In my last post about LinkedIn for marketing and engagement, I talked a lot about the basic principals of engagement. As with most networks there are some tactics that just work. By simply asking questions, sharing, and responding, you are likely to see an increase in engagement and presence for your business and your brand. LinkedIn is a bit different than the other sites, because while there are company pages, you as a person, are a walking billboard for your business. By being engaged personally, you are building a brand for your business. Many companies have seen a lot of success by encouraging their employees to engage on these networks as well.
So now that we are all caught up, let’s continue.
HOW TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT ON LINKEDIN
6. Comment On Posts
In your newsfeed you will see that people are sharing tons of content. The platform gets over 2 billion network updates viewed weekly. Do a quick scan and see if anything relates to your industry or if there is anything you have knowledge about, and let your knowledge shine. It will help to brand you as an expert in a certain industry or topic, help brand your business and introduce you to new people.
Beyond commenting on posts in your newsfeed, you can comment on posts in groups as well. Make sure you are thoughtful in your commenting and encourage more conversation. Don’t be a know it all, be a know it and want to learn it all. Of course, there is the newsfeed ripple effect when you comment on posts as well. If you know me by now, you know how much I love newsfeed marketing.
7. Build Your Company Page
Company pages are relatively new. They are becoming more and more robust as we speak. You can have a cover photo and you can now update with photos. As you know, photos rock in the social media world, so utilize this tool.
Again, share content about your business here. This can be articles, photos, videos, and slide show presentations. The key is consistency. Make sure you share your company page with your network to start building it up. This is a great place to showcase your business and take on a more corporate profile.
Make sure your personal profile is connected to your business page in your “About Me” section. If you are just creating your business page, you can edit your profile to link to your company page.
In order to have the most complete and engaging company page, make sure you fill out the Product & Service portion. You can include a special offer for LinkedIn members here as well. Exclusive content goes a long way.
8. Follow Other Companies
Following other companies in your industry, or those who can become potential partners, is a great way to learn what they have to offer. There might be something you can partner on now or in the future. In never hurts to poke around a bit. The more you put yourself out there, the more you are going to get in return.
9. Search
LinkedIn just updated their search capabilities. The new search is called Unified Search. It is simple to use and set up a lot like Facebook’s new Graph Search. The search is more filtered and more personalized. Search for keywords that are relevant to your business. Now group and post content shows up in addition to jobs, companies and people.
Once you find relevant content, comment and like. By commenting on others’ content, you are likely to pull them into yours as well. Never forget that social media is a two-way stream. The more you put in, the more you are going to get out.
BONUS TIP:
LinkedIn endorsements are the new Facebook poke. So go ahead and endorse away. Of course I only recommend this if you actually are familiar with the person’s work. By doing so that person is going to get a notification of your endorsement and you will show up on their radar. If you get an endorsement make sure you thank that person. A thank you to their inbox can go along way. Not only does it open up a conversation for you to build that relationship, it is just plain nice. As Peter Shankman says, “Nice Companies Finish First“. That goes for people too.
Double Bonus Tip:
LinkedIn just added a way for you to tag your connections on LinkedIn in a similar fashion to Facebook. This is a great addition to LinkedIn lineup as it allows you to have conversations in a new fashion. By tagging someone in a conversation, they will receive a notification and they can comment directly. As this just launched today, I will keep my eye on it for you.
Social Media Engagement – Overview
Question
Do you have a company page? When was the last time you updated it and with what?
