8 Reasons Why Your Business Needs To Be On LinkedIn

8 Reasons why your small business needs to be on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is now 14 years old and it seems as though there are several misconceptions about the platform. I heard one recently from a friend who is a job seeker. She has many years of experience in the workforce and is loyal to her employer. However, she never joined LinkedIn because she assumed it was a platform exclusively for job seekers and recruiters. Although LinkedIn may be one of the best tools in the world for that, the platform has become far more robust, and diverse and is respected globally. In fact, LinkedIn is now the 6th largest social media platform with over 106 million active users worldwide, according to a Tracx.com article.  

Savvy users leverage the platform as much for personal use as business use. While LinkedIn is a comprehensive tool for talent acquisition and job searching, it goes far beyond that. Active users can get the most out of this vehicle, by sharing information about a product launch, distributing content regularly, and building relationships. In my opinion, it’s the most versatile social and business platform on the market and a must-have for all businesses, including the mom and pop shops.

If you’re already on, it’s time to beef up your page, make a presence, and start adding value. Here are eight reasons why you need to stop what you’re doing right now and get your business on LinkedIn.

1. Lead Generation: LinkedIn is 277% more effective for lead generation than Facebook and Twitter, according to Hubspot.
2. Affluent Demographics: LinkedIn users tend to be more affluent, have a higher level of education, and are more advanced in their career path. In fact, 45% of people making $75,000/year or more use LinkedIn. According to an AddShoppers study, orders influenced by LinkedIn users had the largest average order amount in comparison to other social platforms.   
3. Discover a New Audience: If it’s a new platform for you, it’s a new audience. Some of your fans and friends may already be on LinkedIn. However, because it’s the more mature social platform, you’re going to find more upper management and executive level users that might not be on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It’s also more acceptable to connect with people you don’t know.
4. Grow Your Email Marketing List: When you connect with users, send each one a brief introductory note about yourself or your business and invite them to join your email list. You’re more likely to get a response if you add value.
5. Talent Acquisition: Once your personal profile is on point and your business page is up to date, it’s a great time to post open jobs. Your business will look more attractive to candidates if you’re active, consistent, and relevant. Don’t forget to showcase your company culture.
6. Create a Community or Tribe: Many businesses create community pages to help people in their industry connect, discuss trends and solve common problems. By creating and/or participating in these communities, you can position yourself and your brand as friendly, reliable, and as a leader. It’s always recommended you join and participate in 2-3 communities before starting your own.
7. Build quality partnerships: Whether it’s business development or relationship building, LinkedIn has the capability to introduce you to or help you introduce others to the right people. According to Huffington Post, 49% of members are key decision makers and we all know, partnerships are the most powerful way to accelerate your business.
8. More Traffic Please: The residual of #1-7 is more traffic to your website. If you deploy these strategies, more visibility and traffic is just a starting point and over just a few months is likely to translate into more relationships and more leads.

As a bonus, LinkedIn ads are a great opportunity for your business. Because the platform is exclusively business focused, it’s a powerful tool for B2B organizations. You can choose from a range of ads to target and reach people based on region, company, industry, occupation, gender, and beyond. They also offer lead generation tools that can help boost conversions along with tracking and analytics tools to help you measure ROI.

There are few sites in the world that offer the depth and width of features to career-focused individuals and businesses. The good news is, it’s never too late to jump in. It can be a little intimidating at first. If you have questions or need help, don’t hesitate to reach out.