LinkedIn is the leading hub for business professionals and organizations with approximately 810 million members worldwide. In nearly 20 years of growth, LinkedIn has transformed from an employment-based platform into a business-focused social media network where users engage with each other and brands on a regular basis.
Eight LinkedIn Features that Fuel Business Engagement and Growth
With 48.5 percent of users in the United States using LinkedIn at least once a month, it’s clear the platform is used for more than job posts and applications. The multifunctional platform provides an excellent opportunity for brands to connect meaningfully with target audiences. Whether just getting started with LinkedIn or looking to boost engagement with a long-standing brand presence, marketers can leverage these eight features to propel engagement and business growth.
- Personal Profile
It’s necessary to have a personal profile to interact with the content on LinkedIn. A polished strategic profile can reap many benefits. Your individual LinkedIn profile is often where connections first make contact with you. It’s important to present yourself and your company in ways that align with your goals, brand and target audiences. Some essentials to keep up to date and brand-aligned include your headshot, banner image and headline. Be sure your “about me” section demonstrates the value you provide. Keep the work experience and skills sections brief. Include endorsements and recommendations from connections who can speak to your abilities. Your personal profile also includes a feed with the content you engage with and share. This allows you to share content that is valuable for your network and encourages new connections.
- Company Page and Showcase Pages
For B2B brands, your company’s page is even more crucial than your personal one. An organization’s designated company page includes an about us section, a list of employees, job opportunities, company posts and shares. It should showcase your company’s goals, values and services. Keep in mind that a corporate profile shouldn’t be self-promotional. Successful LinkedIn company pages don’t mimic a company website but act as an extension of your website and brand. Develop and share content encouraging prospects to engage in conversation, click through to your website or follow your corporate page. Showcase pages are a new extension of LinkedIn’s company pages. They allow companies with varied target markets to create multiple tabs to alter their profile to better serve prospect interests.
- Invite to Follow Company Page
When LinkedIn surveyed its users about goals and challenges with the platform, members said they wanted to increase the number of engaged and relevant followers on their company page. Invite to Follow is a powerful feature that allows page admins to grow their company page’s follower base by directly inviting connections to follow their page. Leverage this feature by allowing leaders and active employees on LinkedIn to invite relevant audiences from their varied networks. There’s a monthly invitation limit, so ensure users are inviting the most relevant connections.
- Industry-Specific Content
Content is a powerful tool when it comes to inbound marketing and 77 percent of content marketers say LinkedIn produces the best organic results. LinkedIn is an ideal place to share engaging content already posted on your website and across other publication channels. LinkedIn also provides an excellent platform for original article content or repurposed blogs, articles, press releases, white papers, videos, podcasts or other content.
- LinkedIn Newsletters
As content engagement with native LinkedIn articles grew, users expressed a desire to regularly connect with a dedicated audience. To address this need, the platform introduced LinkedIn Newsletters. Anyone can discover, read and share your LinkedIn newsletter. Just like a print or email newsletter, loyal users can subscribe and receive updates when you publish something new. It’s viable to share an already established email newsletter across LinkedIn to connect with new audiences. Or, develop a unique newsletter topic that attracts readers to engage specifically on the platform.
- LinkedIn Events and Live Streaming
The LinkedIn Events feature provides users with a simple way to create and join webinars, seminars, meetups, online or in-person workshops, panel discussions, interviews and more. LinkedIn users can use the events page feature to discover activities relevant to their interests. They also can network with new communities and learn new skills. One major benefit to the platform is integration with LinkedIn Live. If enabled by the event team, a live-stream option native to LinkedIn can help organizations reach diverse audiences without linking to external platforms. Chat and Q&A functions allow users to participate virtually with event members both in-person and online.
- Notify Employees About a Post
Employee advocates drive 30 percent of a company’s engagement on LinkedIn, but it’s easy for company content to get lost in busy news feeds. With Employee Notifications, company page admins can alert employees to new posts via direct notifications. Before, employees relied on scrolling through their newsfeed to locate share-worthy company content. Employees can interact with, comment on and share content with their own LinkedIn network, promoting and reinforcing your organization’s messages. Notifications are limited to once a day, so reserve this function for the most relevant and valuable content.
- Photo Frames for “Hiring” or “Open to Work”
You’ve probably noticed the colorful phrases framing LinkedIn profile photos that state “#Hiring” or “#OpentoWork.” While LinkedIn has expanded into a multifunctional social networking site, it is still a vital tool for individuals pursuing career changes or companies looking to expand their teams. Consider that according to recent statistics, there are 77 job applications submitted every second on LinkedIn and six people are hired through LinkedIn every minute. Add to the mix the effects of the Great Resignation and major shifts in the employment landscape, and many companies and individuals are experiencing or seeking change. Over 12 million LinkedIn members are signaling their availability to work in 2022, so a small adjustment to your profile picture can quickly communicate individual and company employment goals.
Just the Beginning
This list only scratches the surface of the possible features available on the popular business networking website. Its versatility and dedication to professionals make LinkedIn a powerful tool for B2B marketing. Whether you take advantage of all or just some of these features, a strategic and brand-aligned plan to back up organizational goals is a must. Utilize these free LinkedIn features first to test, review and adjust your strategy accordingly. Then incorporate LinkedIn as a robust channel. When it comes to engaging with prospects, clients and stakeholders, LinkedIn offers one of the most meaningful ways to increase your visibility, credibility and name recognition with your network.
