17 Jun LinkedIn: More than a digital CV?

There are those among us that really aren’t fans of LinkedIn. They think it’s just an annoying place to dump your CV and never look again. They think it’s old hat. They think it’s irrelevant. (for some people it is, but we’ll get to that, too…) Admittedly, I used to be one of those people. Until…

I educated myself a bit better. I started to actually use all it’s functionality and saw that it’s so much more than a CV machine!

There’s a reasonable chance LinkedIn used to be like this, so if it’s been a while, and particularly if you’re in a service-based industry, I’d really urge you to give it another chance!

Here’s why…

1. LinkedIn has 675 MILLION users every month (11 million of those are in Australia!! That’s HUGE, proportionally!!)

2. 30 million companies are on LinkedIn

3. An ad on LinkedIn can reach 12% of the entire world’s population

4. Sponsored InMail has a whopping 52% open rate (a good marketing email open rate is closer to 20-25%)

5. 4 out of 5 people on LinkedIn ‘drive business decisions’

Compelling, no? Especially for my Australian peers (nearly a third of the country’s population is using LinkedIn! Whaaaaat?!) If you’re looking at networking, B2B marketing or simply finding yourself a new job, the stats don’t lie. You need to be on LinkedIn. For realz, yo.

In case you still weren’t convinced, a recent LinkedIn survey revealed that the platform has 15 times more content impressions than job postings, and that as a result engagement has increased 50% year on year.

So what does that mean for you, my fine small business owner?! You have a captive audience, ready and willing to hear from you and communicate with you. You are actively putting yourself and/or your company in front of the decision-makers on an international scale (if you so choose).

While I’m not arguing that LinkedIn is the best place to sell your bespoke jewellery, there are enough of us service providers, coaches and businessfolk about to all get a slice of the action. I have to admit that personally, my presence on LinkedIn has been patchy, but I have seen many of my clients and colleagues have huge success when they actively engage with the ‘Facebook for business’ platform.

So how do you make the most of it?

keep your profile readable and up-to-date:

I don’t usually make this blog about spruiking my wares, but LinkedIn profiles are one of the many services I offer. Your profile is often the first impression a potential customer of employer may have of you, so it better be good! You need to have more than your job history. You need to show your fire personality and passion for your industry!! Let it all shine through, man.

know what you’re doing if you’re going to advertise

LinkedIn advertising is EXPENSIVE compared to other platforms. It’s not for beginners. At an average of $4 PER CLICK, you’d better have your messaging and targeting just right!

Customise your public profile URL

A very handy little trick to make your profile look more professional and easier to find is to replace those silly numbers at the end of your URL with your name or that of your business. Find out how to do that here.

Master the imagery

As much as this is a social network, it’s still a professional network, so keep it classy. A profile picture makes your profile 14x more likely to be viewed, so ensure it is a portrait of your face where you are looking directly at the camera. Your face should take up 60% of the frame and should be in front of a basic background.

As for the cover photo – LinkedIn jumped on that bandwagon in 2014 – this is another chance for you to show your personality or branding. The amount of profiles I see that have these missing is astounding! Use a design tool like Canva to create something effective and appropriate.

Check out who’s viewed your LinkedIn profile

Once again this tip speaks to knowing your audience. If you know who’s looking at you, you’ll have that extra bit of insight into potential leads and customers who are viewing your profile/marketing content. This is great for a better understanding of who to target your next campaign towards.

I think that’ll about do me for today’s soapbox. If there’s anything more you’d like to know, you’d like to boost your own presence on LinkedIn or you have some tips you’d like to share, hit me up! I love learning new things, and I definitely LOVE helping small business owners stand out from the crowd.