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The DOs and DON’Ts: LinkedIn Company Page tips

8 Dec

So you’ve created a LinkedIn Company Page, uploaded your logo, and copied and pasted your website’s “About” section. I’m done, right?

…Not quite.

Oh, right, yep, I need to start pushing Facebook posts to LinkedIn, too, right?

Nope, that’s not entirely it, either!

LinkedIn is the “professional” social network where businesses and individuals can share industry news, participate in group discussions and connect with friends, classmates and colleagues.

It’s not a place to share photos from last Saturday’s party, but if you didn’t quite know that yet then maybe this problem is bigger than the both of us!

Tweet: Don't forget where you are! The Dos and Don'ts of #LinkedIn for business: https://bit.ly/1KRPSzi | via @iformatDon’t forget where you are! The Dos and Don’ts of LinkedIn for business [Click to Tweet]

Those of you who are familiar with LinkedIn understand the benefits it can provide for professional networking, expanding your circle, looking for new jobs, and keeping up-to-date with relevant news.

(Keep in mind that this post focuses solely on Company Pages, but all points can be applied to your personal profile, too!)

So what are the top dos and don’ts of managing your business’s page?

Let’s dive in to some useful LinkedIn Company Page tips!

dos and donts pin
 

DO optimise your LinkedIn Company Page for search

Remember that each social network you’re on is a branch of your brand. Keep your message consistent across all platforms. You probably have a few targeted keywords you like to focus on. These are the keywords you should be using to optimise your Company Page.

Take advantage of your “About” section and be sure to incorporate keywords here. This prized real estate is indexed by Google, so your page could show up in the search results.

Format your content as you would anywhere else on the internet: use short sentences, regular paragraph breaks, lists and bullet points.

Not only will it help in search engines, but it will also help when people type keywords right into LinkedIn. What better way to start a business relationship with someone who finds your company directly through LinkedIn?

From here, they’ll check out your page, can visit your website and may even sniff around your other social networks.

You have 2000 characters to play around with in your “About” section. That’s huge! When you optimise your Company Page, don’t forget to add your website, as well as other URLs like Facebook and Twitter.

DON’T talk about yourself all the time

Here’s a BIG no-no.

Another day, another product pitch? Boring!

People don’t come to the network to have your products shoved down their throats; they come to learn, interact and contribute.

Of course it makes sense to show off a new stock delivery, recent project, or big sale, so by all means, do it. But if it’s the ONLY thing you do, you’ll bore visitors and turn them off in no time.

(On a side note: be careful in LinkedIn Groups. When they were first introduced, they showed a lot of potential, but it very quickly – and very unfortunately – turned into a hot mess of people blatantly self-promoting their brand or products. Only individual members can join groups, so you can’t join as a Company Page, but as a representation of your brand, you could share questions or tips with other like-minded individuals in appropriate Groups. Just control the self-advertising!)

DO vary your content

Regular text posts can be simple yet effective, but images catch the eye of scrollers (particularly those using the network on their smartphones), and links are a great way to send users elsewhere (like a news article or a blog post).

The most relevant and engaging LinkedIn Company Pages share interesting and timely stories in the form of news articles, images, products, videos and blog posts.

DON’T just copy and paste a link

This rings true across all social media platforms, not just LinkedIn.

So you shared a link? So what?

Whenever I see someone (or a company) sharing a link without any other added value, it says to me that they’re a little bit lazy (and perhaps haven’t even read the article!)

Share a thought, ask a question, quote the article, ask if people agree, create a short summary… just add something to that lonely link!

DON’T ignore what people are saying

People talk.

Use LinkedIn to your advantage here, and monitor what’s being said about not only your brand or product, but your industry and your competition.

 Has there been some controversial news? Is a really exciting discussion happening? Capitalise on this by sharing your thoughts or a relevant article or video.

You might learn some new things about your product or industry, like questions people want answered, and uncertainties and hesitations.

With this new knowledge you can create content that centres on addressing these concerns.

DO use a beautiful cover image

The banner space on LinkedIn is no way near as large as the space on Facebook, Twitter or Google+, but it’s still a space where you can use a compelling, bright, and high quality image to show off your company.

What you do with that white space is totally up to you. You can:

 Show off a product, like Bentley Motors Ltd:

bentley product
 

   Promote an upcoming event, like HubSpot:

hubspot event

 Show off your office, like Google:

google office 

 

 Share something unique about your company, like Apple:

apple idea 

 

 Show off your company’s mantra, like Slideshare:

slideshare mantra  

DON’T forget where you are

Regardless of your social network, it’s always good to create a profile that “humanises” your brand.

Don’t speak like a corporate robot; speak like a human interacting with another human, and personalise your company voice. Avoid stuffy tech-speak and cringeworthy clichés.

However, if you’re creating social media posts and pushing the same post out to all your social networks, it wouldn’t hurt to take ten minutes to see whether your LinkedIn posts could be tailored to sound a little more professional and polished.

That’s not to say you can never share any lighthearted content.

A cool statistic, fact, or quote graphic is great to share, but remember where you are and who you’re talking to.

Strike the right balance, and make sure the content you’re sharing is actually relevant to your business, brand, or industry!

DO encourage employees to get involved

It shows enthusiasm and excitement and promotes a great company culture.

Encourage employees to share and like posts. This way, your updates (and therefore your brand) will reach more eyes. In fact, a LinkedIn survey found that over a third of impressions were due to amplification, that is, people interacting with a Company Page’s content and therefore broadcasting it to their network.

Now would also be a good time to ask employees to spruce up their own personal profiles, to ensure information (like their current and past positions) are all up-to-date, they’re using an appropriate profile picture, and they’re actually following your company page!

Finding it difficult to get employees to engage?

A quick weekly email, encouraging staff to not only check LinkedIn daily (it will only take a few minutes) but to also interact with your company’s content could be the little push they need!

They don’t have to like and share every post, but if you’re posting three to five times a week, a few clicks on even just one of those posts will suffice!

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