The power of LinkedIn
I had always considered LinkedIn to be a social media platform whose sole purpose was to help individuals find better jobs and offer them a way to connect with recruiters from across the globe; I was wrong. I have come to discover that the social and career networking site has over 546 million users spread across more than 200 countries, with an influence that cannot be underestimated.
Most people are not aware of the platform’s full potential and what it can offer, especially to businesses and B2B companies. Therefore, I would like to share with you some reasons behind LinkedIn’s positive impact on organisations:
- LinkedIn is among the top-rated B2B social media platforms as it permits a connection with business professionals and industry peers via industry, job title, etc.
- There are some statistics that indicate LinkedIn as the number one tool for product launches among B2B businesses.
- It goes without saying that LinkedIn remains the most effective tool for organisations to recruit new employees. This is due to the fact that it clearly displays someone’s credentials, experiences and other personal attributes that employers look for.
- The site is also considered to be the best lead-generation tool for businesses.
- Creating a LinkedIn group is a great place to build an engaged community and to grow a company’s online community.
Do you still think you should just have a LinkedIn account for job hunting? If so, think again; the list goes on.
How to wield LinkedIn’s power
Now, I will shed some light on some of the site’s most important features that businesses should employ to best take advantage of its services.
- In order to help clients, customers or individuals learn more about a company and what it offers, a LinkedIn company page needs to be established. To get the best out of it, users should include as much information about the company as possible, include its logo and add a cover page.
- Creating a career page will help attract the right talent to your company. LinkedIn also offers a ‘Life tab’ where job seekers are afforded the opportunity to go through the company’s culture and establish if it would be a perfect match for what they are looking for.
- LinkedIn Groups are a necessity as they help in establishing a company and its official spokesperson as a thought leader in the industry.
- Content is king and the better the content is, the higher the chances to create engagement with your target audience. Posting and sharing should be consistent; it’s always better to post a mix of visuals, editorials and videos so readers don’t feel that you’re repeating yourself.
- LinkedIn also offers Company Page analytics which allow you to identify what your audience is interested in knowing and what subjects are currently trending.
This was a quick glimpse into the ever-evolving world of LinkedIn. With this blog, I set out to impress upon you the importance of the site and the multitude of benefits that a company or individual stands to take advantage of. I hope I was able to enlighten you to explore all its services and encourage you to discover all it has on offer beyond its social and job-seeking aspects.
Khaled Abu Hishme is Account Director at Cicero & Bernay Public Relations. An independent PR agency headquartered in Dubai and offering new-age public relations consultancy to the UAE and across the MENA. |www.cbpr.me
