Of all the powerful social media sites one of the best has got to be LinkedIn. It is a little confusing to start but with simple guidance you should be able to quickly pick up the basics.
Complete your personal profile
LinkedIn rewards you if your profile is completed in full so take your time and add as much up to date details as you can. Include important details about your current position and company. One important thing to make sure you remember is adding links to your website and blog in your profile.
Create a group
One of the best ways to promote your brand is to open up communication between your company and other industry professionals. Set up groups and share your news feeds and blogs, create discussions, add job postings. The power of viral marketing should never be over estimated.
Join groups
Joining other industry relevant groups serves to engage you with other networks and enter discussions. Remember to always place a link back to your recent posts in a attempt to drive traffic back to your site.
Become an expert
LinkedIn Answers will enable you to promote your professional skills by offering answers to posted questions. Answering questions related to your industry gives you credibility, shows you as a knowledgeable resource and can be a great lead generating tool.
Make new connections
LinkedIn makes it easy to network with those in your industry. Reach out to co-workers, clients and even people you have talked to in one of your groups. You never know what your next connection could do for you professionally.
Research
LinkedIn has a vast array of tools that will help you develop a proactive networking strategy. You can research companies, competitors, potential job candidates and more. Recruiters and sales teams rely heavily on the data they get from LinkedIn.
Finally like any application it is important to keep your account active and current. The more time you spend the more you will learn, qualify your reputation with interesting articles and watch the flow of visitors to your site increase. Social Media Marketing should never be underestimated.
