“It’s not as sexy, gimmicky or even as visually or even as visually appealing as some of the spotlight – stealers out there. But, if you’re serious about lead nurturing, LinkedIn is the network you can’t ignore.” -Deana Goldasich
There are countless social media networks for you to choose from, each with their own set of benefits and drawbacks. Committing yourself to only one network limits your ability to reach countless audiences. LinkedIn is one social network that is a must use for professional brand management.
LinkedIn is much more than a job-seeking platform – it’s a medium through which to spread your business message in a professional atmosphere. The social network has a strong reputation that is favored by search engines and ranks high in Google, lending it great authority. When individuals are debating whether or not to conduct business with another, chances are that they are checking LinkedIn.
The benefits of LinkedIn are endless. Being able to develop a content-rich profile on an authoritative site that doesn’t charge for membership is like hitting the social media jackpot.LinkedIn is a way for both B2B and B2C companies to reach new prospects as well as connect specifically with their target audiences. The search filters allows a company to carefully target a desired demographic through professions and region, enabling them to directly engage with that audience.
In the Beginning
The page creation guideline created by LinkedIn says it all. It informs its members on how to follow the rules to get their Company Page started. These guidelines are the main reason why this site’s content is highly ranked.
Exactly how do you start the company page? Well, first and foremost you need to have a personal LinkedIn account. The profile must contain an actual real name (first and last name) and must also have been completed with a profile strength from intermediate to an all-star level while maintaining several connections at the very least.
You must list the position title you hold in the company, and provide a business email address.
After completing the above-mentioned steps, you need to fill out the required fields for your Company Page, which are:
- Your Company’s Name
- A Company Description
- The Type of Company: Public, Educational, Self-Employed, Governmental Agency or Organization, Non-Profit, Partnership
- The Size of the Company (number of employees): myself only (self- employed), 2-10, 11-50, 51-200,201-500, 501-1000, 1001-5000, 5001- 10000, 10001 and over
- The Company’s Industry (LinkedIn offers a large list to choose from)
- How your Company Operates – Operating Status
The information required above will create the backbone of your Company Page, with optimized, informative content.
Next, comes the visuals, which are as important as the content. Many underestimate the importance of visuals in the creation of their company page, yet the visuals are key because they spread your brand’s logo and online image. Here are some tips to keep in mind when updating your visuals on your LinkedIn Company Page:
- The images must be 646 x 220 pixels in JPEG, PNG, or GIF file extensions. Make sure that your brand’s images aren’t larger than 2 MB.
- On your product/services section, you can incorporate a maximum amount of three banner images and three links for each one. When adding more than one banner, LinkedIn will automatically create a rotating module with the banners.
- The “Standard Logo” feature of the brand has to be 100 x 60 pixels.
Ripe With Content
Optimizing your LinkedIn page is vital in developing your online presence. For starters, your company page must be filled with updated information about your company, its services, and products, goals, and its competitive edge. Make it ripe with content.
The company page also has to be utilized in terms of images. Try to use your company logo and a relevant cover photo. This will feature your brand’s message and potential clients will recognize it easier.
Always strive to use all 2,000 allotted characters to detail your brand in the Company Description section. Another section is Specialties, where you can and should add up to 20. A services and Products tab can also be incorporated, where you can add more content of what you offer and elaborate on specifics.
Research which keywords are being used when searching for your services and incorporate them into your product or services descriptions. In doing this, you will have a bit of a head start in reaching and engaging with your targeted audience.
Fresh, ripe content is the most effective way to get noticed, so update your Recent Updates section with some impressive company content. To ease your schedule, connect your LinkedIn Company Page with tools such as HootSuite that will allow you to schedule this content ahead of time.
After completing all the required sections for your LinkedIn Company Page, advertising is the last step. The most wonderful aspect of LinkedIn ads is that they can be shown to the targeted audience. Targeting options include job position, geographic location, company industry, skills, size, and so on.
