If you want to do all you can to promote your business, you should have a LinkedIn profile. You should also update it on a regular basis.
A few years back, LinkedIn was little more than an online CV system. Many of us created profiles because we thought we should, but we weren’t really sure what the point was. You couldn’t ‘use’ LinkedIn in the same way that you ‘used’ Facebook - it wasn’t very interactive. It also had quite a ‘corporate’ feel, giving the impression it was aimed at employees in big companies.
All that has changed. Many small business owners and sole traders now have profiles. LinkedIn has grown to include discussion groups and question and answer sections, and it has its own social media feed connected to Twitter. It’s generally regarded as one of the ‘big 5’ social media sites.
LinkedIn connects business to business
LinkedIn can be a great source of recommendations. Not the ‘Recommendations’ that contacts can leave against your profile (although these are extremely valuable), but recommendations for suppliers of services that you need.
Most of us would prefer to use a supplier who comes with the recommendation of a friend or contact, rather than simply plucking someone at random from a Google search.
If you’re looking for a particular skill or service, and no one is recommended to you, LinkedIn allows you to perform your own search. Having found someone who seems to match what you are looking for, you may discover they are already in the network of one of your contacts. This could facilitate an introduction, or simply allow you to ask the question directly of your contact: “Could this person deliver what I need?”
In the same way that you ask your contacts to recommend others, they could also be recommending you to their contacts. It figures that the bigger your pool of contacts, the better the chances of your being recommended.
Demonstrate expertise through a LinkedIn discussion
Getting the most from LinkedIn involves joining a number of special interest groups which are relevant to your business. Within these, you can join in, or initiate, discussions. Participate in these regularly and you’ll become familiar to other group members, who’ll also start to identify your areas of expertise.
LinkedIn discussions are not an opportunity for direct self-promotion. They allow you to help others by providing advice based on experience. Through sharing, you’ll win recognition for adding value, raising your profile.
If you’re looking for a low-cost marketing opportunity this year and you’ve not made much of LinkedIn so far, it could give you just what you want.
