Wondering how to grow your business on LinkedIn? Here are some tried and tested ways to make a splash on both your personal and business pages.
When you think of social media for your business you probably think about beautiful Instagram feeds, interactive Facebook posts, or carving out your brand’s voice on Twitter. But there’s one you may be forgetting: LinkedIn. Launched in 2003, LinkedIn has come a long way in its life. What started out as a recruitment platform is now a place where you and your business have the opportunity to reach a diverse audience eager for knowledge and inspiration. Think of it like sober networking. If you’re wondering how to grow your business on LinkedIn, then read on for some quick and easy tips.
HOW TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS ON LINKEDIN
1. Craft a killer personal page
No matter if you are a founder, employee, or freelancer, you need to be easily found on LinkedIn so that the right people can connect with you. I’ve experimented with numerous headlines and have had the most success when I use multiple keywords for what I do, i.e. Editor | SEO Expert | Content Strategist. People have been able to find me when they want advice on SEO in Hong Kong simply by using the search bar on LinkedIn – and that’s exactly what you want.
If your business hasn’t launched yet, you can still throw terms like Founder or Entrepreneur into your headline alongside your full-time hustle. It’s also important to include any other specialities or important roles you have outside work, for instance: Speaker, Podcaster, Committee Chair etc.
Then it’s all about filling in your information. It sounds basic, but make sure that dates are correct and that you list the most important things you achieved in each role. Yes, it is like a resume, and you want to wow the right people. Keep the information relevant and to the point (I personally prefer using bullet points as they force you to delete extraneous information).
For your bio, try to limit it to 2-3 lines. Include your current role, what inspires you, and what you’re working towards. Be sure to inject some of your own personality here so that people feel comfortable reaching out. Also, be sure to include a contact email so that people can reach out directly.
There are many schools of thought when it comes to your personal profile, and mine is: do you. Show off who you are and how you want to be perceived, but consider your audience.
2. Create a business page
If you’ve just started a business or if you’re looking to migrate your company online, then you’ll definitely need a business page on LinkedIn. These are very easy to set up and can be done by following the simple steps that LinkedIn has put together for you.
This is what your employees will link to when building their personal profile too, so be sure to have the correct logo and business information on your business profile at all times, as your employees are really your best advertisement.
Once you’ve set up your business page, you can do many engaging and eye-catching things through it, including posting jobs, using the social feed, and inviting connections. You can also access useful analytics tools.
3. Be social on your personal page
If you want to get you and your business noticed on LinkedIn, then you need to get social! If you find it hard to remember to even open the app, then schedule in a few hours each week on your calendar for this.
If you can’t connect directly with people, then you can always follow anyone you admire so you never miss a post. Then you can interact with them and re-share anything that particularly resonates with you. (To follow someone instead of connecting with them, just go to the ellipsis next to their profile and click ‘Follow’.)
Also, you know how LinkedIn asks you if you want to send a congratulatory message to people who have a new job? Don’t do this. Instead, take the time to craft a sincere message on their page. It will come across a lot better than a generic, robot-automated chat.
Share stories you love, create polls, or write articles. The world is your oyster, so be sure to get active and you will grow your business on LinkedIn in no time.
4. Share diverse posts on your business page
Content-rich media is how you will make gains on your business page. LinkedIn’s algorithm likes it when you share videos, articles, and other posts that are engaging and diverse. You need to create interesting and relevant posts that LinkedIn will serve to people it thinks will engage with them. The more conversations and interactions you start to get, the better, so be sure to ask people to engage directly by posing questions or sparking debate.
This story on crafting killer headlines that drive traffic may help with this.
5. Post at the right time on both personal and business pages
Does killer content even matter if no one is there to see it? The answer is no. There is just no point in posting to LinkedIn if you post at the wrong time or on the wrong day. Weekends are generally dead (except for a few people catching up on things), so avoid those altogether. Remember, the site is for professionals, and most of us work similar hours. That’s when you will find people online.
For Hong Kong and Singapore, Monday-Wednesday, 10am-1pm seem to be the best times for engagement, and this seems to ring true for most of Asia too, despite time differences. If you are a global business or trying to attract international views, consider posting at similar times in varied time zones.
6. Use and follow hashtags
Make life easier by following some hashtags that are relevant to your business. Some of our favourites include: #WomenInBusiness, #Entrepreneurship, #StartUpLife, and of course #DigitalCollectiveAsia
Handy hint: For hashtags with more than one word, be sure to capitalise each new word. These are called camel hashtags and mean that those using screen readers can read them easily.
7. Don’t just post about yourself on your personal page (we want to see more than that!)
While LinkedIn is where we do our professional socialising online, it doesn’t have to be reserved for work, work, work, ad more work. The most engaged leaders on the platform (like Arianna Huffington and Sadiq Khan) share what they’re reading, inspirational posts, and what’s on their mind that relates to what they are working on. So please don’t spam us with every single little thing you’ve done so far.
Remember, you’re crafting your personal brand on LinkedIn, and future employers, employees, investors, and collaborators are bound to check out your page, so spend some time getting in the flow, and you’ll be growing your business on LinkedIn in no time.
