As a worldwide business networking platform, LinkedIn can be an invaluable lead gen tool, as well as a platform for strengthening customer relationships and keeping up with news in your industry. Establishing a business presence on a social networking platform can take some time, as you go through all the setup and learn how it works.With LinkedIn, most users don’t use their profiles for lead generation, so making your business account stand out from the crowd takes a particular approach. To give your business LinkedIn page the best chance of attracting the right attention and bringing in leads, take the following approach to setting up your account.
How To Set Up A Business Account On LinkedIn
- Let’s start with the basics. First you need to have a personal LinkedIn account under your name. You can do that by signing up here: https://www.linkedin.com/start/join
- Go to the ‘interests’ tab at the top of your home page and click ‘companies’.
- Enter your company name and email address, then click ‘continue’.
- Log into the email you gave and click the confirmation link.
- Write a compelling description of your business on your company page, and give a link to your official company website. Don’t waffle – just keep this focused on your core services and the value they offer.
- Make sure to add anything else you want before publishing, because the page will go live on LinkedIn once you press publish. You should include an attractive banner, a logo and a few relevant photos, all optimised to look their best on LinkedIn.
Now the basics are covered, you can start optimising your new company page straightaway with the following features:
How To Optimise Your LinkedIn Business Account For Lead Generation
Make use of showcase pages. These are pages linked to your company page that showcase a specific product or service. Here is your chance to go into detail with what you can offer a potential customer. Always put your best product or service on showcase – for example, if you’re selling mobile phones to service providers, make sure that the newest and most fashionable phone is showcased.
Use searchable key words on your page. You want your LinkedIn business page to show up when people do a Google search. Think about the kind of customers you want to attract, and some common words or phrases that they would use in a search. Work these words into your business page so that it’ll be more likely to turn up in search results.
Install a ‘follow’ button on your page. It’s easy for people to click and will help you gather a following on LinkedIn. You can install this button here: https://developer.linkedin.com/plugins/follow-company#
Update your company page regularly, and when you do update it, make sure that the updates are interesting to read. Make them the kind of updates people will comment on, thus gaining you more exposure.
Add pictures as well as links to other pages, so that your content will appeal to a wider audience who like different types of media.
What Not To Do
There are some bloopers that a lot of businesses make when setting up a company page. These risk putting people off and damaging your chances of lead generation. Here are the actions you should try and avoid.
- Don’t make your profile so secure that no one can find it. Rather, use public settings so that everyone can see your business content. So long as the information you publish on the company page is strictly professional, you should make it as public and searchable as possible.
- Don’t just post adverts on LinkedIn, or no one will want to follow you. Make sure to post interesting, valuable information that will leave people wanting more.
- Don’t make your information too personal. Some personal information to make your team seem more approachable is fine, but for the most part LinkedIn should be kept professional.
- Don’t spam! People do not appreciate being contacted by a company they don’t know anything about trying to sell them something. LinkedIn is about connecting; connect with people – talk to them, like their pages, etc.
LinkedIn is a valuable resource for any business, and it is well worth spending some time setting up and maintaining a profile there. The best way to use LinkedIn is part of a wider marketing and lead generation strategy. Take advantage of paid adverts and link your social media campaigns with a winning content strategy – and watch the magic start to happen.
Working with an agency like JDR can help you take full advantage of all the tools and platforms available to you, including LinkedIn. Get in touch today to discuss how a personalised strategy can yield you greater returns from your marketing.
