Using LinkedIn For Social Networking

LinkedIn is a specialty social networking site.  It’s much more specialised than the others due to the audience it attracts. LinkedIn is specifically for professionals, rather than a portal for socialising.   Business owners looking to attract prospects and connect with industry professionals can also utilise LinkedIn in a productive and prosperous way. If you’re looking for a job then it’s a great opportunity for searching for one that suits your skills and expertise and for being able to connect directly with people who are recruiting for professionals.

What Is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network with 313 million members in over 200 countries. It’s a social networking site that offers professionals a number of benefits and features. It began in concept in the living room of the owner and was launched in 2003. Seventeen years later it is a thriving social networking site that can be used in a number of business building ways. It is also a means of connecting with many people that you would not normally be able to communicate in the face-to-face world. If you have connections in common, it tends to build a sense of trust and credibility with other businesspeople.

The Many Features and Benefits of LinkedIn

Company Pages – The first element of LinkedIn is that it allows business owners to create Company Pages. Unlike profile pages on other social networking sites, Company Pages include analytics as well as an ability to share meaningful content and promote your business.

LinkedIn groups – This feature may be one of the most beneficial because it allows you to join groups that are specific to your audience and your industry. Within a group you can connect with other professionals and prospects to build an audience. Groups support conversations, article posting, polling, and display group icons on your Company Page to further enhance your connections and to build credibility to your audience.

Advertising – Like many social networking sites, LinkedIn offers advertising options for members. You can reach a targeted audience with ads that you can test and track for best results.

Marketing solutions – LinkedIn offers a professional membership that goes above and beyond the standard membership.  You can then utilize features like their Marketing Solutions program that also lets you create specific messages for your audience through targeted content marketing.

Integration – Finally, LinkedIn is a site that understands you want to make the most of your social networking efforts. You can integrate many Social Media sites with your LinkedIn page. Integration saves time and maximizes your results and productivity.

Creating Content for LinkedIn

It’s important to remember that while you can integrate your social marketing efforts, LinkedIn has a unique audience.  It often makes sense to create unique content for LinkedIn followers. They tend to be professionals and their needs may be different than your general audience. 

People tend to trust the information they find on LinkedIn more than other Social Media sites. This simple fact can help you build tremendous authority and credibility in your niche. If you’re not using LinkedIn to grow your business or you’ve let your profile lag, consider giving this top rated Social Media site the attention it deserves.

If you would like any help or assistance with building your network or your profile on Linkedin, please do not hesitate to contact me on [email protected] or call me on +44 7968 134048. Visit my website on www.alimcoaching.com.