LinkedIn is the world’s largest social media channel for business leaders and decision makers, with more than 675 million monthly users worldwide. Whether your company specializes in flat glass, auto tint or design film, LinkedIn should be considered part of your company’s communication strategy.
While your company should create a company page, it is equally important that you and your employees harness the power of LinkedIn to further your business’ growth goals. Here are ways that you, as the business owner, and your team (especially your sales staff) could consider using LinkedIn on a regular basis.
Maximize Your Profile: Setting It Up Properly
Taking the time to properly set up your personal profile on LinkedIn is a key ingredient in using the program effectively. Remember that people want to connect with people and that social media is just that – social.
LinkedIn provides 20 tips on setting up your personal profile. Here are some of those tips:
- Profile Image – Select an image of yourself that is both professional and friendly looking. You want to find an image of yourself that is approachable (for example, smile and avoid crossing your arms). As the LinkedIn author puts it, “smile with your eyes.”
- Background Photo – Choose a background photo that stands out. This is an important visual element for people who are connecting with you. Perhaps use a photo of the outside of your business or a collage of photos of various window tinting jobs. Be sure to tell a story with the photograph.
- Headline – Add a compelling headline that is more than your job title. Be authentic.
- Summary – Write a summary that describes yourself.
- Sync Your Email Address Book – If you have a work email with professional contacts, consider syncing LinkedIn. LinkedIn will automatically send an email to ask your contacts to connect.
- Skills – Be sure to list your skills.
These tips, and more, will help to create a robust profile on LinkedIn and provide a foundation for you to grow an online network to help you reach your business goals.
Grow Your Network: Incorporate LinkedIn into your Face-to-Face Networking
Once you have a LinkedIn profile created, it is important to begin incorporating LinkedIn into your everyday workflow.
LinkedIn is designed to increase the connection between people. We often hear about Facebook’s algorithm, which determines what you see in your Facebook news feed based on what you do on Facebook. LinkedIn also has an algorithm, which is set up to further connect people. Each time you like, comment or post on LinkedIn, everyone in your network is made aware of this through their own notifications and news feed.
So, how can this work for you? Here’s an example:
Let’s say that you have a meeting with a potential client. After that meeting, you send a follow-up message through LinkedIn, thanking him for his time and asking him to follow you. Once he has followed you, he will start to see your activity on LinkedIn within his own LinkedIn news feed. For instance, he will see the posts that you like, comment on or make. Each time you write on a post, he is notified via the LinkedIn’s notifications and he will see what you wrote.
So, as you post about 3M™ Window Film and the benefits of 3M products (or write comments on others’ posts about window film), those in your network will see what you wrote – including your potential client. Gradually, your potential client will receive information about your products and services. And, gradually, you will be educating your potential client, hopefully pulling him further into a decision-making process. Think of it is a way to constantly drip information to potential clients – a form of drip marketing.
In summary, adopting LinkedIn into your workflow means (step one) asking existing and potential customers to connect on LinkedIn and then (step two) sharing, liking, commenting and posting on relevant content to the window film industry to drip information to your network.
How to Find Relevant Content: Share News to Your Feed Regularly
In 2019, the Pew Research Center reported that about 51 percent of people visit their Facebook profile several times a day. However, LinkedIn is much more sparse. It’s more common to visit LinkedIn once a week. So, don’t feel the need to login to LinkedIn daily. But do make it a point to login at least once or twice a week.
Be sure to follow window film industry professionals, including 3M, Window Film Magazine and the International Window Film Association. We also recommend that you follow your 3M™ Authorized Distributor, Accent Distributing, which regularly posts content about window film. There may be other industry resources to follow. Once you follow these organizations’ company pages, you will be able to scroll through your newsfeed and like, comment and share their posts.
In addition, your company should consider creating a LinkedIn company page. Be sure, on your personal profile, to share all of your company’s posts. This will further your company’s page reach and provide your own audience information about important product announcements and information about your own company’s services.
Of course, feel free to make your own posts on LinkedIn. Share photos of completed projects, give kudos to teammates (and tag them) and celebrate your own successes. LinkedIn also provides an opportunity for you to publish a blog.
Be Social: Join Conversations, Comment on Posts to Engage with Those in Your Network
Remember that LinkedIn is a social network in which people want to connect socially with one another. The algorithm is set up so that you will see how your audience is engaging on the network. Just like they can see what you are doing, you will see what they are sharing, liking and commenting on.
We encourage you to engage with your audience. Join conversations in threads that are relevant to your expertise and business. Like posts that resonate with you. Give kudos to potential clients when they share good news. Be sure to engage because the more you do, the more likely that LinkedIn’s algorithm is going to continuously drip your audience information about what you are doing on the channel. Engagement is key.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest social media network for working executives. Studies show an estimated 4 out of 5 people on LinkedIn reportedly “drive business decisions.” Begin to engage on this network as part of your company’s marketing strategies. Encourage your employees to do the same.
Accent Distributing provides marketing assistance as part of its value-added benefits. For more information about using LinkedIn for your business or to speak to a marketing professional about other ways to enhance your efforts, contact Inside Sales at (941) 922-5268 or [email protected].
