so that other LinkedIn users, potential clients, and likeminded professionals can get to know you better. This is the first step of using LinkedIn the way it should be used.

Many businesses have profiles all filled out with the most recent and accurate pieces of information. However, this is where their ‘LinkedIn activity’ stops. LinkedIn pages of many businesses look like online resumes despite the fact that LinkedIn has so much more to offer in terms of helping businesses grow and build strong online presence.

So, what should you, as a business owner, do? We mentioned filling out your LinkedIn profile as one of the most essential steps to successfully using this social networking platform. A word of caution though – you want to create a professional image, so don’t focus too much on personal sections of your profile such as birthdays, hobbies, etc.

Stand Out from the Rest

As we’ve already mentioned, LinkedIn has 347 million users, and your goal is to find a way to stand out from millions of other businesses that are similar to yours. How do you do that? Use your professional experience and knowledge to gain authority in your fields of expertise.

LinkedIn has a publishing platform that allows business owners to spread the message about their business. However, promoting your business without high-quality content to stand behind your brand may prove to be useless. That said, you should create engaging content that will speak about your business and to your audience in a professional manner. You want to be seen as a professional with innovative ideas, brilliant business concepts, and as someone who has experience and knowledge in their line of work. Therefore, make sure your content reflects that.

Not only can you publish content on LinkedIn, but you can also share existing content from your business’s blog. You can also use various LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your line of work to build your authority and connect with other members.

Tip: Use the 80/20 rule when sharing updates on your LinkedIn profile. In simple words, when you share updates, make 4 updates that your followers will benefit from, and only 1 aimed at promoting your business.

Create Your Network

Don’t hesitate to add people you don’t know to your LinkedIn network. It’s important that you don’t connect with other LinkedIn members only to have more people in your network. When reaching out to people you want to connect with be sure that both parties can benefit from this business connection. This means that you should use LinkedIn’s powerful search feature to find people who are in the same line of work as you, people who can benefit from your business, etc.

Communicate with Your Network

Engaging your audience is never easy. However, there’s one thing that will surely help you build a stronger relationship with your followers and that is communication. You should invest your time in talking to your followers, and make sure they know you listen and care about what they think. You can use status updates to congratulate your followers on work anniversaries, new job positions, etc. Giving recommendations and joining discussions will also help you communicate with your network more efficiently. Don’t forget to stay professional though.

If you want to take your social media presence to the next level and increase your authority across all major social networking sites, contact us today at 866-944-3244.