LinkedIn has long been an effective platform for social media marketing, but until recently some employers have been reluctant to get their employees on board this professional network. After all, if they have a strong profile, they could be headhunted, right?
As a matter of fact, there are many benefits of setting your team up on LinkedIn, which far outweigh any perceived risk. Here are a few reasons why you should get your employees online if they aren’t already.
1. Grow your network
We all know the saying: it’s not what you know – it’s who you know. This is especially true where your employees’ friends, families and associates are concerned. It’s worth considering that an old school friend of theirs could be a prime prospect for your products or services, so make them harness that network by joining LinkedIn
2. Build brand awareness
On a similar note, individual employees will be building brand awareness with every connection they make on LinkedIn. Unlike other social media platforms, such as Facebook, LinkedIn is based around our working lives, meaning your brand message can quickly spread amongst their friends, relatives and professional connections.
3. Drive traffic
To maximise the impact of your LinkedIn presence, make sure your employees link their place of work to your company page. This should include a URL that drives traffic to your website; as social media platforms have a stronghold on the search engines, it will also contribute to improving your ranking in the search results.
4.Social networking
For certain individuals within your business, LinkedIn should also be used as a tool for social networking. A sales or business development manager, for example, could reach out to relevant prospects to create and discover new opportunities that you can capitalise on.
5.Magnify content marketing
Whether your employee has 50, 100 or 500+ connections, encouraging them to share blog posts and updates by the company will magnify the impact of your content marketing efforts, ensuring that more pairs of eyes fall onto your carefully crafted content.
6. Boost engagement
Your target audience is far more likely to engage with an article if it’s posted by someone they know, as opposed to a standard LinkedIn page. Employee-led sharing on social media not only increases the reach of your content – it will also boost engagement amongst your demographic.
7.Staying one step ahead
LinkedIn has become a goldmine of news, insights and opportunities, but in the fast-paced world of social media marketing, these can easily pass you by. Encouraging your employees to actively use LinkedIn allows you to keep abreast of the latest developments in your industry, staying one step ahead of the competition.
Social media marketing should be a team effort, a simple and cost-effective way to gain exposure, leverage and engagement in your industry. Take heed of these tips and get your employees on LinkedIn to start reaping the rewards of being social-savvy in business.
