Having an effective LinkedIn profile is key for branding in the modern era. Visitors should be able to visit your profile and get a clear idea of your brand and offers. The key function of your LinkedIn profile is to attract and interact with your audience. Thus, you should treat the platform as a dynamic marketing tool for your business. Below is a checklist you can use to improve your LinkedIn profile to generate more interest in your business.
When communicated online, most people are attracted to visual images over text. Now that doesn’t mean you should only post visuals, but you do need to ensure that you use the right images or videos. Use a finely crafted headline with high-quality, well-edited images to catch your audience's attention. Or, consider using videos instead of images, just remember to make the first few seconds of the video interesting to capture the attention of your audience as they scroll.
You should also use your cover image as an extension of your branding. Update the cover image at least every 6 months. Ensure that they are diverse and on-brand. Use in-house graphics, or create graphics using an image editing tool like Canva.
Many marketers already know about the 4-1-1 rule in content posting. However, if you aren’t familiar, this rule says that for every piece of content you write and post, you should share an update from another source. On top of this, you should share four content pieces from other people. By using this rule your feed is centered around your audience's needs, rather than just broadcasting your business continuously. Additionally, by sharing various pieces of content, you can solidify your place within your chosen industry.
Knowing how much traffic comes from your LinkedIn page is crucial. To track your links, use a tracking code at the end of your links. Then, when you look at your analytics you can correctly attribute the traffic from LinkedIn to your website. This can help you to not only optimize your content but also see if LinkedIn is a substantial source of traffic.
By utilizing the use of hashtags on LinkedIn, you can amplify the potential for users to find your content. Hashtags also give your audience an insight into what topics you are addressing within your content. To broaden your audience, you can also use hashtags from relevant communities to help those people find your page and content. However, ensure any hashtags you use are relevant to your business, brand, and industry for best results.
Ensure that when you publish new content, you respond to any comments or questions your audience posts. By engaging with your comments, your audience can see that your page is actively managed. This can help build trust with your audience and also increase brand reputation. Set aside time within your day after you post, as well as during the next week. Prompt responses add value for your audience whether they are part of the discussion or just reading it.
The LinkedIn Content Suggestion tool can help you discover what your audience is interested in. These suggestions are based on factors like location, industry, seniority, job function, and articles they read. Use this helpful tool to help plan content and find additional content to share to your profile. Consider what topics are relevant to your industry and target audience, and ask what you could add to the conversation.
The LinkedIn Showcase Pages can help you demonstrate exactly what your business offers. Consider what areas of your business you could share in more detail, then create a Showcase Page for it. Your audience can then opt to follow specific pages to get information on the areas of your business they are most interested in. You can target each update to the relevant audience of that page, thus creating a custom feed for business aspects. These Showcase Pages have the same publishing options and analytics as your main LinkedIn page.
Having a dynamic LinkedIn page with up-to-date information and valuable content can boost your business presence online. However, you must curate the content for your page with your target audience in mind to make the most of it. Explore the possibilities by using the above checklist to improve your LinkedIn profile and start increasing engagement on the platform.
