LinkedIn offers many opportunities for small businesses. It is an excellent way to connect with others and build professional relationships. The platform also enables them to attract new clients and top talent, making it an essential part of any organization’s marketing strategy. When leveraging LinkedIn correctly, small businesses can drive long-term success. To make the most of LinkedIn, they should use several methods to maximize impact.
1. Set Up a Professional and Optimized LinkedIn Profile
A LinkedIn profile is the first impression many potential clients will have of a business. It reflects a brand’s professionalism while improving its visibility on the platforms. According to LinkedIn, a fully completed profile can gain up to 30% more weekly views than an incomplete one. Therefore, filling out all the information on a LinkedIn profile is the most important step for small businesses to maximize their potential.
Create a Standout Company Page
Business owners should start by building a professional company page to showcase what it represents. For instance, using a high-quality logo as a profile picture and uploading a product showcase or team photo in the banner can perfectly capture a brand.
Consider analyzing similar company profiles to get a feel for how other businesses have set up their profile. Evernote is an excellent example — the software company uses the “About” section to describe how it serves its customers and what makes it unique.
Although the description is relatively short, it gives potential clients immediate insight into what Evernote offers. One thing it could add to its About section is a call to action to direct its visitors to its website to learn more.
Leverage LinkedIn Features
Taking advantage of LinkedIn’s small business tools enhances the profile. Small businesses can use the Featured section to highlight key posts, videos or articles that showcase the company’s achievements. Visitors will also better understand what the establishment offers when adding product pages or services.
Optimize Personal Profiles for Key Team Members
Those in leadership positions and employees significantly involved in the company must represent the brand on LinkedIn. Every profile associated with it should be fully complete — with professional headshots, custom headlines and detailed descriptions of their roles. Include relevant keywords to help profiles appear in search results, too.
2. Build and Grow Your Network
Networking on LinkedIn is important for businesses to make connections because it helps companies foster growth, innovation and collaboration. Research shows that companies central to a strong network can see big benefits, resulting in a 5% increase in research and development. Therefore, building a valuable LinkedIn network starts with intentional connection requests.
Many companies that start on LinkedIn may think it is fine to add just anyone. However, seeking out professionals who may have the same values or goals is imperative. Personalizing connection requests makes it easier to start relevant conversations and opens doors to new opportunities. Yet, be sure to explain the reason behind the connection to increase the chances of potential clients and industry leaders accepting it.
LinkedIn Groups are another powerful way to meet like-minded professionals. Business owners should join groups within their industry or ones their target audience uses. They can ensure a stronger network by sharing insights, answering questions or starting group discussions.
3. Create and Share Engaging Content
Content leads to higher engagement. By sharing valuable information, small businesses can drive conversations and connections that matter most. Engaging content also builds trust because it showcases a brand’s expertise and authoritativeness.
Some content ideas that work well for LinkedIn’s professional audience include:
- Industry insights: Share news, trends or data to highlight knowledgeability.
- Behind-the-scenes: Audiences love to get a glimpse into a business’s operations, team culture or product development process. It helps them gain further trust.
- Customer success stories: Show instances of how a product or service solved a problem for a client. Use testimonials or case studies to add authenticity.
- Educational content: Create how-to guides, checklists or tips to provide value to the audience.
- Company milestones: Did the company achieve something recently? Consider celebrating anniversaries, new hires or major projects to humanize the brand.
LinkedIn offers various formats to diversify a content strategy. Business leaders often use LinkedIn articles, polls and live sessions to build thought leadership and engagement. Take note of the following post by Mercedes-Benz. The luxury car company uses a poll to interact with followers and increase engagement.
4. Leverage LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn ads are an excellent way to reach a highly targeted professional audience. Whether promoting a new product or generating leads, LinkedIn’s advertising tools help small businesses achieve their goals. Its advertising platform also ties into the trust and credibility companies build with their audience.
For instance, 83% of people in the U.S. cited that word-of-mouth advertising made them more inclined to engage with brands. With LinkedIn ads, organizations can amplify this effect by targeting those most likely to share and recommend the brand.
Start by choosing an ad format most suited to the company’s goals:
- Sponsored content: Promote posts from the company page to reach a wider audience in the newsfeeds.
- Message ads: Deliver personalized messages directly to users’ inboxes.
- Text ads: Display brief, attention-grabbing ads on the sidebar to increase website visits or leads.
- Dynamic ads: Personalize ads with user-specific details like profile photos or job titles.
- Video ads: Engage viewers with visually compelling stories about a brand or products.
The next part that makes a LinkedIn ad successful is its advanced targeting features. Use filters like job title, industry, company size and interests to target the right audience. Doing so ensures the right people see the ads, making them more likely to engage with a brand.
5. Use LinkedIn Analytics to Track Performance
Tracking performance is essential for small businesses to make the most of LinkedIn. LinkedIn Analytics provides deeper insight into an audience, content performance and engagement. Such information allows marketers to refine their strategy for better results.
Some of the key metrics to following include:
- Visitor analytics: Tracks profile views and visitor demographics, such as job titles, industries and locations. This information helps marketers understand who is interested in their business.
- Follower analytics: Monitors follower growth and engagement to gauge the effectiveness of the content and outreach efforts.
- Content performance: Measures likes, comments, shares and clicks to show the type of content the audience likes most.
- Engagement: Provides insight into interactions, clicks and follows to give a snapshot of overall content effectiveness.
6. Build Thought Leadership
Establishing thought leadership as a small business on LinkedIn is the best way to grow. By positioning it as an authority in its industry, shared insights and expertise will attract new opportunities for collaboration and reach.
According to LinkedIn’s Benchmark Report, approximately 67% of B2B marketers are expanding their brand-building budgets. Branding a small business as a thought leader is strategic because it presents the company’s industry knowledge. LinkedIn users will take notice of these efforts and place trust in the brand. They will be more likely to interact with the insights shared and potentially reach out to stay connected.
Small businesses become thought leaders when they:
- Publish emerging trends.
- Share actionable tips.
- Address common pain points.
Posting an original thought and responding to comments shows a company’s genuineness. It strengthens their credibility and makes them more memorable. Encouraging team members to contribute also reinforces expertise. When multiple voices from the brand share valuable insights, it amplifies a brand’s thought leadership and creates lasting connections.
Strategizing Your Small Business LinkedIn Marketing Strategy
LinkedIn is an excellent platform for small businesses to grow. It creates opportunities to connect with industry professionals, build brand authority and expand reach. However, business owners must ensure they are implementing their efforts strategically. Take time to develop a LinkedIn marketing plan tied to the company’s goals. With a thoughtful and data-driven strategy, small businesses can build relationships and achieve long-term success.
About The Author
Cooper Adwin is the Assistant Editor of Designerly Magazine. With several years of experience as a social media manager for a design company, Cooper particularly enjoys focusing on social and design news and topics that help brands create a seamless social media presence. Outside of Designerly, you can find Cooper playing D&D with friends or curled up with his cat and a good book.