LinkedIn has fast become one of the most popular social media platforms. With over 660 million registered users, it’s proven itself a top player in the corporate world. But just because the platform is popular, doesn’t mean it’s necessary for your organisation’s success. Much like any other online platform, success by being a member is determined by your audience. If your audience isn’t on LinkedIn, then there’s no need for you to be.
The basics of LinkedIn
If you’re not overly familiar with LinkedIn, think of it as a professional Facebook. It’s a world full of working professionals who use it as a form of a digital footprint and resume. It’s also great for connecting with other working professionals and getting your name out there. Most users on LinkedIn are from the corporate/commercial world. Approximately 90 million of the 660 million users are of senior-level influence, and 63 million are decision-making influence in their company. This means it’s a great platform to make connections if they’re the right connections for you.
Industry specific
The main success on LinkedIn comes to B2B (business to business) organisations. If you’re a business who primarily deals with other businesses as your customers, then LinkedIn is a great asset. However, if you’re a business who primarily deals with domestic work (e.g. trades), it might not be worth it. Most users on the platforms are other professionals looking to make connections. This limits the ability to market a service such as a trade, as you’re not reaching your targeted demographic. Customers are more likely to go onto Google or more traditional social media such as Facebook to search for these kinds of services.. When considering online presence for a business, it’s all about time spent and leads/work generated. This isn’t to say you may not have some luck and find the occasional user who also happens to be looking for someone from your industry. However, your time is more effectively spent invested in the other social media platforms.
If you are a B2B organisation, or in more of a corporate/commercial industry, the good news is there is plenty of opportunity on LinkedIn. The ability to connect with people of high-level influence is great from a sales perspective, and a work perspective. If you’re an independent contractor, LinkedIn is a fantastic way to make those necessary industry connections to find work. Plenty of CEO’s and other decision-making people are on the site, and the ability to connect with them is just a click away.
LinkedIn also has the benefit of easier connections than other social media platforms. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are more personal and private, and users are less likely to add you unless they personally know you. On LinkedIn, connecting with somebody you do not know personally is quite normal. Using the platform to connect with potential clients, and even potential staff, is one of its greatest assets.
Paid ads and marketing
LinkedIn also offers a campaign manager function similar to that of Facebook. With this tool, you can create ad campaigns and target them to specific audiences. This is a great tool since you can target towards specifics such as company size, job title, and skill sets. If you know that your customers are on LinkedIn, using paid ads may be very beneficial to your business. The added benefit of being able to target characteristics such as the size of company you would like as a client allows your organisation to cut down leads from the wrong kind of clients. This saves time, and money, and means you’re more likely to be contacted by the people you want to be contacted by.
If you’ve decided that LinkedIn is right for your business, they have a great tool that walks you through step by step of their campaign manager online. If you would like to learn more about what online presence is right for your business, contact Digimedia Worx today. We are experienced across all levels of paid ads, online marketing, and digital contact. Get started on growing your business today, the right way.
