How to get the most from Linkedin Company Pages
The professional social networking site recently launched company status updates. These enable companies with LinkedIn pages to connect with their followers, by sending updates in a similar fashion to the way in which Facebook users update their fans via Pages.
Like any other feature, this tool can vary in value according to how it is used. Companies that use updates in the right way can increase engagement with followers and potential employees, and can grow their online professional brand. There are a number of ways that companies can get the most from their LinkedIn pages and updates.
Mix things up – share different types of content
One of the best ways to engage users and to maintain their interest is to sharedifferent types of content. As well as sharing links to updates on your company page, post advertisements for job roles, add videos and images and start discussions. The more interest that you can stimulate in your company, the more value that company pages will add. Writing for the LinkedIn blog, Mike Grishaver highlights theHarvard Business School Executive Educationas a great example of this, with a host of different sorts of content.
Connect to your website and to your customers
LinkedIn also allows you to use banner-sized images to link to content on your website. This is a great way to use LinkedIn as a 'call to action' for users to connect with you in other ways. You can link to a variety of different content, attracting visitors in different ways. You can alsoshowcase customer testimonials, as recommended by Gloria Rand on her blog. As Rand highlights, 'the real power of Company Pages is the fact that LinkedIn members who recommend a product or service on a company profile will have those recommendations surface on their own personal profiles, as well.”
Create targeted audiences
You canset up targeted audiencesso that content is shared with a more specific group of individuals, a little like a distribution list, via dedicated page views. This could be a geographical group, or contacts with a certain industry. Set up these lists by clicking Services, Edit and then Create New Audience. Once set up, ensure that you preview all these page views to ensure that the content is right, and make a point of reviewing and revising on an ongoing basis.
Keep your page up-to-date
A company page that is out-of-date or incomplete is arguably of less value than having no page at all. Users will quickly become disengaged if contact details are missing or incorrect, or if any information shown is no longer relevant. Ensure that updating your Company Page becomes a normal part of your social marketing efforts and that you refresh the content on a regular basis. It is important to ensure that your followers are aware of ongoing changes and updates.
LinkedIn Company Pages can be a great way to develop your professional brand online. Don't pay lip service to this feature, however. Ensure that you invest the time on an ongoing basis to get the most out of the tools available.
