by Robin Breen
With so many social media platforms to choose from, where should you put your time and energy? Facebook? Instagram? LinkedIn? There are so many options out there, which is the best? LinkedIn is the networking and business ideology. If you are looking to grow your professional network, market yourself and/or your company and increase sales, LinkedIn is the platform you should be devoting the majority of your time to. With approximately 400 million users, LinkedIn is no longer merely just a means of finding a job but also a free way to grow your business.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network and a powerful platform for doing business. This is not the platform you are going to post recipes or pictures of your pet on. This is where you are going to post open positions at your company, search for a job, advertise events and publish articles, just to name a few. LinkedIn is going to create awareness of your business and also, if you are smart about your posts, improve your and your company’s reputation.
Though not its sole purpose, LinkedIn is essential for job searching. You can easily and quickly get your name and information out to a wide audience in a short amount of time. Recruiters search LinkedIn for talent. Job openings are also posted per your specifications. LinkedIn is also a great place to showcase your talents and let all your connections know you are currently searching for a job should they know of something available.
One of the big pulls of LinkedIn is advertising. This is where you can do legitimate, attention grabbing FREE advertising. Every time you post, like or share something, you are advertising your company’s name to all your connections. The more people you connect with, the more that see everything you publish or share. For example, if you are connected with 500 people, and you are having a sale on an item, just post it and those 500 people will see it. And if any of them like it, all of their followers will see it. And this is all for free. The media exposure is unlimited. You are promoting brand awareness of yourself and/or your company with just a few minutes of your time, all for free.
The more people you connect with, the more your network will grow and the more exposure you will have. LinkedIn is a social media platform that encourages the viewer to connect with you. In addition to being able to find people, you are given suggestions for people to connect with based on your current connections. Relationships are developing and expanding, again, with just a few minutes of your time and no cost. This is the place where you don’t form friendships as you do with Facebook but rather a place where you form business partnerships. By fostering these relationships, you can find clients leading to increased sales.
KnockMedia’s CEO, Nate Berger, is a strong believer in LinkedIn and its benefits and has recently started a lecture series on the topic. Nate has been speaking at the New Haven Chamber of Commerce and other local businesses on the basics of what LinkedIn is. He also presents the next step of learning LinkedIn – setting up a profile and using your account in the most optimal way. Nate will be giving this Phase Two LinkedIn presentation at the Chamber on March 23rd. Follow us on twitter (@knockmedia) or on LinkedIn to get updated information on other presentations.