Building An Effective Web Presence - Step #12 Get LinkedIn


Over  the past eleven posts we identified steps one through eleven in the process of building an effective web presence:   1) Define your ideal client; 2) Identify specific goals; 3) Create a call to action; 4) Give customers what they expect; 5) Be a better communicator; 6) Get found; 7) Improve Your Link Popularity;  8) Setup and optimize your free Google Places listing;  9) Make it easy to share; 10) Be analytical; and 11) Start a Blog.

The twelfth step is: 
Get LinkedIn.



Most people have heard of LinkedIn, and like so many others, you may have setup a personal profile and not touched it since. It’s time to start taking advantage of everything LinkedIn can offer your company!

Did you know that LinkedIn has several new features that can positively impact business owners like you?  LinkedIn offers company pages (similar to Facebook) and there are already nearly 90 million business members.  Does your business have a company LinkedIn page? If the answer is no, then what are you waiting for?  Oh, by the way, it’s FREE.

Go to http://www.LinkedIn.com.  Click on COMPANIES in the top navigation bar and then click on ADD COMPANYDo it today – it won’t take much time.  Just as with other business social platforms, the key is not so much about you finding other people … it’s about them finding you … reaching out to you … and making a connection for business purposes.  If you are not there, they WILL find your competition.

Complete your personal LinkedIn Profile 100%, and take the time to thoroughly complete the profile for your company LinkedIn page.  You should include all of the following: company overview, business logo, location information, contact information, link to your web site, twitter ID (you are on Twitter right?), business blog feed (I know you started a blog after last month’s article!), detailed product/service description, careers available with your company, three images associated with your product/service (linked back to your web site or Facebook page), a YouTube video about your business, and a promotion from your LinkedIn company page.  

Yes, LinkedIn let’s you put ALL this juicy stuff on your page … for FREE!  

Once you’ve completed your LinkedIn business page, you can add a “Follow Us on LinkedIn” button to your website (and blog).  You can also add a “Recommend” button to your website that feeds back to your company LinkedIn page. This enables clients to easily write great testimonials about your business for all to see (and good testimonials make GREAT sales people)!  LinkedIn has also made a “Share” button available. It works just like the Facebook button we all know and love, except that it updates your LinkedIn connections instead of your Facebook fans.

LinkedIn is a truly powerful tool for your business inbound marketing efforts, and it’s one of the most overlooked. With a complete personal profile and business page, you are well positioned to start engaging on LinkedIn and building your reputation as THE local expert who continually offers value and expertise to your customers. Google also gives weight to personal profiles and company pages … one more spot you can hold on coveted page one when people search for your name or business name!

Try participating in LinkedIn “Groups”.  Here’s a tip … play outside your own sandbox.  This is where you will find your customers, not your competitors. For example, if you are a Realtor, don’t join real estate groups.  Join groups where you can interact with people who fit your ideal customer profile … not your competitor profile.

Use the “Ask & Answer Questions” feature in LinkedIn.  Contribute to the conversation.  Add continued value messages that build your credibility across the business social media landscape and cause prospective customers to actively seek you out. LinkedIn gives you a powerful platform to do this.

Setup your LinkedIn business page today.  Your competitors will … if they haven’t already!

Here is a great resource:  I do a lot of reading in my attempt to stay on top of what’s going on across the social media, web site, and search engine landscape. Most of these books I would never recommend to clients because they can cause instant brain freeze or certain drowsiness.  BUT … I have one that’s a MUST read if you’ve come to realize that social media is here to stay and your business better get in.  It’s quick. It’s to the point. It’s powerful.  “Social Boom” by Jeffrey Gitomer. Let me know if you read and enjoy it!


MSW Interactive Designs LLC ~ We put the web to work for you!
573-552-8403

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Comments

  1. Using social media websites like LinkedIn is definitely effective in promoting your company and its products and/or services. But why do you need to sign up for several accounts? It’s because each social media platform has a unique purpose. For example, for quick and short updates about your company, Twitter is the best platform to use. To promote your products/services to a wider audience and to better interact with your target market, Facebook is your ideal tool. Finally, you can use LinkedIn to build your company’s credibility and professional image and to connect with other businesspeople.

    Darryl Tay

    ReplyDelete
  2. Social media is indeed a friend in need nowadays for those companies which want to strengthen their existence. Every business should have a social media profile to market their brand online easy.

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